Pete brought the young Thoroughbred out to the ring and attempted to lunge him. Desi thought he wanted to play, so he leap about and ran around trying to play the silly game. Pete wanted him to go in a circle and Desi would have no part of it.
I am sure that Desi thought this lunging and circling stuff was just ridiculous. I mean "What was the point of going around in circles anyhow? Straight lines are much easier and faster too." Desi was quite the clown and seemingly uncooperative, but his reaction was just indicative of a very green horse. We knew that.
I liked his playful attitude and I could tell that Rhonda liked him too. So we talked on the side. "Are you sure you want a horse you have to train? He is very green."
"Yes, yes, yes, I do. He looks like a lot of fun. As long as you are willing to help me train him, I really want him." I said.
"Sure, but you probably won't be able to ride him very much until next year. Is that still OK?"
"That's OK, I really like him. You can help me right?"
"Yes, said Rhonda, "We can train him together."
"OK, can we make an offer to Pete right now?" Then as was the custom we made the purchase contingent on a vet check to be sure he was healthy. We settled on a price and I told Pete I would have the vet out to check him as soon as possible. I gave him a modest deposit and we shook hands.
I was so ecstatic, a horse of my very own. I was having a hard time grasping the reality of what had just happened. I kept thinking how lucky I was to have found him. He was extremely handsome and he looked like he would mature to at least 16 hands which meant he would grow about 2 more inches. We were basing it on the size of his mother and father who were right there on the farm.
During the week before the vet check I went out to see Desi several times and I groomed him and handled him. I was getting to know him. To me he was a very special horse and I was falling in love with him.
Next week I had Ben's vet go out to check out my new horse. Dr. Washburn was a very experienced old fashioned country vet and always gave very sound, no frills advice. He was certainly to be trusted.
Pete had been calling his young horse Desi but I found out that his full registered name was "Faith in Destiny" and that is exactly how I felt about him. It was like it was meant to be. Desi was going to take me down a life path and he held the key to my future, with a name like that what else could it mean?
The veterinary exam started with checking Desi's eyes, then listening to his heart and watching him being lunged to see if he was sound. Then the doctor listened to his lungs and checked his breathing.
"Hmmmmm...he's very noisy, he sounds like he has a flap in his airway that doesn't close properly. He is what is known as a "roarer". And although it is not a problem for his health, he would be eliminated in shows because it is considered a defect. There is surgery which could be performed to close the flap but it is not always successful. It would cost about $2500."
And that was a huge sum to me and way more than I could afford. I couldn't afford to buy Desi and pay for an operation. Out of the question. I looked at Rhonda and she looked back at me, just shaking her head side to side then staring at the ground. I knew what that meant. She could sense the disappointment. I was heartbroken. I couldn't buy him. My destiny would have to wait.
