A HERD VS. A CROWD

The Encarta dictionary (the one comes automatically with Microsoft, and with which I argue vehemently more often than I agree with it - not that it changes the definitions for me or anything) states blandly that a herd is "a group of animals" while a crowd is "a large group of people gathered in one place." 

So I have a crowd of a herd now.

Before 2002, if anyone had had suggested that I might complain about having EIGHT HORSES, I would have laughed. Well, laughed and then probably wept at the simple thought of having a horse of my own (this is before I got on anti-depressants; I cried a lot more).

Then in 2002, I abruptly acquired a gorgeous Paint colt for a purely token payment (a friend had to choose between living in Arizona or staying married). And then within a few weeks, was given an abused Thoroughbred mare (all because I mentioned to my husband I wanted to get a neighbor's goat to keep the colt company).

The pair were immediately and emotionally joined at the hip, which limited my wishes to actually ride the colt outside of the pasture (the mare would quite literally go into hysterics if the Paint went out of her sight).

So for quite some time I have had two very large, furry pets to fed, brush, listen to, and love behind my house in the empty Arizona chaparral brush three miles from the border of Mexico.

And when a friend was selling her horses before a move to Germany, I told her if she had problems getting them sold, let me know.

She did - have problems getting them sold, I mean. With the economy not completely tip-top, people don't have an extra three or four thousand to spend on a pure-blood Arab, let alone outfitting, feeding and upkeep.

So I offered to take one or two of the mares to help her out - went over to her place to make more formal arrangements - to find out she wanted me to take ALL SIX.

Now, I did take a stand. A very firm one.

That I wouldn't take the stallion.

Come on, someone is moving to Germany in the next few weeks - she doesn't have any options, really, other than abandoning the horses or something like that.

Yeah, I'm a wimp, I know. I even ended up taking the stallion - but kept him over at a neighbors until he was gelded.

Now I have eight extremely vocal equines in my backyard, ranging in age from 6 months to 20+ years - one is a registered Paint, one is a registered Thoroughbred, and six are pure-blood Arabs.

Did I suddenly become wealthy and elitist and just didn't notice it?

And if I did, do I have to become a Republican too?