Hope Ranch: Because when I ride, all I feel is free

I have officially been a horse mom for eleven days now. I finally have a horse that is mine and cannot be taken away. When I first came across his sale ad there was just something about him that drew me to him. I had been nervous the entire trip and I had prepared myself for the possibility that we wouldn't click. I wrote a pro/con list and weighed the options. Originally I had wanted to adopt a horse, but actually getting a rescue to answer my phone calls or emails seemed to be difficult at best. Hours of time spent on everything from craigslist to dreamhorse looking for my perfect partner left me feeling like I was searching for a needle in a haystack. When I opened the car door and stepped out I saw his head turn to take me in and I knew I had found the right horse. He looked so large in that stall and at 17hh he towered over the mares that he was with. Our first ride together went smoothly, he was easy to saddle and a joy to ride with just the right amount of mosey so I can take pictures during our trail rides. Once he finally arrived at Hope Ranch I gave him a new name (Jasper) to go with his new lease on life. Due to the immense amounts of rain I haven't actually had the opportunity to ride him much since his arrival. He has been slowly gaining weight and eventually he will gain muscle as we work together. I can't wait to build a bond with him, learn his quirks, and work through his minor ground manners issue. I have this feeling that when the ground dries up we will become the best team.