So a very exciting thing happened at the weekend, Sofie’s
owners offered me Sofie – for free! This is exceptionally generous of them and
I am really touched. Of course I would be delighted to be Sofie’s official mum
– but I will be honest I am a little nervous of the commitment.
I realise, I have never actively chosen or sought to buy a
horse, except for when I was 11 and campaigned for Frodo – but I’m not sure
that counts. Now I am older I am well aware of the commitment I am making.
To me horses are like marriage – better for worse, for
richer or poorer (inevitably poorer), in sickness and in health, till death do
us part. If I accept this kind offer, I will be paying for Sofie for the rest
of her life (the next 16/20 years most likely). I will forsake the bigger
house, the nicer clothes, the better car. I will not be able to stop work or
work part time because I will have livery to pay. I will always have the
responsibility of her welfare, getting cover when I am away, paying
extortionate vet fees, being at the yard in dark winter nights freezing my tits
off to ensure she is warm and comfortable. Sneaking out at Christmass dinner to
give her a carrot.
The timing is a bit pants, wedding next year, lodger moving
out, mortgage needing re-negotiating, kids in the near future. Loaning is far
more practical and low risk for my current circumstances. I had always planned
on loaning after Tonto because of the freedom it affords you.
And yet…
Look at her, she is my little princess, I can’t just let
her go. If I do not take her, her owners will sell her on. She just is not the
right horse for them and it does not make sense to keep paying for a horse that
you are not using. They are reluctant to do this as they do not want her to
continue passing hands – she isn’t for everyone – but they have practical
considerations of their own.
Sofie seems to be a bit unlucky with owners. She has been
passed from Belgium to the UK, to the RSPCA, to a girl in Manchester, to Adrian
and then to me. She is only 9! I’d hate for her to continue this nomadic
existence.
But most of all I just want her. If I were to describe my
next dream horse after Mr T it would be:
·
Just enough spark to be interesting but not
dangerous in any way
·
Cute and cuddly but more independent than Mr T
·
Tough as old boots and happy out in the field so
cheap to keep
·
Loves to jump and nice and straight forward
comfortable ride
·
Good bone but pretty to look at
That is Sofie! I really could not find a better horse. If
I let her go I will be back to riding free horses – who tend to be free for a
reason - or paying for shares that I don’t really like. If I wanted to buy
later down the line you never really know what you are getting. And lets face
it, I would not be me without my horses. Tonto is not going to last forever,
having Sofie would make that whole awful process much easier to bare.
Of course I have to think of when I have kids. But Sofie
would be easy to put out on full loan should I need to. And if she went
permanently lame she would still have value as a brood mare. And basically, I
want her to be part of my family.
So I am off to re-mortgage the house, I got livery to pay.
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