When It Rains, It Pours

So.

Tomorrow's the big day (as if you didn't know), but there will be a couple more "big" days in the very near future.  Tomorrow, I go to get chosen by a mustang.  This, I have been planning for weeks.  Maybe even months, ever since I found out that Audubon didn't take.

I was talking to Mom and Bill on Monday and they suggested that maybe I should consider getting Jay a horse - a thought which had crossed my mind repeatedly - but I wasn't sure he'd want to start a mustang.  While he likes horses, he's not interested in starting one.  He'll ride with me if I ask, but doesn't really feel a burning need to ride like I do.

I left it with, "if he finds a horse who he falls in love with, we'll pick one up for him, too."

Twenty minutes later, when I got home, I had a message waiting for me from Bucky's wife that Sombrero had some "oops babies" and would be giving them away.  She gave me the information and I went to take a look.

Oh.

My.

Lord.

Seems that Mr. Lightning from the Sand Wash Basin that borders Sombrero's winter pasture took a liking to some of the very fine mares that Sombrero owns and had hisself a grand old time.  Now there are some oops babies.

I have a soft spot in my heart for oops babies, since both of Mom's mustangs are oopses from the same area.  At first, I tried talking Jay into taking a baby for his birthday/our anniversary, but he was having none of it and that's okay.  I don't want to force my horse habit down his throat.  One of the reasons our marriage works is that we each have our own interests and some that overlap - we don't have to be in each other's back pockets all the time.

This morning, I told him he could give me one of the babies for our anniversary instead and he just shook his head in defeat.

After round-up, I'll go to Longmont and chose the baby I want.  Compass has been kind enough to offer up space until weaning time, so the mare can stay with her herdmates at the livery.  My sort-of plan is to put some basic ground manners/halter manners on the baby and just let it be.  Over the winter, I'll send him/her/it down to winter pasture with Mom's horses to learn more horse manners and by next spring it should be big enough to continue with human manners.

The long-term plan is that by the time the mustang is finished, I can start on the baby.  I'm not quite sure why I need two horse projects at the same time, but this feels right and good.

To recap:

• Tomorrow - go get chosen by new mustang
• Next week - delivery day (I don't know which day yet)
• By the end of May - new oops baby