I'm buying another horse for myself and my two granddaughters--Taylor, a very tall eleven, and Becca, turning nine on July 4th. We'll be boarding the horse, since I don't have enough property to keep a horse here, even though I have a massive 200 year old barn. Taylor's already working one day a week at the stable where we'll be boarding and loves the place and the woman she works with.

We've narrowed it down to two possibilities, both rescued horses currently residing at a rescue farm near us. One is a 13 year old Thoroughbred mare, chestnut, with a white blaze (she sort of looks like Wonder). She's been recovering nicely since she was rescued a couple of months ago--probably from meat packaging auction buyers. She still needs to put on another 200 pounds or so to get back to her normal weight, but she seemed kind and loving.

The other candidate is a rescued Quarter Horse Gelding, age uncertain, but from his teeth, probably between ten to fourteen years old. He's a dark chestnut, who also sports a white blaze.

To be honest, my granddaughter and I were pointed to these two horses because they were in my modest price range--under $1,500, and horse-lover that I am, I've always been drawn to horses that needed rescuing from abusive owners. The owner of the farm has 57 horses on the premises, ranging from a miniature donkey to draft horses, most rescued animals in various stages of rehabilitation. He keeps as his own several rescued horses who could never be ridden again, like a pony he'd rescued in Maine, who'd been left in a small pasture, so unattended that its hoofs had grown so long that they circled upward. He's been working on the pony's hoofs, but that pony will never be 100% right again, even with continuing ferrier treatment.

My granddaughters and I, along with a very knowledgeable horse person, will be going back on Monday to look at these horses again, ride them and decide which would be a better all around horse for all of us. And then, of course, we'll have a vet check them out.

As of now, I Like the Thoroughbred mare; my eldest granddaughter likes the Quarter Horse. We'll see, and I'll keep you updated here.

We're also looking for used tack, English and Western. I know that many people think frequently published authors are rich, but we aren't. Stay tuned!

Joanna