Old pony, not young warmblood stallion!!

We just got back from a nice geocaching tour of neighboring Burscheid, and in the back of my head I'd hoped we'd run into that farm where the Standardbred lives. I had no idea where that was, so many turns, and I didn't pay attention the first time. But I would love to see that horse I wanted to rescue, to see him at pasture at least, and rub on him a bit.

It started pouring rain right in the middle of our loop, and I was wearing a flimsy little jacket with no hood. We came across a lovely watermill farm with several horses and a new foal. I am not really into foals but I do love watching them nurse. I thought of Baasha, locked outside in the rain today, and realized that if that tiny baby can handle this (and me too!), then so can he. Baasha does not like to get wet.

Finally we had to give up cuz we had the coordinates wrong and were on the wrong trails, so we made our way back to the car. Then I saw it, the familiar barn we'd visited last month. I said, "Oh please, can I say hello to that old horse?" and my man agreed.

The old man was there, and it took him a moment to recognize us (soaking wet!). We told him we were just walking around and would love to say hi to the horses. (Doesn't that sound crazy and suspicious - why were we walking in his neighborhood?)

He told us to jump into his car and he drove us to the pasture. (This is typical in Germany - pastures are separate from barns/homes.) We saw only three ponies. It turns out the Standardbred I'd wanted to rescue had been sent to another pasture and he knows no details. *sigh* I hope the best for him and wonder where he is, exactly.

Anyway, the old man showed us his pride and joy, Suleika, a bronze-brown pony that would fit perfectly with Baasha. She's 30 and beautiful and healthy, and the perfect size - small enough to share a stall, and big enough to not slip under our fence. I would say she looks about the size of a Welsh pony.

The old man gave me baguette after baguette to feed the three ponies, all the while chatting with my man. He said, "I'm getting old, I am. And I've seen your farm, and I would love to send you Suleika when I can no longer care for her. I know she'd be well off there."

I was thinking, "OK WHEN!?"

Cuz we keep getting calls from people who see our ad for a free space for a companion horse, and these people are not reading my ad carefully enough.

What part of pony and old is unclear? We keep getting people with warmbloods. Young warmbloods! 1 year old stallions. Then other people call - more stallions. (I need to repeat, perhaps, that people don't castrate male animals here very often. Practically all male Shetlands are intact, and that goes for dogs too.)

One girl called us to keep her blind horse here, but as I considered our complicated landscape, I realized the poor thing would not be able to navigate it safely, and might even end up in a fish pond, drowned! Most everyone is calling with young healthy big horses, hoping to get free board. My flyer says clearly what size (in Cm) and that we need something old and gentle for my Baasha. We will provide free board, but only to the right companion.

The old man said, "It's hard to find a companion horse this time of year, I understand." People are perhaps more willing to consider options in winter.

How hard can it be, to give away something for free?

(Does anyone recognize the horse in the picture in my ad? It is a picture of this stallion when he was older. When I was a little girl I had pictures of him taped up on my wall. Hint: related to Baasha, but I did not know that then, cuz at that time I only dreamed of having my own horse.)