We're Gonna Be a Mighty Team

Tuesday morning I walked into work, bleary eyed and pale (I caught a terrible death plague and ended up leaving early yesterday and staying home today), coffee in one hand, bagel in the other. Stupidly, I had forgotten about our usual Tuesday morning product training meetings. Awesomely, I had woken up exceptionally early and decided to just go in instead of laze around in bed. I was only ten minutes behind schedule for the product training, so I quietly twisted the door handle to the conference room full to the brim with my coworkers, and slipped inside.

Immediately, I was met with a chorus of cheers and applause. I stopped dead and stared blankly at my loud, opinionated, funny, caring coworkers who were beside themselves with glee over the fact that I had found my next horse. Dover has given me a room full of women (and one token gentleman who is very, very patient to put up with all of us!) who are surrogate aunts, mothers, and grandmothers. When I lost Image, their hearts were breaking too. It shouldn't have been a shock to me that they were all so thrilled to know that I had finally found The Horse, but knowing that all of those lovely people were rooting for me was one of the sweetest things I've encountered in quite awhile.

I'm sure that little anecdote has told you exactly what I'm about to say, but just for good measure: yes, the charming, funny little yellow Walker has decided I should be his. Previ the Peruvian was a lovely little horse with personality coming out of every pore, but something just wasn't "right". There were a couple of outside factors that concerned me, but as we were gaiting around the ring, I realized that I wasn't picturing my next riding adventures framed by black ears. I was picturing them framed by yellow ones. I sighed internally, and gave in to what I had a feeling was going to happen: I didn't want another Walker, but another Walker wanted me. So, here we are.

Lookit those big fuzzy wuzzy ears!

I'm already starting to think about a riding plan and getting his gait back to being a true, four beat gait consistently (he's more apt to pace or step pace if given a choice)...and he may have a brand new, bright blue rope halter sitting on my bed right now. Some of Image's tack will become his tack, but I think he deserves some new things of his very own as well. Admittedly, I'm keeping their color the same, because that electric blue looks SO freaking good on a palomino! I am also coveting this set from Taylored Tack (www.tayloredtack.com):

Lynika headstall. SO PRETTY.

Brice breastcollar. 

In this color biothane:

BRIGHT ANNOYING BLUE KTHX. No overlay though. JUST BRIGHT ANNOYING BLUE.

like NO ONE'S business. I may need an intervention before I start painting the actual pony blue as well ;) I don't NEED more tack...but who doesn't want to spoil their new critter?

Anyway, I am scrambling to find Simba (yes, I am calling him Simba!) a place to stay for a little while, as both Coworker L and Barn Owner L have zero room at this point in time. I have a couple of options that I need to flesh out before Saturday, as the boarding situation where he's at is kind of...well, it's special, to say the least, and I'd like him out of there as soon as possible. No fault of M's whatsoever, but it'll be a weight off of M's shoulders to not have him at that barn any longer. I will bring him home, have Dr. McGee do a vet check for me, and hopefully we will be on our merry way.

I am, as I was with Image, excited and terrified. However, this time is feels so very different from when I was getting ready to bring Image home. There is nothing like the excitement of bringing your first horse home, and I'm a bit sad I won't ever really feel that again...however, this is the start of something new. Something good, I hope. I feel like a really big weight has been taken off of my chest because I have something in my life to hold on to again. I still miss Image, and I still miss GP...but hopefully, Simba and I are going to have a long, lovely story full of adventure and laughter and kisses all over that sweet face!