Saturday, September 28, 2013

Opportunity Knocks


With the breakdown in family ties...I have been taking stock of my options. 

After all, *I* own some pretty nice horses myself. I just went through a period where the only one I had that was working was Moon. I anticipated having Frosty coming along years ago, but obviously it has taken me a long time to really figure out what was going on with him. I was expecting to have Shooter ready to start seasoning on this year...after all, he is a 5y/o...But a 'little' incident in Arizona last winter almost cost me my beloved Shooter and it will be next year before I can even contemplate starting him again. (I'll explain what happened in another post. It's taken me a long time to decide to open up about it.)

You wouldn't think that returning just one horse that I had intended to use would disrupt my current plan that much. However, Bugs is the one I have put the most riding time into this year, he's patterned on the barrels and showed some promise. Getting his front feet lined out was just the last little thing to get figured out and right and he was ready to go to competing on. With his maturity he would have come on quickly and made a nice back-up horse for Moon next summer while I worked on getting Shooter and The Big Bay to the same point that the sorrel horse is now. Frosty's potential is still questionable and it is quit likely I will end up selling him, so I am not really counting him in the mix. Frosty is 'fixed'...will probably need one more chiropractic adjustment...but the horse just doesn't seem to have any sort of competitive spirit. It happens. No matter how well-bred and how-well made a horse is to do something....sometimes they just lack the heart/desire to really put themselves out there. They either have it or they don't. I'm going to give Frosty a little more time to figure things out...but am going to see if there are other avenues he might appreciate doing more than barrel racing.

Because I have invested so much time and effort into getting these horses to the point of moving forward I have turned down some pretty good opportunities when it comes to other horses. I have turned down paid riding/training horses and I have turned down opportunities to buy some higher-end barrel horses that just needed someone who was willing to invest a little time and effort into re-habbing them.

There was a time when I used to make pretty good money picking up, fixing up and turning horses. Now that the 'I can get one from a rescue for cheap' craze is over...There is starting to be decent money in recognizing talent and rehabbing horses again. And, even though I have hell getting anything accomplished with Moon in actual winnings, people have recognized that I am capable of turning out a good horse. The cutting of ties to the family horses has opened up my mind to the possibility of returning to more of the public aspect of the horse-world.

In fact, the sorrel horse is already replaced. By a sound, coming 5 y/o, drop-dead gorgeous, already broke to ride and been exposed to the rodeo environment gelding (he was used as a flag horse last summer)...The owner wants him started on barrels and seasoned. The details of the agreement are being worked out...but instead of having a horse that I am struggling to get sound enough to start competing on...I will have one who is ready to start patterning and then running.

I've had a couple of other people who mentioned they would be interested in paying to have their horses go to Arizona this winter to get rode and exposed. I'm not as interested in starting colts as I once was...except my own of course...so will only take horses that have at least been started under saddle. I'm waffling on the problem horses. It will depend on the horse and the owner. Some problems are easily fixable...some not so much...and I am not anxious to add anything that even remotely resembles the type of problems my big bay horse has to the mix.

And there are always horses turning up that have minor injuries or issues that the owners don't want to deal with/fix and are willing to sell for deeply discounted prices. I've turned down several of them this year alone. It doesn't hurt to be known as the 'fixer-upper lady'. LOL. So many people only think of time lost, whereas I don't have much of an issue with it.

So I guess, when one door closes...sometimes it's not a bad thing. In this case, I've opened myself up to greater opportunities and the chance to actually help a greater number of horses....and with the added benefit of some potential income. Not everyone likes to do what I like to do and from what I can see, there are plenty of opportunities to put what I've learned over the last few years to good use. :-)


6 comments:

Madeline C. said...

That was a quick turn around. It's great you have all of these opportunities to grow as a rider, trainer, and all around horseman. This new one sounds like a good find.

Shirley said...

Yes, no sense dwelling on stuff that p's you off, move on to bigger and better things. Hope your new venture is fulfilling for you.

Crystal said...

Well sounds like good things are happening and might work out better in the end.

WishIHadAHorsey said...

I am not surprised that others turn to you for various scenarios. As long as you continue to do what is best for you and the horses, I think you really go places.

Funder said...

You're awesome :) Can't wait to hear about your adventures with the projects!

AKPonyGirl said...

Need barn help in AZ? I am so looking for a place to snowbird from the cold frozen north. No drama I promise!!