I’ve always loved animals. Some I like more than others, but I’m sure that’s true for most people. Horses rank near the top of my list of favorites. I’ve loved horses for as long as I can remember. When I was young we had a little pony we called Smokey Joe. My parents got this pony even before I was born. Unfortunately I’m unable to remember much about her because she died when I was very young, but I believe she’s one of the reasons I’ve always liked horses.
A while after Smokey Joe passed, my sister got a new horse. She named her new horse Prince. He was a big beautiful Bay. He was gentle by nature, loved kids, and he always wanted to be loved on. When my sister first got Prince, he wasn’t exactly perfect, but after a year or two of tough love and bonding, they formed a comfortable relationship.
Seeing this close bond and how much my sister enjoyed her horse made me want a horse of my own. My parents were skeptical of course because horses aren’t cheap. I knew the deal would be that I would have to buy my own horse, but I insisted that they let me. I was positive I wouldn’t regret spending my money on one. I was finally able to convince them that a horse was what I really wanted. So the search began for my horse.
I’m not sure how many different horses we looked at, but to me it felt like a ton. I liked every horse we went and saw, but my mom wasn’t so easily persuaded. We finally found a horse that we both agreed on. I was so excited about it. This horse was a little bigger and a little more expensive then we had planned on, but my mom and I both really liked it. He was a red brown color and he had a patch of white on his forehead. We got the deal worked out and the people we bought him off of were going to deliver him to my house in a week.
I’m pretty sure I couldn’t sleep at all that week because I was so excited. When the day finally came that my horse was going to be delivered, I was so anxious. It was pointless for me to even go to school that day because I couldn’t focus on anything. I spent the first few days that I had my horse trying to decide on a name for him. The name I finally chose was Ranger. I’m not at all sure why I chose this name, but for some reason I thought it was perfect for him.
Having a horse is a big responsibility, and Ranger had no intentions of making it easy on me. We had a lot of adventures together, most of which weren’t exactly fun for me. In my next entry this week I’ll share some of my most memorable experiences with Ranger.
I can definitely relate to that feeling of getting your first horse. My first horse was supposed to be a surprise until I listened to a voice mail from my trainer telling my mom all about this pony. I was the same way, once I heard about this pony I couldn't concentrate on anything else until he was finally mine. We then spent the first couple weeks in the corner of the arena because he refused to move. I liked this post because I felt it was a personal story about something that happened to you. It made the reader want to read more and see how things ended.
ReplyDeleteHorses are on the top of my list too, and having your own is an amazing thing. The work and the relationship are unique to horse and rider alone and there is little in the world that can simulate it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, looking for horses I found was a drag too! You do want to take them all home with you, even if you know they aren't the right match.
Although I am very happy with the horse I found, I still occasionally miss the hunt for that perfect ride.
Good luck to you and Ranger! *heads of to read Ranger Danger*