Gypsy

In entirely unsurprising news, I can't sleep.  Here's why:

It's official: Reveille is going to be an EhCapa horse.  Her little girl and the girl's grandma picked her up this evening and took her straight to EhCapa practice.  I'd gotten her out a while early and spent some time just grooming her and petting her, giving her treats ... just saying goodbye, basically.   And a good thing I did, too -- as soon as the kids got there, Rev was just covered in petting and kisses.  

The grandmother mentioned that on the way over, the littlest girl was thinking out loud about how people kind of come and go in their lives, and it's sad, and even mommies and daddies come and go ... but horses stay and they're your friends forever.  

I think I heard my heart crack at  that.  Partially because my horse is going away, but partially because I am thrilled that the little sister, the brother, and the little girl are so utterly smitten with Rev.  Even the boy was petting and smooching.  :)   All of which Reveille definitely deserves, of course; just ask her!  Grandma said that Rev is going to be the little girl's best friend ... which is hugely important, because the little girl has a pile of risk factors against her.   I hope and pray that Rev will be that friend and that steadying influence for her, a reason to stay in school and keep out of trouble.   That's one of the highest, best things horses do for people, I think -- they give us a reason to fly right.  Here's hoping and praying for Rev and her new family.

I think the little girl will have some adjustment to do with handling Rev on the ground; when they went to load her up (last place in a four-horse slant, so no worries for Rev there -- except the big water barrel in the corner), the little girl kind of half heartedly led her onto the trailer.  Rev got two feet on and then the kid turned around and looked at her, expectantly ... nope, no dice.  There was no "leading" there, just a person holding a rope attached to her nose, so ... she waited.  Repeat with grandma, and I eventually helped out.  I didn't want Rev's first trailer to EhCapa to be traumatic!   So I took her by the lead and just ... walked her in the trailer.  You're with me, and we're going here.  Good girl.  :)  

It was a little heartbreaking on the trailer ...I gave her a pat and a hug, and she turned her head around to squeeze me into her neck.  I can't anthropomorphise too much here, but it really felt like she wanted reassurance that all was well, wanted to make sure I was there.  Which I will not be.   The fact that she trusts me to walk her onto a trailer -- or is trained to follow me where I lead, which is almost more likely -- is wonderful and heartbreaking all at once.   She trusts me -- and I sent her away.

But it's the right thing, in the end.  She will be so happy and so loved, and she'll do fun stuff.  She'll get to know the patterns better than her rider, and she'll take good care of her kid.   They'll call her Gypsy.  I don't know why, but it's okay -- I spent hours upon hours dreaming up names for my dream horse when I was eleven too.  I'm glad I could give another horse-crazy girl the chance to name her dream horse.

And I will find just the right horse for me, a BTDT horse who needs a soft landing or is on his way down the levels.  A horse that needs love and care and riding, but not too strenuous riding, and a fun job at lower level eventing.   And I'll probably give that horse a new name too, at least for show, unless the preinstalled name is really awesome.  :)

Now maybe I can sleep, having written that out.  I'm sad and happy and missing her already, but I'm not missing the anxiety over cross-country and stuff.   I love her very much and want the very best for her.  I hope this is it.   

Bye, swee'pea.  Love you.