We’ve all heard the same quotes before that all the non-horsey people love to say to us. Even though they don’t intend to be mean, we usually insert an eye roll after every one of these quotes…
“You have horses, so you must be very rich.”
We wish libido-portugal.com! Horses are the reason we actually spend our money until the last penny. If we had to choose between buying our horse something new or ourselves, we’d probably chose a nice new saddle pad for our horse.
“Horse riding isn’t a sport.”
About this one, you are probably right. Horse riding isn’t a sport, it’s a lifestyle! But I gladly invite you to ride a huge animal around a ring jumping 12 obstacles. To be honest, we’re all just trying to stay on!
“You don’t have to do anything; the horses do everything for you!”
You are right, they do a lot for us! But if we don’t give them the right directions, they’ll probably end up two towns from home while they demolished your garden and your nice green grass on their way…
“Can’t you just go riding some other time?”
When making plans with non-horsey friends or family we always have to fit our training schedule around our other plans. That’s not always an easy thing to do. We can’t just ignore them for a day. They need to be fed, groomed, stables have to be mucked out and they need to exercise. It’s a bit like us, we also need to be fed, groomed and exercised!
“If you love horses, then why do you use a whip and spurs?”
If we use a whip and spurs, we don’t do it to punish our horses. We use it in a safe and responsible way to guide our horses in the best way possible. The horses need to understand what we’re asking from them and sometimes we need a little extra help with that.
“My kids just love horses! Can they come out to the barn and jump your horse?”
If it would be that easy, everyone would be riding. The most responsible way to let your kid start riding is probably to find a riding school where they give riding lessons according to your kids’ level. And maybe if they handle the dressage part well, they can start making some small jumps!
Photo by Valerie Fomina on Unsplash