Hobby or way of life?

[Caol Ila]

An obsession.

Loved horses from the moment I can remember. My parents tell me they took me on a trip to Iceland at age 2, and the only way I could be placated was with toy horses. Luckily, Iceland provided because their horses are such a culturally important thing, so you can get toy ones in all the tourist shops. It went downhill from there. Riding lessons from age 6-ish onwards. A massive stable of Breyer horses. My own real live at horse at age 13. I haven't been without one since. I've made tough choices, not done things like become a ski bum or moved to Moab, UT, but when Gypsum was in her final years and I realised that I could be horseless, travel, finish the munros, get better at rock climbing, what did I do? I bought 2-year old filly. Then Gypsum's final years quickly and unexpectedly became final months, and I realised it would be a while before I could ride the filly. That could have been an opportunity to travel and do things while the filly didn't require much time and effort, just growing up and being a baby. Did I do that? The f*ck I did. I bought Fin.

I don't know what's wrong with me.

 

[maya2008]

Addicted happily since age 4. Merrily got my husband and two kids addicted too.

 

[rabatsa]

My granny bought me my first pony when I was three. Sixty blob years later I still have a pony only I now carriage drive rather than ride.

 

[SEL]

I gave my 7yo niece a ride on the microcob over the summer - grinning from ear to ear.

My mum told me my niece having a pony party for her 8th birthday. RESULT!! Not entirely sure mum is as impressed by the granddaughter being led astray by aunty SEL

I knew I bought a 13h pony for a reason

 

[norolim]

Hobby currently. Slowly slowly working to shape life to have more time for horses and dog(s) so it can be more lifestyle though

This is me too. Definitely want horses to play a bigger role in my life

 

[w1bbler]

25 + years of ownership & before that 15 + years of riding, including working with them. I thought it was a way of life.
Now after a couple of broken ones, lengthy rehab that took its toll I'm thinking it's time to give it up. Feb up with having to do them twice a day, having no money or spare time & dealing with mud etc

 

[Titchy Pony]

I gave my 7yo niece a ride on the microcob over the summer - grinning from ear to ear.

My mum told me my niece having a pony party for her 8th birthday. RESULT!! Not entirely sure mum is as impressed by the granddaughter being led astray by aunty SEL

I knew I bought a 13h pony for a reason

This is my plan for my nephew. My Sister has been warned! She also has a very convenient field and some outbuildings...

 

[Alibear]

Horses make my soul happy on a level that nothing else does.

 

[callybbi]

Definitely a way of life/ lifestyle for me

 

[gunnergundog]

Has been a way of life for over 70 years. I want to continue as long as I can but my body is beginning to let me down. I can't complain as have had my three score and ten totally trouble free motoring - it's just been in the last few years things seem to have caught up with me and I can no longer do what I want to do, to the standard I want to or at the frequency I wish to. I suspect that this may be my last year hunting. Not sure if I will continue riding if I stop, but there again not sure what I will do if I don't. Have had to cut back on my dog work too, the hills are too much for my legs. It really does suck getting old.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

I was horse mad from a little child. Great grandad was a horseman and highly regarded. Gran used to tell me stories about his life with horses and what she could remember. Finally sat on a pony in 1960 when I was just 12, pony ride at our school fete then found every fete locally with pony rides. Friend then found out about a local RS, had to cycle 6 miles but so what. Rode there for a bit then found another much closer. When that closed moved to the one I ended up working at. Left there at 21 and went into an office. Now I started getting my own and after I got married to a (tenant) farmer's son got a bit carried away breeding them. I bred appaloosas for many years, was always hard up as every penny went on the horses and exhausted from looking after them. Never crossed my mind to give up. Now I haven't ridden for a good many years and not sure I even want to now but still have one pasture ornament. I still look at horses for sale and think I would like one but realistically no. It was always a way of life for me and I wouldn't change anything. I was very lucky to have a husband who supported and enabled me.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Has been a way of life for over 70 years. I want to continue as long as I can but my body is beginning to let me down. I can't complain as have had my three score and ten totally trouble free motoring - it's just been in the last few years things seem to have caught up with me and I can no longer do what I want to do, to the standard I want to or at the frequency I wish to. I suspect that this may be my last year hunting. Not sure if I will continue riding if I stop, but there again not sure what I will do if I don't. Have had to cut back on my dog work too, the hills are too much for my legs. It really does suck getting old.

I can relate 100% to this.

 

[SDMabel]

Hobby for me ! I purposely try to prevent my life fully revolving around the horse , certainly now I have a toddler my priorities have changed quite drastically.

I came from a family from which it was very much in the blood, mother was a BHSI instructor running a yard, competing, training point to pointers and we went along for the ride (quite literally )

Don't get me wrong it was a fantastic childhood and we loved it, but it has made me appreciate having my weekends back just to relax and go for a hack if i feel like it !!

 

[Annagain]

I think it's a bit of both for me. Owning and caring for horses (and dogs) is definitely in my blood. I genuinely can't imagine my life without them. I'm not obsessive about it though and have a life away from them too. They never want for anything but I'm not one of those owners who is bathing their grey horses on a daily basis or charging to the yard when the weather changes to swap rugs etc. I'm a big believer in horses being horses. Wig is currently the only one without a rug as his clipping got delayed and he's too hot even in a 0g. Arch has a rug for the first time in 3 years as he's 29 now, dropped a bit of weight last winter and the new yard is a bit more exposed. Laid back but committed I suppose is the way I'd describe me.

I could quite happily not ride . Don't get me wrong, I love it and want to do it as much as possible but if it wasn't possible, I'd be ok with it. I've never taken riding particularly seriously, I do what I enjoy and that's it - sometimes that's a bit of competing, sometimes it's just hacking, other times I get going on the schooling and working towards achieving something. That usually wears off though, I'm not disciplined enough to keep that up for long.

The last few years I've not ridden loads - first as Arch retired and Mont was doing more with his owner's son so I couldn't ride him so much. It took me forever to find Charlie, then he didn't work out as planned. Then I found Wiggy so quickly, it seemed too good to be true - and it was because I slipped a disc (totally unrelated to horses) and have barely been able to sit on him for 10 months. I've not been as frustrated as I thought I'd be at the lack of riding but the times when I could barely move so couldn't even go to see the boys were when I got quite down about being crocked. I think they've always given such a structure to my life and been such a big part of my identity that I feel a bit lost without them. It's also the one thing I do that I focus on 100% when I'm doing it and everything else goes out the window.

 

[J&S]

Way of life for me. My ex said to my step mother "all she cares about are the horses", her reply was quite simple... "what's changed then!" Still own and ride at 76, they are what keeps me sane and healthy and happy.

 

[First Frost]

Definitely in the blood.
I grew up with horses at home, sat on a pony before I could walk. I have owned at least one horse, sometimes many more for the last 50 years and can't imagine things any other way.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Has been a way of life for over 70 years. I want to continue as long as I can but my body is beginning to let me down. I can't complain as have had my three score and ten totally trouble free motoring - it's just been in the last few years things seem to have caught up with me and I can no longer do what I want to do, to the standard I want to or at the frequency I wish to. I suspect that this may be my last year hunting. Not sure if I will continue riding if I stop, but there again not sure what I will do if I don't. Have had to cut back on my dog work too, the hills are too much for my legs. It really does suck getting old.

I feel your pain, literally. Same for me over 70 years with them, but I did get myself a very well paid career of sorts to cover the expenses along the way. Bought and sold a few just for the craic, tried most if not all disciplines along the way. Both my sons were 2 weeks overdue and I rode until the day I was taken in to be induced with both of them.

I did stop for awhile after I broke my neck breaking in a youngster, my husband sold my horses while I was recovering! I forgave him as he thought it was for the best for all of us. But I became so depressed I went back out and bought another couple and the rest is history.

Now looking at absolutely no possibility of riding again, selling up everything horse related and also possibility my old retired mare may have to be PTS. To say I am despondent is rather an understatement. But its been a good life one way and another and many others far worse off.

 

[9tails]

I don't think they're a hobby if you can't put it down and lock it away. Being on DIY livery, I get up at 6am to sort the horse out. Then I go back at 5pm to put her to bed. Whether I ride or not, the work still needs to be done so that her life is comfortable. I don't find horse ownership that taxing or strenuous, but it needs to be done on time every day.

My motorbike is a hobby, it's under cover and hasn't been seen to for a few weeks.

 

[Asha]

id like to say it was in my blood, but im not from a horsey background. so im going to say its a lifestyle. Rode from the age of 4 at a riding school , gave up when i hit the teens as parents couldnt afford lessons anymore. Started riding again in my 20s, we bought my daughter a pony when she showed an interest and then my husband bought me Asha. I will never forget that day. Since then havent been without them, and wouldnt want to be. Very lucky in that my daughter is still mad keen and my husband enjoys having them around nearly as much as i do. He likes to talk to customers about them, and refers to them as the irish drafters. He gets very excited when we have foals arrive, thats his favourite time of the year.

 

[ponynutz]

Definitely a lifestyle. I did the first year of uni without horses and nearly went insane. Now I spend half my life and all of my money on them.

 

[welshcobabe]

When I lost my last horse Stan after 22 years I lasted all of 12 weeks before getting my young shire x cob who is a joy. I don't compete I love to hack out but if the weather is awful I don't looking after him keeps me fit I did age in the weeks without a horse I have had horses now in my life for 60 years from birth with no gaps. He is very well looked after I take pride in how he looks hard work with all that mane and tail and feather. He brings me joy and my mental health is kept well because of him. I have friends that are horse owners but I also like to craft I make cards etc so he is 80% but I do other things as well but he is always the priority.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Met an older couple in the doctors tonight who clocked my horsey sweatshirt. They have 4-grandmother, mother, daughter and their son is a professional horse ballplayer. Properly in the blood!

 

[skint1]

I don't ride my current horse, and I only have one horse, but it is a way of life for me. Sometimes hard, sometimes sad, sometimes frustrating, but I love it.

 

[Titchy Pony]

Definitely a way of life for me. I have had a grand total of a 3 month break from horses (fieldwork in Africa) since I started riding as a child almost 30 years ago. I owned as a teenager but had to sell for uni but kept in the horsey life with lessons and shares. I got my own again late 20s and I'm hopping to never be without again. I now have two at home (chosen with horse keeping in mind) and I'm tentatively planning breeding a third from number one and trying to figure out how to get my riding fix whilst she's on maternity leave (number 2 is semi-retired) though hopping future puppy will partly make up for less riding.
I read somewhere that "the horse is more than half the rider" which pretty much sums me up. Without my horses and my dog, I am not truly myself.

 

[Spotherisk]

It was a way of life, I got my first when I was 28, and he died this summer, when I was 54. His replacement died three years earlier. I absolutely adored those two boys and haven’t seen a horse for sale that I want to sit on, so despite having ten acres at home, I have no horses and am unlikely to have another.

But never say never!

 

[spotty_pony2]

Definitely a way of life for me, I’d be lost without them.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

I think it's a bit of both for me. Owning and caring for horses (and dogs) is definitely in my blood. I genuinely can't imagine my life without them. I'm not obsessive about it though and have a life away from them too. They never want for anything but I'm not one of those owners who is bathing their grey horses on a daily basis or charging to the yard when the weather changes to swap rugs etc. I'm a big believer in horses being horses. Wig is currently the only one without a rug as his clipping got delayed and he's too hot even in a 0g. Arch has a rug for the first time in 3 years as he's 29 now, dropped a bit of weight last winter and the new yard is a bit more exposed. Laid back but committed I suppose is the way I'd describe me.

I could quite happily not ride . Don't get me wrong, I love it and want to do it as much as possible but if it wasn't possible, I'd be ok with it. I've never taken riding particularly seriously, I do what I enjoy and that's it - sometimes that's a bit of competing, sometimes it's just hacking, other times I get going on the schooling and working towards achieving something. That usually wears off though, I'm not disciplined enough to keep that up for long.

This is me too. I love my boys but my whole life doesn't revolve around them. It's possibly in part because they live out and don't have the same sort of routines that stabled horses have. I have loved horses since I was a kid but didn't get chance to do anything with them til my teens, then I had a long break and got back into them about 13 years ago. I can't imagine my life without them but if I had to choose between horses and dogs I'd probably pick the dogs every time.

 

[Honey08]

Bit of both for me.
They’re definitely in my blood, I grew up adoring them. Was lucky enough to have my own as a teen. I desperately wanted to work with horses, did my BHSAI, and did work with them for a few years. But one of those jobs was abroad and led me to my other love for travel, and that became my lifetime job/career. I had a break from horses for a few years, then bought my own and plunged right back in, competing and Eventing again. After another decade, and a few injuries, I downgraded to happy hacker, and as the horses got older and retired, I downgraded to just having horses, not riding. I’ve had a lot of other balls in the air lately, caring for sick parents/husband and am now down to one elderly horse. When he goes I’m not sure I’ll have another. We’re winding down towards hopefully earlyish retirement and I’d like to do more with the last couple of decades of my life than muck out. I want to travel more again (I think I’ve got itchy feet again after three years of being home and no longer cabin crew!). Perhaps I’ll change my mind in the future, who knows. I still enjoy going to big horse trials and watching. It’s still in me, but it’s not all of me, if you know what I mean!

 

[fidleyspromise]

It's a lifestyle.
Most of my life revolves around the horses and what I can do to enrich them.
My Dr advised me to not ride and I managed 4 months before I decided I'd rather be in pain later than a life without horses.
I'm a happy hacker mainly.