It Takes Patience

Allow me to introduce our horse, Patience.  She's an approximately 8-year-old quarter horse mare, with some debate about whether she is a Paint (Sabino, specifically, with white splashes on her belly) or a chestnut. 



She's exactly 14.2 hands high, which makes her a big pony or a small horse.  She has two really distinctive marks:  a horse-head brand on her thigh and a unicorn-shaped white splash on her belly (I can't remember which sides, left or right, for either of these.)

She comes to us via Sis's old riding school from a horse farm in Vermont, where she lived outside on a mountain.  Now she's at a new barn, where she mainly lives outside in a paddock either by herself or with another mare.  She isn't so fond of male horses; she kicked one at the old barn who had bitten her (both were okay in the end.)  There is a "fan club" trio of male horses who watch her at the new barn, their heads swiveling in unison at the young mare; even the donkeys like watching her.  As Sis's old riding coach said, "You horse has a nice ass!" 

She is very patient in the aisle when she's being groomed and harnessed or unharnessed; we wonder if that's how she got her name.  She throws her head when the saddle goes on before a ride and yawns a few times when the bit comes out afterwards.  She has been feistier recently, perhaps because of the fan club, and even tossed Sis off for the first time on Saturday when she was startled by the truck of a neighbor of the farm.

Sis loves her completely (her yawns, her fluff, her scent, her soft nose, her wiggly lips, etc etc etc) and especially loves taking pictures of her derpy (silly or dopey) side.  And Mama and I are becoming horse lovers, too.  Mama is even thinking of riding.

How could we not love that face?

Changes

The beginning of school was long my new year beginning, not January.  When I was not in school, I still always liked the beginning of fall and feeling rejuvenated by the change in temperatures.  We're back to the new year being in September, with kids in the house.  And this year has seen many changes.

First, neither Bud nor I am taking piano anymore; he, because he lost interest, and me, because I couldn't justify the expense anymore.

Sis has also dropped speedskating.  Her foot is still a bit tender from when a 1000 lb horse stepped on it!  And I think she realized that she didn't like competing, which was the main point.

Mama has started playing the ukelele, a present from me on our 21st anniversary.  She's been strumming along to "I Lava You" from the Pixar short.  It's sweet--and she's gotten good fast.  She's dabbled at playing piano, guitar, and violin over the years, but this one has stuck.

And . . . and I've saved the biggest for last:  we bought a horse!  It's a convoluted story.  There was conflict and disruption at the barn, as the current owner was trying to retire and sell the place and it fell through with much acrimony.  As part of the proceedings, the prospective buyer bought several horses, including Sis's favorite horse, Patience.  And then, as the deal fell through, the new owner of the horses was going to take away Patience.  With all the chaos, and with the sadness of Murphy's departure so fresh, we bought the horse.  We worried that it sends the wrong message--that you can buy your way out of pain.  But we think it will be outweighed by all the hard work, discipline, sacrifice, persistence, etc.  Hopefully. 

We are boarding the horse--Patience, an 8-year-old chestnut mare (Quarterhorse, apparently), who is so named because she stands very still and patient in the aisle while being groomed and bridled--at the farm where Sis has been riding these last years.  They will care for the horse Monday through Saturday, with three meals a day, one blanket change, turn out, stall cleaning.  And on Sundays, we will do most of that.  But horses have to be ridden, so Sis will be there several days a week to ride her.  One of Sis's friends at the barn will be leasing her (and paying us) and so will ride her as well; she comes from a horsey family and will also help us.  Because Mama and I know nothing.  Sis knows a lot, but owning is different than leasing and it's a large learning curve.  We all went to visit Patience on Sunday and there was some concern that she might be a tad constipated--which can be very fatal in horses, quickly--but soon enough she wasn't.  I've never been so happy to see a pile of poo in my life!! 

Otherwise, Sis taught us all how to brush her--with three different brushes (curry brush, hard brush, and finishing brush)--and then took her for a walk.  Sis also washed her, tended her hooves, and picked the stall.  She's a very gentle, beautiful horse.  The farm owner said it would be the easiest horse purchase we'd ever make!  (Oh, goodness--the implications in that sentence!!)  Bud was a little apprehensive--horses are huge, even if Patience is barely a horse side-wise just a bit of a hand over a pony--but he'll settle in.  And Mama loves Patience.  She was talking to her and has been researching horses.  She'll even ride.  I'm not sure I will, but I like being around Patience nonetheless.

So that was this week's up-side.  The down-side was that I went to the ER on Monday night with severe abdominal pain yet again.  This time they didn't expect GI issues, but gynecological.  Perhaps a cyst or endometriosis.  It hurt like hell--almost like a partial obstruction--but no evidence of such; the ultrasounds didn't turn up anything.  I have a colonoscopy this week.  I think it's scar tissue from the four abdominal surgeries I've had; I can feel the baseball-sized tissue behind my belly button, but it isn't anything but scarring they've all told me (which if we remove would just, Catch-22, make more, apparently.)  We'll see.  I feel much better now, relieved it wasn't anything else.  But I would like more answers. 

All in all, it's a new beginning all around here.  I love fall.