A note from Beth...
This is the spot for YOUR stories.  I started this with the hopes that we can continue to form a community.  A community that is
made up of horse-minded people who are similar to each other in some ways and still very different in others.  We’ll learn from
each other, laugh with (and at) each other and offer encouragement when it is needed.  Everyone has a story to tell.  We own
horses because they bring something special into our lives.  We have them in our lives for different reasons. For some, it’s the
thrill of competition and the challenge of honing our skills. For others, it’s a lifelong dream that is finally a reality. Some have
had horses all their lives and it just “is”.  You may have gotten into horses because a horse crazy girl in your life caught you in
a weak moment—you wallet magically opening at every turn.  Whatever the reason we are (usually) a community of like minded
souls.  We strive to help others improve their horse relationships, we lend a hand (and tack) when needed, we offer
advice…always well meaning.  

So don't be shy, send us you stories. Share your tales, your triumphs and your challenges.
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My New Horse Doc by Brenda Webster

I know Beth mentioned on the blog that I was selling Dancer (to our great friend Liz Whetstone) and buying a new horse.  I
thought I'd elaborate a little and also share my horse shopping checklist.  It is a basic list I made up to compare horses and
to jog my memory for questions to ask when I was tempted to just buy a horse based on love at first sight!  

The first thing I did was decide on some parameters like price range, breed, color, size, age and sex.  These helped other
people who knew I was looking, to rule out possible horses.  I wanted to spend around $5000 on a non-gaited, black, 7-9
year old, gelding.  All of that was potentially negotiable, but you have to start somewhere, and I ended up getting exactly
what I wanted.  

I started my search on the internet and also by telling all my "horse" friends that I was looking.  The first horse I tried didn't
work out, but the second was Doc, and he was perfect (well almost).  A friend of ours, Chuck Schroeder, who breeds and
trains appaloosas and sold Rio to Beth, found Doc for me.  He was taken in on trade by another trainer in Radnor, Dale
Inskeep, who only had him for about a week when I saw him.  I went to ride him a couple of times, had him vet checked,
"borrowed" him for a week, then decided to buy him.  He is an 8 year old quarter horse with a background in showing.  I
found out later that he had been a stud until he was 6, so he has to be kept with the geldings at our barn, otherwise he will
service the mares to no avail.  

In the beginning he had issues loading into my straight load trailer, but within a few training sessions, I was able to load him
by myself without trouble.  Our latest issue is water crossings.  He LEAPS anything smaller than about 10 feet across!  If I
can get him to approach it at all...  We've made some progress in the last week, but I'm still jumping.  If anyone has any
training advice for this, I'd love to hear it!

Happy Trails,
Brenda
UPDATE:  Brenda has made great progress with Doc. Much thanks to Kerry Kuhn!  Read more.....
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