The Lord works in mysterious ways doesn't he? Just when I am fed up and ready to give up he not only provides, but makes it darn special too.
Let me give you a little back story, in 2005 I finally got to own my first horse after years of dreaming and learning. The very first horse I knew had to be mine was born at a farm I had been riding at, and the day she hit the ground my heart knew she was mine. The farmer had been doing crossbreeding for a few generations for his perfect roping horse, he's hoped she would have been it but she came out with two bright white eyebrows along with her stripe! He was entertainingly furious, ranting on about not taking "no clown to no serious rodeo", and sold her to me for $500.
Two years later he offered to buy her back for a few grande because her eyebrows mostly grew out. I'm bias, but I think she was the most beautiful red roan mare to ever have been born. Her and i shared one of those special bonds.
And then heartbreak, shortly after I was married my Digit began to have issues with Every other animal on the property! Reason wouldn't justify making my husband give up his beloved horse And his donkey plus our other horses... so it was Digit who would need to leave. I trusted to a friend that I knew she liked, and she went to go and live in Drayton Valley. Where I was to be able to visit her and keep up on her well being. A year later however, this friend sold her without notifying me. I've been trying to find her ever since, just to know that she is okay. And if she is ever on the market again, maybe to bring her home now that our herd has largely changed.
Since then, almost six years, I have been searching for a saddle horse to be my primary. It's been nothing but a bad run. From one horse who had a dwarf gene and never matured past a yearling, to one who went blind, lame and had his liver fail, another who decided he loved jumping and could clear a five foot panel in three paces with perfect form (He's jumping professionally in Calgary now), and even my latest boy who I bonded to... who has a recessive Arabian trait with a severe metabolism and requires a special diet. We just can't be married to a horse...
I'd reached a breaking point. Years of this happening I couldn't take it anymore and even broke down a few times thinking about it, maybe God didn't want me to have my own horse right now.
And then things changed, while my latest boy is still up for sale for his metabolism I got tagged in a post on Facebook by a friend of mine. The post was for two brothers, 18 and 19, to go to the best home for free. The nineteen year old had foundered before and so the owner was concerned about that and not sure if she could find a place that would benefit the pair, who had never been separated more than a few months while big brother healed. The picture of them sure was beautiful, and at those ages I knew we could make it work for me, and so I contacted the owner. I was second in line, but the health concerns for the older horse scared off the person first, and so my husband and I loaded the kids up and we went to meet Ollie and Challie, or Olympian and Champion. The kindest, sweetest pair of pure Arabians I have ever met.
Listening to the owner my heart was breaking for her, she loved this pair like I loved Digit, she'd raised them. Her work schedule was not being kind to her ability to give them attention and care and she just wanted what was best for them. As she learned that my husband is certified in barefoot and some corrective she smiled, he'd be the perfect person to be able to care for Challie and keep his feet healthy, and with the way our pasture was set up we could watch his feed year round. Only living a few miles away she could come and visit them anytime she wanted to.
To begin with we brought Ollie home, to see how the pair could do alone and make the transition easier on the Lady who raised them. He settled in great, and I can't believe what has happened between he and I in just two weeks. He sure is something special, running to greet me and give me hugs and kisses, seriously, he licks. He hadn't been ridden for a number of years but we saddled him up with no issue and not only went for a quick ride but the kids got turns too. If I have any complaint over this gentle boy it's that he's almost to relaxed, very little desire to put speed into his steps! In just two weeks he's stolen my heart and that of my children. God certainly knew what he was doing.
And then the other night I get a message from the wonderful gal who raised these two. While Challie was doing well with just his neighbors over the fence he wasn't exploring as much, and she could see him missing his brother. At their ages it's that much harder on them. Immediately I arranged with my husband when Challie can come to be settled in and I'm happy to say he will be reunited with his brother Ollie by Monday at the latest, within 5 days of notification. I can't wait to see them reunited, I know it's going to be special.
I will always miss my Digit, and I will continue my search for her, but right now my heart is so full with love for this pair of brothers and their Mama. I am so thrilled to be able to give her what I couldn't keep, the knowledge that her babies are okay and will always be well cared for, loved, and able to visit them. Selfishly I am also thrilled, in my years of struggle for a horse to love, to ride and to bond with again, I've been granted not only one precious boy, but two.
God is so good, HalleluYah!
