All the gear, no idea!

I say this jokingly about myself all the time.

I my case I am not referring to tack etc as ours is pretty standard stuff and doesn't even match. But we (hubby and I) did have an arena put in on our farm. A professionally built 20x40m one that cost more than our 3 horses did. Nothing wrong with that I hear you say. No there isn't. But in our case it has raised a few eyebrows.

I am a return to riding type older rider and my husband has only been riding for 2.5 years. We have no aspirations to do anything other than pootle around and enjoy our horses. We ride out on our farm and around the quiet roads here too but we really wanted an area to do a bit of schooling in, have a few lessons etc. Plus our horses love to play there as well, I clicker train my youngster.Its great to have a fenced in uniform area with no hazards to play in and of course they love a good roll in it. People are always asking me 'what we plan to do with it' and seem to think its a huge waste of money given its just us, we don't compete and just have fun. So that's when I tend to joke and say 'well that's us, all the gear and no idea ha ha'
 
a lady who used to own a field I rented for summer grazing had two daughters who suddenly decided they liked ponies. She bought a whole selection of ponies, one costing around £6k and got the local tack shop to kit them out with all they needed. (yes, I was envious)

She had new stables erected, and they treated those ponies like pets. One died of laminitis about a year after I left. I left because I was left to look after these ponies as they didn't know how to do it, and would often leave them tacked up when they turned them out etc.

Those ponies wanted for nothing except decent horsemanship.
 
I always thought it related to someone who concentrated too much on the "look" and not enough on the substance and simply threw more money at a problem rather than looking to improve their own skills and understanding. Someone who decides after a couple of riding lessons to be a dressage rider perhaps, they go and buy a big warmblood, brand new lorry, top of the range everything, blinged up to the eyeballs, and just about manage to stay onboard as the horse negotiates a prelim test all by its self. Nothing wrong with doing that if spending your money that way gives you pleasure but i do think its rather missing the point somewhere.
 
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