The lifestyle of a horse lover is difficult for those who aren’t in the sport to understand. It’s different from many other sports in so many ways, including being the only activity where men and women compete against each other.
If you have a friend or relative who keeps asking you questions, you may want to point them to this article to help them understand a little more on what to expect.
Alternatively, you may wish to mull over the points below if you are considering purchasing your first horse.
Top pointers to understand the lifestyle of a horse lover
- We start and end our day with a horse….other responsibilities have to fit somewhere in the middle
- Don’t expect us to turn up clean and free from mud, straw and/or shavings
- Horse lovers prioritise stocking up the feed room over their own fridge
- We don’t take supplements ourselves, however, our horse has many different types added into their feed each day
- It’s only natural we want to introduce our children to life around horses – after all shared passions can help with bonding (and help with the mucking out!!)
- Often we, as horse lovers, will swear a lot … why? We’ve either been stood on, thrown off, bolted off with, fallen over in mud or spent many hours tidying the tack room for someone to come in and make a mess
- A great tip is NEVER to say “but it’s just a horse” as its not, a horse is like an extended version of ourselves
- Expect tears and tantrums if we can’t fit into our best white or cream jods the day before a show
- We talk non-stop horse. If the conversation isn’t about one we’re not likely to engage
- That holiday of a lifetime will be put to one side if the horse needs a new saddle
- If we are super nice to our parents, it’s quite possible the horse needs something that we can’t afford right away
- Equestrians do celebrate their horse’s birthday, gifts during this period are welcome
- If you want to win an equestrian’s heart you could try mucking out, trying to ride or showing interest in wanting to stand out in the cold two to three times a week
- Expect our cars to be filthy, inside and out – unless it’s rained of course then it’s likely to look clean on the outside.
So it’s clear to see the life of a horse lover or equestrian enthusiast, if you prefer, is quite simple really … minus the breakdowns and endless amounts of spending.
You may also like
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.