Sunn Nee Boy and Tallulah

Sunn Nee Boy and Tallulah enjoying their first day on the farm.

The arrival of Sunn Nee Boy and Tallulah this week was exciting.  As posted earlier, the girls have taken riding lessons now for several months and J and I waited for the right horses for the family.  J did a lot of research, spoke with many owners and trainers before finding these two from an owner in Beaverton.

We wanted older horses as they are considered better for inexperienced riders.  Sunn Nee Boy is 23 years old.  For horses (and I suppose with humans) with age comes a calmer demeanor and better "manners".  I was a bit cautious about Sun Nee because of his 16 hands size and being described as full of energy.  J also found out that his age would be considered old for most breeds but that Arabians are known to live up to about 10 years longer.  Years ago, Sunn Nee was a race horse and has been involved in competitive show. 

Tallulah is beautiful and has also been a show horse.   She's 16 and has a calm demeanor.  She will be the one that the girls ride mostly until they are ready for Sunn Nee.  

Sunn Nee Boy and Emma

We spent the previous week cleaning and upgrading the barn.  We moved rabbits, tractors, implements and various items to make the barn feels more like a home for the horses.  I hung dry erase boards, pressure washed the concrete floors, horse stalls, and installed hay feeders and salt block holders.  I made a cedar "Tallulah" sign by burning-in the letters which the girls placed on her stall.

I've spoken to many about the pros and cons of owning horses.  Those that have had poor experiences usually point to the cost of maintaining the animal.  We calculated the cost to be around $200.00 per animal per month (hay, shots, hooves, teeth, bedding) but this amount would be much more had we not 5 acres of pasture and a good facility.   One memorable quote from a friend who had a poor experience  - "The two best days of owning horses are the first day you bring them home and then the day you get rid of them".

Those horse owners that I've spoken with that have had good experiences say that horses add much joy and fulfillment to their lives.   They are companions and teach children responsibility and confidence (as I write, the girls are up at 5 a.m. to feed and "muck" stalls...).

As the girls enter the challenging years of middle and high school, I am hopeful that their relationship with Sunn Nee Boy and Tallulah will help them to cope better and enjoy the relationship with the animals and those they meet who share in this interest.  But mostly, I hope for them to have fun and look back one day and cherish this memory as part of their childhood experiences.

"Two horses enter a feed store and the clerk says, 'so, why the long face?'"