The One that got Away~Perfect Horses~ part 10

I had decided to purchase a second horse. Horse lovers need very little encouragement in this endeavor. And the present number of horses owned rarely comes into play. Just one more.

Horses are herd animals. Maggie's herd consisted of 5 goats and a friendly basset hound. She needed an equine friend.

Besides, my daughter and one of her friends had started coming up from the city on weekends to ride. Three riders and one horse does not a good time make.

So off I went in search of a second horse. This sounds exciting, but I hated it. A well balanced horse is harder to find than one may think. I was beginning to believe I'd never find the first one.

I remembered the search for Maggie. I lost count of the miles driven, the horses ridden and passed over. All in search of the perfect horse.

I had been riding with a group of ladies each Wednesday, my break from massage. One of these friends had been kind enough to loan her "extra " to me. Shun, a beautiful white Arabian, aging but with a few good miles left. During one of these rides someone asked how the search was going. "Terrible," I had answered. I complained of all the bad horses I had ridden over the last couple of months. The oldest of these ladies, an accomplished hunter/jumper trainer, now retired, rode up beside me. "Honey, there is no perfect horse out there. It's alot like picking a husband. You just gotta decide what you're willing to put up with." Armed with this new insight

I continued my search.

A few weeks after my conversation with the trainer, I found Maggie. Actually my husband found her. On line.

This sounded crazy to me. Who would buy a horse listed on the computer? Horse trading certainly had changed since John Walker's time.

My husband insisted I come look. I moved over to the computer and saw her pic. All breath left my body. My hands flew up to my mouth as I tried to do the math. No way. There's no way that could be Cat. I could not think; I could not believe what I was seeing. My Cat, a Moore horse, my first mare. The mare my dad had bought from John Walker all those years ago. There she was, on line. No it wasn't Cat, but a dead ringer nonetheless. My husband read her "bio" to me;

she sounded nothing like what I was looking for. She was stabled in Colleyville, only about an hour or so from us. I wasn't sure I wanted to go look at her. Such a reminder of Cat. My husband made the call and set up the appointment for Saturday. He seemed so pleased with himself. I went back to the screen to take one more look. Yes, the resemblance was strong, but

upon second look she couldn't be mistaken for Cat. She had a prettier head and was a full hand taller than Cat. She had a bald face, but with much more white than Cat. This mare had almost a bonnet, with white streaks moving up past her jawline, almost like flames. Yes, she was prettier than Cat. Also, she was a registered overo paint, with Quarter in her background. Her registered name was Broker's Magic, and was a hunter/jumper. What was Lonnie thinking?

We arrived at the stables early afternoon. Although it was early September, a cool front had blown in complete with light showers. It was a blessed relief from the Texas heat but a nasty day to be out horse hunting.

We found Maggie and her owner in the barn run, with Alexis putting on the finishing touches to the grooming routine. She had her shinning like a new penny. Almost copper red, with flaxen mane and thick multi-colored tail. And that white face! She stared at me with an air of arrogance. She was beautiful! I had seen that same look in the eyes of cheerleaders and homecoming queens. This horse did not lack confidence, not at all.

We made our introductions, with Alexis explaining we needed to do some round pen work due to the cool front. Magic was feeling her oats and was eager to go to work. We moved to the round pen.

The minute she was released from the lead, the bucking started. Around the pen she loped, kicking, bucking; at one point she left the ground completely! All fours airborne! Something to watch but nothing I was interested in climbing up on. I was ready to leave right then and Alexis knew it. "She's not like this under saddle. She just feels good. Please give her a chance." Within minutes the mare began to respond to voice commands, licking her lips, eyes relaxed, all tension released from her body. She didn't even look like the same horse. I was beginning to like what I was seeing.

With the vinegar worked out of her, Alexis decided it was time to saddle up. Back to the barn.

I was shocked when she pulled out an English saddle. Why I don't know. I knew she was a hunter jumper. Ya just don't see them sporting western saddles. Well, we had come this far. I wasn't about to back out at this point.

Having tacked up, Alexis moved to the arena and we watched them work. She moved beautifully. Collected nicely,

her transitions seamless. I did not want to like this horse but I

was having a hard time finding fault with her.

The last time I sat an English saddle I was twelve. I was visiting my cousin in Maryland who owned her own horse, a hunter jumper. I was insanely jealous! Oh how I envied her. My cousin was giving me "riding lessons" for the 2 weeks I was there. After the first week she decided I was ready for my first jump. She was 14 and I viewed her as an equine authority.

I made it over the jump just fine. The second we found earth on the other side, well, let's just say I was not prepared for the landing. I fell forward on the mare's neck, lost my balance, and fell smack on my back. I landed hard enough the air was knocked out of my lungs. I was certain I was dying! I didn't die, but I lost all interest in jumping, forever.

Now here I was, thirty years later, mounting a hunter jumper. My heart was racing, my mouth dry. I tried to pretend to be brave, hide my fear. But a horse cannot be fooled. I knew better.

Out of respect for her intelligence, I quietly admitted my fear. " Please take care of me," I whispered to her. Her ears swiveled at the sound of my voice.

I made one trip around the arena, trying to find my balance. Surprisingly enough, I felt quite comfortable in the saddle. What I found more difficult was keeping contact with her mouth. In western riding a very loose rein is used. I had spent years listening to John Walker fuss at me about "choking up". Now there was Alexis,"too much slack in your reins!" And I had been worried about the saddle!!

Luckily she worked off the leg beautifully. This helped tremendously since I proved horrible at check reining. After a nice workout in the arena, I asked if we could ride the grounds. This was an overstatement. Yard would be a better term. The whole facility couldn't have been 3 acres, if that. Maggie's "pasture" was a 15 by 30 foot dry lot with an attached loafing shed.

Anyway, to the front lawn we went. We covered every inch of the place in minutes.Way too many horses for the size of the place.

Back to the barn we went. I helped unsaddle and put her away. "Well, what do you think?" Alexis, her voice hopeful. "Let me give you a call in a couple of days," I answered. "Oh," disappointment in her voice. "Just I was hoping you would take her. I really want a good home for her. I can tell you would be good to her. She has to be gone in a week."

My curiosity got the better of me. "Why?" I asked. " My Dad never knew I bought her. I took lessons on her for a couple of years; she was owned by the stables back then. Later, three Dallas guys bought her and kept her about a year then brought her back here for the stables to sell. I begged my Dad to buy her but he said absolutely not. I emptied out my bank account and bought her myself. My Mom knows, but my Dad would kill me. I leave for college in one week and my Mom says she has to be gone before I leave. I felt myself falling in love with this young girl. " What about feed and board and vet bills, farrier bills? How have you pulled this off?" Alexis smiled shyly. "Well, I work here six days a week for her board bill. I also use Magic as a lessons horse. I earn enough doing that to pay for trims and annual vacs.

This kid was gonna make it in this world. No doubt about that. As much as I wanted to give her a yes I couldn't. " Let me sleep on it, okay? I'll let you know something by tomorrow." We said our goodbyes as I climbed in the truck.

As soon as we hit the drive my husband looked at me." I can't believe you are not buying that horse! She is the perfect horse for you!" Could he be right? ''She just looks too much like Cat. I don't want to buy a horse for all the wrong reasons. I can't jump off and buy her because she reminds me of some dead horse I loved years ago. That's not fair to either one of us. Besides, there are no perfect horses, remember?" Lonnie again, " I didn't say she was perfect. I said she was perfect for you." With that he turned the truck around. " What are you doing?!!" I shouted.

" I'm gonna go buy me a horse. You stay in the truck. I'm about to do some horse trading."