The Lowe Down: Surprise!

So this summer, Ryan and I did something a little crazy. It really all started early in the summer when Ryan decided to take up cycling. He'd been thinking about it for a while and decided in May to take the plunge and buy a hybrid bike. Then it spiraled into a family of bikes for us and a trailer for Riley and even my parents getting in on the action. Within a few months, Ryan was full-fledged obsessed. He and my dad planned long rides, spent hours on message boards, and reading their endless magazine subscriptions. Ryan was happier, skinnier, and really feeling great. That led him to encouraging me to get a hobby. I knew immediately there was only one hobby for me.

Me on Freedom - March 2012

Pre-Riley, I started taking lessons at our barn again on sweet Freedom pony, and I was hooked. But once we got pregnant with Riley, I made the decision to stop and that dream ended up on hold for almost two years.

Ryan was very supportive of my riding and really pushed me to get back into it. I warned him that this time I wasn't quitting and that it would eventually lead to us owning a horse. Riding lesson ponies is wonderful, but I put my time in when I was little. I've owned my own horse before and I know that I prefer that over not knowing who I'm riding week to week. Ryan nodded, completely in support of me starting back on lessons and then us horse shopping "in a few years."

I took matters into my own hands a few weeks later and emailed Alli's trainer. I just wanted an idea of what to expect cost-wise with the purchase and upkeep of a horse "one day." We exchanged a few emails and all along I stressed that this was a long term plan. A week later, she approached me at the barn. "I know you aren't ready yet, but I do know of this really great horse. Can I just send you his info?" Never one to turn down pictures of a horse, I agreed. Later that day I got two emails on Jabbar filled with pictures of he and his owner, a fourteen year old boy, swimming, fox hunting, and jumping. He was a beautiful little bay with a stripe and a sock. I am such a sucker for a bay.

So for three weeks, I chewed on the possibility. Ryan was understandably very hesitant - I wasn't even back in the saddle yet and I was horse shopping. This had been a long term plan. What was I thinking? And though I agreed with him, I just could not get Jabbar out of my head. Finally when we were in Destin, Ryan said "Why don't you just bring him in for a trial?" I don't know if it was the booze or the ocean breeze talking, but I went with it and a week later Jabbar was in for a visit.

On our first meeting, he was nervous and I was even more nervous! What was I doing? I hadn't ridden in two years and I was just going to hop on my maybe-future horse?? Jabbar was a first field fox hunter and a whip horse - he wasn't used to the ring so he was pretty spooked the first several lessons we had. I wasn't sure he'd ever be quiet enough for Alli or even for me, but I was totally hooked on him. I could go for a ride whenever I wanted!

After a two week trial, I said yes. I had to! I was head over heels and Ryan said that if Jabbar made me this happy, he was worth it. And slowly over the course of two and half months, we've built a partnership. He doesn't run the opposite direction when I walk out to the pasture and he doesn't spook at everything anymore. He's learned really quickly in the ring and he's even taught me out at the hunt country going on two foxhunts (more on that later).