My girlfriend, from my teenage years, called this afternoon.  She needed to sound off about a person we have known for 40 years.  This woman has always been a “loose horse.”  She had many wonderful horses over the years, but they have all crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  She is horseless and not happy about it.  I know this woman well, and you just can’t please her or reason with her.

Now we are all getting longer in the tooth, but this woman is 79.  Would never pass a vet soundness check.  But she wants a 10 yr old horse.  Doesn’t want a Chestnut, I don’t know why, she’s had them for years, and is more particular that ever.  My girlfriend found her several nice, sound, horses, but one is 14 and one is 18.  No!!! she won’t go look at them.

Now I just had a boarders horse that came in and he just turned 6.  He’s retired due to injury.  It really stinks when reality sets in.  I sat here and thought –  if he lives 30 more years, like so many of them have when they come here, he’s going to out live me.  Nothing is cast in stone that I would not leave this world tomorrow, but what a sobering thought.  I’m taking in a horse, guaranteeing this woman that I will care for her horse, and I can’t add – for the rest of his life.  She will have to rehome him again down the road.

I know I stopped breaking babies for myself awhile back because they would out live me.  We didn’t pay for a 25 year roof when we had the new roof put on the house.  First of all roofs don’t last 25 years in the Florida sun so why pay for that, but I really won’t care about the roof in 25 years.  I just bought a new truck.  My Road Side Assistance is good for 5 years or 100,000 miles.  Well I stand a good chance of making the 5 years, but the truck I traded in was 7 years old and only had 43,000 miles on it.  Don’t think I’ll make 100,000 miles.

This woman needs to take a good look at herself and her life.  It’s time to deal with reality.  Nobody wants to look old, act old, or admit old, but it happens to all of us.

I told my dear old friend to just not get involved.  You are not going to win.  This woman is a little short of a six pack and you are not going to find any horse to please her.  Sometimes you just have to listen, smile, and nod, as my vet always says.  Reading this woman the riot act is just upsetting my friend and not even registering with this woman.  Like I always say – It’s like teaching pigs to sing, it just wastes your time and annoys the pigs.

We all want to help people out.  The people who are buying, the people who are selling, and especially the horse.  But sometimes it’s just best to “Step Back and Bow Out.”  No hurt feelings, no craziness, and no waste of time.  You’re not going to win anyway.

By the way, reality stinks.