Okay - I'm getting tired of defending owning Bubba to my husband and other non-horsey friends - They don't understand anything related to horses and when you try to explain it to them they look at you like you need to beam back up to the mothership - Case in point I took my husband (the golf magnet) to the tack shop to get a new pair of winter breeches - We walked in, he looked around and said I don't get it - I was like what's there to get and he said you need all of this stuff just for a horse - Oh Boy! - Last time I take him there - There is alot to do in owning a horse (its not all about riding) - It's about spending time, taking care, making sure they have everything they need - For me its very good therapy - He has this claiming affect when I have had a bad day - I don't know what more I can say to people without taking them to the barn and telling them to look around, this is what's its all about

I hear ya! I get the same deal. Next time you go into the pro shop, just shake your head and say "I don't get it...How many clubs could you need to hit a ball, you can only use one at a time..." ....how many golf bags, different style balls for different weather, etc...(ok, I am not sure that those exist) but you get my drift.

Hehehehehe

i'm right there w/ ya holly. although at times my husband can be supportive and u/standing, a lot of the times he just looks at me and says, "huh?" it's frustrating. same w/ my family. sometimes i think i live in my own little world. oh well...

My husband is fine with the horseS though even he did gently question the third one. Other people came right out and told me I was crazy and why in the world would I need or want yet another horse. I don't talk to them any more - serves them right to be deprived of my friendship!!

Surround yourself with horselovers who understand - spend more time with us and less with your husband!!

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Next time you go into the pro shop, just shake your head and say "I don't get it...How many clubs could you need to hit a ball, you can only use one at a time..." ....how many golf bags, different style balls for different weather, etc...

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My thoughts exactly! Trust me, most avid golfers have more 'junk' in their trunks (whoops, didn't mean THAT trunk) and golf bags than I have in my tack room. My husband builds hot rods and engines for his hobby . . . any time he raises an eyebrow at a tack purchase I can offer to inventory all the 'necessary' tools and parts in his garage (some still in the box) hehehe.

I understand but unfortunately taking a non-horse person to the barn isn't usually going to make them understand. You could take me to 100 football games and I might learn more about football but I still won't understand the fascination with it. It really just comes down to the matter of respecting other peoples interests.

Don't look for other's approval for your horses..don;t feel the need to explain and rectify why you have them. You have them because you have them and that is your hobby....

Everytime I tell someone about my horses I get "Wow, neat!" Sometimes Ill get the "HOw do you afford them?"..but thats rare.

I could care less what people think. Im doing what I enjoy, end of story.

Don't defend your horsiness. I have always said that horses are my mental health insurance, and the years I have been without them were times when I did indeed get depressed. Just look around for the nastiest, bitchiest woman you know that your husband can't stand, and say "that is how I would be if I didn't have my horse." End of conversation!

I just tell them that my horses are my cigarette money, my drinking money, etc. When they say "you don't smoke,..." I say the horses are insurance that I won't start.

In reality, the horses are just a part of me, I don't justify them to anybody.

I absolutely agree and sympathize!
My boyf isn't "into" horses, I have a really hard time getting him to come out to the horses, when he does he is ready to go home. He does come to the tack shop because I go to the train shop with him (he is into model and real trains) so he doesn't complain when I spend money cause he spends lots on his hobby. But I do wish that he was more interested. Also only one of my close friends is into horses, so my other friends, it just goes over there heads when I talk about the horses. and I know they wonder why I spend so much time doing horsey stuff, especially when I am going to a show and they want me to go visit them. I love my horses and would never give them up for anyone, but yes it is hard not having anyone who understands that I need them! and they are fab listeners and huggers and as someone said great for sanity and when I have had a bad day.

Have you seen the golf pro shop before? You could of said you need all that stuff just to smack a little ball around????

I don't defend myself to anyone. I have horses by choice. I have more stupid people come up and try to tell me how expensive and time consuming horses are. I take them with a grain of salt. They have their stupid hobbies, I have mine. My case in point....Ron trap shoots. It is a very expensive sport. He bought a new Barretta Trap gun a few years ago. It was over $2000. I don't give him crap about buying a new gun, he doesn't give me crap about buying stuff for the horses. We have a very good relationship. We support each other.

I think every horse person has the same problem when it comes to talking to a non-horse person. I just tell them yall don't know what you are missing, and walk on. I have had people tell me you must be rich to have horses. I just laugh. I love my horses. They are part of who I am, and if someone don't like it thats just to bad.

I don't defend myself/my horses to anyone! It's none of their blipping business what I do with my time or money. If they don't 'get it' the first time I will turn it right back on them - how can you afford/waste you time on smoking, your expensive clothes, Bingo, whatever applies to them - and something does apply to anybody/everybody.

I've never had to defend my horses to Hubby even though he had never been around horses before he met me . He used to joke that when he married me, he married horses.He doesn't spend as much time with them as I do of do much in the way of work/care but that's fine - he works hard to pay the bills and never grumbles how much time I spend with them. If needed, he will be there and do whatever has to be done any time of day or night or weather.

My parents always supported me with horses growing up too. G-father bought my first horse for me before I was born

We're lucky we've got husbands who like horse too, huh?

I agree with you completely. I don't feel a need to defend my hobby. Besides.... non-horse people are just like non-dog people. They're pretty clueless.

YES! I had to constantly defend my horse and horse love against my jealous ex-boyfriend before I broke up with him. He just would not understand why my untrained horse needed to much work. It wasn't like I was even spending all day with my horse, just a couple hours a day, but even that was too much apparently. Then he had the pull the "it's just an animal" crap and that REALLY ticked me off. Not too long after he started that did I say "See ya".