Well, I've got the pony. Now where's that million dollars?

[truepenny]

This is one of the reasons I'm looking for a part-time job:



His name is Franco Donatello*; he's a 15.3 hand, five-year-old, chestnut Holsteiner gelding, and as of this afternoon, he is mine.

You can see that he celebrated with mud:



Also, that I take crap photographs. The best one I got was one of him modeling his fly-mask:



Which mostly shows you how weird fly-masks look.

I am undoubtedly insane for buying this horse, but there are a lot of things that I have wanted to do and not done because they were too expensive or I didn't have the time or I didn't have anyone to do them with, and I know what those regrets feel like. With dressage and horses, I'm taking the other approach, of going ahead and trying, even though I'm not sure it's going to work. Because this is something I really want to do, and this young, sweet goofball of a horse seems like he's going to be a good partner to do it with.

---
*His current use-name is Donny; for a variety of personal reasons, I wish to change it, and suggestions are welcome, although of course I reserve the right not to use any of them.

Comments

[jenett]

He is incredibly lovely. (I admit a fondness for that shade of chestnut that most people who know me these days would not think is 'me'. But my beloved Dorothy was that shade.)

With that name, if I were looking for a barn name that was based on his full one, I'd be trying out "Tell", personally. But I admit to being the person who acquired Dorothy, and called her 'Fuzzface' and 'Furball' about as often as anything else. (She was a scaled down draft horse, basically, so she got to look like a teddy bear in the winter, in terms of fur.)

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Or--oh dear--Teller, as in Penn and. o.O

[rarelytame.livejournal.com]

Congrats!

He's a cutie!

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

He's very handsome, and while it has been years, my recollection is that warmbloods tend to have a marvelous flowing gait that's easy to sit, even at the trot. Good luck; where there's a will there is often a way, especially once you're networked in with like-minded others.

[pixel39.livejournal.com]

Yay pony!

He is gorgeous. I have no suggestions for a barn name except to try the method that I use for cat naming which is to wait until he tells you his name or until a good one shows up.

[heartofdavid.livejournal.com]

Oh, he's beautiful! *lovelovelove* He looks very much like my friend's gelding Tennessee Walker, right down to the mud crusting and star-blaze - her horse is named Fugaree (foo-gah-ray).

I tend to agree that revelation is probably the best way to name an animal/pet - there will come the moment when you will look at him and just know what his name is.

Horse Name that fits the facial marking and day of purchase

[(Anonymous)]

You should name him "Sun Dagger" for the following reasons. 1) The star and stripe facial marking on the horses face closely resembles many of the ancient Anasazi sun daggers that are found in the desert southwest. These sun daggers were often petroglyphs etched into rock and purposefully placed to mark times of solstice, usually the summer solstice. 2) The time of your purchase was *almost* on the summer solstice (June 21, 2010); so you could modify a little and say his purchase date was on June 21 :)

Or you could name him after some of the horses my family used to own in the past: Prince, Robin, Snip (because the horse like to bite), Lucky, Thunder (a nice bay colt), Lightning (a high spirited horse), Spoon, Nit.

Have fun!

Re: Horse Name that fits the facial marking and day of purchase

[cerulean-sky.livejournal.com]

Your horse is lovely! I am deeply envious. Though, really, I'll probably have to wait years before I achieve my own status as horse-owner as well. It's been way too long, though. I ought to at least see about lessons in my area.....

I'm throwing my vote in for Sun Dagger because that's a freaking awesome name and reason for it. Plus Dagger, Dag, or Sunny are all awesome nicknames.

[1crowdedhour.livejournal.com]

Go, you! Congratulations!

[batwrangler.livejournal.com]

Yay, pony! Good for you!

[hippoiathanatoi.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! Horses are my way of staying (somewhat) sane, but the opportunity for one of my own has not yet arrived. One day, I may have to make a grab for it anyone, though I lost my favourite at the stables some months ago so it will be some time before it feels right.

Best wishes to you and lovely-red-boy-who-needs-a-name. :)

[michaeldthomas.livejournal.com]

*g* Congrats! "Donny" is a lovely horse.

Sebastian?

[matociquala.livejournal.com]

I have a weakness for chestnuts.

Well done.

[joycemocha.livejournal.com]

Yay you! One of the stressors about being cut to part time is worry about footing the bill for Miss Mocha. OTOH, it means more time for her...and others in my life.

Enjoy your new boy! I'd probably be looking at how he moves/behaves and go from there.

[cmpriest.livejournal.com]

Aww! He's lovely, congratulations!

[stillnotbored.livejournal.com]

Oh good for you. Waiting for "someday" to do what you really want to do rarely works out well.

He is an incredibly beautiful horse and such a lovely color. :) And while I can think of two obvious (to me) names for him, one of them would probably jinx the poor boy, and we can't have that.

[coffeeem.livejournal.com]

PONY!

Congratulations on acquiring your very own goofball! I hope to meet him in person someday. He's very muddily handsome. And I like chestnuts.

As for a use-name, it'll come with, er, use, right?

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

Ah, congratulations, and welcome to the club. There's really no sensible time for buying a horse, for most of us. You just do the best you can and figure out how to make that be good enough.

I am not a huge fan of changing critters' names, but "Teller" is growing on me.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

I don't like changing his name, either, but there are reasons. *g*

[pameladean]

I am very dubious about horses, as a rule, but he's extremely pretty. Also, it's excellent that you have gone and done something you wanted to do rather than holding back.

P.

[heresluck]

Oh, fantastic!

I suppose this means that the next time you visit you'll be wanting to look at the campus horse barn. Hee.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Hee. Yes!

[g33kgrrl]

Oh, congratulations. I'm so glad to hear of someone going ahead with a dream, and what a good dream it is. I can't wait to hear more!

[sienamystic.livejournal.com]

Yay for pony!

I like "Teller."

[casacorona.livejournal.com]

OMG! Congratulations!

1. It is never too late to have a happy childhood. Now you have a pony!

2. He's a 5 YO Holsteiner? He's got another inch in him, you know.

3. Profit!! Um, well, no. But it sounds wonderful, and board payments are a wonderful incentive to find work. :) Do you have all the tack you need? (stupid question). Here's a web site you need to know about: www.tackoftheday.com. They have good stuff at closeout prices. 2 items a day. Scream and leap if you see something you need.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

His tack came with him (or stayed with him, rather, since he is continuing to board at my dressage instructor's stable, as he has been since December), so we're good for the immediate future. But thank you for the link!

(And, yeah, I figured he wasn't going to stop at 15.3. *g* )

[casacorona.livejournal.com]

Oh, also -- I have that same fly mask for Surprise. You're supposed to pull his forelock out through the hole between the ears. :)

I'm so happy for you!!!!squeeeeee!!!!

[neutronjockey.livejournal.com]

Didn't no one ever told you horse people was crazy?

[almightychrissy.livejournal.com]

I love his pretty color and that lovely white spot. However, the fly mask may give me nightmares, though he doesn't seem to mind.

Congratulations!!!

Yaaaaayyyyyy!

[aerinha]

I see the magical chestnut gelding thing has happened to you, too!
And Hooray For You for going for what you wanted, and not waiting for the mystical Someday.