Equestrian Confessions
Horses are notorious for consuming a lot of our lives. Our four-legged friends can take up our time and resources, but most importantly, they take up a large part of our memories and love. Horse owners (or just horse lovers), understand that sometimes our experiences are little bit different than those who don’t get to enjoy horses on a regular basis.
As equestrians, we’re bound to have encountered some things that others may find funny, relatable, or just down-right strange. Either way, we’ve compiled your deepest darkest secrets, and most memorable stories – and we’re here to share our readers’ top 10 Equestrian Confessions.
Confession #1: The Bathroom Chronicles
I know I'm not the only one on this - but traveling long distances with horses, sometimes you need a potty break and there's just nowhere to go! Well, that trailer is full of great shavings and a private setting... sooo using the trailer (or gosh.... stalls in a barn with no toilet for that matter) is the easiest option. I have no shame about it - you do what you've gotta do!
Confession #2: The Owner Has to Taste Test… Right?
I've literally tasted every food I ever fed my horses - sweet feed included.
Confession #3: Sharing Apples
When I was riding my first horse on the Marina CA beach 50 years ago, I'd always take an apple. When I'd munched 2/3rds of it, I'd hand it down to her, Sady wouldn't even stop, she would just take it and mimic me munching as we walked.
Confession #4: We Share Bathroom Products with Our Horse… But It Works!
I had too many bottles of Cowboy Magic detangler and loved how it worked for my Mare so I took some home and used it regularly. It was great, but my husband liked to tease me about it when he saw it in bathroom. But then he started using it in his beard and loved it!
Confession #5: A Scraped-Up Horse
Just got my new horse, borrowed a friend’s trailer to meet the girl who sold me the horse for a trail ride. While I was opening the doors of the trailer, horse tries to back out underneath the butt chain, he gets it up to middle of his back scratches himself up pretty bad. Try to get butt chain undone or get him to move up, somehow finally get him out of trailer. Go on the trail ride, felt bad he had a big scrape that the blanket rested on for the ride, he was a trooper and didn't balk about it at all. Get back to trailer, he had bent the center pole so bad couldn't get the doors shut on the trailer had to tie them up with a lead rope, just to get trailer home, my friend ended up taking my horse home for me, and she lived one direction and I the other direction. Meanwhile, call the girl whose trailer I borrowed and told her we would have it back the next day, we got it fixed returned the trailer to her and she asks, okay tell me what happened, I tell her and she says she has had that same thing happen, but at least I fixed it before I returned it. She was appreciative of that. Since this happened, I now have my own trailer and love both of them, one was made by Double D Trailers.
Confession #6: A Horse Meltdown Turned Into a Beautiful Experience
One warm fall day I was fox hunting in Oklahoma and a friend’s horse had a meltdown, so I took them back to the trailer parking. I headed back out in hopes of catching back up to the hunt but had only a general idea of where they were. I found a road to trot up but seemed hopelessly lost. The property is several thousand acres with several thousand acres with several thousand more adjoining. I came across a large rock pile and my horse stopped, not afraid but very deliberate in his actions. He very calmly lowered his head and we sat a moment. The area was very native, and I had a chance to notice the beautiful native flowers and trees, even the rock formations and numerous pollinators visiting their favorite flowers. The sun seemed to be hitting everything just right. Suddenly, very clearly, I could hear the horn blow as the huntsman was calling the hounds, we walked toward the sound and could see the pack off in the distance. At the tailgate after I was describing the experience and was told that the pile was a Cairn, it was the burial place of Lydia Lloyd, who brought fox hunting to that area and whose property it was that we hunted on in the Osage. It wasn’t a scary experience in any way, very surreal and beautiful.
Confession #7: Hungry Horse Finds Human Hair – We’ve All Been There
One time I was filling up my horses’ water bucket and the horse next to her bit my hair and pulled it.
Confession #8: The Hopeful Horse Owner
I don't have a horse to ride; or one just to have around or groom. I love horses, just need to learn more about them first.
Confession #9: He’s On a Roll… Literally
Approximately 7 years ago, my 2nd wife and I were trail riding, at which time it had been many, many moons ago that I had ridden. We were on the trail and all of a sudden, my horse went to his knees, my wife yells, “Get off, he is going to roll”! I had no idea what was happening, had never had that experience before. He rolled and got up and I laid there with the reins in my hand; laughing, and said, “Are you through hurting my saddle?”
Confession #10: The Stinky Truth
I don’t notice my own stench anymore. I constantly smell like a barnyard.
Needless to say, the life of an equestrian is never boring; from brand new experiences, to sharing snacks, to embracing the familiar smell of a horse stall as a permanent personality trait. One thing is for sure, we love our horses and we wouldn’t change a thing!
What about you? Do you have any Equestrian Confessions to share? Trust us… we won’t judge!
