What the most common misconception about horse ownership (from non-horsey people?)

[hopscotch bandit]

Over the years I’ve had various questions from work colleagues upon finding out I have a horse: most of them seem to have a morbid fascination for death and what happens to them after. The most common questions asked are:

“Do you have to go up every day?”

I feel like screaming and saying “well I’m in the first throes of teaching her to make his own tea and muck out her stable, but sadly it’s not going so well”
To be fair I don't go up every day but the question still grinds on me!

“Do they shoot horses?”

I feel like saying “yes they tie them up to a target board and anyone who pays me a fiver can have a go to win a prize”

“Do horses end up at a glue factory when they die?”

“No, they end up in your Burger King”

“Does your horse eat grass?”

“No but it gets through a fair bit of steak and chips a week"

"Do you do gymkana games on it?"

"Err no! We are both a bit long in the tooth!"


I know they mean well and are just curious, but seriously, I wish they'd engage brain before opening their mouths.

 

[Trouper]

That we are all rolling in money and have staff to look after them as, of course, horses are an elitist sport!!!
Plus - now I am ancient - "Are you STILL riding?"

 

[milliepops]

I'm sure I ask dumb questions of other people about their lives so while some of these are gently amusing I wouldn't get wound up by it.

"even on christmas day" is a common one

people at work etc ask me what I do with them, one said "do you do equestrian?" and I figured it was too complicated to explain what dressage was so I just said yes.
its true, after all, I do do equestrian

Likewise my old boss always asked if I was doing well with my horse jumping. At that stage I had swapped to dressage years before but again I just went along with it.

 

[The-Bookworm]

why do you have lessons, can't you ride yet.
open to interpretation, but I suspect I get by and wing it.

 

[little_critter]

"You still have lessons? I thought you could ride?"
edited - Bookworm beat me to it!

 

[The Trooper]

When my partner told his parents I had two horses his mother's response was...

"Does he live in a mansion?"

No, I lived in a mid terrace ex council house on an estate with my parents...

 

[Dyllymoo]

"You must be rich" - Quite the opposite I'm afraid.

Yes the "You go up every day" comment still makes me laugh

 

[Merrymoles]

My dad was always bemused about clipping. "So you take all the hair off and then you have to replace it with a rug?"

The best analogy I could come up with was comparing it to him wearing shorts for a run and then putting his tracksuit back on when he'd finished.

 

[Baywonder]

"Do you have to feed it every day?"

"You must be rich"

 

[Meredith]

“But, where are his hands?”

 

[twiggy2]

That small ones are all 'babies'
That 'you must be rich'
Even my mum after me working with horses for over 35yrs can't get her head round the fact that 'its Christmas day and the horses still need someone to 'visit'', to be fair she is the same with all stock 'i (she) understands that they need somone to go every other day of the year but it's Christmas!'
If they lay flat in the field they must be dead (guess who?)
My mum sent me a photo of a pony in a zebra rug with, 'guess what this is?' written under it, she was astounded that I knew it was a pony in a zebra rug, I do love my mum and she makes me smile, laugh and head desk in fairly equal amounts.

 

[peanut]

You could leave your horse and go on holiday if you put enough hay in the field to last the week.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I've had a few of the funny ones (eg Christmas) but the one that drives me potty is the assumption that everyone who owns a horse hates foxes.

 

[scats]

I used to get asked by a bloke in my old job if I used my own horses to teach people to ride...

Always get the “even Christmas Day??” question.

 

[windand rain]

I guess the funniest ones are the trying to help. Friends husband was asked to pass me a rug which he promptly threw over the yearlings back fortunately she just shot forward but not the way I would have introduced it. She is happy now so no harm done

 

[Melody Grey]

Do you have a horse flap in your back door? 🤩

 

[fiwen30]

That ponies grow into horses!

 

[scruffyponies]

Seems to do a fair few people's head in that they stay out in the field and don't come in to a stable overnight.
Fairly sure I'm subject to some negative judgements for that by people who couldn't identify the front end.

 

[Clydiegirl]

My driving instructor asked me what I do with my horses, "do you race them?" nah, no point, they're faster than me 😜 . I have a 2 year old cob and a 2 year old drum, not sure either would be much good at racing😂

 

[hopscotch bandit]

I'm sure I ask dumb questions of other people about their lives so while some of these are gently amusing I wouldn't get wound up by it.

Oh don't take it literally, I was being glib when I said I felt like screaming, I don't actually get wound up about it.
They just make me smile.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

why do you have lessons, can't you ride yet.
open to interpretation, but I suspect I get by and wing it.

Yes that was a common one too!

 

[windand rain]

Shetlands are baby horses

 

[HEM]

"When will your pony become a horse?"
"Are you still doing your horse riding?"
"Do you know XXX she does horse riding too?"

 

[mini_b]

"You still have lessons? I thought you could ride?"
edited - Bookworm beat me to it!

I told my dad how much I spend on lessons and he had a fit.
he said he thought he paid for all that when I was a kid, he must have wasted his money if I can’t ride by now. 😂

 

[Fluffypiglet]

Why are the horses wearing gimp masks? I explained fly masks which the person found quite surprising!

 

[OldNag]

My daughter had some new friends at her new school comment on her having a horse... "you must be rich if you've got a horse".
Her reply: "No, we're poor because we've got a horse".
She's learned early !

 

[AandK]

The "every day, even on Christmas day?" one is the one I get the most. After that it is the still needing lessons one.

 

[BeckyFlowers]

You must be rich. (Nope, I work for the NHS. Plus I don't spend all of my disposable income on children as I don't have any, and I guarantee your children cost you more than my horse costs me)

Bet you were gutted when they banned hunting. (No I was overjoyed, I'm gutted it still goes on)

At the Olympics do the horses get a medal as well? (No) Why not, that's a bit unfair isn't it? (No answer I have ever used will satisfy a non-horsey person so now I just say, yeah it is a bit)

 

[The Trooper]

The "every day, even on Christmas day?" one is the one I get the most.

My answer would is usually "Yeah, they need their presents and Christmas Dinner too!"

 

[monte1]

I get the "do you have to go every day" comment as well, in fact when i say , yes twice a day every day, they look at me in horror

When asked why still have lessons after all these years, now i just say, i have a trainer to help me, which seems to make more sense to most non horsey people or explain that like any sport, golf, tennis etc you need professional help to improve your skills ....

non horsey people still think we are all mad though..perhaps we are..LOL