The second photo includes his former owner, Lydie, who loved him and trained him and made him the wonderful horse that he is--and who was so incredibly kind to me to send me a letter, a book of photos (including from when he was a newborn, and from his sire, dam and grandsires!), a full set of wraps and his blanket. She and her entire family also insisted on driving him to the airport in Amsterdam themselves to see him off, rather than asking us to send shippers to their farm for him. It's obvious that he meant a great deal to them and that he was a member of the family in the 8+ years she owned him. I hope she realizes that he will be no less loved and cared for now that he's become a member of my family. I think she must... she saw me bawling for joy when I finished riding him, and must have known that I appreciated how truly wonderful he was.
I've waffled and waffled and waffled--and waffled some more--and I've come to the conclusion that I will stick with his original names. I've loved "Purple Rain" from the moment I heard it (I've always been a Prince fan), and I think "Jacco" suits him. That, and I already own a 3 year-old gelding with the barn name Prince, and I don't think I want to own a 3 year-old gelding known as "The Horse Formerly Known as Prince." I'm certain Jacco is a Prince of a horse, but Lydie called him Jacco, and I also think it's a tribute to Lydie to leave his name as she gave it to him... and that, more than anything, is my reasoning. If he'd belonged to some big breeder who hadn't put any thought into anything and just handed the horses off to a trainer who rode (nicely) a dozen horses or more daily, without any strong attachment to any because they could be sold at any time, that would be different. But that's not Jacco. He was named out of love, and those names shouldn't change--ever.
I can't wait to put my arms around him tomorrow and give him a hug and a kiss, and to whisper, "Welcome home, Jacco. I love you."
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