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Horse people

5K views 34 replies 19 participants last post by  wannahorse22 
#1 ·
Do you know what makes me mad?I love horses, and i would do anything for them, anything! And my mom.. she like hates me riding, alot. She used to own a few horses because she lived on this huge horse farm, i dont know too much about it tho. Im not sure if she had a bad accident but she tells me theyre the biggest waste of money and your life gets to busy for them, she also thinks theyre dangerous. They are dangouros i know that but i dont care you have to take chances with things you love, and i would do anything to keep a horse id quit cross country track, intrument anything in a heartbeat for horses. I dont think theyre a waste of money, you get to ride them! and it is so fun and keeps you outside and responsible... now... i also know my mom hates horse people, but its just because of the ones shes met
Exibit A- my ex cousin( my cousins ex wife)- She bankrupt her parents because they kept paying for her 5 horses and for her to show and send her amazing horses to profeshinal training they didnt need, she didnt go to collage because she didnt want to go away from home, now shes kind of lost. thats not just because of horses, its her own fault AND her parents fault.
Exibit B- my old, old riding instructor- she went to collage but she went bankrupt to, its really complicated but shes a great person but doesnt always make amazing choices

Its not horses its just the quincedence of the people who are irresponsible so now its so annoying how bmy mom gets soooooooooooooooooo mad when i talk about horses!
 
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#2 · (Edited)
When you're an adult making your own money, you can spend it however you please.

If my parents thought something was a waste of money, they didn't support it monetarily, so I didn't ride as a child or teen.

Now that I'm an adult with my own job and mortgage, I make my own decisions on what to spend my money. Horses are part of that expenditure, even though my parents still think they're a waste of money, and dangerous to boot.

All horse people are crazy, but some of us are higher functioning than others. Many of us have little social skills, no business logic, and even less common sense, so your mom's definitely not wrong about that. It's not coincidence. :wink:
 
#3 ·
What SR said.

And I have to agree with your mother - horses are a waste of money in the grand scheme of things. But a waste I am willing to continue doing. They are like any other expensive hobby. You just keep tossing money at it.
 
#5 ·
haha they are a waste of money, im lucky my mom loves horses as much as i do, and my dad,well, he only complains sometimes ;)

tehehe like speedracer said, we are all crazy, its like the dog show world, or the cat show world, theyre all crazy. haha :]
 
#7 ·
I feel for you. My mother used to have horses as a child, but she's not particularly horsey now. She never was. I found out off my grandma, she fell off once at a local show and she never went near horses since. My dad isn't too horsey either. He used to transport QH's for a reiner but thats as far as his experience goes. They help pay for my pony, they help pay for my lessons, they help with a lot of the expenses but for the main part I pay for it. Its frustrating when they don't understand and it often leads to tears from me.

Take today for example. My farrier does does quite a large amount of horses and travels all over my area, so he is only in my town every 2-3 weeks. He is coming tomorrow and he had lost my phone number, so I politely asked my Mum if she would call and book a time. She then went and checked her FB, watched some TV and I asked her if she was going to do it. She said no and when I told her my horse needed his feet trimmed, she said call him yourself. My farrier's hard enough to get a hold of on a good day, but if your a teen calling him, he doesn't have time.

My mother has no time for horses, and I often have to deal with things on my own. If horses are something you truly love, then its something that you'll have to pursue on your own.
 
#8 ·
Expenisve hobby....but for me, its a lifestyle. For a lot of people it is. You can have a job and still show your horse. Hell, when you get good they pay you back. And its a small price to pay for what you get back out of them.....The best sport. Physically and emotionally demanding. If you can do it, you're one hell of a determiend perosn and it shows how strong you are ^^
 
#9 ·
A "waste of money"? Totally. The vast majority of people who spend money on horses are "wasting" it meaning its usually not an investment to get more money out of.

Vet bills, farriers, boarding, food, shavings, tack, schooling, everything adds up and you don't get that money back.

That doesn't mean it's not worthwhile!!! For someone who doesn't understand or feel the love and passion for horses it's difficult to get past the money hole aspect of the sport but it's a hobby that makes people who get into it very happy and is worth every last red cent to me!

Just like anything else you need to do things responsibly. There are ways to be involved in horses without going bankrupt or without going down the path of expensive showing. People can manage their money horribly with or without horses :)
 
#11 ·
haha i will:) and i told her that when i get my lesson( which by the way will be around the week we get out of school, if its sunny) well i told her that shes going to video tape me and take pictures. Then shell see me ride, for once. Ya ill get a few rides on arty haha:) and heck ya horses are money! like lots of it ... but not a WASTE of money, everyones saying theyre a WASTE of money theyre tons of money but no waste:)
 
#12 ·
-sigh- My dad is this way. But what does he waste his money on? Dunkn Donuts coffee when he has a perfectly good carafe in the kitchen, and cigarettes that cost like 6.00 a pack. And he actually told me to sell Ice for dog food?!?!

At least my hobby gets me out of the house, and I get to tone my arms up a bit and improve my posture!
 
#17 ·
-sigh- My dad is this way. But what does he waste his money on? Dunkn Donuts coffee when he has a perfectly good carafe in the kitchen, and cigarettes that cost like 6.00 a pack. And he actually told me to sell Ice for dog food?!?!

At least my hobby gets me out of the house, and I get to tone my arms up a bit and improve my posture!
haha my mom always tells me to improve my posture, i tell her horse back riding does that but theyn she just gives me this glare... thats rather unfortunate.. but i dont get it.. ice for dog food? how do you sell ice?
 
#15 ·
Your mother's view is pretty common in non-horse people. My riding instructor paid off her $15,000 Hunter/Jumper all by herself at age 17 (I believe she worked for the person she bought the horse from) because her parents wouldn't support her and thought it was a waste of money. Of course, her parents had no idea how much the horse cost. But that's not the point...

Anyway, when you're on your own and make your own money, you can spend it on whatever you want. But for now you have to respect your mom's decisions, as much as it might suck. There's really nothing you can do if she's so against the whole horse thing.
 
#22 ·
And I don't consider it a waste of money it might be a lot of money but it will never be a waste
It's easy to be so blithe about expensive things when you're not the one footing the bills.

Let's see how well you can afford horses when you have a mortgage, a car payment, utility bills, food bills, and all the other things that go along with being an adult. Then add horses into that mixture, with all their attendant expenses.

Probably won't be so blithe about it then.
 
#23 ·
My parents did everything they could to discourage me from riding. They had the same view that it was a huge waste of money. I paid my own way. I got a job at 13 washing dishes at a diner. If my horse needed vetted for anything serious, I better have some money saved. I paid for him by not eating lunch and saving my lunch money. To this day my father calls my horse a 'money eating nag' and has no interest. Its something I chose to do for myself.

As far as the money wasting goes, for what I spend on my horse in a month...i could have a pretty nice sports car. I could have a pretty easy life. I could sit back, watch Oprah and in all honesty, I might be able to quit my job. But that life sounds dull to me. When you add it all up and get some perspective on cost in life, you will see why your parents oppose horses.

My board is 175 a month plus feed. Call it 225 to make it even.
He needs shoes every 6 weeks. Thats $100 a reset and $140 for a new set
He needs atleast one vet visit a year. My vets farm call alone is $75. Add in shots which were $118 this year...then add in a coggins test because I trailer out to trail ride and occasionally show. He had his teeth done, add $100 We had to have a bloodtest run on him $100.
My saddle cost me $250. Saddle blanket $85. Bridle $60. Breastcollar $50. Grooming supplies $100. Fly spray $15/month. Winter blanket $150 Fly mask $25 Halters/leadropes $100 (he had a habit of eating halters for a while) Splint boots $50 Bell Boots $20 Worming $15/2 months.
Luckily I only paid $500 for my horse...and I pay for that decision every day.

So for a year I paid a grand total of $7318. Now granted, that is my first year and I did have to start from scratch as I sold all of my old equiptment. For that $7318...I dont get much in return. I love my horse and I think the world of him, but if you think he is worth $7318, bring a trailer. Ill help you load him.
 
#28 ·
man, you worked hard, a year for me would be about 4000 dollars... So far i only have 750... i reallly want one by next summer. i usually pack a lunch, and if i dont my mom writes a check. i save up all the coins i find and so far i have $81.54.. just in coins.. where do you sell your stuff? ive sold cd's and what not on craigs list. I told my dad id get a job but he said he doesnt want me to get a horse or job because that wiill distract me from school but it wont, ive always been an honors student expecially when i had horse riding lessons with a span of 3 or 4 years. so im kind of stuck on what to do. if i got a job a modeling job( itd be kinda weird) but thatd get me plenty of money. but i have braces.. so im kind of stuck
 
#24 ·
Hey, being openly opposed is better than having your parents tell you if you can save enough money in one year, you can buy a horse. One year later and $2,000 dollars saved up, "Oh, yeah.....well we thought you would grow out of your horse phase, so no horse, but you saved a lot of money for college."

And I'm not lying. That actually happened to me. I scrounged birthday money, holiday money, sold 80% of the the things I owned that served no purpose to me, scoured the ground for unclaimed change, worked odd jobs and got a loan from my grandmother for me to come clean her house twice a week til I worked it off. And I have been horse crazy since I was 7. They said no when I was 15.
 
#25 ·
Then you only have 3 more years until you can make your own financial decisions. It just tests you as a person and parents not wanting you to ride is Gods way of asking "are you SURE you REALLY want to do this?" If the answer is yes at 18, you will have a job and enough income to support yourself and a horse.
 
#26 ·
I grew up with my mom HATING my lessons, the time it took, etc, telling me if I didn't ride she could have........you name it. She drove me to the barn, but also never watched. Acted like she would rather have bamboo driven under he fingernails. And, I have a husband whose mom never watched him in any of his sports ever. Some moms can't stand the thought of their kid getting hurt, I guess, so they won't watch. Some are just selfish and self absorbed. Too bad, and certainly their loss.

To this day, my mom is nearly 90......she STILL thinks they are a waste, and reminds me at every opportunity. LOL. She cannot believe I have a wonderful husband who totally supports my "addiction", and even enabled me to get our daughter into it also! I tried with the boys, but they preferred mountain bikes on the trails with my daughter and I, and then cars. HAHA!

If you love horses you will eventually get one. Until then, hone all your skills and enjoy every lesson. Be a sponge, and soak up everything you can.

BTW-both the cars and the horse interest were from my dad-he used to train QH's back in the day, and his voice still echoes in my mind when I screw up riding. Guess his genes were stronger than moms-thank god.
 
#27 ·
Yeah, I have one more year until I can make that decision to get a horse, which will be yes (but it might wait til after college on account of finance). I was in a rough patch when they finally gave and I think they thought that if I focused on that, I would forget about school and "friends" and after that I would get tired of waiting for a horse and lose intrest in them. A win-win in their minds.

But it turned out to be a win-lose, I did forget about my troubles, but almost 2 years later, I'm still riding and reading and bloggin and talking and thinking about horses! And I'm gonna keep try to keep them in my life if it kills me.
 
#29 ·
Everyone has luxeries in their life. The way I see it, other people my age drink, smoke, some take drugs, buy expensive clothes and shoes, go out to dinner, go out to the movies, buy cds, eat expensive foods. I don't do that. I don't have a horse right now, but if I wanted one I'd go out and buy it because that would be what I wanted to do.

I've seen friends throw $150 a night away in alcohol/club entry. Sometimes they do that twice a week. They might buy a cd or two a week, a $100 bag, people get takeaway. It adds up real quick. All these things are just as much of a "waste".

I find it funny that some parents will say spending $100 a week or whatever on a horse is a waste, but they spend $50+ on wine, buy expensive meats or cheeses or whatever. Its just as much of a waste.
 
#31 ·
My parents divorced when I was three and my sister only 3 months. My mom sold off everything to pay bills except our property and our horses. We free leased the horses to someone off-site for a few years, and when I was old enough to accept full responsibility of them, we brought them home. My mom always reminds me of how she sold everything but the horses....and for that I am extremely grateful.

Of course, the work is my sole responsibility, but my mom pays the bills on them. I pay for their tack and my riding attire.

Going on what Saskia said, everyone spends their money different ways. I hate when people automatically assume I'm rich because I own horses.....we don't choose to spend our money on pointless things like expencive birthday gifts, $1000 shopping sprees, or 2 packs of cigs a day. We don't do that; most of our leisure money goes to our horses.
 
#33 ·
My parents wouldn't let me get a horse (my dad doesn't like horses, my mom is afraid of them) because they thought my Aunt was too financially immature about horses.. Which is true, but it's not just about horses, they are just not good with money. There is a way you can be financially responsible AND have horses though. I've dreamt all my life of finally having my own horse and not taking care of someone else's but honestly, I am waiting two more years until I have everything in order EXACTLY how I want it. I want my barn, fence, tack, grooming supplies, and any other expense that you can have before you get a horse PAID OFF because I get my horse.

Your mom probably has a good reason for how she feels - just show her that you CAN do it and be responsible! Don't just get mad and blow her off; ask her for specific reasons.. You never know, maybe there is a method to her madness.
 
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