run n rate - 2014-01-30 12:23 PM I suck at selling a horse, LOL!!! Everything I've ever owned is buried in my pasture. 2 ponies and 2 horses are the only things I've thrown a leg over that aren't with me still, the 2 ponies got sold when I was 5 and 10 and had outgrown them, the one gelding my dad "gave" to me for my 16th birthday, he sold him out from under me and the mare wasn't actually mine, belonged to my fiancé I bawled like a baby for all of them. Course I bawl like a baby when it comes to crossing the Rainbow bridge too but I'd rather make that walk with them than the one to someone else's trailer. Having said that I did loan out my HS rodeo mare to a young girl for Jr Rodeo for a bit when I was extremely busy with work and wasn't getting to ride like I needed to, she was an older mare by then and needed the extra riding to keep her in shape and feeling good, she just did better that way. I also leased out my bay mare to a HS girl for HS rodeo years later, she was a tough mare and I felt could help the girl out in that situation. My problem is I fall in love with my animals and for years with caring for my mom they were the reason I got out of bed in the morning, didn't matter stress was eating my health away, the horses needed to be fed, watered, groomed, ridden. They were my sanity, they were my "tomorrow" and more importantly they had a big strong neck to hold on to and cry into if need be with no expectations other than loving them back. Good trade in my opinion. I will sell mine before I can't feed them, they won't suffer for that ever regardless, but I do own a gelding that is 13 this year with some wear and tear on him, a mare that fractured her patella 3 years ago that is sound and running again but I know too those kind of injuries mount up and take years off in the long run but I also aknowledge that injury was my mistake. When push comes to shove I will not pass that injury on to someone else to deal with, I own that. I own that she and I spent some really bad nights together and some really great days together also coming back from that, its what finally forged us into a team. sucks it happened THAT way, but it did and I'm better for it, I owe it to her to be responsible for her to the end. Both of them ran me across the grass at Pendleton safely , strongly and fearlessly, they brought a little girls dream to life 40 some years later,and I dont' take that lightly. I also have another mare that has health issues, not exactly sure yet, HeadShakers syndrome, EPM, but God put us in each others path and I'm bound to find out why. I have friends who have that ability to be a business person about their horses and I respect that, they run tougher than I do most of the time because of it.