In the beginning of 2018 I was looking at ads for horses, Curly Horses to be precise. Because of my allergies I really wanted a Curly, but the ones that were for sale were always foals or retired broodmares. I wanted a gelding that already knew the basics, because I wasn’t a very confident or experienced rider.
I saw Aslans ad. He was the first older Curly Horse I saw. He was almost 4 years old at that time. He looked very powerful, intelligent and sweet on the pictures and his description made him sound like a fit for me. I had been looking for horses for a long time and this was the first time I was actually seriously interested. But since I didn’t have a stable income at that time, I decided to leave it be.
The second time I saw Aslan it was months later. I was still very interested in him and had just started at a riding school. But it still didn’t feel like the right time to buy a horse. So I decided to leave it be. Again.
The third time I saw him, his breeder added some riding photos. She was about as tall as me and looked great on Aslan! I was concerned about my height compared to Aslans, but now I knew I didn’t need to be.
I made an appointment to meet Aslan. I had never done anything like it. I asked a colleague from the riding school to come with me. Four eyes can see more than two.
Aslan was living at his breeder in the herd. There was a sweet little foal in that herd as well and I even got to meet Aslans mom. He was very interested in us and already loved the attention. His breeder showed some groundwork and riding and after that I got to ride him for a little bit.
Aslan had only been under the saddle for a short time and after his breeder, I was going to be the second person to ever ride him. I got a little nervous and insecure and told myself ‘if I feel safe on his back, he’s going to be my horse’. I hadn’t ridden a horse in years and got to ride Aslan bareback. He was very gentle and every time he wasn’t sure, he would stop. It made me feel very safe and fall in love with him even more.
After meeting Aslan, I started looking for a place he could live at. I knew I didn’t want him in a stall, so I looked for 24/7 places in paddock paradises or just a field with a shed. I called everyone I could find online and messaged everyone I know to help me find a place. But I couldn’t. It felt like a sign to me. A sign that Aslan wasn’t meant to be with me. The breeder ended up selling Aslan to a family in Finland…
I was okay with how this had gone. I really wanted a horse. I always told myself that my life wouldn’t be complete without owning a horse. But my dreams didn’t make it okay for Aslan to live a boring life in a stall. Even if it was just for the nights. So it was okay.
Until I saw that Aslan had returned to The Netherlands.
The family in Finland thought he was a gaited Curly, but he isn’t. He was shipped all the way back again…
When I also found out that there was a spot at a paddock paradise near my house, it felt like Aslan and I WERE meant to be together. I got him checked by a vet and finally bought him three months after meeting him for the first time.
Buying a horse is such a huge responsibility and if you’re going through that process right now, I hope this blog was some sort of inspiration for you.
Can you give your horse what he needs to be happy?
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