Moving On - A New Day

I spent the month of June sick with a cough/cold and then just as I was recovering Champ became ill with colic and a urinary tract infection which we couldn't get a hand on no matter how hard the vet tried.  After six long, long days, now with failed kidneys, we put him down.  Forty eight hours ago...two days.  And with the exception of the painful hole in our hearts, it already seems like it was a long time ago.

Today is July 1.  I welcome the new month and refuse to look in the rear view mirror at June 2010, just I refused to look at January 2010 when I lost Cisco.  I will encourage my family, battered and beaten by June to do the same.  I will lead by example and point out the good things in our lives, not dwell on the past trials we've been through.

Although the Belgians are here at home, Sunny is now feeble and I consider him unsafe to ride.  Gus, our younger Belgian is green broke, over 18 hands and I feel he is too big and too green for me to ride.

I'm grateful for Poco, the horse I recently purchased to replace Cisco, here at home.  Poco has been home for the last five days.  His pasture is outside our bedroom window.  At night with the window opened, I can hear him moving around and blowing out his nose.  It's a good sound. 

When I get up each morning, I open the window wider and greet him.  He is now waiting for my greeting each morning.  Life with Poco at home has been soothing and enjoyable.  He likes his pasture and loafing shed, where he naps.  Across the fence line he and the Belgians have settled down nicely.

I hauled Poco out to the barn to take a lesson on him, still learning how he ticks.  He was a dream loading and unloading, saddling at the trailer, during the lesson and then later when we went on a ride around the 100 acres that surround the barn.  So far he's been a good guy at everything I've asked of him.

I have an empty stall at the barn.  The loss of Champ appears to have cancelled the half-lease I have with the gal who was using him for 4H.  Out of courtesy for the suddenness of Champ's loss, I've offered them the use of Poco for the rest of the season but understandably, it's not the same.

I hate moving Poco to the barn but with an empty stall up there I've decided for the time being to continue to board at the barn.  My friends are up there and since I'm retired, the barn provides me with a social outlet.  So today I will haul Poco back to the barn.

I'm back where I started in early June, with no horse at home and no other suitable horse for my family or friends to ride.  That means no riding at the cabin with my family or friends, where our corral is now ready for our horses.

It means all my eggs are in the basket with Poco and after the last week, that kind of scares me.  But I won't seek out another horse right now.  Poco came to me, I didn't go looking for him.  I'm thinking that's the best way to find a horse.  So I will wait, my family and I will regain our strength and welcome peace into our hearts and souls.  Somewhere down the road we will find another special horse.  After all, good things come to those who wait.