It's not very often that I allow a reality check to rein in my horse addiction. Today turned out to be an exception & the realistic me won out over the impulsive, horseaholic me.
I absolutely love the broodmares & foals. In early 2012 I told myself no more breeding because I NEEDED & WANTED to get back on the endurance trail. I set a couple goals for myself & they didn't include breeding. Well we all know I failed because I did breed a mare & have my 2013 filly, Ryn, here to prove that. I did get back on the trail in 2012 when Ryn's big, literally BIG, 1/2 brother went to his first 50 mile ride. It had been my first since 2005, & it felt awesome to be on the trail on my heart horse. No more breeding was looking good. Then early 2014 arrived, with Launi ready to ride. Or so I thought. He was in shape & going so well. Then in Feb he got sick. VERY sick. I didn't think he was going to make it, & neither did the vet. As the months went by, the realization that I'd probably never see either of my goals met had me thinking about foals again. If I can't ride, I may as well have a foal, right? I kept up my search for a riding horse, but in the back of my mind I knew I was also looking closely at pedigrees. What if I found that perfect mare to breed? Then I started to actually openly look for a broodmare. Launi got well & after 9 months, I was able to ride him. It was a terrifying, adrenaline rush because I know he's too big & strong for me at this stage in my life. Oh but what an AWESOME feeling being back on MY horse.
A couple weeks ago my good pal Shara Llewellyn sent me info on a mare. Such a good friend. Just tempt me with a mare who's pedigree I love. A mare who'd fit right in with my herd. But since she was only a light riding horse, she couldn't double as one of my goal seeking horses. I was going to stay on track & didn't pursue Shara's evil plot. Until today. Yes, today someone else posted about the mare & got me to thinking about breeding again. Yeah, everyone egging me on got me all excited about what a fabulous foal I could have in 2016. I went outside to work in the barn & think about what I was potentially going to do. Should I get a broodmare & give up on my riding plans? I was "this" close to saying yes to a really nice broodmare.
Then I went to help a friend with an injured & down horse. A horse who I knew 20 years ago when I was riding Wraff endurance. As I knelt by Mr B's head, talking to him while my friend called the vet, I was telling him what a great horse he'd been; how wonderful it was to have ridden next to him when I'd been riding the greatest horse I've ever ridden; & how awesome it was to come back into his life in his later years. It was in those moments of memories going down the trail that I realized I really do NEED to ride. It was in those moments that I knew I wasn't going to bring home a broodmare; that my 2013 filly, Ryn, is my last foal.
Mr B, give Wraff a back scratch for me. I'm sure he'll enjoy reacquainting with an old friend.
