Has anyone's OH become all horsey???

[tasel]

Let's say when you met your OH, he was absolutely non-horsey. And because of you he was all of a sudden smitten by horses (ok, it may not have been love at first sight, and it may have taken a while

). Did anyone's OH go on to take lessons and bought a horse???

When my OH first met my horse, he wasn't so sure... he was like "Why is this thing not working?" (i.e. why doesn't it do as told... like a car, etc.). Then horse became a bit nasty and it came to a point where OH thought she should be sold. Then, horse went from one injury to the next and OH was like "Why keep sth. that does not have a purpose?".

Recently, horse has mellowed down and OH started liking her (horse starts tolerating him), and if it wasn't for her current injury, he wouldn't have minded risking having a "tot ride" on her in a couple of months (she's really green, so that's very surprising, but he was encouraged by seeing how much she had improved temperament-wise).

Now, that said horse probably will be on boxrest and banned from ridden work for quite some time, OH is like "That doesn't matter, I can help rehabilitating her and take her for walks! In that way, it will help me bond with her like you did!" My facial expression (and that of my horse if she knew):

He always intended to learn riding next year. Now, he doesn't even look surprised when we discuss what type of horse he'd like to have (we have established that it would have to be a gelding... my mare showed him how he wouldn't be able to handle another woman in his life... min. 16.2hh, with jumping ability - 'cos dressage is soooo not "manly" tsk, tsk - and as nice-looking as mine)... I told him he better learn riding fast for that, and that the above description is gonna cost him a bit!!!

 

[RichardRider]

12 years ago, when we started dating I told my son's mother to a show jumping event thinking the "theatre" and beauty of the sport, if not being a horsey person, she'd at least appreciate...I had many friends competing as well...

After 20 minutes she yawned and said lets go.

Now after many years of restoring an old farm on 20 acres(to keep my horses, etc,) she MIGHT hold a gate open for me or scratch one of my horses between the ears

once every leap year...rr

 

[rolls1392]

Speaking as a previously non horsey OH, I now own my own mare( see we can handle more than one woman!!)
I was introduced to horses quite young when I got run over by one and ended up in hospital. Still I didn't learn and when wife got her own I ignored it for a while, but got suckered in and the rest is history. Hope your OH learns to ride quickly or when he jumps he will spend alot oif time on the floor looking up at his horse( speak from experience there)

 

[woolly]

When we married, my hubby was totally non horsey and in fact had only ridden an elephant!!!! I introduced him to horses and he was smitten. Within 6 months he was competing, 12 months working as a stunt man with horses and on to CCI 1*!!!!! I am merely his groom!

 

[RichardRider]

[ QUOTE ]
When we married, my hubby was totally non horsey and in fact had only ridden an elephant!!!! I introduced him to horses and he was smitten. Within 6 months he was competing, 12 months working as a stunt man with horses and on to CCI 1*!!!!! I am merely his groom!

[/ QUOTE ]

YES!!!We all should be so lucky(except the groom part...)

...rr

 

[samstar]

Nope and I intend it to stay that way

 

[pricklyflower]

My OH has had no prior experience of horses but he will come down and poo pick the fields, do heavy lifting (water containers) clean out water buckets, help with the feeds (can almost do them himself now), maybe grab a brush if I'm grooming the old boy, put jumps up and down and generally do what he's told *smirk*. He has ridden three times but it's not for him. He has adopted the old boy since my mum passed away (he was her horse) and he gives him his tea every night and a quick kiss on the nose (when no-one's looking). I think he enjoys it, he moans about it but comes with me everynight!

 

[Muddywellies]

My other half (who I only met a year go) said to me in the beginning "I don't do animals bigger than I am"
Now, there is nothing he won't do, except ride. He puts (my sometimes tricky) horse out, mucks out, hay, water, put rugs on, takes rugs off, puts on boots, poo picks the field, fixes fences, trots horse up for physio, attends for the farrier, had a lesson on removing shoes from the farrier, and had a darned good go at it, and is currently renovating an old trailer which he bought.
It has been said by others that he has a better relationship with my horse than I do.

 

[woolly]

Lol Richard!!!! don't wish too hard!!!! I finished up with 4 competition horses and a yard manager to feed his 'habit'... In all the time I was working I think I sat on a horse once! Still, I don't regret a moment and am so proud of him! Sadly horses have taken a back seat now and we do miss them sometimes!

 

[tasel]

[ QUOTE ]
Speaking as a previously non horsey OH, I now own my own mare( see we can handle more than one woman!!)
I was introduced to horses quite young when I got run over by one and ended up in hospital. Still I didn't learn and when wife got her own I ignored it for a while, but got suckered in and the rest is history. Hope your OH learns to ride quickly or when he jumps he will spend alot oif time on the floor looking up at his horse( speak from experience there)

[/ QUOTE ]

What? You can handle more than one woman???

OH has previously been to HOYS with me and loved the jumping, so thinks that's the "cool" thing to do. He also knows that my mare was bred to SJ (but is in many people's opinion more of a dressage horse prospect look-wise) and saw her loose jumping 1.50m... but he wouldn't dare do that on her... she can be pretty highly strung if she wants to - typical woman... ehem... I mean mare!!!

[ QUOTE ]
Within 6 months he was competing, 12 months working as a stunt man with horses and on to CCI 1*!!!!! I am merely his groom!

[/ QUOTE ]

I think I'm too competitive to let that happen... but we are both pretty competitive, so that might make me us both better riders.

Riding is the one sport that OH finds difficult to learn though (because it involves communicating with horses). He has always been quite sporty and tends to pick up other sports quite fast... he was shocked when he figured out riding wasn't simply sitting on a horse! When I told him I wanted to go on a riding holiday and complained I can't do the one I wanted because he couldn't ride, he told me to just lie on the form and say he could ride (expecting he could learn it within an hour!). Spoke to the riding holiday place and made a weekend out of it instead... he never dared telling me how easy riding was after that!!!

 

[MrsElle]

Last year when I said to my OH 'I'm thinking about getting a horse' he told me not to expect him to have anything to do with it at all.

For the first month he was true to his word, then after much pestering he came down to meet Ellie. He started to spend more and more time down the yard and since moving to our own rented field a couple of months ago he is down there several times a week. At the weekend he was scratching Ellie and he told me he had become rather attached to her. He then asked if he could ride her, so the next day off we went for a hack. He did really well and said he will ride every weekend now

He refuses to poo pick though

 

[kimky]

When i met my OH i dont think he had ever seen a horse up close haha, but slowly i brain washed him hahaha. I must admit he has been a fabulous help with all the illness's my mare has gone through. He might not be good at stable bandaging but he was great when i had late nights at the yard making sure shes oki, he use to bring me food and a coat

Now i cant keep him away from the yard!! He has more joules clothes then me and walks a cross country course thinking his Mary king lmao. I must admire his enthusiasm. One time i remember him chatting to me while we were walking a XC course and he was trying to make me laugh and he said ' i just had my 16.2hh TB gelding covered ? WTF ? the people behind me could not stop laughing hahahaha .. Me and Guinness LOVE him.

 

[Butterbean]

My OH had never ridden a horse before we got together ... ten years on and he has 2 horses, loves riding and competing & is, unfortunately, better and braver than me!

 

[ElaP]

Mine OH has just started to have lessons, and is proving to be a quick study - just abou mastered rising trot on the second lesson... mind you, he did fall off at a walk the other day... Annoyingly he's a natural, I reckon he will be a far better rider than me a year from now. Ideally he will get hooked and decide he wants a ned! Not there yet though....

 

[Persephone]

Hubby is not interested in riding at all but he has become a whizz on stable management over the years.

He is happy to tow my trailer all over the place for me and groom. He is extremely capable I must say. He has a lot more knowledge than some of the owners at the yard.

I know I can safely leave my horse with him for any amount of time and he will know when and if to call a vet, give the vet basic readings, give them information on caecum movement in colic etc. He can deal correctly with wounds and injuries and has an excellent bandaging technique. He can even apply a Robert Jones lol! He'll give you a pretty good run down on gastric ulcer cause and treatment as well. Also excellent on laminitis management.

Of course there has to be one thing he lets himself down on. In his case it's not straightening the front of the bed lol! I am so lucky!