 by Sandy Kucharski |
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Bringing Home Baby |
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Getting a new horse is always exciting, but few things can come close to the sheer joy of taking possession of your first horse. It’s a kind of nervous, hopeful, anxious excitement that only hits you the first time you know this special animal is all yours. I had the fun opportunity to accompany a new owner on such a day this past month. My first several years of horse ownership were spent without the luxury of owning a trailer, and I can identify with the feeling of need when you want to haul a horse but have to try
to “catch a ride.” It’s fun to offer that help when I can. That’s how I got involved in this little trip. Eryn’s ridden for 10 years, on lesson horses and a leased horse the last couple of seasons. She’s worked at various stables to keep close to the animals she loves and is even planning to pursue equestrian studies at college. But the one thing that was missing was a horse of her very own; one to form that special bond with that only comes when that horse is belongs to you. With high school graduation coming up this spring, her mom and dad agreed that a horse would be the best graduation present they could ever give her. They gave the okay to start “looking” and Eryn was off! Because of her previous experience with horses, she knew what discipline she was most interested in and knew what breed she wanted: a draft cross, jumping prospect. Well, without too much trouble, she located one . (It’s amazing how quickly that can be accomplished when such an offer has been made.) A downpayment was made with plans to pick the “little fellow” up after the first of the year. The next couple of months were spent finding a place board him, and a good enough job to pay for it. With all that in line, we were ready to go get him. When I got to our meeting place with the truck and trailer, I was greeted by her mom who was as excited as Erin. She told me how she’d taken pictures of her daughter (the “expectant mother”) sleeping that morning and handed me the camera with instructions to photo document every part of our trip. A couple more horse friends joined us, we packed the snacks in the truck and set off on our adventure. The three hour drive into Wisconsin was filled with talk of how she’d found the horse, what he was like when she first visited him, and what she hoped to do with him. We enjoyed offering suggestions for names (most came to us from road signs we passed), and telling stories of our own horse experiences. Eryn treated us all to lunch, and soon after, we arrived. The pastures at the farm were full of horses, and Eryn immediately pointed out the quiet, unassuming, chestnut gelding that was to be hers in a few minutes. With cameras snapping, the owner led the yearling Shire-Thoroughbred cross out towards the trailer. She mentioned he’d been in a trailer once, but wasn’t sure what his reaction this time would be. She walked him towards the door, and on his first approach, he walked right in and stood calmly while we closed the dividers and latched the doors. (I immediately liked him!) Well-wishes were exchanged and we were on our way home. We arrived at his new home, a nice farm where he’d be pasture boarded as he continued to grow. More pictures were taken and we left “mother” alone with her new “baby.” I’ve heard now that Eryn’s been spending all of her spare time with her new charge (naturally), and they’re getting along quite well. She’s learning his personality and he’s getting to know her. The experience made me think back to the feelings I went through when I got my first pony, and although it’s sometimes hidden in the drudgery of daily chores, that joy of ownership is still there today. A little reminder like this, though, never hurts. |
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