Day 30 – Your Future With Horses
Thanks for all the kind comments and suggestions from my whiney blog post about Simon’s rehab process. I’m feeling a bit better now that I have a plan. Should have my Ace from the vet today, am ordering GastroMax 3 to treat/prevent ulcers, and I’m going to talk to my trainer about more hay and any slow release calming agents she’s had experience with. All of this will just seem silly when he’s sound and walk/trotting again in two months, right?
Way early on in my relationship with my husband, we had a big fight about horses. This was pre-engagement and during our roughest patch together as a couple, and it mostly stands out to me because it was the first time I got so pissed off that I stormed out of the house. Of course, since I am a hardcore badass mofo… I went to the craft store – but that’s a different story.
The details leading up to the argument aren’t important, but the final conclusion was and still is that horses will always be a part of my life. I might not own one at all times. I might not lease one at all times. I might not be boarding or training or showing, but I will always have them in my life in some way.
Those few sentences could be the entire body of this post, but I should elaborate some with my future with horses. Some things I know, and some things I just hope.
I know that I will always love horses and enjoy them with a youthful spin. I’m not too mature or too serious to stop everything and work on a horse Halloween costume or clip and groom for no other reason besides ‘it makes him look pretty.’
I’ll keep striving to improve my riding and my ability to do well at shows. My goal is to eventually compete in at least one A/AA show a year and not look out of place. I’d love to have a reason to braid for a horse show besides shits and giggles.
I know that I will do everything within my power to not sell Simon. It’s not because I think he’s worth a million dollars or is the world’s greatest horse, but I’ve been down the road of thinking I sold a horse to a forever home and then to find out it wasn’t so forever after all. I don’t want to lose tabs on my horse, and I don’t want him to ever end up in a questionable situation.
When I took Simon on, I meant it. So if you had to ask me my horse future, I’d say I hope to do a lot of really awesome things with horses… but really I hope for at least 20 years of time together with my big bay buddy. We’ll see how those years manifest themselves.
8 thoughts on “Day 30 – Your Future With Horses”
I feel the same way. Its too easy for ponies to fall through the cracks.
I agree about horse always being apart of my life- this too has been a sore subject in my marriage but i kindly remind hubby that I had a horse before he was in the picture and we were married so he knew what he was getting into 🙂 lol
I had a horse when I met Tim, but within the first year of our relationship I had to semi-retire that horse (and was really upset about it) and then got a new prospect who ended up hurting me and I hated him (and I was really upset about that too). For the longest time, he thought horses = upset Lauren I think.
I’m sorta in the same boat. My husband hasn’t made any “anti-horse” comments (his parents have), but he understood from that first day that I was in love with Archie and that he was going to be mine. (I bought the horse around the same time that we started dating.)
And I agree with the permanence thing: as soon as we enter their lives with any regularity, it’s our responsibility to stay in their lives.
There’s something really beautiful about a long time, permanent horse/owner bond. Maybe because it’s so rare.
I like the new background!
Hubby and I have been together since I was 19; I am now 42. We, too had that discussion early on. He thought the horse thing was something I would outgrow. Nope. Once he realized that horses = Karen is happier than without horses, he got on board. :0) Sometimes horses = unhappy Karen, but it’s way, way better than the unhappy Karen he would get with NO horses. Remind hubby of that if you’re tempted to kick his clothes out to the curb. 🙂
Don’t give up! You can compete in those shows! It’s hard for some people to understand horses and why we work our butts off to be around them. I hope everything works out, smoothes over and is peaceful for you. Not really sure what your husband doesn’t like about the horses since I just recently started reading your blog, but maybe dedicate sometime to do things he wants to do? Chances are you do already, but maybe if he can have a serious hobby then he would understand better? Best of luck.
I had the fortune of being an Equine Studies major when I met my husband, so while it’s never been negotiable that horses will be in my life, I do work really hard to ensure that Connor isn’t a burden on our relationship or finances. I know what you mean.