and I bet on another to show

Here is Sovereign's FULL brother, Found in the Fog.

Obvious by my round moon face with a deliriously goofy smile in every photo, I was in love with this horse!

Brian and I made our way to the racetrack yesterday to meet Sovey's former owner/trainer who is Found in the Fog's owner/trainer too. I liked this man immediately. He was slight, and quiet and kind. Sovereign's real name is Suave Lord. We call him Sovey. His former owner calls him "Suavey" (Swauv-ee) which is absolutely endearing when he says it.

The entire time I was with Found in the Fog I was smiling and shaking. I couldn't help myself. I had such mixed emotions - good and worried. I felt completely overflowing with emotion. Brian was snapping all these photos and I kept thinking about one of my favorite blogging friends, dear Kacy, from allhorsestuff. She has this hysterical gadget on the side of her blog that says, "Two fatties meet" taken on the day she met her sweet Wa mare. (By the way, I don't think they look like two fatties in that photo. They look great.) Kacy's quote was running through my mind because let's just say that yesterday one fatty met one horse in need of good hay and sunshine and grass. Don't get me wrong Found in the Fog's owner is very good to him - especially by trying to find a good home for him. It is the industry.

I am not able to take Found in the Fog now.

I wrote a very difficult email last evening explaining why we can't take Found in the Fog now. We are just about to leave on an extended trip (4 weeks) and I don't think it would be fair to this horse or our own horses to rush an introduction. That just isn't how I do things. When I got Pie and Sovey in 2009 I asked that they arrive in February immediately after our return from Florida. That gave me 11 months to get them relaxed and happy in their new environment with daily groomings and attention before I left them. I would want that same amount of time to introduce a new horse. Found in the Fog's owners are interested in finding this horse a good home soon and can't afford to wait until I return and decide if I want him. I don't blame them in the least. In addition, I haven't even had the time to process whether I really want another horse. We have never sold a horse and we have had horses since 1957 so a decision to get another horse has 20 - 30 year implications.

I am very happy with the dynamics at our farm right now. I do not know much about the herd dynamics of 3 horses. If anyone has thoughts about that, please comment. I would love to know more. This Saturday a friend who sold me my sweet Penny Lane is coming to ride with me. She currently owns three horses so I will be interested to talk to her. It seems like I am still scrambling to get information about a decision I already made. I felt pressured to make a quick decision because I want Found in the Fog to end up in the best home he can get to quickly. If my ambivalence in anyway caused delay and a possible worse outcome for this horse I would not be able to handle it. I think the best thing is to step aside now and let his owner find him a good home. I will still gather information and think and pray that it all works out for this horse. If I change my mind in January maybe it will all work out for me too if it is supposed to. That is all I know to do right now.

UPDATE!!!  We brought Found in the Fog home to us in January 2011.  Click here for that story.