On frustration...

My last post was so happy-go-lucky that this post will probably make me seem bi-polar.  I have been looking for a horse for six weeks now and am still hopelessly horseless.  Horse-buying is nearly as stressful house-buying - it's a total rollercoaster ride and you're not sure exactly what's going to happen until the very bitter end.

I've gone to see several horses at this point - none of which have caused the stars to align.  A few were not what was advertised.  The half-Arab sometimes bucks when he gets mad - no thanks.  I went to check out a little Appy mare yesterday that goes in a double-twisted wire snaffle...When asked, the lady said she can be ridden in other bits, and she did change it for me.  Things didn't go smoothly but this little mare is promising.  She did ok with a mild curb bit, and I intentionally tried to get her to throw a fit (I rode her past the gate back home, when we'd ridden her out and back, changing tack three times already).  She did try to duck through the gate at the last second, but there was no head-tossing, wringing tail, or bucking when I pushed her past.  That being said, around here leg pressure of any kind must mean 'Go dammit!!!!' - at one point, I thought this little mare was going to run off with me because I asked her turn with my leg.  She is not the first horse that's reacted this way.  But she stood perfectly still for tacking up (each time), was great about picking up her feet, was easy to catch.  We'll see.  I asked the owner if I could take her on a trial.  She wants to wait in case someone else wants to purchase on the spot.  I'm ok with that. 

I saw another mare last week.  She was a total cutie and, other than some slight steering issues, seemed to be a great little horse.  A few days later, I had Marie come out to check her and she was a completely different horse.  In fact, she was so 'light' in the front end that I thought she was going to rear at one point.  Marie helped me get her calmed back down and we left.   

Anyways, I know that it will happen.  And I am reasonable enough to recognize that six weeks isn't really that much time.  Back to looking through the BLM online gallery :)