Saying Goodbye-Finding Bochica

As I told you in one of my earlier posts, I decided to buy a Paso Fino after riding one in Colombia. When I returned home from that trip, I immediately began checking out breeders in Texas. I visited a breeder and rode the horse for sale. He was probably bomb proof (as much as a Paso Fino can be), but it turned out that he was a cribber, so I decided to look further. Then I had a recommendation for Bochica's breeder. First I went to their web site--and fell in love with that little boy, Bochica Tejas Santo. I called and set up an appointment to visit. He lived about 4 hours away, out in the country, down a dirt road and pretty secluded. He seemed like a sweet horse--I liked him, but wasn't sure. The owner told me to look around some more and not to be in a hurry making a decision. So I made an appointment with another breeder, but thought their horse wasn't the one for me. I then went back to see Bochica, and still just loved him. I took a test ride down the road--he seemed a little nervous, but so was I. I had a quick lesson on riding a Paso Fino--he was very sensitive to my slightest signal). His owner told me he was recovering from a bout of strangles--he was a little thin but gaining. She also told me that she bought him sight unseen for his bloodlines, but didn't think he was stallion material so had him gelded. He was then sold to a man who sent him for training as a buggy horse. Apparently he came back to him spooky and very thin. So she took him back. Anyway, there was never any doubt that he was definitely the horse for me.

What an exciting day!

 So I bought him and took him to a boarding facility at a very busy 18 stall barn  (my first mistake). Little did I know how much my life would change. All of a sudden I couldn't wait to get up every morning and drive out to the barn.

What a sweet little boy!

 I don't know who was more nervous, Bochica or me.Everything at the barn made him nervous. He was so afraid of anything that moved (or didn't move).  I spent the first few days just hanging around him, brushing him, getting used to him. We slowly bonded (he hadn't tested me yet). I rode him in the round pen a few days and he did fine, then in the arena and he did fine there also. Then I took him out through some woods--another mistake--we weren't ready. I was nervous, which made him nervous, and all of a sudden he spooked and jumped sideways. I didn't even know I had fallen off until I was sitting on the ground. Luckily I wasn't hurt (even though I had a hoof pick in my back pocket). He immediately began grazing. I picked up the reins, got back on and rode back to the barn--more arena work. Not a great beginning.  Stay tuned for my next post-the first test!