Anyone have horses/animals instead of kids?

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katherine1975

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As the title suggests, I have chosen not to have children and have horses instead as we couldn't afford both. I sometimes think that people think I'm strange as I don't want to have children. All my friends are now pregnant or already have children, just wondering if anyoune else is in the same situation?
 
Don't have kids - have a horse and cats - oh and boyfriend. However, the no kids thing was not by choice, rather by design.
 
Definitely don't want kids, have 2 cats a hamster and a horse instead!! My Mom's not too impressed, she'd love grand-kids, but I won't be obliging I'm afraid. Its just not for me or my OH.
I don't think its strange, the world can be such a horrible place sometimes, I don't think I want to bring a child into it!
I do however love my niece, nephew, godson and his sister to pieces. The advantage of that is that you get to give them back after a while! lol
 
At present I have neihter, however my intension is to have as many horses, dogs and cats as possible................. and NO CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
 
I don't have children. I would have liked them but it didn't work out for me. I have to say that IF I had children, I probably would not have been able to afford the horses which would have made me sad. I often wonder what my life would have been like with children, but when I listen to friends and my sisters, who seem to go through so much stress and unhappiness because of their children, I think I probably have a happier and more relaxed lifestyle without them.
 
I have had horses since i was 13 and have never wanted children. I always say I am not very maternal however i find it very easy to care for my horses and hate to see them in pain which i think is same as a parent.

I don’t think i have horses instead of children i don’t think i would want children even if i didn’t have horses.

My theory on the horses/child debate is that i feel that my life is fulfilled and because i take care of my horses i don’t have that need to nurture that i think a lot of women get.

There are a lot of people that have horses and don’t have children. Is it really down to money?????
 
I don't have children. Firstly I don't want them. Secondly even though I am 27 I still feel way to young to have them even if I wanted to, which I don't!
I will however get more horses definitely! Thankgod my other half feels the same way (about children that is, unfortunately not the horses! lol)


I suppose it's sensible though to the OP, if you cannot afford the two then you have to choose. Being a mother isn't for everyone and we have come to light that reproduction for the better of keeping our race going isn't really an issue in this day and age, if anything the other way around applies.

x
 
It's not because of money, that's just one of the factors. My husband has two kids and doesn't want anymore. I have never had a feeling that I want children. Am happy with my life and feel fulfilled, work full time and having the horses. I give them the best possible care that I can and am concerned for their welfare and happiness. I was just wondering whether other people were in the same boat.
 
I am quite happy with my horse, dog, 2 cats and my fish!! Most of my friends have children, but as I say to them all children do is make a mess, cry all the time and want all the attention they can get..... I've just done a perfect explaination of my dog, so why do I want children when I have her??
 
I've got horses, cats and a dog and planning to have a child in about 3 years... I'd never wanted kids but like being arond them and am good with them, I dread the thought of being pregnant and going through that whole experience but think that as child grows and develops it will be a wonderful thing and am starting to come round to the idea... plus if child likes horses then I'm sorted and can buy more and OH can say nothing!
 
one kid 19 now, ten dogs three horses, 100 cattle, 600+ shee,p chickens ducks geese turkeys people kept saying ought to have two chldren and i said rather have another dog, think mght of got carried away on dog numbers!!!
 
I love kids but have simply never wanted one of my own. I have a niece and nephew who I can spoil rotten - but I can give them back to their parents when they're grouchy!

I suppose it's fortunte really that I'm not maternal (and OH doesn't want kids either) because it would be totally cruel to bring a child into my current living circumstances. I already work approx. a 60 hour week (full time, plus 1 day at weekends, plus 3 evenings on average) and I am the main wage earner. We couldn't survive on my partner's earnings if I were to lose my income, so there's no way I could give up work - even for a few months' maternity leave. Also we live in a tiny studio flat - there is simply no room for a child (of any age). Maybe if I actually had maternal instincts, then I could give up the horses, have a child and a slightly larger house - but I'm not maternal, so it ain't going to happen!

And as I said, I give and get all the pleasure and love I need from my niece and nephew.

You know - my OH has a rather flippant quote which he always says when we're asked (often!) why we haven't got children. His response is always "well, if you want to get ride of a horse, you can shoot it - but you can't legally do that to a child!" (Don't worry - we're not really as ruthless as that!).
 
I have 5 horses and a 19 month old daughter.
Its hard work but i wouldnt change it.

I had 2 horse before i met my other half so he new from the start they came first and i would never give them up!
Even though he hardly rides ( just a trot around the school now and again) its his fault we have ended up with more!

He bought me another horse to bring on and compete with my warmblood and he agreed and payed for the horse when i said i wanted a project.

My daughter is in no way neglected, she has a great hands on dad when i am busy with the horses and has a pony already, she loves the horses!

I am dedicated, I am at the yard around 5am every day to see to the horses and have to be home by 7am so he can go to work, i then am at the yard when he comes home from work sometimes till quite late!

Its totally up to you, dont let any one pressurize you, dont feel you have to have children.
Do want makes you happy.

I am happy with my daughter, 5 horses, 1 dog, 3 cats....!
 
katherine1975 said:
It's not because of money, that's just one of the factors. My husband has two kids and doesn't want anymore. I have never had a feeling that I want children. Am happy with my life and feel fulfilled, work full time and having the horses. I give them the best possible care that I can and am concerned for their welfare and happiness. I was just wondering whether other people were in the same boat.
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Sorry should have added that i was pondering the question "is it really down to money" it wasn’t directed at you.

I get it a lot from non horsey people that they simple cant comprehend how i could not want to have a child. I have been married for 10 years this year and my husband has 2 grown up children from a previous marriage, he has always said that if i ever changed my mind and decided i wanted a child he would be ok with that, but we both know that isn’t going to happen.
 
picolenicole said:
I am quite happy with my horse, dog, 2 cats and my fish!! Most of my friends have children, but as I say to them all children do is make a mess, cry all the time and want all the attention they can get..... I've just done a perfect explaination of my dog, so why do I want children when I have her??
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No dog ever made me a birthday card or cleaned it's own mess up :p

OP,I think "instead" is a bad choice of words.It implys someone wanted both but had to choose one-some women dont want children but adore the company of their horse,some women dont want to be anything but a mother and some(like myself) adore motherhood,but see it as but one part of their life.
 
I don't have children and my husband and I are planning to get a horse this year. We have no plans to have a child and we joke that the horse will be a child substitute. If I get any comments about having a baby I reply "I'd rather have a horse".

I have made similar joke's to Faro's OH - "if you get bored of a horse you can sell it, selling children is generally frowned upon". Other bonuses, the horse lives outdoors and won't generally keep you up at night crying, people tend to report you if you make the child sleep outside on a bed of straw. Horse poo smells better, horses don't puke down your new dress, etc etc.

We wouldn't have children anyway as we simply don't want them but financially it would be very difficult as I am the main earner.
 
I don't view it as an instead either: my horse and my cats are not surrogate children! I have a horse and 2 cats because I wanted them. And despite the word "babysitter", it's not generally adivsed that you sit on your babies... :P Seriously, though, I have never been interested in having children, and I'm glad to find out I'm not alone in this! :)
 
im 33 and im pretty sure i dont want any kids. there are times when i waver a bit and feel unsure- have a bit of a panic as im not getting any younger... but in reality i dont think its for me. All my friends have kids and im just not into them at all... ive got 6 dogs instead!!
 
Im 29 and my horses are def instead of kids - i would like kids and would have had some already if i didnt have horse - but i wouldnt be able to afford the horses and to work less to have the kids - so i bought a puppy and he is my substitute child i think!
 
I have two horses, four dogs and one cat and at the age of 45 no chance of having kids thank goodness. No amount of anything on earth could change my mind even if I wanted it to which I wouldnt. Never had kids, never wanted kids. Happy with my animals, I have a life of my own and can do what I want, when I want. I dont envy people with kids at all I'm afraid. Funny though, I am one of three sisters, the youngest being 35 and not one of the three of us has any children"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'd have another horse or dog any day if I had the room and could afford it!
 
We have no children by choice (far too many people in the world already - and selfishly, I'd rather earn money to spend on myself and things I enjoy). We have 4 horses and compete and spend our time when not working enjoying them - which we couldnt do if we had children. Lots of my horsy friends are the same, and have made a choice to spend time/money on their horses and not on children.
 
I'm another who consciously chose not to have children (no maternal instincts whatsoever). Looking back I'd definitely not have been able to do what I've done with my life, horses and animals if I'd had kids as well. Still have my horse and dog and those are now my family.
 
I don't want children - my horse is my baby!!! I am just not the maternal type at all - others think I am really strange and my oh's family don't like it and keep questioning me all the time about when are we gonna have kids - they all think I am strange but I am very happy as I am. Anyway I am 38 now and won't be changing my mind anytime soon!! Am thinking of getting a puppy too - do you think that counts as having a baby on the way ;-)
 
Thanks for all your responses. Maybe I shouldn't have put 'instead' in my post. I love my two horses and have them because I enjoy having them and looking after them as much as riding. They bring me a lot of pleasure and happiness. My mum bought a 6month old shetland when I was a 6 month old baby and I joke to her that I bonded with horses instead of people and that's why I don't want kids!
 
OH and me don't have children, we both decided we didn't want them. I like children, just not in large doses :D

I don't have a horse instead of children, but I am glad I am able to afford to have one and keep him in a way that suits us both.
 
We have a daughter and it was toss up between another child or a foal, guess what won !!!!!! am so relieved. That foal is now 11.
 
6 horses, 3 dogs & 3 cats - no kids. I don't dislike kids, far from it, just never felt the need or desire to have them. I have a couple of friends who are real, what I call "mumsie types" and they go on & on about how you can you not want kids, don't you miss this, don't you miss that. Hand on heart, I really don't even think about it and I love my life just the way it is, well could always do with a bit more money but hey ho.
 
I'm 27 and have no intention of having children. There are just too many moral dilemmas when it comes to raising children. I think I would simply project my own ideals and values onto them and I can't see the point of having children just to create a mini-me. I think that one needs to be really sure of their own mind and opinions before trying to influence another "for the better", otherwise you just create further confusion which leads to an unsettled individual (don't get me started on the youth of today, lol). I can't see me reaching a stage of self development anytime in the next 20 years where I would feel ready to undertake motherhood, so I guess kids are out for me unless I adopt. This actually appeals to me more as I feel its based less on a self centred motive.

There must be a link somewhere, because most of my horsey friends don't want children either. A horse is definitely not a child substitute for me, I certainly don't molly coddle him or think "ahhhhh" thoughts all the time.
 
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