One year ago today, I bought a horse.
One year ago today, LH Muscateer AKA Aramis joined our family and I am so glad he did.
I wasn't looking for a horse. I had three already. Well, two and a quarter (Jessie). But in the Yahoo group I belong to, someone had posted an urgent message looking for help for an older horse. The horse, it seemed, worked at a hack stable and was for sale. The poster indicated the horse was a great trail horse, and she knew him - had ridden him - and believed he deserved a chance to find a good home vs. an unknown fate at the auction.
I don't know what made me do it but I asked for pictures. When I got the pictures and opened them, I was immediately in trouble. He was physically exactly the type of horse I adore, a bay Arabian with four white socks and a blaze.
I could not stop thinking about this nice looking, older horse who worked at a hack stable, probably not enjoying his life, having no one person to call his own who would really love him and care for him. I wondered how he'd ended up there. I wondered what his fate would be at an auction. Probably not the meat truck, but perhaps a well-meaning but uneducated individual who might not appreciate an Arabian's sensitivities. I'd learned he had some allergies, and I wondered if anyone who bought him would care for his needs in this regard.
After a really bad night's sleep on a crappy couch (I was staying with my sister, and our other sister was visiting from California for a few days) I was probably not functioning at my usual 100% able-to-talk-myself-out-of-anything-random-and-adventurous capacity. I brought up the subject of the horse to my sisters and my they, always in search of a good time, immediately said, "Let's go look at him!" I called the stable to make sure he was still there and to say I was coming to look, and off we went over an hour away, me without proper footwear to ride a horse.
When we got to the stable, it was a clean, nice, well-kept place. The workers obviously cared for the horses in their charge. I first saw Aramis when he was still in his stall. He looked friendly, and stuck his nose over the wall for petting. The barn manager led him out and tied him for grooming and saddling. I could see Aramis' eyes looked a bit dull and uninterested during the procedure. I wondered what he was thinking. Another trail guide got on him first and rode him around a bit while I observed. He looked obedient and calm. I was liking him more and more.
I rode Aramis next. Not only wasn't I wearing proper footwear, I had on about the worst jeans I own for riding. It didn't matter, as riding him was pure pleasure. Someone, somewhere had taught this horse properly. I ride primarily English, and he responded beautifully to my aids. A piece of heavy equipment rumbled by, and he didn't even flinch.
Why was this horse for sale? The stable owner had another location in Tennessee, and Aramis had apparently been acting up with riders the last time he was there. Not having time, patience, or interest in adding stimulation to his life, or refreshing his attitude toward his job, the stable owner made the decision to sell him ASAP.
I want to point out that the gals who worked at this stable absolutely adored Aramis. They went far, far above and beyond the call of duty to make sure this horse got the kind of home he deserved. They only wanted him to leave them if it meant he could have a better life.
I was sold. I wanted this horse. Now, for the particulars - how much and did he have papers? I feel strongly about papers because if he has them, they are a horse's passport through life. Who he is, where he came from, how old he is, all the things he can't tell us that we might need to know. My legal mind also knew the value of papers as prima facie evidence of ownership. I'd already been through the nightmare of registration transfer in 2001 with Fina's papers. Absent any other proof, he or she whose name appears on the papers is the owner.
The price on Aramis was so reasonable I almost couldn't believe it. Put it this way, it cost me more to buy a Reese hitch and have it put on my truck this summer than it did to buy Aramis. As for papers, he was registered but the papers were not on the premises. Later, it would turn out the papers had been misplaced by the stable owner, but that was a blessing in disguise. He did have allergies, and you could see by his coat that he'd been itchy and had been rubbing against things. I agreed to buy him and return the next day with money in hand and my trailer.
I need to mention that my wonderful husband had told me, prior to me making this trip, that if I wanted to buy this horse, he gave his complete blessing. I'd told him about the horse one evening, and he said then that he trusted my judgment and if I wanted the horse, I knew whether I could handle another one. In reality, I think he was hoping my buzzkill impulse governor would keep me in check. FAIL!
Chris and I went to the stable the next day, minus the flame-fanning sisters who stayed home to plot another way for me to spend money, to pick up Aramis. We got Aramis loaded with a small amount of difficulty (I think he believed he was going to Tennessee!) and off we went for home and our new life together.
Riding a few months after his arrival:
The past year with Aramis has been great. I am so glad he joined our family. I am blessed and lucky to have this wonderful, sweet horse. He's steady as a rock, gentle, and willing to please. Luckily, he came with enough medical paperwork that I was able to find the lab that did his allergy testing and got a complete report from them. My vet didn't want to start him on allergy shots right away. On her advice, I employed the liberal use of fly spray and faithful use of a fly mask to control pests. As a result, Aramis did not have any significant issues with hives this past year. I also believe alleviating the stress that was surely in his life was a contributing factor.
I tracked down a former owner (his papers were officially still in her name) and learned quite a bit about the middle years of his life. She was glad to know he was safe and in a loving home. I made new friends for myself out of this deal as I have kept in touch with two of the ladies who worked at the stable. Over the past year, I watched Aramis as he lost his dull look and came alive. He was very reserved with me at first, as if he wasn't sure he was going to be staying and couldn't be sure he could trust me. His former owner told me once he trusted me, he'd do anything for me. After about a month or so, he really came around.
Best of all, Aramis got to go to the recent Buck Brannaman horsemanship clinic with me. He wasn't the first choice but when Ali Sabi refused to load the day of departure, good old faithful Aramis stepped in for him. We had a great time, and learned even more about each other as a result. If you haven't seen them, here's a link to an online photo gallery where there are several pictures of us at the clinic: http://bmader.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Horses/Buck-Brannaman-Clinic-Barbs/19480210_dmszzx
I am such a play-it-safe kind of person. I don't like to stick my neck out. I don't like to step outside my comfort zone. I like guarantees. Taking on Aramis in such a spur of the moment fashion went against a lot of my usual tendencies. There were no guarantees with him. But it worked out for both of us. The past year with Aramis proved to me that sometimes you just have to take a chance.
Aramis (left) and his "brother" Ali Sabi (on the right):
