Small Horse Saga

Gameboy

After months away, I have decided that it is definitely time to bring the blog back-- no promise for weekly deliveries yet though. My main reason for heading back to the blogger is a problem I have become well acquainted with over the last few weeks.

About a year ago I purchased a beautiful 15.1 hand gelding from a well known UL rider with the goals of moving up the levels and hopefully finding my way to the AEC's. Sadly, between the return of Finn under not-so-great circumstances and my health seeming to fail me at every turn, it became clearly that two horses weren't realistic and Kaz was the far more marketable one of the two-- or so I thought.

As I have scoured equine groups on Facebook and read every 'iso' post on reputable horse sites I am beginning to realize that horses between the height of 15-15.2 hands basically fall into a black hole of marketability. Why? Because people are stupid because people want really big horses regardless of how tall they actually are. People have gone as far as to ask me if Kaz will ever be able to go training level.

The reality is that in a normal sale add you really can't say everything you want to say. You can't tell them that the horse is the best cookie nuzzler in the words or that he will brighten their day with the way he wiggles his lip with every neck scratch. You do not believe it is appropriate to tell them about the time you completely missed it to a giant oxer because you were nervous and he bailed you out even though it wasn't pretty and you probably didn't deserve it. You're reluctant to mention the time a 4* rider told you he was one of the scrappiest things they had ever seen or the time you picked up a silly stop at a schooling show because you rode like crap. You want to tell them that the horse will crack his back over every jump every time and that sometimes when he trots you get goose bumps because that is what dressage is really supposed to feel like. Sadly, because he is 15.1 many people won't even read below the first line of the add.

Here's to all the small horses, the fierce horses, and the really scrappy horses. Here's to the horses of the smallest statures and the biggest hearts, and the horses with the tiniest feet but the biggest shoes to fill.