I finally got in touch with the lady at the new barn.  And I headed over there last night.

You can see where this is going, right?  Have I set the right tone?

Horses were all healthy-appearing.  Lady was pleasant enough.  Ring was gorgeous and jumps immaculate.  Fields were all clean and there were, seriously, almost no bugs.  There was a considerably amount of space in which to ride (I was particularly excited about the long-ass dirt road to the property).  There was one mare pacing in a back pasture, but the lady explained that she had recently been moved and was a little freaked out.

So here are the things I didn't like (because you knew where this was going):

• No shade.  Absolutely.No.Shade.  There was a tiny, tiny bit over hanging one pasture, which she specifically said that my friend's horse would be going into.  And one run-in.  Otherwise, everyone was standing in the sun.  Where would my historically anhydrotic horse go?  And when it rains?  And when the hurricanes roll through?  
• No barn.  This isn't as big of a deal, because I know that when I get my own place (ONE FUCKING DAY), the barn will probably be the last thing built.  But I guess what I really want is a place to pee and electricity.  I didn't see that.  I think there was a shed that she uses as a tack room, but she didn't show it to me.
• Ownership.  This one is harder to define.  I'm super possessive about Archie.  I get that.  It's a character flaw and one I'm perfectly okay to let fester.  In the six years that I've owned him, four other people have ridden him:  my mom, as I led her in circles; my husband, as I led him to a pasture; my trainer, to help diagnose his cross-cantering and bucking (I thought it was just me.  It wasn't.); and an old IHSA buddy rode him a couple times a week for a month or two (she didn't like him and he didn't much like her).  And this lady isn't interested in riding him.  She wants to groom him and give him treats and stuff like that.  But.. and I know this is weird.. that seems like too much.  I don't want someone else grooming my horse on a regular basis.  I don't want my horse getting affectionate with another person.  I'm just weird like that.  ..And she kept saying that she would treat him like her own. I don't want anyone else to treat him like they own him.
• Dogs on chains.  Tethering your dog is actually illegal in Chatham County.  The lady said that she had five dogs, all rescues.  And while I was there, I saw two large-size dogs on chains attached to cemented tires.  They looked well-cared for, but face it - no dog needs to live on a chain.  And the mobile home bit?  Yeah, I guess my friend was being generous because the lady lives in a camper.