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What To Do Next

SOmetimes Mark and Jayden come up with some interesting ideas that I don't always agree with. I think about all the pros and cons, and what could go wrong. Unfortunately I am a worrier and I tend to look at things from a different perspective than Mark. In the last year for example, Jayden talked Mark into going to North Dakota to a sale and purchasing a "project" horse. He thought it was a great idea, hauled her up to the sale and together they bought a horse. I didnt like the idea, Jayden already had 3 horses of her own at home that required work, along with two other geldings that could use some riding. I didnt think she would have the time, especially with rodeo season. I also worried about her on a green horse that we knew nothing about. There are so many things that could go wrong, she could get hurt, the horse could get hurt, the horse could be a nut, the horse could be sick or have something seriously wrong. She brought home the new sale horse , named him "Moose" and began working with it regularly. She didnt care too much for his personality and wanted to sell him after a couple months. She realized how much work he required and how little time she did have for him. Riding all the horses that needed rode was taking its toll on Jayden's energy and body. She put time on Moose, patterned him, but knew he wasnt a horse she wanted to go on with. In the end it all worked out really well. She got him sold and made a good amount of money on him.
With Ace being lame and giving Jayden troubles at rodeos, she was convinced that no Iowa vet was going to help her horse. We had taken him to ISU three times and ran about every test possible. She also took him to another vet in Huxley. She learned of a vet in Texas that is the best of the best and was convincing her father to take her on a big road trip . Mark was ready to do it. The road trip, the expense, the stress on the horse, the vet bills, it seemed so extreme. I thought we need to get a horse trainer that can work with Jayden and Ace. Someone that can help her out with the problems Ace is giving her. Someone that can see him, ride him and determine if lameness has anything to do with his gate trouble. It may not even be pain related. My idea was to figure that out first. Also, with Ace being lame, Mark told Jayden to start looking for another barrel horse. She had been shopping and researching and found a horse she wanted to look at in Oklahoma. The price tag was more than triple what we paid for Ace and double what is in our price range. Mark was ready to take her and go look. I explained to Mark that going to OK with Jayden to see this horse for sale, it would be cruel to say no. She would fall in love with it and it is too much money. If she got that big high dollar horse, she would have so much pressure to do well. People in the rodeo world have a way of figuring out where you got your horse and how much you paid for it.  The girls that pay big money, or own a certain horse from a certain ranch or trainer, that information goes everywhere with them. Right or wrong, sometimes we have to sit down and look at all aspects. I don't know what the future holds for Jayden, her horse Ace, her rodeo career. I want her to have horses, compete, and have good experiences. We just have to trust that God has a plan and figure it out as we go.

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