Cough Drops, Tissues and My Crates Saddle

My last posting was June 10 where I left you with my decision to replace my horse here at home, the wonderful, kind hearted Cisco, who I lost last January and still miss every single day. 

As I wrote that post I was sitting here coughing and blowing my nose.  Today is June 21; eleven days later I'm pretty much doing the same thing.  I had my third doctor's visit today and have some huge horse pill-like antibiotics so I expect that the end of this interruption is in sight and I'll be soon feeling better and back on my feet.  Gosh, I'm not going to know what to do without hacking and blowing my nose all day and night!  But I'm sure my family will be jumping for joy.  They see me coming these days and scatter like leaves in the fall.  :(

I took my first lesson on Champ last Tuesday after being down sick for two weeks.  Odd to find myself not dreading the ride.  My motto of ground work and "knowing what you get before you get on" has put me in a confident state of mind.  Champ was a real handful during ground work but I got the upper hand and the ride was good.  The only problem was that about half way through I felt exhausted and didn't really do a heck of a lot during my lesson.

While I was riding I told my Trainer, Rachel Koehler, about my decision to replace Cisco.  Rachel was the one who found Cisco for me.  As I rode last week I told Rachel that I was in no hurry to purchase a new horse.  My new horse would need to meet line item expectations I'd established as I laid awake at night for days end coughing and blowing my nose.

We talked about going to get a coffee after my ride, but Rachel told me that she needed to put a ride on a horse named Poco that had just arrived a few hours earlier.  Rachel told me how she wished she could purchase this newly arrived horse.  How he'd be a perfect lesson horse, his great condition for an older horse, how he'd been used for shows but also on extensive trail rides, etc.  She went on to unknowingly list every line item I'd established as my criteria for a new horse during my sleepless nights.

My interest perked, I hung around to observe.  Upon first sight of Poco my thoughts were, what a great looking horse.  As I watched Rachel ride him I became more and more impressed.  Smooth mover, low key guy, well trained, gets along with other horse (me ogling him while on Champ), etc.

I had to ride this horse.  I asked Rachel if I could return Wednesday and take a ride.  I arrived the next day armed with cough drops, tissues, and my Crates Saddle from home, formerly Cisco's, which happened to fit Poco perfectly. 

My ride on Poco took about an hour.  It was just awesome but feeling so crummy, I hardly cantered him.  After I finished, I told Rachel I thought I might be interested in him.  Rachel my tried and true trainer, would have no conversation about it until I returned the next day and rode Poco once more, including lots of cantering. 

My antennas were high as I unsaddled Champ that day and listened to everybody in the barn talk about the new horse at the barn who was for sale, what a great horse he was and how horses like that won't stay for sale for very long.

That night I lay awake all night long.  I agonized about my decision to purchase another horse.  I have so missed having a horse at home to pull out of my pasture, no matter if it be weeks or months in-between rides, to climb on and enjoy without much prep work.  I wished for a horse to share with my friends.  I could see me on Champ and my pal's on my new horse, taking rides together at the cabin.  Yet, was I being selfish in having a horse at home to ride when, although half-leased, I had Champ at the barn?  Would I be doing a disservice to Champ to have another horse in my life?  Would I be doing a disservice to myself to NOT have another horse in my life?

As dawn broke and Thursday arrived I finally fell to sleep with the attitude of what will be, will be.  That afternoon I returned again with cough drops, tissues and my Crates Saddle.  This ride brought many of my barn pals to the arena to watch me put Poco through his paces.  Bless them all, good friends, cheering me on.

This time I was the first one on and I rode for a few hours.  I put Poco through all his paces, including lots of cantering.  I knew at the end of my ride I'd make an offer on Poco and let the God's of Horse Sales decide if it would be accepted or not.  I'd stand firm on my offer, either it would be accepted or not.  What would be, would be.

So it was that later that evening that the God's of Horse Sales smiled upon me and I became the owner of the Poco.  I returned Friday to seal the deal and then left for the weekend on an earlier planned trip with my family, not arriving home until late Sunday.  (Hard to leave town when you just bought a new horse!)

The former owners have left papers and a folder of Poco's accomplishments for me.  How funny that today I was so busy with both horses that I never had time to pick up the documents!

So Poco is papered and he's done a lot of good things in his life.  That's good, but what's better is that without even looking, I've found what I was looking for.