Being religious & horsey

[SophieLouBee]

Who is?

I have a client who is very religious, she talks about it very openly to me, but without shoving down my throat. I'm not really religious at all, I like to think that maybe there is a higher power and do say a prayer every once in a while, but that's as far as it goes.

Apart from her I've not really met anyone else who is that 'into it' in the horsey world, Sorry if that sounds funny, I didn't know how else to put it!

I was just wondering if perhaps it's a conflict of interests, or that you need to be a certain type of person to be one or the other. I can't imagine many if hho at church

 

[Spudlet]

Someone I know is. Not sure why you think there'd be a conflict tbh

 

[Ladyinred]

Someone I know is. Not sure why you think there'd be a conflict tbh

The conflict is 'time' Horses occupy a huge percentage of our time, especially weekends, and, of course, anyone religious is meant to go to church on a Sunday. I have no doubt it can be done, especially for those not competitive, but I imagine it could be a difficult choice for many.

 

[JadeWisc]

I am not so sure you can connect a horse hobby/interest to religion.
I think it just depends on the individual. Much like saying most Cyclists are religious? It doesn't really make sense to me to make the connection.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Yes, I'm Catholic but think it compliments being involved with horses.
Who could see the magnificence, power and beauty of a horse in flight and not believe there is a God ?

 

[NeverSayNever]

makes no sense to me either, not sure what about the 2 doesnt go together? Im a protestant - I have horses.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

I am religious & horsey. Admittedly I tend to only go to church at Christmas.

Not many of my friends are religious & tend to be surprised when I say am off to church to sing carols as would never try & ram religion down someone's throat so only mention it if it comes up.

As horserider says, how can u see a horse & not believe

I also find it keeps me calm & grounded, the day after I got gingerknobbermare (I was 15) she escaped while tied up and I spent over an hour alone & in tears trying to catch her to so I could take her dangling leadrope off. Eventually she wandered into stable and was able to take rope off.

Soppy as I am, I believe that was Gods way of saying 'right young girl, u have your horse but its not going to be easy, are u going to give up or keep going even though its not all Jills Gymkana?'

Needless to say I kept going

 

[nikCscott]

I 'have faith', but I'm not sure in what yet, I call it "God'' but not on the traditional Bible/Jesus sense, more so like in 'The Secret' or 'Eat Pray Love' books more casual on my terms and by trying to make myself a better person. I dip in and out of all faiths and find the subject fascinating.

My children go to a Church of England school and I take them to most of the once a month family service (if it fits in with their hectic social lives), but they are not christened. My vicar know my doubts and is happy for me to take as much or as little as I like.

I would disagree there is a conflict of interest and you don't have to go to church/mosque/synagogue/guru shrine to have faith, its just part of you. Look at Jonathan Edwards (World record holding, Olympian triple jumper) devote christian still allowed himself to compete Sundays as he figured his God wouldn't have given him the talent and not wanted him to use it.

 

[JFTDWS]

Who could see the magnificence, power and beauty of a horse in flight and not believe there is a God ?

I'm an atheist and all I see is the Glory of Evolution when I look at a horse

I can sort of see where the OP is coming from - you might expect more extremely religious people in your local knitting circle than your local pony club - but I think that's just rampant stereotyping, if I'm honest

 

[MissChaos]

The conflict is 'time' Horses occupy a huge percentage of our time, especially weekends, and, of course, anyone religious is meant to go to church on a Sunday.

You mean anyone who's Christian is meant to go to church on a Sunday

(ETA am personally using 'meant' as in as laid down by the Bible etc., not as in you have to or will burst into flames otherwise - but then that's my interpretation/way and a whole different can of worms, really.)

 

[frankie8]

I'm an atheist and all I see is the Glory of Evolution when I look at a horse

Agreed

 

[galaxy]

I'm religious and go to church every Sunday.

My only clash is that I don't compete on a Sunday which can be infuriating when certain good comps are only run on Sundays. Luckily nowadays I do BD and there plenty on mid week and Saturdays.

 

[Goldenstar]

Yes, I'm Catholic but think it compliments being involved with horses.
Who could see the magnificence, power and beauty of a horse in flight and not believe there is a God ?

I can

 

[Onyxia]

I'm religious and go to church every Sunday.

My only clash is that I don't compete on a Sunday which can be infuriating when certain good comps are only run on Sundays. Luckily nowadays I do BD and there plenty on mid week and Saturdays.

Does your church not offer a Saturday service?
I am catholic, we have a family mass on Sunday and an "on pain of the look of death from Father keep the kids away" adults mas on Sat

That said, to me any God who did not understand that the animals he made came first is not worth it IMO, and if I can't get to mass I will spend some time in church at another point in the week on my own.


OP I do not see any conflict betwen religion and horse ownership. Why would there be?

 

[galaxy]

Does your church not offer a Saturday service?
I am catholic, we have a family mass on Sunday and an "on pain of the look of death from Father keep the kids away" adults mas on Sat

That said, to me any God who did not understand that the animals he made came first is not worth it IMO, and if I can't get to mass I will spend some time in church at another point in the week on my own.


OP I do not see any conflict betwen religion and horse ownership. Why would there be?

Nope. And it's not just a case of going to church, it's a belief around the Sabbath day.

I can look after my horse etc obviously no problem, but we choose not to do things like compete/shop etc on a Sunday.

 

[maree t]

Our family belong to a small village church. They go to a church of england school and support the local church youth group. There are several families there that are pony club (even one of the instructors )
We dont go every sunday and being a small village there is only one service a week. If there is a good competition or they are riding in teams then they ride.
We have a large popular pony club show in the village once a year and the vicar comes down there after the service to check on her parishoners, she knows where to find us .
I dont think that being a christian means that you have to go to church every week, I think it is more how you choose to live your life.

 

[TicTac]

I have 2 horses and am a christian. I dont need to go to church to pray and I dont force my belief on anyone. My actions speak louder than words

 

[Ranyhyn]

Agree with that last statement Maree T.

A lot of religions seem to, well not force, but you get my drift, people into doing a set rota of things. I was raised Roman Catholic, I'm not a practising Catholic. I don't go to church, I don't conscribe to all the "rules" wholeheartedly. But I do believe and have faith.

Anyway this is not a religion chatter but I don't go to church and am horsey in answer to the OP.

 

[FairyLights]

I am religious and horsey.I go to church but not every Sunday. Our church also has services on Tuesdays.
I sometimes go out on Sundays ,sometimes to horsey events, its all quite fluid really.

 

[Fellewell]

The Good Lord in His wisdom only allowed for the creation of churches so that Steeplechasing could take place.
The first one was run between Buttevant Church and Doneraile Church in Co Cork.
Thus proving conclusively the existence of God.

 

[wtdnh131]

im not particularly religious but i would like to think that god has a plan for each and every persons life out there it would be comfort for me as im finding life choices hard at the moment. a few people i know are religious and when they say nice things like that i like to believe it too, though ive only ever been to church for weddings etc. me and my family do have a comfort thing about white feathers, whenever we see a white feather its either my aunty who died of cancer, my nan who was at the end of her time or my great aunty for the same reason, we believe this for a comfort thing (though i do feel its strange when white feathers appear on my horses saddle when im riding and get stuck to her numnah, my aunty would have been so pleased knowing i finally got a loan pony and nan would be)

i dont know any horsey religious people but the horse is a wonderful creature so i do get the replies that say about god making the horse

 

[ClassicG&T]

Im not religious in any way, shape or form and ive got a horse. i haven't even been baptised! Nor do i know anyone who is religious and horsey.

 

[Fallenrose]

Horses are the reason I stopped going to church on Sunday as a kid (my parents are religious) and it's been downhill since then lol! Evolution all the way!

 

[ClassicG&T]

The Good Lord in His wisdom only allowed for the creation of churches so that Steeplechasing could take place.
The first one was run between Buttevant Church and Doneraile Church in Co Cork.
Thus proving conclusively the existence of God.

Love this

 

[ridefast]

I don't like to call it religious - I have faith, I am a christian, I believe in God and Jesus Christ died for our sins etc.
I struggle to get to church on sundays not through competing but working, I work on a tb stud and it's hard to get sunday mornings off But I like to think God understands. I don't try to force my beliefs on anyone just try to show it in the way I live/work etc. Unfortunately being a flawed human I slip up regularly

 

[Shantara]

Could never believe in any religion.
Especially one that says this!
"The LORD told Joshua, "Don't be afraid of them because I am going to give them to Israel. About this time tomorrow they will all be dead. You must disable (hamstring) their horses so that they cannot be used in battle. You must burn their chariots.""

Sorry ^^ it's just REALLY not my thing, but whatever y'all wanna believe


Don't know why there'd be a conflict though I have several religious friends who ride!

 

[mulledwhine]

I am a catholic, not practising ( little heathen that I am lol )

I do not go to church except for school services, but I do not see that you have to go to a cold building, with someone speakIng AT you ( my parents assure me that is not the case now, but I am not prepared to risk it) is proof of any faith/ believing. I am split but if there is a 'god' then where better to worship than in the beautiful countryside 'he' created.

However if people feel that they need to go to church, it only takes an hour, once a week, so I do not see the conflict

Each to their own, just please do not try to confert me

 

[sidesaddlegirl]

I'm mormon (since I was a kid) but don't go to church or do churchy stuff as my OH isn't mormon or wants to do churchy stuff (although I would like to sometimes). I say, live and let live. I pray, on my own and try to raise my son with a good life ethic and values and consider the stables to be my church or "place of sanctuary", lol. I'm glad I have rubber mats in my stable as sometimes I'll say a quiet prayer without anyone knowing in their if things get too much or I just need to blab to god about crap that going down and it's amazing how the smell of horse wee/poo/hay/shavings + God can make things clear
There is another lady at my yard who is mormon as well and I can talk to her about God stuff but we don't shove it down anyone's throat at the yard and I don't think anyone knows that we are, she is pretty chilled out too although she does go to church on a sunday.

 

[monkeybum13]

I don't see why there should be a difference between horsey religious people and non-horsey religious people, OP I am confused?!

 

[Foxhunter49]

I would class myself as a Christian, I believe in a supreme power and an afterlife.
I am not a church person, my church is on top of the hill - can be jolly draughty on days like today!
I also believe in evolution and for those that only believe in evolution if you read the first chapter of the bible it states the progress of evolution just as it has been proven scientifically and, as for it all taking place in 7 days - what is a day in evolution?