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I understand.

I left behind the mare I thought was my heart horse when I graduated college and moved across the state for a job. I never technically owned her, but I broke her, turned her into a respectable member of society, and used her as my guide horse will working at a trail riding ranch during college. I had always kind of planned to show up during the slow season with a pocket full of cash and bring my girl home with me. But it didn't happen. Part of it was making sure I had enough of a financial cushion to do right by her if something should happen. Once I had that cushion though, I realized that there were several other horses locally that I could love just as much. None of them have followed me home yet, but there's time. I do wonder if I should have gone back for her, but I am content in the knowledge that I made the best decisions I could for her best interest.

When I worked at said trail barn, my boss/mentor/adoptive father gave me some of the best advice of my life. Rather than panic when things went haywire on the trail, he taught me "Your self first. Your horse second. All else third." Basically, if you get hurt, you can't help others, you can't help your horse. If your horse gets hurt, you can't ride for help or pack someone out. Only then can you worry about "everything else."

College is a hard time to own a horse. Aside from class time and homework, and any jobs you keep, your schedule may be very erratic and not conducive to being able to ride. If you graduate college while owning a horse, your options on where you can move after college are limited by the 1000 lb critter you're responsible for. If your best job offer is in an expensive city, you may have to face the choice of the job or the horse. Also, I have no idea what kind of situation you'll be in during the school year, but I was scholarship kid (read: limited tuition costs), and I still had to keep a very tight budget during the year, despite working multiple jobs over the summer and over every break I had. A lost set of shoes at the end of semester would have been very had to replace. And as a former horse owner yourself, I'm sure you realize that buying the horse is the cheapest part of owning.

However, I also understand what it's like to be horseless and to go without riding. Some of my worst times of my life were when I couldn't get my riding time in. Definitely try to find a place to ride during college, and see if that helps with your horselessness sad times.

Re-reading this, I know it sounds very hard. I don't want you to read this as me saying "Don't buy back Chrome." I just want to make sure that you consider all the angles of buying a horse two months before going through a major life change.

I am also in college and my two horses are living at home with my parents. It's tough. I've woken up to texts that my horse got attacked by an animal during the night, or even gotten a call that other animals have passed away while I'm gone, and it's really hard to not be there. Even though there is nothing I can do in those situations, I end up blaming myself for not being there. This summer will be my last at home before I end up being more or less independent (and likely moving away). My parents have done a great job of taking care of my two while I'm gone, but they can't ride or do groundwork very well. My 20yr old is lame and makes a sweet pasture potato, but my other guy is 19 years young, fit as a fiddle, and really needs a job. I have a feeling I'm going to have to make the hard choice to sell him or permanently lease him soon. I don't like to think about it but it is true.

I also can empathize with @MagesValley on a lot of levels. I am also a "scholarship kid" and I am in honors, I have an off campus job, I work during the summer... honestly, I barely have time to breathe sometimes at school. As nice as it would be to be able to jump on a horse and forget about the world, I can't squeeze that in for one horse, let alone two.

Some encouragement: I have had so many heart horses. There was the old retired cowhorse who taught me the ropes, and the first filly I finished, and my old man I rescued and rehabbed, and then my guy I have now who taught me every last shred of patience and quality horsemanship I possess. Every time I had to move on from a horse, it was heartbreaking and I thought there could never be another, and then another came along. I was heartbroken when I couldn't buy that first filly I trained, and even more so when she was sold and I lost track of her. But social media is amazing and I just recently found her owner. My girl is now at the most beautiful barn I have ever seen. She has so much more than I ever could have given her. Even if you don't end up buying Chrome back, don't feel like you've lost him forever. :)

Here's Chrome now:

First ride

Wow... Chrome is beautiful! Although I can't see the other pictures for some reason I'm sure she must be just as stunning! I don't have any experience with what your going through but I'm very sure it must be hard and heartbreaking...I hope it all ends well, I beg it ends well.

The other images aren't showing.

I copied the link for the images a different way so hopefully they worked now.