This week is spring break. While the rest of you are escaping to the beaches or planting your gardens at home, we are buying and selling horses.
Okay. That's only half true. We haven't sold Buddy but we've found The Perfect Horse (note: calling him The Perfect Horse will ensure he flunks vetting), made an offer and will be picking him up in the morning. He's ours if he vets out. I hate this part.
I also hate the part where we're signing contracts and I'm getting insurance and trying to work out problems that aren't problems but feel like it. And when I walk outside to do something and Buddy comes to the fence to greet me I feel like I'm having an affair...
But for Lily, Christmas has come. She is ecstatic. She has forgotten all about boys. "When are we picking up the horse?" Well, I was all set. I had the truck gassed up and ready to go... then there was all this paperwork stuff.
Anyway. We live in a world where handshakes are just a way to catch colds. The people who are selling him are really nice; they're just protecting themselves in a world where handshakes are just a way to catch colds. Back in the old days.... Heck. Three years ago we brought Buddy home with no contract, no insurance, no agreed-upon price, nothing. Just a promise that we would give his blanket back if we bought him. Which we did -- buy him AND give the blanket back.
Our horse-to-be is a 10 year-old TB gelding with an old racing injury. The old racing injury is the only reason we can afford him. He's a grandson of Seattle Slew (who won the Triple Crown and was possibly undefeated but I'm not sure) and has evented at the Preliminary level. I talked to the woman who rescued him from the track before his current owner bought him, and if he's half as good as she says (and she has no reason to tell me a tale since she has a horse she'd like to sell us of her own) we have found The Perfect Horse. Here's a short clip of Lily trying him out.
Okay. That's only half true. We haven't sold Buddy but we've found The Perfect Horse (note: calling him The Perfect Horse will ensure he flunks vetting), made an offer and will be picking him up in the morning. He's ours if he vets out. I hate this part.
I also hate the part where we're signing contracts and I'm getting insurance and trying to work out problems that aren't problems but feel like it. And when I walk outside to do something and Buddy comes to the fence to greet me I feel like I'm having an affair...
But for Lily, Christmas has come. She is ecstatic. She has forgotten all about boys. "When are we picking up the horse?" Well, I was all set. I had the truck gassed up and ready to go... then there was all this paperwork stuff.
Anyway. We live in a world where handshakes are just a way to catch colds. The people who are selling him are really nice; they're just protecting themselves in a world where handshakes are just a way to catch colds. Back in the old days.... Heck. Three years ago we brought Buddy home with no contract, no insurance, no agreed-upon price, nothing. Just a promise that we would give his blanket back if we bought him. Which we did -- buy him AND give the blanket back.
Our horse-to-be is a 10 year-old TB gelding with an old racing injury. The old racing injury is the only reason we can afford him. He's a grandson of Seattle Slew (who won the Triple Crown and was possibly undefeated but I'm not sure) and has evented at the Preliminary level. I talked to the woman who rescued him from the track before his current owner bought him, and if he's half as good as she says (and she has no reason to tell me a tale since she has a horse she'd like to sell us of her own) we have found The Perfect Horse. Here's a short clip of Lily trying him out.
Way to go Lily and Anne!! He looks nice- fingers crossed he vets fine for you.
Rub Buddy from me too please. Keeping him in our thoughts for The Perfect Owner to come along for you all!!
Posted by: Mrs Mom | April 08, 2009 at 04:54 PM
Very nice & my favorite color!
Posted by: tammy | April 09, 2009 at 07:16 PM
He looks like there is tons of jump in him. He can probably go fast and high.
Keep his mane long enough so Lily can grab hold when he flies!
Posted by: Molly | April 10, 2009 at 09:32 AM
Seattle Slew!!! This is perhaps my only tiny link to the horsey world--the Bean and his dad watched the Derby on TV once and then subsequently watched a batch of them on YouTube, and for weeks (months?) after that, everywhere we went, it was a race, and the Bean dubbed himself Seattle Slew (his father was Secretariat and I was Affirmed...). Hope vetting horse works out for you and Lily.
Posted by: Anwyn | April 10, 2009 at 11:52 PM
Yeah...new horsey. Keep us posted on how the vet check goes. Keepin my fingers crossed...he looks like a great guy.
Posted by: photogchic | April 11, 2009 at 02:16 AM
Good luck with the vet check. He looks like FUN!!!
Posted by: Five O'Clock Somewhere | April 14, 2009 at 02:22 AM