is it too much to ask

I do not normally look at horses for sale, nor do I follow market trends. Many look out of curiosity and find it fun, others are in the horse business. Then there are the bargain hoarders, and those that go through horses like winter coats. Always looking for the elusive winning horse to replace all the others they have ruined. I know of people in all of these categories. I am here to say, I do not find anything fun about horse shopping!! Or any kind of shopping for that matter. If it was up to me, we would keep our little herd at 5 (counting Cierra's future baby) to enjoy together for as long as we all live. I must be the only horse person that truly doesn't want any more horses. However, Brad continues his dreams of showing. So here we are, horse shopping. Gee I can't wait to try explaining why we got another horse to all the non-horse people in my life, lol! 

I have discovered finding a horse that fits, is much harder than looking for a saddle that fits. Is it too much to ask for a decent younger AQHA Ranch Pleasure prospect? Ideally very lightly started under saddle, around 2-3 yrs old. Anything double that age and further along in training, has a ridiculous price tag. Of course the horse must be healthy, have good conformation and mind. It would be nice to find a gelding. Flash is a bonus. Good luck finding all of those! If you do find anything remotely close, the horses are located on the border States. Where are the upcoming show horses in the MidWest? Horses that semi-fit the criteria are selling within hours of posting, or going for ridiculously high dollar. Many sell at auctions. 

I think Brad's requirements are reasonable, with flexible ranges. However we are not typical buyers and horse shopping is a HUGE deal for us. Our horses become family. We will not buy under pressure, or at an auction/sale barn. 

With that said, Brad recently found a filly prospect. Her unusual barn name is Padame. No clue what it means? Every time I google the meaning of Padame, an apparently popular Star Wars princess comes up with similar spelling (Padme). I will eventually ask about the name, and how to pronounce it! If the filly comes home with us, her barn name will likely be changed. If you are interested in taking a peek, here is Her Pedigree

screenshot from sellers website

I was going back-n-forth for a good week via email with the filly's owner, and felt like the monkey in the middle. Then handed "the reins" over to Brad. He spoke with the owner and is seriously considering this horse as his next show partner. So far her owner has been wonderful to interact with, and horse beliefs seem to align with ours. I have warned him of the urgency of making his mind up sooner than later, especially if he thinks this might be the one. Brad said he is okay if Padame sells before he makes up his mind. She is the closest prospect we have found, but he absolutely needs to be comfortable with his decision. Of course we could potentially sell her if she doesn't work out, but who wants to go through all that expense, invested time and more importantly heartbreak. Not me/us. We've never done this, and would definitely prefer to keep it that way.

Considering everything going on, it just isn't going to work for us to look at this horse in person. But it sure would be fun!! I know a couple bloggers I would love to meet that live in that general area :)) Padame is waaaaay out about 45 minutes from Spokane, Washington at Running Brook QH Ranch. It would be close to a 24 hour drive one way, and we are not open to flying right now. Although airlines are reportedly doing a good job handling the pandemic. We have never bought a horse sight unseen, but in this case we just might do it. I know people purchase sight unseen all the time, but not us. Of course we have watched videos of Padame (while in training for 60 days) but nothing compares to seeing a horse in person. The only way to really get a feel for personality. Unfortunately I can't share her video's here, they can only be viewed via Facebook. Our vet is coming out for routine care this week, and we look forward to his input before potentially taking on the further expense of doing a vet check. 

It has been over a decade, and I am hopeful this is the last time we buy a horse!! Ultimately it is Brad's decision, but I am about to go cray-cray. SO here I am, whining about it on my blog lol. I do follow multiple related AQHA/Ranch/Trainer sites on FB and we regularly check Dreamhorse and Equine Now and Ranch World Ads. Do tell if you have thoughts on the above prospect and/or her bloodlines, or other valued input.