Edit by Romy: This is a collection of threads about horses that need a new home. if you know a horse who is looking for a place for life, you can add it here.Yes, you read the title right…
It’s been a while in coming; I’ve been aware of the possibility for some time. Life changes, things change – due to Dad’s job, some issues with the farm, commute time, Catherine and I off at college (at least, I will be soon) and who-knows-where afterwards, and other issues, it looks like the best thing for our family right now is to move closer to the cities, sometime in the next 6-18 months (likely sooner rather than later). However, that means we’ll be moving to a smaller property – one that almost certainly won’t be able to hold horses. And because of how hard it is to sell horses (when we've sold before, even before bad economy, we've had horses on the market for years).
Now, we knew the possibility of all this before I entered the contest for the Andalusian, so we are definitely keeping her; we’ll just be boarding her somewhere. However, we can’t afford to board more than one horse, and even if we could, with my being in college I almost certainly couldn’t work with more than one horse (even one may be difficult).
So it look like the only thing we can do now is re-home – sell – Caspian and Deo. Maybe if you’ve read my diary you’ve noticed the past few days I’ve been riding him more traditionally, and that’s not a coincidence – in order for him to be able to go to a good home, he needs to be able to do “traditional†things.
And the better trained (in a more traditional sense) that I can have him, likely the better home he’ll go to and the better he’ll be able to adjust. At least I’ll be able to have him understand the basics. So I’ll be riding much more, and I may, may, even put him back in a snaffle, I really don’t know.
So, I’m endlessly excited about the Andalusian and will continue to be on here of course, chronicling that new journey, but sometime soon, I’m afraid Caspian’s and Deo’s diaries will have to end…
It’s going to be very, very difficult, but actually I am more at peace with it than I thought I would be. I know there is someone out there for him. He has taught me so much, taken me absolute light years ahead in horsemanship from where I was. I guess I could go on and on, but I won’t for now… You all understand what your first AND horse gives you. For me at least, it’s not so much like a part of me getting torn out as it is sadly saying good-bye to an old and dear friend, and yet knowing that although our paths are separating they are not ending. Caspian has been a golden thread in my life – now he can go on to bless someone else’s.
For Deo it’s a bit tougher, seeing that in “hard visible progress†I’ve only just begun with AND. So she will likely go back into a plain dressage/jumping training schedule, even though I will continue using some treats (just as I will be with Caspian) and still do some liberty for fun.
Although I am preparing to sell him to a traditional home, I would so very, very, very dearly love him to go to a clicker (or positive reinforcement) and a bitless home (of course, an AND home would be a dream come true...). I guess you all understand that too, I don’t need to explain… Are there places that I can advertise him? I was thinking on the ClickRyder yahoo group list, but am not sure of other places.
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I wish I could take her, it's so hard for me to say no, but I'm so stretched for time and money with my lot already, and this girls going to need both. Also I don't know if I could put an old tiny in with a huge young shire, I could make a little paddock with electric, but would constantly worry if she got out.