Confessions of an Equestrianoholic

The quest, and I call it a quest, to try and find a second horse is proving to be a challenge I wasn’t prepared for.

The quest started months ago, before Alfie was officially retired. The market right now for horses is a hot one. Horse prices are much more expensive than they were several years ago. COVID and the shut down of all indoor activities for adults and children left the door wide open for people to discover the amazing world of horses. This discovery has driven up the prices of horses but has also created a shortage of those unicorns – you know, the ones that have no rear, no buck and no bolt, the ones that can walk, trot, canter and jump small cross rails – the ones that are school masters and are SAFE.

Groups on Facebook have been created specifically for the advertisement of horses that are available for your consideration – since you can’t actually “sell” a horse on Facebook. Many auction houses have actually created Apps where you can bid on a horse from the comfort of your home and have it delivered to you as well. The days of “shopping” for a horse are long gone. Being able to try a few different horses before making your decision are also a distant memory. These days, if you see a horse you like from videos posted online, and you like the description – you pretty much have to take your chances and just buy them site unseen, in a matter of hours those horses have sold.

During my quest to find another partner, I’ve actually only tried out 1 horse. He was a very nice larger sized quarter horse. He was pretty, he seemed safe, he had some good breaks, but I had only about 1 hour to make my decision on whether he was “the one” as the next appointment to try him was rolling in. I ended up passing on him because I just wasn’t sure if he was “the one” and sure enough, he was bought by that next appointment.

A week ago myself, my friend Heidi, our barn managers Regina and Jenna all piled into my car and headed 2 1/2 hours north to a small town known for their livestock and horse auctions. A few weeks leading up to the auction, videos and bios of some of the consigned horses were loaded online. There were about 5 horses I was interested in taking a better look at, but out of those 5, only 1 horse fit the bill.

We got to the auction hours before the horses were being sold, and we were able to go through the sale barn, we watched many of the horses being ridden around the property. We were able to ask questions and really get a good look at them. And then we saw him, the 1 horse out of 180 horses being auctioned that night, the 1 horse that was “the one.” Oh, he was beautiful. The right size, the right skill set, the right experience, and he was calm amidst the chaos of a busy parking area.

We got his number off of his sticker, we found seats inside the arena and we waited. My friend Heidi, you might remember she just lost her horse Cayman about a month ago. Well, a pretty little halflinger named “Dan” came out. She had her eye on him for hours before the sale started. Before I knew it she was bidding on “Dan” and holy cow, she won! She bought him!! I was THRILLED for her!

As the horses continued to come through, my nerves were getting frazzled. The anticipation of “the one” coming up was causing the worst butterflies in my stomach I’ve ever experienced. My heart felt like it was going to beat right through my chest. And there he was – this was it.

The auctioneer started the bid price high, there were no takers… once the bid price was low enough, I raised my shaking hand with my auction number. The next thing I knew, his auction price jumped up by $2,000. And then I bid one more time, but it wasn’t enough. At this point he was already $700 over my original budget, and I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go any higher. It turns out, “the one” had a reserve – so he didn’t get sold that night. I sat there totally deflated. The waves of disappointment flooded over me like a wet blanket.

So the quest continues. The emotional roller coaster continues. I know there is another “Alfie” out there somewhere, where he is, I just don’t know.

Alfie is enjoying the retired life of just being a horse. Our days together are filled with lots of grooming, grazing and naps. I miss being able to ride him, but seeing him happily be himself makes my heart very happy. ❤️🐴

Horses and spouses. Sometimes, it can be a slippery slope. Jealousy & resentment can develop quickly when suddenly you find yourself spending countless hours at the barn with your barn family and horse, while your spouse sits alone at home. Trying to find that balance between spending time with your spouse and with your horse is not easy. I often talk about how blessed I am that I have Alfie in my life, but I’m even more blessed that my husband Scott has embraced my passion with 100% support.

When my husband and I were married, horses weren’t a part of my life. Ok, well, that’s not totally accurate. They were there on our wedding day.

Being reunited with horses on my wedding day was what planted the seed. While I was riding through town in the carriage on my way to the ceremony, I wasn’t nervous at all. In fact it was the clip clop clip clop of the horses feet on the pavement that put me at such ease. The smell of the horses and leather brought me instantly back to my childhood when I was taking lessons at the local stable.

For our honeymoon, we went to Ireland. It was our first time there, and what a beautiful country it is. You know what there is a lot of in Ireland besides beautiful green pastures – horses. Horses everywhere. Of course there are tons of sheep and cattle, but horses, everyone seemed to have horses in their yards. Was this another foreshadowing sign of what was to come?

When we returned from Ireland, I got my weekly Groupon email and what was staring at me…a Groupon for a trail ride for 2. 👏🏻

Now, my sweet husband was game for anything. I texted him and asked if he would like to go on a trail ride with me. He of course said yes, but he mentioned that he was allergic to horses but said he would be fine, after all the ride was going to be outside.

We get to the farm, sign the waivers and go to try on helmets. We then patiently wait for our horses. At this point, I notice my husbands face is starting to break out with hives. I ask him if he’s ok, and he tells me he is fine so we get on the horses and off we go. The ride was fun, my husband did great. We say goodbye to the horses and get into the car. My husband at this point has swollen eyes and calmly tells me his chest is tight and he could use some Benadryl. I zoom to the nearest Walmart and he takes 2 Benadryl while we are on line to pay. His breathing gets better and he falls asleep on the way home. The hives took 3 days to go away, but this is the kind of man he is, this is the amount of love he has for me. It didn’t matter to him that his allergy to horses was worse than he ever imagined, he knew how much I loved horses and he wanted to support me, even if it meant he might have ended up in the hospital.

After that ride, that’s when I went searching for a stable to take lessons, and I found one close to home. That’s where Alfie and I were brought together, and the rest is history.

My husband. He’s not only allergic to horses but to hay as well. And yet, he has attended every horse show Alfie and I have been in. He loves Alfie even though he can’t really interact much with him. Whenever he visits him he pets him anyway and then runs to the nearest water source to wash his hands. He doesn’t mind that I spend all my free time at the barn with Alfie and the other horses as well as my barn family. He has not only accepted my passion, but he’s encouraged it, supports it, and has never said “no” to anything I’ve wanted to do to further my equestrian journey.

I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the support of this incredible man I get to call my husband.❤️