I mentioned before that it was time to move on from Henry. A lot of people don’t understand selling horses. It is hard to explain, but I think it really depends on where you are in life. Some people have the means to keep every horse they have ever purchased. I have never had my own farm or the money to board so many horses. My goal was and remains to be the best horse person I can be. Henry was not the right horse for me. I did not know enough to make him better, and he had nothing left to teach me. My devotion to horses and my progression as a rider was greater than my devotion to Henry. Henry found a new life as a yard ornament for some wealthy people, and I found a new horse. 13 years later, my heart still sinks when I think about Henry. The family was lovely, but they were not knowledgeable horse people. I visited him about a year after we sold him, and he was basically feral. My horse who had briskly trotted to me in a wide open pasture and stood boldly in front of me to protect me from an oncoming herd was afraid to even come near me in his small pen with only 1 other horse nearby. From 5 feet away I could see inside his ears – they were completely raw with red and pink sores. It’s something that could easily be treated with a little Neosporin and cortisone cream, but at this point they looked so painful I doubt the owners could even get near his head. Poor Henry. I believe God made some horses to be with just 1 special girl – partners for life. Henry was that kind of horse. I hope that he found a little girl to love him and care for him for ever.
Her name was Dixie’s Sugarbars and she was as stubborn as a mule. She was a fantastic barrel horse within our price range, which was how I got her. She was also beautiful. Dixie did, however, have an obesity problem. She could be a fit, athletic horse when she was kept in a stall, ridden daily, and on a restricted diet. Left to her own devices, however, she was just plain fat. About a year after we got her we actually had her checked to see if she was in foal, because she was so fat! About all I can say about Dixie is, “what a mare.” “Mare” is the term for a female horse over the age of 3. It can carry a negative connotation depending on how you say it. Being a mare is a fact, she is what she is. BUT it can also be a description – if she acts like a mare it’s not usually a good thing. Just imagine a woman at the height of “that time of the month.” Moody, bossy, pouty…you get the point. Dixie was also an Appaloosa – Appaloosa is a breed that is known for having spotted coats and being stubborn. Mare plus Appaloosa and we started out with 2 strikes. At least she was pretty!
Lesson of the day: Change is often good but rarely easy.
Disclaimer for the day: I love mares…most of the time 🙂
Soli deo gloria
~Sarah
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