New Horse

["Kathy Myers" <kathy@nvolve.com>]

Karen wrote
> About your horse?

OK, who out there noticed I listed 2 horses on my posts this
month?  Who out there noticed horse #2 isn't a TB???  :)
I admit it.

y'all already know who he is because he was posted for sale
here on the list.  Only I wasn't going to buy an Arab, remember?
Guess I just had to soul search and decide what exactly it is
that I'm looking for.  Because a good horse is never a bad
breed, size, color, or price.  OK, it's ALMOST never a bad price.

There are some things to be said for buying from a breeder.  And
no, Jackie Bumgarder didn't breed this guy.  But she did approve
of him.  And she breeds some pretty nice horses too.

This is what her ad said:
"6yo, 350 easy miles, 14.3 dark grey, great legs and feet, drinks
and eats, great disposition"

This is what I got:
6yo... like, 6 years and 14 days.  14.3 dark grey.  Great legs
and feet... vet and farrier approved.  He has "race horse"
conformation.  Deep chest, straight back.  Long distance runner
type body.  His resting heartrate at the pre-purchase was 28,
his "working" HR was 48.

He's a sweet as horses come.  He's made friends with Everyone at
his new home.  People and horses alike.  He is bumming carrots
off of people I haven't yet met.  He comes to me when I go to
catch him.  At a trot.  He knows Natural Horsemanship. Magnum
likes him.  Which is saying alot since Magnum bites any other
horse I pay attention to.  My farrier likes him.  He stands for
shoes without anyone holding him.

He drinks from anything.  Stream, mud puddle, bucket, hose,
another horse's water bucket.  He likes to drink.  He eats
everything.  I think I could squeeze a tube of wormer into
his bucket and he'd eat it.  He eats the minute we stop.  He
stuffs his head into his bucket and won't come up for air until
he's licked it clean twice.

He's had lessons.  He knows how to round and come down on the bit.

He came with shoes.  He came with all his shots. He came wormed.
He came with his coggins.  Saddle, hop on and go.  What the heck?
He goes.  He goes with other horses.  He goes in the front.  He
goes in the back.  He goes by himself.  He goes in a sidepull.
He'd probably just go in a rope halter.

He pee's!  Ha!  There we were walking home and I start whistling
to myself so... he stops and pee's!  Definate must training for
an endurance horse.  Good boy!

He has 350 miles.  Um, last year.  This year he's got about
300 more.  He's got more miles than me and most everyone I
ride with.  LSD miles.  He's got his AERC number.

He came with papers and they are the right papers too.

I remember we had a thread a while back about whether or not
buying from a breeder and paying a higher price is worth it.
I gotta tell you, I can't be more satisfied.

AND the minute I got him home, Magnum came sound again!
You tell me how he pulled that one off...  ;-)

Thank you Jackie for the marvelous horse.  If you get a chance
to meet and ride with this lady of endurance, don't pass up
on the chance.

Oh, and he came with a nice post- testride shower too.

I am an endurance rider, Magnum and Blue are both endurance
horses... and Blue and I are off to do our first LD training
ride together this weekend.  My first ride in almost 2 years.
I hope the weather gods hold out for us.  I'm so damn excited
I can't stand it!  We're RIDING again!

Oh, and if anyone out there comes up to me at a ride and says
"Is that an Arab I see you with there?!"  I will say
"Arab?   Nah, Maryben told me this was a Thoroughbred!"  ;-)

:) - kat myers
in San Mateo, Ca. with Magnum the TB ex-racer aka Little Matador
          ... that's TB as in Thoroughbred, not Terra-Byte
and Blue aka Mr Maajistic... steely-eye'd missle horse!