' Decisions '

 ' Sami '

‘Decisions’

Lately, I’ve been working very hard around the farm and, even though all the jobs that need to be done aren’t going as quickly as they could (I’d like for it to all be done yesterday), I’m making a dent in the chores.  While doing the drudgery work like weeding, general clean-ups, sanding and painting various chairs and jumps, planting flowers, sowing grass seed, dragging rings etc. I’ve had a lot of time to think. Okay, it’s more like whining to myself that I have no time for my horses and myself.  Sure I manage to get one or two rides in a week, but that’s not really enough to have consistent training for either the horses or myself.

I’ve been asking myself when are we going to start having some fun around here and just be able to ride.  Don’t get me wrong, I realize how lucky I am to have a farm at all, but we bought the farm so we could care for our horses the way we see fit and train the same way.  The thought has occurred to me during some of my more backbreaking moments that perhaps we have too many horses and that’s part of the problem.  So I’ve been reevaluating the situation and I think that paring down would be a sensible solution to lessen some of the work around here.

As I look out over the herd I’m forced to think, how will I ever find the time to give these horses the attention they deserve and need?  Am I being selfish for holding on to them all when some of them might be happier somewhere else? Sami in particular is not likely to get the kind of attention the rest of the horses get because he won't ever be ridden by any of us; at 14.1 hands and six years old, I don’t think he’ll ever be more than a large pony.  He’s obviously too small for my daughter or I to ride and my grandkids are either to young or too far away to give him consistent work.  He’s the youngest, healthiest horse in the herd so, sadly, he doesn’t receive the same priority the more needy horses are used to.  When time is short, we have to take care of the ones who need it most first.  So maybe it's not fair to keep him here, when he loves attention and learning.  There may be a small adult or kid out there who would love him and give him the attention he deserves that we know he just isn't going to get here with us, with so many horses and so much to do. On the other hand he is Mellon’s mini-me and keeps him company and I think keeps him young by forcing him to play a little now and again.

Sami is a wonderful, sweet and caring little guy, and to be fair I think he needs a job and a small adult or child to fuss over him because he is an attention seeker and loves to be loved. So my instinct says it would be best to try and find a loving home for him with someone who will give him all the love and attention he craves.

That’s really all I have to say about Sami for now except for the fact that, even though I am thinking about this, it will probably never happen.  In the past we’ve been really bad about finding homes for horses because no one meets our standards of training and care. So I guess I’m just blowing off steam because I’m sure he’s staying and we’ll simply have to find something useful for him to do.  He does need a job to occupy his mind and body and we’ll need to make time for some sort of training.  Any ideas out there, other than driving? We don’t have the equipment and I’m not into that sort of discipline.

Again, it’s back to basics.  The workload has to be cut down so we can interact with the horses on a regular basis. Round and round we go, never coming to a conclusion.

Until next time
 
Quote for Today
All horses deserve, at least once in their lives, to be loved by a little girl