Since I'm on a roll, I'll continue with our story...just to get everyone caught up, so I can get to present time...
We spent the rest of October and all of November making a couple trips a week out to Kenyon to start bonding with Olliver. Oh yeah - his name. Mik and I spent an evening cuddled on the couch talking names. We decided that we would register him with the name LaDel gave him - "Geramiah's Choice Dealer" - but that we needed a name that would suit him and be easier to say. Needless to say, we weren't crazy about "Dealer." Mikayla likes "O" names for some reason. Not sure why. But I've learned that there are somethings you don't question kids about. We talked about Othello...but that was just too much name for such a little boy. There were a couple others that escape my memory right now - but they couldn't have been too great, if I can't remember them now. Then we said "Olliver"! Perfect!!! I said there had to be 2 "L"s...just to make it a little different.
Okay...so he has a name. He's going to live at Traci's. Traci agreed to provide his day-to-day care when we couldn't be there. We agreed to be her back for chores, so she could have a life too. We'd already been providing back up for chores, so that wasn't a big deal. I started doing more research on feed, reading about natural horsemanship, checking out piles of books at the library. I had just about 2 months to get ready for Olliver to come home...and we were gonna be ready!
I made an appointment for Olliver to get his vet check. I recommend this to everyone who wants to buy a horse, no matter how old the horse is. And a be sure to get a vet that specializes in horses and is NOT affiliated with the current owner. Olliver passed his vet check with flying colors. He wasn't too crazy about being poked and prodded (including having a rectal temp taken and his little testicles felt up), but instead of spooking, kicking, bolting or biting as colts tend to do, he just kept trying to walk away. So, I wrapped my arms around him and he stood still. Good boy, Olliver!
December 6th. Saturday. It was the day for Olliver to come home!! I jumped out of bed. It seemed strangely quiet. I looked outside. Crap. Snow. Falling. Fast. UGH! This can't be happening. Not allowed. My baby was coming home today. 30 miles of highway and country roads. Not what you want to be driving in with a horse trailer. This. Is. Not. Happening.
Andrea and I were supposed to meet at LaDel's at 11 to load up the little guy. LaDel had been training him on the ins and outs of being a good boy in the trailer. She said he was SO smart. Jumped right in. No problems. It would be easy. Uh huh. Sure. I'd like to find out. If there wasn't a blizzard going on outside. I called Andrea...she said let's give it a couple of hours and see what happens. Amazingly, the snow stopped. The plows came out. We went to LaDel's at 2. Olliver jumped right into the trailer. And we headed to Traci's...Olliver was headed home :)
We got him to Traci's. Led him out of the trailer. He looked around. Head up. Alert. Traci's herd gathered at the gate. Olliver let out the cutest whinny to say hello. I led him up to the gate and he was instantly submissive to the herd. Submissive body language. Working his mouth. You could almost hear him saying, "I'm a baby. I'm cute. Please don't hurt me." We took him through the gate and into the shed where we set up a stall for him. I gave him a bucket of Equine Junior. He started eating right away. He wasn't even phased by being in a new place. And I was worried that he'd be traumatized....hmmmm....this is too easy....
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