Brave Heart

As I stated in my other journal, in a very long winded sort of way, I'm tired of life waiting to happen. I'm going to do what I want now and figure things out as they unravel before me. I'm going to live life to the fullest and combat this depression my own way. That may mean that my family will strike a grudge against me, call me foolish, but I don't like the waiting around, especially when I'm waiting for my death.

Abbi contacted the person about the horse she's been drooling over via an ad on Facebook. She said that she had someone coming out Saturday to come look at him, but she was open tonight for us to look. Abbi and I are pretty good at getting to places before other people when we want something. We understand the early bird rule. We agreed to meet her at seven, but then discovered that she lived two hours away. We only had a couple minutes to ourselves upon that discovery before we went out the door.

The trip to her barn was unnecessarily long and frustrating. Traffic was horrible on 23, which was to be expected, but it continued just as congested throughout the route, even on a long dirt road where she lived. The people didn't know how to drive, either, and it was a very nerve racking two hours on the road before we made it to her barn. I felt claustrophobic for most of the trip, and that isn't within my personality. There were simply too many people on too narrow of roads. I don't even understand why there were so many people. We didn't pass by any cities. Towns, sure, but not cities.

At first, I didn't know if I liked the woman. Her speech was different than I was used to, and she seemed ... off. But as she pulled the horse out and shared some things about herself and him, she opened up. And the horse. Hot damn that horse.

He's a ten or eleven year-old Tennessee Walking Horse gelding standing at 15.1 hands. Jet black tobiano with a solid build, and big healthy feet and eyes. Once she had him cross-tied in the aisle, I started running my hands over him. I didn't quite know what I was doing, but I also wasn't completely at a loss. I mean, I quickly judge my rabbits that I buy and a horse was just an oversized rabbit, right? Whatever health problems was evident on rabbits would possibly show up on a horse. Plus, Tonya said to check for bumps and blemishes along his legs (which I had already figured) and neck (I didn't think of that one). I extended my search to along his spine, his chest, and along his face. I picked up his hooves, thought that they were damn healthy and clean, and even was able to play with his ears.

This horse wasn't shy. Once I started rubbing him, and fed him a cookie, he was all over us. He was nosing my face, my hands, and shoving his head into my chest. He was friendly, but not pushy. He respected space well enough that I wasn't worried about him at all.

I asked if we could see him move, so the current owner tacked him up and Abbi got on him. She rode him a couple times around the indoor ring they had, and we noticed that he needs a lot of work, but the owner wasn't shy about telling us that. I appreciate how up-front she was about him and his condition. She told us that he was a very good, patient horse, but that he was put off to the side while her daughter showed Quarter Horses, and that he had grown fat and lazy.

His walk was beautiful, smooth, and full of energy. His trot, Abbi said, was very bouncy and needed work. She didn't try cantering him. He didn't very much want to move around, especially with Abbi on his back, but he appeared responsive, just confused. His commands are apparently slightly different than typical commands, partially because he's a gaited horse. I didn't ride him. I don't know.

He led well, stood well, and was patient as we held him and talked. He was hairy and dirty, but that's really quite alright. He was otherwise in perfect health.

I started asking the lady how we would go about buying him. We still need to look into a place to board him, which I have an appointment set up tomorrow to look into that, but we really liked him and would rather buy him than see him go to the person that wanted to come look at him Saturday. He was that good of a damn horse. I couldn't believe how friendly he was, even though he barely knew us. I've never met such a good horse.

She told me that she would trust us to pay in full upon picking up, which is tentatively scheduled for Sunday. Tonya and her friend is lending us a trailer to come up to Oakland county to pick him up and bring him back down. That is, if it works out with the place I contacted about boarding.

I emailed someone off of Craigslist last night that stated that they were in Dexter. In the ad description, they said that it was pasture board only, and it would be $200 if we left the horse there and didn't help, or $125 if we co-oped and helped out around the stable. Our chores would include feeding, watering, and cleaning out the run-in shelter in the pasture. She emailed me back sometime this morning, so I gave her a call between Abbi going to class and me waiting to go to class.

Turns out, this person is just down the road. I bike further than where her house is located, actually. I've jogged further than where she lives. She has a grand future for the horses that she had on her property, which includes adding an arena and round pen, and extending one of the pastures. She told me that she works at home and has some health issues some days, and that with her limited income and budget, that what she planned for the future wasn't going to happen overnight. Hell, I'm a college student (technically). I understand.

She was so damn sincere and open over the phone, that I think I already like her. Plus, she's just down the road and that's convenient. And that price.... She warned me that there were some barn rules and that we would need to sign a contract if we were to board with her, but I totally understand that. It makes sense. I offered my experience as a rabbit breeder to communicate that I believe in the power of a contract. Not that my bunny contract is all that binding or important or anything.... All I'm doing is selling a rabbit, not boarding someone else's horse.

Things just fell into place so firmly, even though we don't have things cemented with the boarder, that Abbi and I can't believe it. I just hope it's not too good to be true.

We asked Stephanie yesterday where she boarded her horse, because we were thinking about getting one. Now she's against us getting one and is trying to convince us out of it. I'm doing this mostly for Abbi, and because horse. I know that money will be tighter now, but ... it's going to be worth it. I'm finally doing what I really want. I still plan on moving out this summer, even with the possible convenient location down the road. We hope to move our horse with us when we find a place with Tonya and Ryan.

If this is just hopes and dreams, I think I'll be irreparably crushed. Life just isn't worth it where I'm at right now. I hold on for Abbi and Abbi alone.