A Done Deal

I've been house hunting lately, and my dad called me tonight to inquire about the search. "So did you a buy a house this week?" he asked.

"Well, no, I didn't buy a house....but I bought I horse!" I braced for his reaction.

"You did WHAT?!"

I'm sure my mortgage broker will have the same reaction. He's warned me not to make any large withdrawals from my bank account until after closing on the house. But I didn't buy just any old horse. I bought the magnificent Mikimoto! After leasing him on and off for two years, he's mine, all mine, as of February 1--the day the change of ownership agreement becomes effective.

I never thought I'd have the opportunity to buy this handsome horse. After my very first lesson on Moto, I'd informed the Wrangler that we should set aside a chunk of change just in case Moto's owner ever decided to sell him. "He's amazing. I just have to have him if he's ever for sale."

A year later, the Wrangler saw Moto's owner at the barn holiday party and disclosed my plan. "My wife's set aside money just in case Moto is ever for sale," he told her. I was mortified! Moto's owner was kind but firm. "Moto was my first horse. I'll never sell him," she replied.

"How could you even bring that up?!" I hissed as the Wrangler and I walked away. "Why would she ever sell Moto?"

"I was just planting the seed," he protested.

"Well, you wasted your time. You heard her--she'll never sell him."

Fast forward one year. Times change, circumstances change, and perhaps the seed had indeed been planted. I learned that Moto was for sale--but only to me. Moto's owner has four horses at a fancy hunter/jumper barn--an expensive situation. She was willing to part with Moto so long as he would have a loving owner. The sale is conditioned on his return to her in the event that I can't care for him; he cannot be sold to anyone else.

I've never been so thrilled to write a check. Owning Moto is an honor and a privilege and a dream come true. If forced to choose, I'd much rather have Moto than a new house.

P.S. Want to hear something kind of weird? It was exactly--exactly!--two years ago today that I decided I wanted a horse. I blogged about it on January 28, 2010. And it was today, January 28, 2012, that Moto's owner and I spoke with each other and called it a done deal. I get a lot of random ideas in my head and often there's no follow-through. I guess when it counts, though, I stay the course--even if it does take a couple years!