millreef
Well-Known Member
I love the HHOF as I'm able to keep in touch with the horse scene and some of the posts are very useful for me. However, there are quite a lot of posts complaining about small things which are only minor irritants and I just thought if you really look at what you all have then you'll see how lucky you really are.
1) Many of you live in the UK/USA or Ireland where there is an extensive "horsey" network.
Here in Hong Kong where 6.5 million people have to share three public riding schools and 3 private clubs. The waiting list to join the Hong Kong Jockey Club is 4 years!
2) You can pop down to the tack shop or shop online for your tack and equipment or better still, you can go to equine car boot sales or auctions.
There are two "tack shops" which are the size of my bathroom and the cost of everything is at least 4 times what you pay in Europe (sometimes as much as 10 times). To buy online you have to run the gauntlet of rubbish delivery (don't get me started on UPS), and this can run into hundreds of pounds.
3) You can pack up a trailer and go off to shows or hunter trails most weekends.
As it's nearly impossible to own a horse in Hong Kong you can't go off to the shows because.... Oh yes, there are none!
4) You can pick and choose your horse according to type/preference/colour.
If it's thoroughbred then you can have it... preferably in bay or chestnut. They remain the property of the Jockey Club even if you pay the bills. I also have a friend who had a horse on loan from the HKJC and they took it away one day and put it down because he was getting a bit stiff and old. She was mortified.
5) If you don't get on with your YO or instructor - just go somewhere else.
If you fall out with an instructor here - then on your head be it! Tis a small, small world.
Anyway, hope that you feel better after all this - so next time you go to the yard/barn and you find someone has eaten your bourbon biscuits, or they've delivered molasses treats instead of the sugar free variety, spare a thought for those less fortunate than yourselves and give your horse a big kiss from me you lucky folks
1) Many of you live in the UK/USA or Ireland where there is an extensive "horsey" network.
Here in Hong Kong where 6.5 million people have to share three public riding schools and 3 private clubs. The waiting list to join the Hong Kong Jockey Club is 4 years!
2) You can pop down to the tack shop or shop online for your tack and equipment or better still, you can go to equine car boot sales or auctions.
There are two "tack shops" which are the size of my bathroom and the cost of everything is at least 4 times what you pay in Europe (sometimes as much as 10 times). To buy online you have to run the gauntlet of rubbish delivery (don't get me started on UPS), and this can run into hundreds of pounds.
3) You can pack up a trailer and go off to shows or hunter trails most weekends.
As it's nearly impossible to own a horse in Hong Kong you can't go off to the shows because.... Oh yes, there are none!
4) You can pick and choose your horse according to type/preference/colour.
If it's thoroughbred then you can have it... preferably in bay or chestnut. They remain the property of the Jockey Club even if you pay the bills. I also have a friend who had a horse on loan from the HKJC and they took it away one day and put it down because he was getting a bit stiff and old. She was mortified.
5) If you don't get on with your YO or instructor - just go somewhere else.
If you fall out with an instructor here - then on your head be it! Tis a small, small world.
Anyway, hope that you feel better after all this - so next time you go to the yard/barn and you find someone has eaten your bourbon biscuits, or they've delivered molasses treats instead of the sugar free variety, spare a thought for those less fortunate than yourselves and give your horse a big kiss from me you lucky folks
