Looking For Arabian Horse (and other news)

I'm looking for an Arabian horse.  If anyone knows of one or is selling, let me know.  I'm opting for a horse instead of a car right now, and I want one that is good for distances.

My mother said, "You don't know how to care for a horse" but of course she knows I do.  I said, "Yes I do--they get a flake of alfalfa in the morning, one at night, a handful of grain, and water and they need a lean-to or a stable, and I still remember how to put the bit in, but I need a refresher on how to put on the saddle."

I plan to keep it in a stable or on someone's property in exchange for the free mowing.  I don't mind, possibly, if someone else wants to ride it, but I sort of prefer I'm the main person because if it's for distance, it will be used to me and I don't want it worn out.

HERE I COME LAURENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I asked my mother, "How many miles can a horse travel in a day, do you think?" and she didn't want to answer and I said, "Come on, it's a horse question--just an estimate, all things average."  She said, "Maybe 20 miles."  I said, "I was thinking at least 40-60 miles a day, with breaks and food and water in between."

Her eyes got wide and she started walking up the stairs without another word.

Of course I know I'd have to condition it first (and myself).

I had a depressed sort of feeling after looking them up for some reason but it's just nighttime and that's why. It was about 7 p.m. when I noticed the feeling and I did this morning too but then after I bought a few things I laughed thinking about some humor.  I laughed, thinking about how I'd written about my Leggs hosiery and thinking about eggs from ovaries and then thinking, "It's coming down to egg wars"--so in between thinking about Camilla (Prince Charles') getting pelted with eggs, and about England doing away with "Madame Tousad's wax figures" and "an enormous collection of eggs" (which was probably prophetic if you ask me), I suddenly thought about the scene in Speilberg's movie "Lincoln" with arms and legs getting thrown into a bin and someone watching and trying not to throw up and thought, "eggs, not legs" and then I  don't know what got into me, but I passed this piece of paper that said "Mary's Harvest" and was upside down and thought, "I'll bet Mary Cedarleaf is wondering when and how, if ever, anyone surrepticiously harvested her eggs".  So I was just thinking of a mélange of things, and altogether, it made me laugh, thinking about world-wide paranoia over "who's eggs' on what base?"

It's actually not funny, because women's eggs and men's other things are being harvested and used under pressure or coercion anymore, and it's a fact.  But it is also funny to think about it in a comedic way.

I've been tired the last 2 days since I did fingerprints for the police to get my NCIC records (federal record).  I don't know why but I went home and slept almost all day and then some of today too--just exhausted.  One of my fingerprints turned out with a diamond shape in the center, because I'd cut my finger.  I forgot about it and commented, "I don't know how that diamond shape got there--that's strange" and thought it was part of my natural fingerprint until I realized it was the shape taken from a cut in the skin on one finger.

I heard a little U.S. news tonight and my Dad looked depressed and eyes tired, and then tonight I looked up Aljazeera news and decided to look up more conservative or other competitive news sources too, so I looked at Al Arabyia and laughed when I saw the photo of John Kerry standing next to a stall with what looks like a hair-dryer-setter over his head.

I read the news about the Iranian president there.  I didn't know today was his last day and that's too bad--I personally didn't mind him so much.  I don't know anything about the other one.

I read the news about security at embassies and about women being isolated in Tjersistan (?) at the other news place and I thought I'd look up other ones too.  The news about men leaving the breadbasket to get construction jobs made me think about what my Dad said tonight when he asked my Mom if Fisheries and Wildlife called or she called them back or whatever.  He sounded depressed saying they were going to lose their trees and I thought he meant by rising waters but asked and said, "Why are you going to lose trees?" and he said, "A beaver".  Which cracked me up because he looked really upset about it and he said "A beaver is chewing them down" and I said, trying not to laugh, "The beaver is the mascot for my school."  I don't know how a beaver got in to do all this damage but I have to think maybe someone dropped the beaver off to my parent's place just for their own amusement.

I think it will be taken care of.

Anyway, I didn't feel depressed looking up information and sorting through things to have a baby by IVF.  For some reason, after looking up horses, I got a depressed feeling but I think it's my son most likely.

I think it's possibly the idea of my riding a horse 150 miles to Corvallis that depressed my parents.  I was saying, "I think I'm going to ride a horse to college instead of getting a car."  They looked at me like I was nuts.  I have one class I have to take on-campus, they told me, and I would either drive there (back and forth) and commute, or, I was thinking, I want to ride a horse anyway so why not ride back and forth?  I think there are stables along the way, but then I was looking up trails and there are campsites too although I would probably need to take a gun with me for safety (?) if I'm doing endurance riding that far by myself.  I don't expect anyone to go with me.  Just me and my horse Donatella.  Maybe Donatella.

So what is possibly depressing is the fact I acknowledged to myself "I am serious". 

The fun part of the idea is that I have been thinking about getting a horse or taking lessons somewhere lately.  The part that is harder to figure out, is how to connect the riding trails from here to there for 150 miles and I am not thinking of riding alongside the road.  There might even be mountains.  I figure if I break up the mileage and give the horse rests and food and water we'll be fine but it's all going to require major planning and preparation of the horse and myself.

I think I want to travel light and first read about endurance saddles but my Mom has an English saddle she might let me use and then I was looking at hunt saddles as well.  I am also thinking about bareback but I will most likely use a saddle.  I personally don't mind bareback, and wouldn't use a pad (slips) but I need something for carrying the water and food, and if I include one other item, I guess a tent.

All of this sounds great, and I'll shower before class, hopefully it's once a week, but then I'm thinking, that is a lot of mileage and I still want to have another baby so when do I fit that in?  And if I have a baby, once pregnant, I have to leave the U.S., so it would have to be timed right.

Anyway, my guinea pigs and horse both would eat alfalfa so that should cover that end of things.  I think I know of a place I can board the horse too, possibly.  The one thing is, what do people do if they endurance ride that long by themselves?  Most people go in pairs or groups I think, and I've never heard of anyone in earphones listening to music on a horse.  Aside from scenery, there's...?  I guess making up song ideas onto an audio recorder...I don't know what else.

Anyway, I don't want to weigh the horse down with lots of tack and equipment so I'm planning on keeping it light, and in training up to it gradually with distances around here first.  I guess it could take 1-2 overnight stays, and I think it might be less mileage if it's on back-trails.  It might be a lot shorter actually but I haven't pieced it together yet.

I'm not planning to go with anyone.  I don't need someone trying to hijack my horse from me or spying on me or who knows what. I just figure I'll make it an enjoyable ride for me and the horse, not neckbreaking. 

I looked up endurance riding, and it's not impossible at all--and we wouldn't be racing like those who need vets along the way do, for checks.  I do think I'd have to pack something for horseshoes, just in case, but that's about it.  I think someone could do it very light.  Oh, and I'll lose some weight so I'm lighter too and that will make it even better for the horse.  Maybe 100 lbs.  Some Western saddles are 25 lbs saddle alone, which is why I wouldn't use a Western saddle.  I think if I wore one set of clothes with layers, and took water (for me and the horse) and energy bars, and knew where the horse could eat along the way, that should be enough, unless I pack a ltweight tent and matches for a campfire.  There is probably a way around a sleeping bag, maybe a lightweight blanket that's warm.  Very doable.

I might give a few kids short rides on the horse to make a little money prior to the trip (maybe) but I don't want it overused or tired or having to deal with tons and tons of people.  I think I take very good care of animals overall, and think about what they need physically as well as emotionally.

I could probably get myself down to 100 lbs and not feel hungry at all.  At 90 lbs, I feel a little hungrier, slightly more often. I was once 75 lbs at just an inch or two less than I am now, but that was early teens.  I really don't need to be that thin, so I think 100 lbs would be a decent weight, and then keeping everything else really low should be fine.

I've trained for cross country and endurance running so I know you don't do it all at once.  So far, I don't like the idea of a Western saddle because it's too heavy, or a bareback pad because the stirrups lock and it could slip, but I haven't ruled out English saddle, hunt saddle, or endurance saddle.  I am also not opposed to straight bareback with a blanket of some kind, no stirrups but if it's better for the horse with a saddle, I'd use that.  So far I've read positive and negative feedback on the idea.  I am sure I'll use a saddle, one of the 3 mentioned above.  I've riden bareback, western, and been in an English saddle.  I thought English was most comfortable but bareback was also fun.
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About the Edward Howard book, it's been very slow going, because of the emotional impact in reading it.  I didn't read any further today and the last couple of days stressed me out to the point of sleeping more (along with applying for the NCIC report).  I find a LOT of "coincidences" and points for where U.S. employees took off in harassment of me.  There is no question at all, that I am connected to him.  I will keep updating the post about this book, that I've been working on, but tomorrow, not tonight.