In the last few months, I have had to think a lot about what I am going to do with my horse after summer. My plan earlier this year was to go to college, and to bring Zippo with me, wherever I end up going. Now though, a lot has changed. I have decided not to go to college, and to go into the Air Force instead. This, Zippo could not come with me for. I have put so much thought into what I want to do, with this horse that I have grown up with for the last five years of my life. I have made up my mind, and talked to my parents about it, that there is no way I am going to get rid of him. On another hand though, I cannot pause his life so I can go live mine. He has been doing so many shows, horse camps, trail rides with the Maine Trail Riders within the last five years that it would be a very boring life if he were to just stop doing that. So the best option that I could come up with, is to lease him out. This means that he is still in my name, and I am still the owner, but someone else will be using him and paying for part, if not all, of his expenses. As sad as I am that I won’t be competing in shows for a while, I am glad that with any luck he will still have a 4H-er that will take him to shows and grow with him. Of all the work that I have put into Zippo, I can only hope that he will be the horse that some little girl has dreamed about having. I hope that he can teach someone else everything that he has taught me. I hope that I can find someone who will be good to him while I am gone, though I know that I will have the safety net of still being his owner, so if it does not work out with someone else I will be the one deciding that, and finding the next leaser. I know that this will be the best option for while I am gone in the Air Force because every time I come home I will still be able to ride him, and when I come home for good he will be mine again. He will still be in use while I am gone, so he won’t get bored. My only hope is that I can find the perfect rider for him for while I am gone.
