This horse stuff is too frustrating - I need a new hobby!

Hullabaloo

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I was thinking this horse thing is just way too frustrating, time consuming and expensive. My whole weekend has revolved around a ODE yesterday, where I ended up retiring in the show jumping.
My horse just didn't seem interested. He seems fine in himself, is sound and seems happy. Guess he was just having an off day. The ground was quite hard which probably didn't help.
Our dressage was hard work and there was just no spark about him.
He warmed up nicely for the show jumping but in the ring he just didn't get going. Normally the tows me round the sj but yesterday he kept braking into trot and while he was jumping everything he obviously wasn't enjoying himself. I pulled him up before the double as with the way he was jumping I didn't see anyway we could get through it safely and I don't want to spoil his confidence. I wouldn't have taken him xc anyway, the way he was going.

Now I'm back at work, wondering what happened to my weekend and wondering what new hobby I could take up that would be less frustrating! Meanwhile my horse is happy chilling in his field enjoying the sunshine!

Any ideas for new hobbies are welcome!
 
Hmmm - Doesn't quite replace the adrenalin rush I get from jumping but I can see the attraction, especially in winter.
 
Too dangerous - could poke my eye out with a needle! Also too difficult - my Great Aunt spend hours trying to teach me to knit but I was hopeless
 
You could try betting on racehorses - still horse related, still costs a ton of money and the thrill of maybe winning a couple of pence too? My gran who is 95 this year (I think - she lied years ago so we're not sure), spends all her time betting. It's good exercise going from her front room to the tv in her bedroom to check her bets and she can make her money go a long way betting 10p each way.
 
what about this!http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RejsRq0MtBI&feature=related Link will not work so put in youtube and try rabbit showjumping!
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Wee Brown - sounds like a possibility, except my tv is in my front room and I have a cordless phone so would miss out on the exercise part. It seems that this is a crucial part of the hobby as if I could do it all too quickly I'd go through too many 10ps.
Sorry Spotty Botty (I'm not even going to ask where your name came from but hope its something to do with your horse
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) - I'm at work and can't watch you tube. I'll look forward to assessing it for suitability when I get home.
 
Fish collecting, interesting. I think my cats would like that one. It would go with their other hobbies of bird collecting, mouse collecting and rat collecting.
Only problem is they'd be so much better at it than me and I'd hate to be shown up by a cat!

Rabbit showjumping - would need to go on a diet so I didn't squash the rabbit.

I hope you don't think I'm being too fussy here - just want to get it right this time before I spend thousands on a piece of equipment that only works when it feels like it!
 
Collecting truck names is out as I'm likely to crash my car trying to read them. My OH won't let me decorate (as he says I'm a cowboy) so can't watch paint dry. Every time I attempt rail travel all the trains start running late so probably best avoided.
Maybe horses aren't so bad after all!
 
Can see the attraction but would prefer to steer away from anything mechanical as have just had huge repair bill for my car (mainly caused by pretending I was a rally driver on the farm track up to the yard)!
 
Tai chi, for minimal stress and expense.

Tropical fish, for medium stress and expense.

Horses, for maximum - no wait...

Seriously, why not step it down a peg for a few months? (Can you do that? I don't know how it works.) Do more fun stuff, like games or whatever, instead of the massive pressure of performing at a high level. Maybe what you need is a brief change of activity and scenery?
 
Good advice.
Unfortunately we're not at a particularly high level - was local unaffiliated event.
Saying that I was a bit ambitious and went for the 3' class which was where we'd got to a couple of years ago before he had some injury problems (we've been doing ok at 2'6 this year). I knew the xc would be a stretch for us, but we should've walked the show jumping. I've nothing planned now until the end of August so will play around doing some schooling and a bit of show jumping at local shows if I think the ground is ok.
The event I'm planning in August has a 2'9 class which will be perfect for us, I hope!

Not sure about the Tai Chi - don't you have to wear some funny white coat. White is so not my colour
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