As Valentines day is coming - gold star to partners etc

[ArcticFox]

Hi all


so as valentines day approaches i thought I'd put a gushing post up about my hubby. this thread doesn't have to be about a partner, it can be about someone who without their support, you couldn't keep horses or manage in general.


So I'll go first.


I have a wonderful husband and a very understanding one. he has seen me brimming with happiness as my youngster was backed, brimming with glee over winning my first section at BE100 to standing at work having to decide to put my horse to sleep with a septic elbow. Then to find my youngster (see earlier comment about brimming with happiness - that came after) end up with a septic hock and nearly had to go through the loss all over again.

He has also seen me injured, from simple hitting the deck and being a bit stiff, to having to help untack my horse, fend passers by off (arena right next to a road) and wait for 45 mins for me to be able to stand enough to get in the car for him to drive me to house and lie down, feed me drugs and watch me be practically unable to walk for a week. Oh and having to hear on the phone that i'm in A&E down south at a competition as i fell off and they were worried I'd broken my wrist (ended up being my thumb).

he has also enforced the purchase of an airjacket, the purchase of a HS1 and insists that I never jump alone.

however through all that, he knows that horses are my life and I'm very grumpy without them. He is a wonderful man, not interested in riding, but enjoys coming to shows to watch and video. he has let me buy a horsebox, put an arena in and put stables up and he is even helping me look into putting lights up for night riding.

We syncronise our diaries so I'm not away competing on days that he isn't working (he works alot!) and we also go away for weekends together to spend quality time. I've turned into an antisocial bod, mostly because when hubby is around, I want to spend time with him so going out and leaving him home alone always seems a bit mean.

He's a total star and i couldn't ask for a lovelier hubby and I thank him for all his support.


ok, enough with my gushing. what about you? do you have someone you want to thank?

 

[claire_p2001]

Aww thats lovely. I am also very lucky and have an amazing husband

He helped my to buy my dream horse Jack and without him it would never be possible. He has moved in to the annexe next door to my mum & dad so we can have the horses at home. He comes to all the big shows with me and will help me jump at home, he even cycled with me on a hack the other day. I too try my best to see him as much as possible and we book out days/weekends which are just about us no horse time which works really well. In the summer he plays cricket which takes up lots of time so I am free to go to shows I do try to watch him when the weather is nice!!

Big cheers to our lovely husbands.

 

[Jenni_]

Although me and OH don't really do Valentines day, nor are we a soppy couple - he is an absolute godsend at times.

He may be severely allergic to horses so quite against them by default, he never complains, and always says well done when I've done well. Now I'm settled in my decent paying permanent job, his sister and I have been discussing my immenent equine purchase, and he's been playing the jovial non-supportive OH, but he's told me he's proud of me for the job etc. He was with me through me hating my last job, and the unease during the re-structure in this one. We had our ups and downs and a small break but we came back better and stronger together.

I've not been well recently and have had a few doctors and hosptial appointments with not much success, and he's sat up with me for nights on end, fetching me what I need, and generally just being a pillar of support. Ok, he's a man, and a bit crap at actual sympathy- but he tries.

Both being fans of cars and motorsport, and him being an amazing driver on track in both cars and go karts, he coached me to my very first win in a Go-Kart Grand Prix out of 21 people, lending me his precious racing helmet and all the rest of the gear. He took an amazing amount of time teaching me how to drive that track and get the best out of my defence. He joked that unless I brought a trophy home I wouldn't be getting in the door so thank god I brought home a 1st

He fixes my car when it needs stuff done, and sometimes the week before pay day my car sometimes magically appears with a full tank of fuel.

He's a bit selfish with biscuits though.

He's an awesome, down to earth dude that I sometimes want to strangle. But I wouldn't swap him... although I don't think anyone else would have him!

 

[ironhorse]

Husband is brilliant - he has thoroughly embraced horses having never had much to do with them until he met me, and even did a lot of competing when we bought our first horse together. He is chief transport planner, driver, cook and bottlewasher at shows and still comes to a lot of events with me although he is not in the best of health now. At the weekend I persuaded him to go away training for a couple of days and he drove the lorry to Cambridgeshire in howling winds. He is a bit of a know it all when it comes to schooling my horse, and won't take any input from me when he does occasionally ride, but that's a typical man thing! Even though funds are a bit tight, he never complains about vet/physio/farrier bills and even puts up with my habitual horse shopping!
The other plaudit must go to my mum who moved heaven and earth to help me afford a horse on loan when I had a pre-college job on a yard. She also used to come to a lot of shows with me although she's not horsey, and still takes a keen interest in my horse even though she is in her late 70sd and a bit infirm! Love em both to bits!

 

[Charmin]

Not a OH but deserves a shout out anyway!

My lovely mum, who knew it would break my heart to sell before uni and so has kept her on and has sourced riders to keep her fit for when I get back at holidays. Who is constantly updating me on how Ruby is, who has organised the season's events with me and funds the habit. Who is number one cheerleader and always makes me see the positive side of things even when it all goes wrong. Who has put up with years of Pony Club mums even though we've always been a bit rubbish and instead been there with a portion of chips or a burger ready for a giggle at how silly we looked. She claims to have lived vicariously through me but without her none of it would have been possible and she deserves more than a medal, hopefully one day I'll earn enough to buy her the little cottage she longs for with a foaling box and a paddock so she can have a broodmare. Love you mum!

 

[humblepie]

I just tell mine he has no idea how lucky he is - he gets to travel the highways and byways of England at all times of the day and night, gets to groom the top show horse and has been to the most amazing places as groom. Not sure he sees it like that. But hey I have bought him a chocolate penguin reduced in the left over Christmas goods for Valentines Day....

 

[TPO]

I just tell mine he has no idea how lucky he is - he gets to travel the highways and byways of England at all times of the day and night, gets to groom the top show horse and has been to the most amazing places as groom. Not sure he sees it like that. But hey I have bought him a chocolate penguin reduced in the left over Christmas goods for Valentines Day....

Aww bless! This made me snort out loud!! I hope he likes his penguin!!

 

[DragonSlayer]

Husband is as horsey as me!

If he wasn't, couldn't have lifestyle we do now, £180 hay bill last weekend, £165 farrier bill week before, £60 feed bill the week before that...!

Like me, doesn't turn a hair, pays without moaning, unlike the ex....

We are currently looking for a lorry to replace the trailer (used to have lorry) so we can go a bit further afield this summer together....

No moans about tack in the kitchen, no whining about me being at a show every weekend in summer...

It really is heaven, he is ace.

 

[jessjc]

Ed is a pretty awesome husband, even when it comes to horses (he's non-horsey)! He often comes to shows, puts up jumps for me, suggests that we should maybe "make a weekend of competitions", videos my rounds and training and says all the right things. When there are long waits, he sits with his newspaper, buys a burger and is as happy as Larry. He listens to the commentary of my horsie woes and minor victories and understands, even turning to the horse to say "well done Croz!" and reflecting on the upcoming eventing season by saying "it should be a few good days out with the dogs". Couldn't ask for more.

Sometimes I wish he rode, so that he would be more a part of it and get the most out of being there, but other than that he is great Happy Valentine's Day -> and yes, as much as I love my horses, I'd rather spend Valentine's Day with my husband!

Although saying that, I did spend my mother's birthday last year waiting for 75 horses to go before me in the blue chip qualifiers...thankfully we qualified, so it was all worth it (Mum was not best pleased though...oops!..priorities, priorities..)

 

[EventingMum]

My husband has supported me and my horses for the last 30 years!! I met him as he had started riding as his friends wife had told him how hard it was and he wanted to prove her wrong He soon realised it wasn't so easy and soon gave up his loan horse and became my groom, learning to do studs, practice fences etc very quickly. Since the early days he has supported and funded me and my horses through injury, pregnancy and illness. He hasn't ridden for a long time and to be honest horses aren't really "his thing" anymore but he has done the same for our son from him starting on the lead rein up to 2* eventing. Competing and running a lorry has meant we don't have fancy holidays etc. He is also constantly doing repair jobs round the yard after his own strenuous days at work and tolerates my busy yard being right outside our house (which he built but that's another story!). All in all he's amazing and recently he's been great looking after me as I have major health issues on top of everything else. I'm very lucky and can't imagine life without him!

 

[Laafet]

No significant other here, never really has been but I do have a group of incredible friends who have supported me through the bad times when Nickel was injured or when I made the decision to sell Tarquin and when Murphy broke down on the World Class Performance Squad training. We all support each other and no matter what happens there is always a bottle of wine to pick it all over with at the end of the day, kicks up arse given out and praise where it is due. I also can't forget my poor Mum who dutifully drove me all over the place when I was a teenager for training or competing, coping with my massive strops and picking up the pieces. I appreciate her so much more now.

 

[ArcticFox]

Aww, we all have so much support. And I know I started the post with 'gold star to partners' but it was open to all those who need a huge hug for being so supportive!

Over the years growing up, I couldn't have done anything without my family, their support and help in allowing me to ride horses has been invaluable and I have been so lucky. You just can't do it without support really can you.

hip hip hooray!

 

[Heidi1]

My OH is a one in a million, he will help muck out, fetch in, shows, training, all without moaning, he's helped me fund the horses, along with my mum, he bought me a horse, he's fantastic as shows, doesn't ride, but is brilliant at seeing where it all went wrong and praises when it goes right. He maintains my lorry and car brilliantly. I couldn't do what I do without him. Thank you my lovely OH and my Mum..xx

 

[Old Bat]

Husband is brilliant - he has thoroughly embraced horses having never had much to do with them until he met me, and even did a lot of competing when we bought our first horse together. He is chief transport planner, driver, cook and bottlewasher at shows and still comes to a lot of events with me although he is not in the best of health now. At the weekend I persuaded him to go away training for a couple of days and he drove the lorry to Cambridgeshire in howling winds. He is a bit of a know it all when it comes to schooling my horse, and won't take any input from me when he does occasionally ride, but that's a typical man thing! Even though funds are a bit tight, he never complains about vet/physio/farrier bills and even puts up with my habitual horse shopping!
The other plaudit must go to my mum who moved heaven and earth to help me afford a horse on loan when I had a pre-college job on a yard. She also used to come to a lot of shows with me although she's not horsey, and still takes a keen interest in my horse even though she is in her late 70sd and a bit infirm! Love em both to bits!

I can vouch for him as well, they are a lovely couple!

My husband is a bit unique as well....he used to ride and although doesn't have his own horse now is always supportive of my creaky outings and mini's more exciting and frequent ones. He's chief photographer as well. Although retired he works bloomin' hard to help keep the animals going...ponies, lurchers, chickens, sheep, displays endless patience as chairman of our local parish council and keeper of peace with his mother who is Voldemort in disguise.

He's even made the best valentine's card ever this year!

 

[Crosshill Pacers]

I don't often venture over to C&T (although once I start training my pacer for racing I thought maybe I could let you know all about it) but saw this and wanted to join in.

My MASSIVE THANK YOU goes to my OH who has supported me every step of the way with my retired racehorse - he's very much of the 'can do' attitude and it's infectious so even I'm beginning to believe that I can do the things that I set myself. He's been the voice of reason when I've doubted my ability or suggested that my mare might have a more fulfilling second career with someone else and he's been an absolute star when it comes to making plans for when the horse and I move up to Scotland to live with him. Little things like scouting out hacking routes and offering to put jumps up on his jogging track which don't seem like much to most people but mean the world to me, and then building a whole new yard for my horse (and the horses that will result from our new breeding venture).

He also helped me out when I bought my racehorse, in terms of offering me a place to winter him (my parents refused to allow another horse on their land), building him up after a hard season racing last year and now beginning to bring him back into work before I arrive. When I suggested the slightly mad idea of buying the horse, he didn't once rule it out, but he went through all of our options, sourced the videos for me to assess the horse's past performances and actually looked the horse over before the sale as I was stuck in the sales office (he was even my designated bidder!).

I've always wanted to breed racehorses and for the last few years I've wanted to train and race them myself as well and he makes that possible because his love for the sport and for the horses is immense. There's so much he can teach me and so much fun that we can have together with OUR horses

Gushing officially OVER!

 

[kit279]

Lovely post, OP

My husband has been a total legend. He isn't horsey at all but has moved out into the countryside with me to a farm, coped with all the mud, learned how to do the horses from scratch and generally been wonderful. During the last 5 weeks, he has held the fort single-handed as I worked 28 days straight including weekends and night shifts and while I've been revising for my post-graduate exams. He has sorted the horses and cats every day, made dinner, done all the housework, all while doing his own full-time job, and I can't even describe how grateful I am.

To say thank you, we're going away to Japan in April after my exam and I can't wait

 

[tabithakat64]

My OH is amazing, he's massively supportive of everything I want to do, he adores my horses and cat and happily helps out with them even in the grottiest of weather. We share chores etc and unlike my ex he's very fair regarding money and the horse bills come out of our joint finances. He takes care of me when I'm ill, we share a lot of common interests and he is my best friend and my soulmate, I feel like I am the luckiest person alive to has him as my OH