This is a Test...

I faced a huge test of willpower yesterday.

A woman contacted me, interested in maybe buying one of my horses... and possibly also that horse's half sister, who belongs to my sister Donna. She was not sure she had the cash at the moment to purchase both horses plus pay to have them shipped all the way to the other side of the country. So she offered me a purebred Friesian stud colt in trade.

Those of you who don't know what a big deal this is have either never seen a Friesian horse (Google that term and look at some of the gorgeous photos that come up!) or you're from that uninitiated part of the population that doesn't understand that for some of us country women, the lust for beautiful (and highly expensive) horses outshines even our more fashionable city sisters' lust for beautiful and highly expensive shoes.

Let me explain it this way: Imagine yourself going about your normal everyday life, when all of a sudden your favorite supermodel or movie star shows up at your doorstep, asking to move in with you. That's how a horsewoman feels when unexpectedly offered a Friesian.

It wasn't even as if this stud colt would have been a bad fit for my breeding program. Bred to my mares, he would produce beautiful--and highly saleable--Pinto Friesian Sport Horses.

But the whole reason I'm selling some of my mares in the first place is that we are in such desperate need of money right now. I can't buy a winter's supply of hay with a colt, no matter how exotic his breed.

Besides, I don't have the facilities to keep a second stallion anyhow, and I'm certainly not going to get rid of my current pinto Oldenburg stallion, Senter Stage, who is beautiful and amazing in every way.
So, reluctantly, with many a sigh and backward glance, I turned down the supermodel and sent the movie star away.

The woman may still buy our horses anyway. She's still thinking about it. I hope she does, not just because of the money, but because I think those particular horses would be a really good fit for what she needs, and she would give them a good home.

I like to think of this as a test. By offering me such a powerful temptation, the universe was testing my commitment to my resolve to get this farm generating more income.

I said no. I passed the test. So, shouldn't the money train be rolling my way any day now, as a reward?