Musical horses as we leave the old season into the new

So having less horses doesn't seem to ever happen, but there has been a reasonable amount of recent reconfiguration and I know I've been hearing from others who have recently acquired new horses, have found new jobs for old campaigners and thought it might be fun. In January of 2011, I realized that I somehow had 5 horses http://seema-thefloridachronicles.blogspot.com/2011/01/wait-i-cant-possibly-own-5-horses.html. Somehow, that number has not gone down. Continuing from there:

Realize that Tag doesn't want to be an event horse or jump at all, so May 2011, send him off to a dressage barn. He finds a new owner there and now gets to be a dressage horse, but I still own 4 as of summer 2011 because I have now bought Cole (a lovely small TBish guy). I've taken Tobe off my role because he has been with his new people for 5 years now. So, I have Gizmo (leased through 2011), Finn (still for sale - but still wants to be a h/j not an eventer), Keebler (still with Lynn), and Cole.

Event Cole who really enjoys it http://seema-thefloridachronicles.blogspot.com/2011/07/in-which-i-compete-again-for-first-time.html and in the same month (July 2011), buy Eli for Caitlin to ride. See that the barn manager/assistant at my trainer's barn has to give back the event horse she has been leasing and while she has many nice dressage horses to ride, nothing to event, so I tell her I will be on the lookout for something for her that I will buy and she can ride. Start horse shopping. Oops! Fall madly in love with a just OTTB, not suitable for Rachel, but perferct for me, so I buy him and with RunForIts help, he gets the barn name Keegan, so I own 6. I offer Cole to Rachel and that works out well. Sadly Eli does not as it turns out he has arthritis in his neck. With the help of retreadeventer, Eli finds a fabulous new home. December of 2011, Gizmo comes back to me from his lease and heads to Ashmore to hopefully find a new lessee, meantime I get to ride him while I am down there.

At this time, I hear from Debi Crowley that her working student has sold her horse (who didn't really want to event beyond novice) and they ask me to keep an eye on lease options and inexpensive TBs. Instead, I buy Tucker from Chris Talley, who is now a working student for Ryan Wood and doesn't really have time to ride him. CaitlinM (working student) rides and competes Tucker, doing very well.

So this all goes along until summer of 2012 when I have the opportunity to sponsor Caitlin and Remi (big fun). Obviously Remi isn't mine, but I get to hang with Caitlin and have an occassional (amazing) lesson on Remi, so I'm happy to count him. A few weeks later, I am browsing the classifieds and see this really cute pinto horse for sale. I assume I can't afford him as the ad is private treaty, but I call and find I can (if I stretch it a bit). I talk to Rachel about him and we end up with Solo and manage to sell Cole in less than a week - thanks to Courtney Cooper for her help with that. CaitlinM finishes her working student stint so Tucker comes back to me. I now own Gizmo, Finn, Keegan, Keebler, Solo, and Tucker and have all of them except Solo and Keebler + Remi on my payroll. This is not good.

Relief comes in the form of Dom and Jimmie Schramm who have a working student in need of a horse. Tucker heads to their place and is a great match for their working student http://www.schrammequestrian.com/. Meanwhile, winter approaches in Michigan and Keebler heads to GLEC for some winter training. He needs a job if anyone is interested in a turn with the spotted menace of a jumping machine. And just this week, I heard from old friends from Michigan. Debbie was the barn manager there and her daughter Elena half leased Tempo when I first had him (On the Beat, later sold to Chimene Evans and ridden to the upper levels by her) and then rode a horse of mine (Starry Skye - now with Lara Anderson at Full Gallop Farm) during her working student stint. Debbie wanted to ride again and had heard Gizmo was available and so next week, he will head off on his next adventure in Virginia.

Meanwhile, Hilda and I are thinking a winter project might be fun.....