Were you born with a silver spoon in your mouth?

[Agent XXX999]

Following on from the Zara post, I would like to know how many on here were born into a wealthy family/have money/consider themselves upper middle class or gentry! Only every horse person I know (even the ones that own yards) struggles to make ends meet...or maybe I just know all of the poor ones....

 

[AmyMay]

No, Platimum darling

 

[Henmen]

Nope, lived on a council estate till i was 20, now OH earns a very good salary, and we dont struggle to pay bills and have a resonable lifestyle, we can afford one horse on his income, but to have 2 im having to work P/T.

 

[miamibear]

Im no way upper class, as a kid it was terrible - no money at all - me and OH both have good ish jobs now so can afford lifes little pleasures but cant go mad.

Would love more money but who wouldnt?!!

xx

 

[Kelly1982]

No silver spoons over here, i have to work hard for what i have got and i'm always skint.

I wouldn't say our family are poor though as we have got a nice house and all drive ok cars, but we have to watch what we spend and cant go out and buy stuff just coz we feel like it. My parents aren't horsey though so that probably explains why i am the worst one off in our family.

 

[Parkranger]

Right I ticked Middle Class because I don't struggle. I'm single, have a flat (will have) which I'll own and can afford a horse and a relatively new car.

However, I'm working class as I have to WORK for a living.

Middle class - pah, just people who strive to be upper class but will never make it.....

My parents both came from working class backgrounds and worked their way up. Both retired at 50, have a mahoosive house and a horse (and 7 acres of land). I think that just makes them hard working class.

I'm slightly mixed up though as i think I'm going to vote conservatives next election......

 

[Chex]

Not much money when I was growing up, holidays were always camping in France or thereabouts, old cars etc. Parents have a bit more money now, they treat themselveas to nice holidays. But me, I'm just a skint student lol

 

[Weezy]

Upper Middle growing up tho my father was a total miser and I had to work my arse off for my horses - he never bought me one or anything associated with horses, and TBH I thank him for that as I got to ride hundreds of different horses instead and worked on yards and learnt so much!

 

[samp]

I can just about afford to live but currently still at home paying off debts. Can afford a life but not an extravagant life

 

[katelarge]

I clicked the middle class option. But if I had been asked to answer the same question as a teenager it would have been very different. Both parents worked hard for not much money, we lived on a council estate, I coudl afford riding lessons but that was it. No pony and no prospect of ever having one.

Everything I now have is a result of working HARD.

 

[eahotson]

Comfortable now but both myself and OH have been very hard up in our time.

 

[katelarge]

I might add that while I never had a silver spoon, I was much luckier. Instead of money, I was born with a silver - no, platinum – IQ which got me everywhere. Inherited brains beat inherited money any day!

 

[Tempi]

well im definately not well off in anyway shape or form, however i do manage to keep two horses. but i live with my mum, hence i can afford the monthly payments on our new horsebox (well it was new in april). i do get a good wage but i pay for everything myself, mum just helps out with the practical side of things. i dont have much money left over to spend on me tho!

 

[fairhill]

I chose middle class, but that's mainly because I'm a northerner and my wages go a lot further then they would if I were to move to the SE. I don't think I'd be able to afford a horse without struggling to make ends meet down there.

 

[GTs]

[ QUOTE ]
I would like to know how many on here were born into a wealthy family/have money/consider themselves upper middle class or gentry!

[/ QUOTE ]

Mere upper middle class??? They allow them to have horses too??

 

[SSM]

Not sure where I fit in - bred (sorry can't think of a better description for a single mother child of the 60's) out of working class parents from a pretty poor part of Manchester, however adopted by parents who are probably defined as middle class - they worked hard, but invested well too and were frugal with money - which meant I was able to have the horses and their support

 

[Agent XXX999]

I actually find it hilarious that horse people are put into the silver spoon category. Just looking at the poll/posts shows that noone here is a toff!
My mum and dad came from nothing and worked so I could have a really good childhood. This involved riding lessons – and ponies – but these were field kept, I had to work on a Saturday and Sunday morning poo picking and the like for my ‘hay money’ and a ½ hour lesson was earned in the riding school down the road (where all the other kids kept their ponies and had stables and everything!!!!)) by leading said children round for 3 hours!
Now, at 24 I feel like I have a good life, earn good money for my age and can afford my bills and horse (but not much else!) and part of my horse is paying off the loan that I got in order to buy him….
As I said when I posted, every other horse person I know struggles too…horses are a drain on your income (but worth it) I would just like to know where the rich silver spooned idea comes from when everyone I know struggles!

Look at poor William Fox Pit who spent years selling his good horses because of Finances! Even at professional level you struggle….

Never has a truer word been said (by my Dad, actually, but probably countless other people) “There is no money in horses…”

 

[ecrozier]

I ticked middle class as between my OH and I we do have 3 horses and a lorry, albeit a 20 year old bedford! However I watch ever penny that comes in and out (he doesn't, but he is a bit more careless than me!) and we don't really have anysavings yet (working on it!)
Still paying off student debts, my dad is quite well off but won't give ANY of it away, and my mum is a teacher so helps where she can but certainly isn't rolling in it!
We are lucky, as we rent a small cottage at my step dad's house, so rent is pretty cheap allowing us to pay old debts off and hopefully start saving!
But if we were really hard up I guess we wouldn't have so many horses!!
E.

 

[jo1]

I put down middle class as even though we don't struggle we do have to watch the pennies. We bought our house last year and am taking driving lessons. OH is in an average paid job where he can't progress at all so the full responsibility of a very good wage and job falls to me. I havent got there yet but am still trying!!

 

[0]

I put upper middle class. However, this is parents really rather than me!! I am 21 and a student, I have a house which my parents pay for and savings (which my parents have given me - trust funds).... they are paying me through uni but i'm not earning so I can't really answer for me personally.

My parents always take us on nice holidays, have a nice house, paid for education, horses etc But my dad does work very hard and obviously I'm just guessing using the lifestyle we lead as a guide as in reality i have no idea about my parents financial affairs - I wouldn't really know if they had millions in the bank to pay for lifestyle or minus millions because of lifestyle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Rambo]

One of my grandfathers was a farrier in the army, the other a bus driver. My father worked his way up through banking and became a city dealer, my mother was a housewife. I was lucky to go to private school and to have a horse, but my parents sacrificed an awful lot to do those things. I have worked hard to get where I am now. My wife and I both have well paid jobs, but we aren't rolling in cash as we have to pay for two horses and a pony between us. We do have nice new(ish) cars and a lorry, but there's very little spare left at the end of every month

 

[moocow]

No idea which one to pick! Born into family with land family history tracable back to gentry - titles etc. But does it matter? No. Cos every generation, lost a little bit more of the land and now? We have none!!! i am a student. I buy stuff for my horses, not for me. can't remember the last time i bought new clothes. Cant remember the last time I wore make up. Constantly look like total scruff. Horses have nice new rugs though

I would rather spend an hour with my horses than spend money on clothes etc.

Would be nice to do both but those are the choices that we make!!!

 

[RunToEarth]

Upper Middle atm, living with Parents on estate and have high disposable incomes, set to change when I move away from sheltered life into realities that is life. Dont get handed anything on a plate, I work to support my horses, competition fees, social life and everything in between. My mum has always given me every opportunity but never without the work, and my parents, I believe have given my a fantastic network of contacts which I will never lose, for that I am grateful.
[ QUOTE ]
Middle class - pah, just people who strive to be upper class but will never make it.....

[/ QUOTE ]
Disagree with this statement madly, Middle classes were soleley resopnsible for the introduction of rational sportform in the mid 1900s, bringing them out of the public school system where they had spend years being codified and rationalised, and gave them back to the working class. The make up the NGBs of this country even today is of middle class rule, they were the factory owners of the 20th century and are, as I am lead to believe, the single most important reason why sports even survived the industrial revolution, when the aristocracy participated in only field sports, and working class worked, is due to the involvement from the middle classes.

 

[Parkranger]

We'll have to agree to disagree - maybe I'm in inverted snob, I don't know.

My grandfather is a lord and my mother is The Hon......I still don't class us as middle class.

Why do people have to class themselves as above working class people - sorry, the class system just pisses me off.

 

[conniegirl]

At the moment I would say middle class, Parents own businesses and whilst money isnt short, it isnt in plentiful supply. We do watch what we spend but we spend enough to make us happy, we have good cars, house with land, 2 holidays a year (2 weeks skiingh, 2 weeks somewhere hot) and i have a rather generous allowance, my sister and my brother and I were put through private schools but at the time it was a struggle for my parents to fund it. However my parents have worked extremely hard for the last 20 years to get where they are now. My father has worked as an expat for longer then ive been alive and is finaly coming home for good in the new year. Mum bought a business that was on its last legs and was a few days from a closure notice, through shear hard work, determination and a good dose of bloodymindedness, she now owns 2 thriving businesses, It has however cost her her health (and im pretty sure what little sanity she had to begin with).

 

[moocow]

Just wondering your first post said that your parents were working class but then you said that your grandfather is a lord and your mum "the Hon"???

Do you mean working class as in, have to work for a living?

Just wondering.

 

[Agent XXX999]

I am REALLY curious to know how the people on benefits pay for their equestrian hobby?

 

[0]

This is just my take on the classes.

To me working class are those that work and make as much as they spend (not really any savings etc) and don't own their own house.
Middle class same but earn more so have savings etc, nicer things but still morgage
I think upper middle class are those that have a nice lifestyle and can more or less have what they want, own their own house(s) and work but could mantain the exact same lifstyle if they didn't for their lifetime.
The last category is the same as UMC but have so much money that a good few generations could live this way without needing to earn anymore!

 

[Sarah1]

I have ticked 'middle class' for the simple fact that at the moment we are saving for our wedding which is in July next year and is costing a small fortune! If we weren't saving then we may fall into the 'upper middle class' category as we would have plenty of spare cash!
We have a nice home, good jobs which pay well, a lovely horse & dog who want for nothing and still manage to live a little!
My Mum was a single parent but I do have an older brother and sister that helped out (my sister bought me my 1st pony, bless!). OH parents worked hard for everything they had which is exactly what we've had to do to get where we are now!

 

[S_N]

[ QUOTE ]
maybe I'm in inverted snob

[/ QUOTE ]

You don't sound inverted to me at all! Quite without nobility infact!! Nobility is not a birthright, it is earned and deserved.