You can see the freeze brand on his neck, indicating that he is a mustang. He was rounded up in 1995 as a six-month 0ld. He has been trained in dressage, jumping, and cross country. He does love to jump, that’s for sure. Even over crossrails he was pretty bold and super.
I rode him in my lesson this week. He hadn’t been ridden since before Christmas, and so he was pretty hot — when one of the owners came out to watch the lesson, we were cantering and he flew about ten feet sideways when she came out to sit on the porch. He also spooked a lot in the corners, and was pretty stiff against my hands, turning the canter into a hand gallop. The instructor decided that we should maybe not jump that night and I concurred. But he probably would have done fine. I’m just not sure I would have.
Now things have come to this — Frisbee is for sale. I would love to buy him. I could afford the sales price. But owning a horse is so much more than the sales price. There’s board, vet bills, shoeing, worming. Horses love to get hurt. And while I have a day job and the book money, adding what is essentially a monthly car payment to our budget?
Sometimes, I really hate being risk averse.
So, what do you think?
2 Comments
Bethe Bugbee · January 8, 2010 at 8:46 am
For any big decision like that, I always try to ask myself which I might regret more – doing it or not doing it. Will you go around for the next few years saying “I should have bought Frisbee” if you won’t buy him?
Patrice Sarath · January 9, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Oh probably! But then, I am also fully acquainted with buyer’s remorse. So it’s never that easy. I find that I get very Eeyore-ish when it comes to my heart’s desire.
If I can get over this cold, I’ll ride him tomorrow and talk to the owner. I may just lease him first, just to get my feet wet. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous — I better be healthy or I will be seriously sad.