Mystery Abounds

If wishes were horses, mine came true today. On the one year anniversary of meeting D's son for the first time, we have added another member to our family: as of today we own a horse! Notice I didn't say we BOUGHT a horse...the farm where I ride gave her to me.

Here's the story: she's the baby sister of the farm owner's thoroughbred. The people who have owned her for the past 5 years moved to LA about a year ago. They haven't been back to see her in all that time and just called to tell the owner that they are giving her back to the farm, they aren't paying one more penny, that the farm could put her to sleep if they wanted, they were done with her. What assholes! That's illegal too, but that's besides the point.

So, they needed someone to take ownership of her. They are willing to do just about anything to keep her at the farm, she was born there and has spent her entire life there (she's 7). So, they aren't charging me for the horse, they will charge me half of what the boarding and food costs would normally be, they are going to comp my lessons until Missy is back in shape so I can ride her (3-6 months, she hasn't been ridden in a year but has been exercised regularly), and they are going to train and/or retrain her for free. Plus teach me all the stuff I need to know to be a horse owner.

It's a deal we couldn't really say no to. If we did say no they would have to sell her off the property and it would break all their hearts to do that. This is happening about a year earlier than I had thought it would, but it's a great opportunity. I was planning on leasing in a few months anyway and now I'll have full access to her plus free lessons, so it will be costing us about $100 more/month that what I am paying now. She is a young horse and has great bloodlines, her big sister is a champion hunter/jumper. She has two full sisters at the farm and the owner of the farm owned both her parents and her grandparents.

As you can see she's a pretty bay mare (chestnut brown with black on her lower legs and a black mane and tail) and she moves very well. Her "barn" name is Missy, I've given her the show name of Mystere, which means mystery in French. She's very sweet and loving, despite not having her own person for a long time. She needed a person, and I guess I needed a horse.

All you horsey types, I'm interesting in your opinion of her movement.