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["Lynda" <lurine AT com-pair.net>]

Yes.  Back in the dark ages when we were hauling horses, you'd find the same 
hardcore folks at all the shows.  We showed halter, Western, English, 
jumping/hunters and gymkhana.  At the gymkhana shows there was a really nice 
little grade mare (3/4 Quarter, 1/4 Arab).  For the horse people, she was a 
copper penny sorrel, flaxen mane and tail, four white socks to just below 
the knees and a star, strip and snip.  Big ol' Arab eyes.  Just a beautiful 
horse.  Our old (yes, she was old, 18 to be exact) Quarter mare, Gramma, and 
that mare, Suzy in Red (fuzzy red breast strap, fuzzy red nose roll, red 
saddle blanket) traded first and second for the whole season and ended up 
tied for the state championship.  Suzie in Red won one more class than 
Gramma at State and finished as Champion with Gramma as reserve.

We didn't see Suzi the next year on the circuit.  We had a woman and her 
daughter approach us about buying a coming 4 year old from us.  Told her she 
wasn't ready but we'd put some finish on her and sell her to them at the end 
of the next show season.  Did the whole hand shake thing and chatted about 
Sea Witch whenever we saw them for the rest of that season.

The next year we saw her kid riding Suzi in Red.  By the middle of the show 
season we found out that the guy who had raised and shown Suzi had sold her 
to them with the express understanding that she was to be a broodmare and 
not be shown.

That was upsetting enough.  However, you would have to understand Gramma and 
Suzi to understand just how upsetting it was.  We always pulled the bridle 
off Gramma and loosen the cinch as soon as her class was finished.  Suzi got 
the same treatment.  Gramma would follow us back in the ring to get her 
ribbons.  So would Suzi.  The only difference is that Suzi would take her 
ribbon and then kneel on one knee, stick the other leg out front and wave 
her ribbon up and down to the crowd.  Everyone loved Suzi.  Gramma and Suzi 
loved the competition.  They'd just about run down the guy at the gate if he 
didn't open it fast enough so they could run the course.

Suzi didn't like to run anymore.  She had to be led into the ring.  She'd 
bulk.  AND, Suzi had never had a crop used on her.  Nor had she spent the 
whole day standing in the sun being someone's chair.

We got to State and they were supposed to finalize the sale on Witch and 
haul her home with them.  I came around the corner of the rodeo pens, taking 
a short cut to the trailers, and I found mom hollering at Suzi and the 
daughter beating the crap out of her, welts on her and her mouth bleeding. 
She was being punished for not getting anything better than a 2nd all day.

I pulled the kid off the horse and told the mother that if they ever took a 
crop to the horse again that I'd take a crop to them!  Mom's screaming that 
I can't do that.  Then she had the audacity to ask when she could pick up 
Witch.  Ah, in her dreams!

I called Suzi's prior owner, he arrived and wrote out a check for $500 and 
took the horse.  Mom, again screaming, you can't do that.  By then animal 
control was there and gave them the choice of being hauled off to jail and 
being charged or selling the horse.

Long story not so short <g>  yeah, there are circumstances that can make a 
deal not a deal.  Rare but they do occur.

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "EarthNSky" <erthnsky AT gmail.com>
> Just curious, do you ever feel that there is just reason to break your
> word, once you give it?  Let me be more specific, and this question is
> really for everyone...In a homestead deal, regarding land, as in Don's
> case, or a homestead resource, like wood for heat, or even seed
> saving,,,is it ever okay to go against your word, and if so under what
> conditions?