I Bought a Horse

Today, became one of the most empowering days of my life.  I bought a horse.  Now, I am no spring chicken, but buying a horse wasn’t really a check off my bucket list; although, some might think so.   

Earlier this summer I looked at this same horse, rode him and then said no to buying him, because of all sorts of sensible reasons, but I couldn’t get him out of my mind.  I wanted this horse.  I really wanted him practicality aside.  Way aside.  I just wanted him.  Selfishly so.   

That is the main reason that buying him was so empowering.  I did it just for me.  Several years ago, my husband, Ed, and I moved from south Florida to a large farm in Kentucky.  It had a big barn and an amazingly large field.  I wanted a horse so much, but I wouldn’t let myself get one, because it was dangerous and what if I fell and hurt myself and couldn’t handle my responsibilities.  So, no horse for me.   

A few years later we moved to North Carolina at the request of a family member.  A couple of months later Ed and I were in a devastating car accident.  An eighteen wheeler lost control coming down a mountain and its trailer, contents and the concrete barrier plummeted us.  We were both badly hurt.   

The recovery process from the accident was long, painful and hard.  We will never be the same as we were just one second before the accident.  I had played it safe, not got my horse then was injured by someone else.  Such is life.  Many times since then I have said to myself: I could have had my horse.   

 

I figured that if I had gotten hurt on my horse then at least it would have been doing something I really wanted to do.  I have few regrets, but I regretted not having had a horse when I could have had one.   

Fast forward to now … earlier this summer a neighbor from down the road who has horses said that he would sell me this amazing Tennessee Walking Horse, keep him on his farm and teach me to ride and to take care of him.  As I said, I decided to not take the horse.  Dumb.  Real dumb.   

Today, I found out he still had this horse and was willing to go with the same deal.  My amazing husband was still willing to put up with my wishy-washy ways.  He just smiled and said, “Buy the damn horse.”  I did.   

Wish me luck.  I have a lot to learn.  So much.  But, I feel like a million bucks.  I threw caution to the wind.  I will, however, still be very careful while riding Silver Dollar.  He does have one additional name though, and that is Dream.  Yes, he is my Silver Dollar Dream.  He is a dream come true for me, and may I wish that your dreams will come true for you.   

©Patty F. Cooper, Elizabethton, Tennessee, August 29^th, 2014   

All Rights Reserved