Clegg’s Playboy belonged to a family friend, Betty, for over 20 years. She had a plan to have him move to my farm if anything happened to her. Don’t worry, Betty is fine, but she did move to an assisted living apartment complex. As planned, Playboy moved here. He’s 35 years old now, and has spent the last five years here. He’s the right horse for me because he keeps the others company, is an easy keeper and is gentle toward dogs and fences. It helps that I’ve known him for years and that his previous owner can visit him here. That makes it the right home for him as well.

He is pictured near the barn with Impressive Bar Jack, who once lived with one of the officers of the Quarter Horse Association in Maryland. He lived a long life (well over 30), but has been gone several years.

My other horse is Bear Hotcat Banker, a paint born in 2004. His owner was looking for a home for him a few years ago because her mother passed away and the family farm was not going to stay in the family. Chief, as he is called, is HYPP het with sporadic episodes that are not serious. He has a club foot.

He is great with other horses and doesn’t need to work hard. That’s probably the most important “right” horse for me, a relaxed horse who can handle being a companion with light riding, sometimes from inexperienced children (with supervision, of course). I have some animal care experience, so his physical limitations are not a problem for me. He is pictured loping past his pasture companion.

Chief’s pasture mate is also a great story of the “right” horse. Sarah, who keeps her horse with mine, has a retired police horse. She needed a well-trained horse for trail riding. We live near Sugarloaf, so a horse who is comfortable with traffic, crossing the creek and leaving the other horses to go out on his own, is the “right” horse for her. Because my horses include a senior and a horse with reduced physical ability, a horse that has experience with changing herd members sure was nice to integrate. Since we live onsite, a horse that is used to shoes, clipping, blanketing, and access to a barn is also going to feel comfortable here. Although he is pictured in the background of Chief’s running photo, he’s also in the group picture of all three, in the mud with a pile of hay. His name is Casey Jones or Hotdog.

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This is what “right horse” means to me.
A person, a horse and a home base come together in a way that works out for all.