Well, it's official! I signed all of the papers and he's officially mine! We took him for the PPE yesterday and we (his owner) and I were on pins and needles about how things would turn out! I brought him in for a thorough grooming (he's shedding like crazy and he looks like a muppet) and got him ready to go. True to form he walked casually on the trailer and stuffed his head into his hay. I am thankful for his manners, constantly. We got to the clinic right on time and they had us pull him off the trailer to graze while we waited for the vet. He looked around a little but was happier just grazing on the lush spring grass. Keep in mind this clinic is busy... it backs up to Ryan Wood's farm and Phillip Dutton's is on the other side. It's also next to an enormous landfill with tractors and bulldozers going all over the place. We me the vet and brought him into the exam room which I would assume is probably a big deal for some horses. It's a big white room and from the outside it looks like a house, and while he was alert, he happily complied with us. We went over a few details and the exam was underway. I asked for a fairly standard PPE, with the options to add things if we needed to. He was stellar throughout the whole exam and we took him outside for the flex/jog portion. Knock on wood, but he didn't take a single bad step. Like not even one hitchy stride after each flexion. Then we put him on the lunge and the vet asked us to get his heart rate up a little. He was perfect going to the left, but heading right (his tougher direction) Em had a hard tome getting him to canter so she cracked the lunge whip at him... he got offended and took off running straight for me and the vet! We had to scatter away from him and we were all laughing hysterically. It would totally be my luck to be run over by my horse at the PPE. His heart checked out perfectly and the vet made a really nice comment saying that when horses are well-bred the class has a way of coming through. Yay. Em put him back on the trailer and I walked back with the vet who told me I had a really nice horse on my hands.
Of course, no horse story would be complete without a little drama, right? Well, we finished up the day with a celebratory beer while we waited around for the farrier to put a shoe on one of her horses. A few hours later I decided to leave to make the 45+ minute drive home, about a mile away my car just shut off and died. Yep, the ink was hardly dry on the paperwork and my car broke down. Thank God for AAA+. I was able to get a ride home and the car was towed home safely. Hopefully it's something minor!
Phew. On to fun things! In the sidebar I've added a poll. I need your help re-naming Pip! I think Pip is a cute name, but after getting to know him a bit better I think he needs something different. He's such a laid back, chill kinda dude, we actually played around with the idea of giving him a reggae themed name! But I'm more of a beach Boys fan than a reggae lover, so here are our choices, with descriptions. Keep in mind his JC name is Women No Easy (barf).
Fleetwood Mac, aka. Mac - I grew up listening to these guys and I love their mellow jamsssss.
Irish Goodbye, aka. Buzz OR Junior - Irish goodbye is the term for when you sneak out of a party or social gathering without saying goodbye. I am renowned for this, and since he was foaled on St.Patrick's Day, I think a little nod to that would be cute. Also, Buzz is my uncle's name and Junior was my Dad's nickname growing up. I love both of those options!
Don't Worry Baby, aka (?) - Beach Boys, and thinking about surfer dudes just chilling out... yea! Need a barn name for this option!
Little Lion Man, aka (?) - I think this is super cute... since he's red and kinda rides like a big pony. Plus, he's brave.
Game Show Host, aka (?) - This is the name I was convinced I would name my future horse, but it just doesn't strike me as the right choice!
Bonus: I'd love to hear any other suggestions you have! Please vote in the side bar for your favorite and comment on this post with any suggestions for barn name or otherwise! Thanks!
