BIG news!! No, really, really really BIG news. Seriously.

Ok....so, the last time I left you, I was whining about not getting a certain horse, and really, I never even met the guy face to face, so I can't be too disappointed, right? And in between then and now, I inquired about a draft cross, who got a home the day after I asked about him, and not with me, a bombproof Thoroughbred, and after several positive emails, as soon as I asked to see him, the seller forgot how to use a phone or computer. But it all worked out.

Well.....last weekend, there was an adoption event in the area (I know, there's always an adoption event), and myself, my husband, and my horsefriend (we'll call her HF) all went out to look at the pretties. Really, in my head, I was only looking. Yes, yes, I had been inquiring about a few select horses, since one can't overlook the right thing if it comes along, right? But I wasn't forcing it, just checking a couple websites every so often. See, I had made a deal with my brain. The conversation was something like this:

Me: Ok, Brain, we want a horse.

Brain: That sounds nice. How are you going to afford that?

Me: Well, I'll save up so I can have a wide choice available, so I can get the right one.

Brain: Good idea. But wait, there's more to a horse than just the purchase price, right?

Me: Well, yeah, but....

Brain: So, logically you should have a stockpile of funds put away for all sorts of stuff, tack, emergencies, teeth, feet, vaccines, and-

Me: and purple hoof glitter!!! 

Brain: uh, yeah. I don't think purple hooves really matter to the health of a horse. But anyway, shouldn't we have a ginormous horse fund first?

Me: Well, yeah, we should. But it doesn't hurt to look, right? That way I'll have a better idea of the type of hoof glitter, er, horse I want.

Brain: Yes as long as it's only looking. So let's save all of our pennies for a year, yes? And that'll be a huge amount of money to purchase everything you could ever want. Even if it's hoof glitter. Ugh. So remember, just looking, and we're going to wait to-

Me: OOOOOOHHHH wow...look at that one!!!! I wanna test ride him!

Brain: Yes, but remember, we are waiting a year-

Me: Move it Brain, I gotta horsie to get!!

And that's how it happened. My heart fluttered and I got all giggly as I rode that horse around the ring...HorseFriend looked at his feet, his mouth, and applied pressure to various areas of his back, checking for sore spots or anything out of the ordinary. After I test rode him, HF hopped on and really put him through a workout. I wonder if an earthquake registered when she cantered him? Husband grinned at the horse, but gently reminded me that I had told myself I was waiting on adopting a horse, or something to that effect...I don't really recall....who listens to their husbands anyway?
Before anyone else knew it (I was perfectly aware ;) haha), I had a horse. And no way to get him home.
I texted my instructor...I got a horse hehe.... can you come get him?
She, of course, being of sane mind, wanted to know what kind, how old, and was I completely out of my mind...ok, not the last part. At least she didn't text that. She simply said, well, let's get him into the trailer....

Which he promptly broke on the way home by shoving his butt against the dividers hard enough to break the welding on the hinge...not even home and he was already re-inforcing the fact that horses are lovable, adorable, rewarding money pits.

Now, I'm sure you're dying to know what I brought back to my lesson barn.....

This is Altivo. He is 10 years old....a Percheron gelding!!!! 17 hands worth of Percheron to be exact. Yeah...for a better idea, here's another picture, just after I test rode him. Apparently the only saddle they had at the rescue group was this english one, which was mighty comfy.

Yeah. Well....It just hit me yesterday that I adopted a huge (HUGE) horse, and he's mine and I am now responsible for this guy. He is due for vaccines, so I'll be learning about those, and his first hoof trim is Sunday. He picks up his feet pretty well, and I worked with him last night on it, with good results. He's very personable, gentle, and willing, though a little lippy, which we're working on.
He had been a stud at a PMU farm (google "PMU horse" and you'll see what I mean) until around 5 years ago, when he came to my area, got gelded (yay!) and trained.
My instructor thinks I'm nuts, for sure, and I'm not sure I'm fully sane either, but who knows?

More on Altivo later....I must go to work, to pay for my baby....