I’ve been horse-obsessed since the first time I was ever plopped on one’s back, and my family has had to learn how to “just deal with it” ever since.
Some days are easier than others for them. I routinely miss out on family functions – for example, my cousin’s baby shower fell on the same Sunday I’d already sent entries in to a horse trial several hours away. Don’t worry – I still sent a present.
I don’t expect my family or my husband to get involved in my horse hobby. That’s not what any of us wants. And lucky for me, my family is pretty supportive. But being a “horse girl” means they’ve definitely got to put up with a lot. But hey, at least we can laugh about it.
Here are some telltale signs that you are an equestrian living in a non-horsey family.
They’ve stopped bothering to check if the packages are for them anymore. I get more mail than anyone else in my household combined. My husband sees the “Have a great ride!” box on the porch and now just walks right past it.
They always drive. Not because they want to drive to dinner or on long road trips, but they can’t stand the disgusting horse sweat smell of your car.
They tack on two extra hours to every estimated time you tell them you’re going to be home. “Don’t worry, I can make dinner when I get home around 6 p.m.” I’ll text. So my husband will *instead* start making dinner himself around 7:30 p.m., while preparing for my 8 p.m. arrival.
The laundry situation can get pretty hairy. I mean that literally and figuratively.
Family vacations are planned in the off season. And by off season, I mean around horse show season.
They’ve learned some things they wished they hadn’t. Like what “sheath cleaning” entails or what my mare likes to do when she’s in heat.
They’re not even grossed out by poop anymore. Not after watching me muck a million stalls, or picking up a stray turd ball with my fingers, or after soaking my horse’s manure-stained white tail and hind legs on the morning of a horse show…
They realized the public’s misconceptions of equestrians are real. The days of “tight pants, tall boots and whips” looking kind of sexy left the building a long time ago.