If Wishes Were Horses . . .

So the first thing all of the horse shopping sites tell you to do is to make a couple lists. Must haves, nice to haves, and do not wants. Sounds pretty easy, but as soon as you start, it's amazing the things that start coming out. I don't want a lot of white, because Quick Silver can get expensive fast, don't want a gelding because sheath cleaning is disgusting, but then I don't want a mare because I usually don't get along with them . . .

By the time I was done, shopping was going to be easy. I didn't want anything.

Rationality has kicked in, and I've managed to get my list under control and start to figure out what kind of a horse I'm looking for.



Must haves:
- Be able to jump 3' fences, because I am not nearly grown up enough to be a dressage rider yet.
- Be able to handle some trail riding, because going in circles in the ring can drive anyone nuts after awhile.
- Have a sense of humor, cause any partner of mine is going to need it. Ask my husband.
- Honest and more than half a brain. These are very important when jumping.
- Have potential to go novice in eventing, because I'm crazy and like to jump things that don't fall down.
- Have some natural forward, because I'm not carrying a thousand pound animal around the ring. Kicking is not as much fun as it looks on cross country.

Nice to haves:
- Have potential to go training level in eventing. Just in case I go crazy and decide I need bigger jumps to panic over.
- Minimal white, because I've got a career and it's not keeping someone from turning yellow.
- Preference given to geldings because one half of the partnership dealing with PMS is more than enough.
- Not ginormous. I'm only 5'2", I do not need to look any more like a midget than necessary.

Do Not Wants:
- Rearing. Just NO.
- Trailering issues. I don't think my trainer would be able to handle that.
- A dirty stop or a dirty buck. I don't bounce the way I used to.

It seems like a pretty reasonable list, but I'm already figuring out that it's a tall order. I'm probably going to end up with a 19 hand white mare, because that's exactly what I said I wasn't looking for. But hey, so long as she can drag me around cross country? I can buy Quick Silver in bulk.