A Difference of Kind

I am not sure of the exact quote. But, it is something like this; A difference of degree will eventually yield a difference of kind.

We started out with Buck. Then we got April. Ace. Sara. Sara's oldest, Daisy was with us for a season. Cat. Cat's baby, Ru. Mia. Pebbles. Ghost. and Gracie. Oh yeah, we don't have Daisy on the farm now, but we have Brandy, Sara's second baby who is now two.

We have a barn full of hay, with more coming from out of state. We have new pastures fenced in. New lean- to's added onto the barn and shed. Gates, buckets, halters, and on and on and on.

A difference in kind. We have become something else.

It was just the first of October that Ghost came home. That week, we started with Ghost, brought Brandy in on Wednesday, and went to Illinois and got Gracie on Sunday. Seven days, three horses. Over the top. the degrees yielded a change in kind. What are we now? A farm? A ranch? Does the name matter much? Nah, there's horses to feed.

The farm where we got Gracie had over 30 horses. There was a definite difference in kind there yet again. Change.

And you gotta ride 'em.

We rode Sunday. Fifteen miles around the hood. I rode April so I could have a peaceful ride without all the fight. Dylan rode Mia yesterday. He did good. She came back calmer. She needs the work. Vick rode Pebbles for the ride on Sunday. They did great. Pebbles' first time out. Fast and smooth. Endurance prospect for next year? One can hope.

And Ghost? Wow. what a magnificent horse. His personality, spirit, energy is just fantastic. He is so much less scary than I had imagined. Someday.... with enough hours of work, maybe I'll be able to ride him..... but that's way down the road. He has a winter ahead, and then a breeding season next spring. We have the mares.

I've learned a lot about breeding. I have just scratched the surface. I do know that you want to breed in the spring so your foals are born in the spring of the next year. You don't want a fall or winter baby. So, we have some fine mares that are "open". The only mare in foal is Gracie and it isn't Ghost's baby. She was bred to a really fine blood line before we got her. DREA Snowyrock Ghost. A fewspot stallion from Washington (or Oregon). Should be an exciting foal.

And so, a difference in the number of horses we have surrounding us has produced a difference in what we are. It hasn't coalesced completely. I suppose it will always be in flux.... becoming... but it is settling in and I like it. Lots of work, but while I am abel.... I like it.