My amazing nephew posted a cheeky post on FB today that outlines things that only horse people understand. During my short tenure as a “farmer” I have compiled my own list.
In no particular order….
1. Hay – is a fashion accessory – be it in the hair or on clothing.
2. Horse hair – see above.
3. Who needs a gym membership – I get all the exercise I need
- Mucking stalls – core work
- Hauling hay – upper body
- Picking feet – squats
- Pulling sled/wheel barrow full of hay – cardio + legs
- Mounting the horse – yoga
- Riding the horse – meditation
4. Yes – I recognise that my boots/coat/mitts/hat smell like a horse – to me it is better than your $80 bottle of perfume
5. My horses ALWAYS eat dinner before I do
6. Sleeping in is no longer an option – child owners (oops – sorry) -Parents will understand this.
7. Constantly re-scheduling MY personal dental appointments is a given – missing the teeth float (see foot note) is unacceptable.
8. My nails are ragged – my horses feet are NOT.
9. Personal doctors appointments are an inconvenience – I never reschedule the vet.
10. Horses get better pain killers than I do.
11. Trying to explain to non horse owners what the perfect “top line” is.
12. Understanding what your horse says with just a nicker – child owners (oops – sorry) Parents understand this from “baby speak”.
13. Spending more money on barn foot wear than on personal foot wear.
14. The end of season sale at the tack store is more exciting than any “blue light special” (the older generation should get this one).
15. The serenity one feels while sitting inside a barn at midnight listening to horses breath and/or eat.
16. How at ANY AGE a person can achieve their dream (throw back to post of November 3rd).
17. Getting super stoked about scoring hay.
18. Being constantly amazed at how people in my little town know exactly where I live just by telling them I am at the corner of X and Y -actually that is a little scary.
19. How friendly all these said people are in my little town. The cashier at the building store said to me “if you EVER need help” here is my number.
20. Last but certainly not least – the joy that us horse owners get after a hard day of shovelling shit- hauling hay – filling water troughs – mending blankets – hauling feed bags -griping about the weather – getting up early – everything that I always dreamt of and quite frankly more.
Foot note – the teeth float is a procedure that vet does while a horse is sedated in order to essentially inspect and grind/float the horses teeth to insure that they can properly chew their food. Horses teeth are much like humans. They have different sized teeth that serve different purposes – I could go on and on but if you really wish to know- Google it!
Orange Acres 