That Didn't Take Long

Back in March of this year, I had a slight "equestrian mishap". Doesn't that sound all sporty and athletic? "Equestrian Mishap" Anyway, long story short my foot got stuck in the stirrup and I hyper-extended my knee, no worky for a week. Or to make a short story shorter - I was a dumbass.

At the time of the incident I was riding my friend Kat's mare, Indi. Kat, who is a very worldly 17, fancies herself a barrel racer. Indi did not fancy herself a barrel horse. And as so often happens in the horse world, if the horse won't do the job, then the horse must be sold. I had planned on buying her until I found out the price was $2,000. So Indi was sold to someone else.

A month or so later, the lady who bought Indi brought her back to our ranch and said, "Nah, I don't want her." Then promptly sold her to the owner of our ranch for the princely sum of $100.

Fast forward a few months to last week. Our ranch owner decided that since Indi wasn't getting ridden she'd just throw her out in pasture and let her fend for herself.

Indi's not what you'd call a big horse. Especially compared to the other horses in the pasture. Eventually they probably would have sorted things out amongst themselves. But I would stand there every night watching Indi pace back and forth along the fence line, trying to snatch a bite of hay before she was chased off.

Indi's not the most beautiful horse in the world. She's sort of built like a bulldog, she's pigeon toed, and she doesn't have any stunning markings or coloring. She'd really prefer to spend the rest of her life either walking, or on a good day trotting, while being ridden and after being passed around all year she's a little confused. And kind of pushy. But I can be pushy too.

I'd already tried to buy Indi when she came back but the ranch owner had said no. So up the hill I marched to the ranch owner's house and said, "I'll give you $200 a month to lease Indi if you put her back in her stall. I'll exercise her every day, grain her and pay 50% of farrier and vet costs." "Deal," said the ranch owner.

And there you have the story of my IndiBooBooFuzzyFace. I'm back in the saddle and madly in love.