Horse shopping – not as fun as I’d envisioned

I’ve been out to see two horses in the past 10 days or so. Not a huge number I know, but I’ve been able to rule out a lot either by the ad alone, or by exchanging a couple of emails with the sellers.

I put myself under a lot of pressure to find something suitable by the end of June, as that was when I’d planned to bring Dolly home. I figured that she absolutely had to have a companion and I wanted that companion horse to be one that I could ride everywhere. I’ve been fretting over horse stuff since the beginning of June when I moved! Just this week, I think I have some options sorted out, so I can take a bit longer to search for a riding horse. I do have 1 or 2 prospects, but I am unsure which to choose, or to wait it out for another one to come along.

My plan as of this minute (subject to change and flip-flop multiple times) is to try bringing Dolly home on June 29, as it is a long weekend and I’ll be around to keep an eye on her. I’ll try having her alone and if it doesn’t go well, I can take her back down the road. I have a spot secured at the barn down the road for July and the barn owners were fine with me trying her at home for a few days and going back and forth as required.

I have also listed Dolly for sale, but I don’t expect too much to come of it, since the market is really down for selling right now. I have been noticing this trend on our local sales web sites. This should bode well for me as a buyer, but it hasn’t yet!

I’m interested in two horses, but one is a bit too big for me – I wasn’t able to give correct leg aids while riding him – and the other is ranch broke and quiet, but doesn’t have a lot of finesse. I think both could work, but I’m a little hesitant to buy without trying the horses a second time. I also feel better now that I don’t have to rush.

The one gelding is a trained reiner, but he has done a bunch of other stuff. The visit to that barn provided me with something that I didn’t know I had been looking for... a potential new coach! I’ll have to write more about him when I get a chance. That is a separate post on its own.

So, at least I have a plan now and some options. I feel a bit better about the whole situation. Here’s hoping that a good horse comes along soon!