INVISIBLE STRING: POPTART

 

I have discussed this topic before, but it's always a good one to review. It's about buying a horse. I'm also tying this one in to my Invisible String (it was Invisible Forces, but I guess Taylor Swift wanted me to name it after her song...who am I to argue?) 

Now when I bought this red mare that I call PopTart, I was coming off of not having a horse for about ten years. I had also had my confidence in nearly everything wrecked by my ex-husband. So of course I bought the first horse I tried that was hot and super confident and challenging...because why wouldn't I?

I did not get a PPE, and honestly I had decided to buy her before I ever even went to test her. It was 100% an emotional decision. And I don't regret it at all. 

However, I got lucky. 

I may have lost my confidence, but I had 20+ years of horse experience to rely on. She is reasonably sound and requires minimal maintenance (although that may change with our next vet visit - I'll talk about that later when I have answers). I would not recommend that anyone purchase a horse on vibes alone unless they have the experience and funds to back it up if things take a turn. 

What I would recommend is that if you are a first time or new to the horse game individual that you take a trusted experienced friend or trainer with you. I also definitely recommend a PPE, especially if the price point is a higher one. I'd also recommend trying the horse several different times. 

PopTart ended up being exactly the horse I needed because if I'd gotten a calmer horse or one that didn't challenge me then I wouldn't have renewed my confidence. I firmly believe that if I had gotten a "confidence builder" that I would have gotten complacent. I spent awhile getting her to learn how to walk on a loose rein, pick up her leads, and just in general riding her. It helped that I got her about six months before the covid lockdown, so I ended up having tons of free time to do all of this. 

Now she's had a baby, who I just adore. And once we get the vet clear for an issue she's been having then we will get back to work. If she doesn't get the vet clear, then we will move on from there. She has a permanent home with me either way. 

Someone once told me when I was talking about the love I have for her and how amazing she is that, "she's just a red mare, what's so special about her?" She might just be a red mare to the world, but to me she's everything. She brought me back into horses and made me realize how much they feed my soul. She gave me back a piece of myself that was missing for so long and made me whole again. For that this red mare is supremely special.