I always assumed I'd have at least two horses for the rest of my life. A 'riding horse' and probably the previous
riding horse, now retired. As a child I
had an 'only horse' for years without thinking about it, but I rode a lot more
then and my horse had a lot more interaction with friends. Now, riding time has decreased tremendously
and it's rare indeed that a friend's and my free time coincides for a few
hours.
Scott and I are as close to perfect for each other as I think it's possible
to be, but it would be nice if one of us had a 'financial bone'. I haven't balanced a checkbook for at least
two husbands--- finding my best results by listing all deposits as $25 less
than they really are, and all debits as at least $5 more than actuality. Pathetic, I know, but it's like I've got
dyslexia with numbers. They never come
out the same. Drove my math-teacher
father to distraction. Aaaanyway, we've
been making a concerted effort to grow up and be responsible adults, and high
time too. I still can't balance our
check book but I'm trying. For months we
have been crunching numbers to try and find a workable budget. My work as a pet-sitter is erratic and Scott
can't work now, but that's another story.
After Woody passed on last year Willow was fine on his own and I was in
no hurry to get a replacement. I figured
the answer would show itself. And, did
it ever. No matter what I did with the
numbers I couldn't make the costs of having two horses fit into our
resources. Now I was in a quandry,
because my horse's welfare is always my first concern, and horses are
indisputably herd animals. While some,
like Willow live very well and apparently contentedly alone I know in my bones
it's not right for them.
Other equines, such as ponies, minis and donkeys are certainly easier
keepers, right? I struggled with the
donkey issue, because Carson's over at the 7MSN are incredibly sweet and
endlessly entertaining. What tipped the
balance away was that I'd still have pretty much the same veterinary and
hoof-trimming costs. Theoretically, I
could learn to trim my own. My
wonderful bare foot trimmer Marilyn Gilligan has generously offered to teach
me, but I worry too much about hoof angles and wouldn't want to trust my kids
to my faulty eyesight.
Pigs, and chickens I considered and discarded because I just didn't see
them forming a herd with Willow. Sheep
are high-maintenance with their coats and I didn't see me making use of the
fruits of my extra labors with them.
Hmmm, goats have been keeping race horses company in their stalls for
hundreds of years, haven't they? Many a
hot-blooded thoroughbred, too nervous to live well in a stall has shared it
happily with a goat. So, obviously the
inter-species bond is good. And goats
have such funny, endearing little faces.
The blogs I read definitely tipped the balance for me, convincing me
that goats can make very good pets. I
had very little real life experience
with them, a childhood friend had one on the farm, and there was one at the
stable where I learned to ride, but that was it. More research was definitely called for.
Three goat husbandry books later, I was as sure as I could be that getting
Willow a goat was the best answer for all of us.
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