Riding
Awareness of the outside world. Not here, but I have lived this. “everybody born between 1985 and 1995 saw the Super Bowl halftime show lineup and was like ‘sweet, instead of doing a show for old people like the Rolling Stones or Paul McCartney or The Who they did one for us young people’ … and then 10 seconds later it hit us.” @rodger, Feb 13, 2022.
~~~
So. A third horse.
I’m thinking a sporty ASB. I’ve ridden jumping horses. I’ve ridden Saddlebreds. Let’s try combining the two. [Finding A Horse To Match The Hat]
Unless I am out-of-this-world lucky, said horse would probably top out at Baby Novice, with the occasionally easy Novice just to say we did.
Right now that sounds fantastic.
Would it still be fantastic in five years?
It’s a good question to ask.
I see three options.
Amused
It has been so long since I have done such things. Yes, I would be content to hop over tiny logs. Run across fields. Zoom around low jumper classes. Trot down the centerline .. okay, nothing is going to get me excited about yet more basement dressage. Maybe do some driving.
Bored
Same horse as above, not the same attitude toward the horse.
Will I grow weary of finishing in the middle of the pack at events? Of getting the fish-eye in dressage? Of never winning a jumper class? Of being laughed out of the hunter ring? Of never jumping the big fences?
I can’t say I wouldn’t. Humans grow blase about the most amazing circumstances.
Bored, but in a Good Way
Here’s the scenario I like.
Same horse as in previous descriptions.
However.
My other horse is an athletic, talented, rewarding but challenging beast, probably a Thoroughbred, who is fulfilling all of my Walter Mitty dreams. You know, like Rodney was supposed to be, except for real this time.
Then, the lower-level trooper is my break from the drama. We got out. We lark around. We have fun. I go back to training reenergized.
A balance to the talent.
A dog can dream.
Onwards!
Katherine
Virtual Brush Box 
Old people. Rolling Stones. Paul McCartney. Think they’ve heard of the Beatles? Kids these days.
The halftime show…I said similar to my husband re: appealing to us, and he kindly reminded me it’s just cause we’re old now! When did that even happen!
I’m so spoiled that I own Horse #1. While I’ll never replace her I do wish for more. She does her best and I feel like it is unfair to nitpick the tiny things to be marginally more competitive. Not having funds to buy another ‘nice’ horse, I bought a young project that hopefully will be the interesting ‘upgrade’ I was seeking, but who knows – I get fun out of the baby horse process anyway 🙂
Did you know there is a movie about the Beatles never existing?
~~~
Good luck with baby horse!