altivo

With a great sigh of relief it gives me pleasure (after a vacation week from hell) to announce that Cherokee Dawn's future is secured for at least the next few years, as much so as I could possibly make it. Good friends John and Linda from Rolling Ten Acres will come for her on Tuesday evening and I will sign all ownership over to them. They have a larger place and many more horses, and they will make sure that Dawn learns rank and position both from the other horses and with respect to humans. John wants to make a driving horse of her, and I agree she will be showy. Show quality in fact. Her American and British pedigree makes her an excellent candidate for breeding later on, and she would have little chance of that remaining here.

Although this lifts a great burden for me, it is also a sad event. Originally I had intended to let her go before I got attached. Linda asked early on if I would consider selling her to be a brood mare because of her pedigree, and I said I was reluctant. She was so pretty and so cute, we made the mistake of thinking we could raise her. This is the outcome of that error, and now I have the pain of letting her go. At least I will know where she is and be able to visit her reasonably often, and we will hear of her progress regularly. John has, of course, all right to sell her to anyone if he chooses to do so. I retain no control over that. But I know he is careful about placing his own horses, and will do well for her if at all possible. They have many more management and training opportunities for her than I can offer.

( Behind cut: The pyromaniac neighbor )