I really need to know- why are horse people so flipping crazy?

[jeano]

well, if the shoe fits…

Thinking here, as an old psych nurse horsewoman about the classic definition of insanity: doing the same thing repeatedly while expecting a different result.

So if you are doing the same things with your horse, or attempting to cope with barn drama the same way, or finding the finances to support your addicition, or if you have money to burn are throwing money (as opposed to work) at problems in an attempt to fix the problem, or if you are continuing to try to justify and explain and placate the SO who thinks your horse is a waste of time and resources, in short, if you are doing 99% of the things people end up whining about on a horse BB and ITS NOT WORKING and you are still expecting it to, then, yes, you’re crazy.

Just involved with horses, having fun with them, doing your best to give good care and train humanely? Not crazy.

[GotGait]

[QUOTE=equineartworks;4503762]
wooooaaaahhhh…dog people. They ARE nuts. :winkgrin:[/QUOTE]

I was just going to post the same thing. Having shown both horses and dogs - dog people.
I’ve never been to a cat show, but I’ve heard rumors that they are even worse.

[equineartworks]

[QUOTE=GotGait;4504475]
I was just going to post the same thing. Having shown both horses and dogs - dog people.
I’ve never been to a cat show, but I’ve heard rumors that they are even worse.[/QUOTE]

lol! I heard that too. I avoid the cat shows now :lol:

[theblondejumper]

@FlashGordon;4503314

FP I could have written your post myself. Was just discussing with a friend last night. Your description is strangely applicable to my current situation…

The craziness of the horse world came as a shock to me as an adult. I’d spent the majority of my childhood at one, low-key, local lesson/boarding barn. Had the same trainer, farrier, and vet for years and years.

I don’t know how we got so lucky-- but the BO’s and everyone connected to the place were ethical, honest, and always looked out for myself and my non-horsey parents.

As I got older and wanted different horsey experiences, and also as the professionals around me started to retire, I had to expand my circle. I was definitely naive… and it has taken me most of my adult life to try and figure horse people out. I’m still not good at knowing what is what sometimes, so I try to go with gut feelings.

Same here! I rode at a lovely, lovely, old fashioned, simple lesson barn with a very well-respected horsewoman in my area from nine until twelve. Oh how she warned me of the outside world! Lol.

I have since in the past eight or nine years run into some really crazy horse people. I’ve found that they all seem to congregate together! Now I’m just much more picky about where I ride and who I ride with. Makes it easier.

[eventersmom]

Hmmm…let’s look at the evidence, shall we?

Horse people get up at the crack 'o dawn to feed/water/hook up the trailer/head to shows.

Horse people slog through pouring rain, raging ice storms, and several feet of snow to make sure their horses are warm, fed and happy.

Horse people have their vets on speed dial. Their own doctors? Not so much.

Horse people buy their equine friends $200 blankets and $100 shoes while wearing 10 year old stained t-shirts and jeans.

Horse people study equine nutrition and spend hours of time concocting the best mix of feed and supplements to feed their pony while grabbing whatever fast food (or worse, horse show food) for themselves.

Horse people spend immense amounts of time on COTH having rousing discussions with other horse people instead of working on that massive project that is due next week.

Horse people take all expendable income to the tack shop. Or use it to pay off the vet bill. Or sink the money into truck and trailer repair. If they are really lucky they use the money for a show, lessons or clinic which ensures the horse will go lame a day or two before the scheduled ride.

Woe to the husband who states “it’s me or the horse!” Horse people will frequently respond “bye bye husband”.

Yep, I’m a horse person and I am bat sh#! crazy. :winkgrin:

[Ponyclubrocks]

We are all a bit nutty…

If you think someone is normal, you just don’t know then well enough. Yes there are some wacky folks at the barn, but they are everywhere. I think one of the reasons we see it at the barn is because we spend so much time there. I just try to remind myself to be compassionate with the lonely misfit types and just avoid the dangerous crazies. The rest are just mildly neurotic (like me!)

[arabhorse2]

I fully admit to being completely, bugnut, whackadoodle crazy. I own horses, dogs, and cats, so I can’t plead otherwise! However, I do try to get along with the majority of the human population. The ‘you must do it MY way because YOUR way is wrong’ people though, I try to avoid like the H1N1 virus.

[redears]

I’m certifiable mentally ill (e.g. crazy) as well as complemented by a neurological disorder, and I happen to love horses (and cats, though there are just two cats in particular). I tend to draw other crazy people towards me, as in, I’m a crazy magnet. It’s well-deserved, I suppose. My riding and horses also complement my therapy, and vise-versa. Things I worked on with my psych. through the summer really helped me accomplish my goal of completing a recognized horse trial this fall, confidence, follow-through, saving me from myself :lol:

Unfortunately, with mental illness, there is stigma attached and I don’t believe that will ever go away, however, I’m not ashamed for going to a psych. for a mental illness any more than someone would be ashamed of going to an MD for a sore throat.

My horses are both a little crazy, one has a touch of OCD/loose screwiness and the other seems to think he’s both invincible as well as the most important thing that has ever existed. We all compliment each other well.

[matryoshka]

redears, I think you mean “complement.” Not trying to be picky, but it doesn’t mean the same thing as compliment. I feel your pain. Don’t know what your disorder is (and this isn’t the place to discuss it), but I’m also certifiable, by a national expert. Can’t deny it easily when a specialist pegs ya.

[redears]

Matry, ahh thanks, I didn’t know there was a difference on those two spellings, English was never my forte!

[matryoshka]

Glad you took it in the spirit is was meant. We crazies need to stick together!

[catknsn]

I do think some people are so bored because their life is so unfulfilling that creating drama is literally the only entertainment they have. The people I’ve had trouble with online are all unemployed. There you go!

[matryoshka]

There are a lot of disorders out there that people are not even aware they have.

There are different kinds of crazy. Some are harmless (but annoying) to others. The sufferer is affected by it more than anybody else.

There are other kinds of crazy that are harmful to others, and animals are often the first ones to suffer, including horses.

I’m thinking FP and others are mainly complaining about the first type. Sure, there is selfishness out there and people who really don’t care how anybody else feels (to me, this is more the second type of crazy). But many, many are suffering themselves and what ya’all are experiencing is the overflow that they are unable to contain. It is not necessarily on purpose and the individual is often unaware that others notice.

Perhaps this type of crazy is drawn to horses because they help ease our pain. They take our minds off our troubles and give us something to nuture. There is nothing wrong with that.

IMHO, the best thing to do is to set firm limits about what you will and will not put up with so that somebody else’s craziness doesn’t intrude on you. That goes for nasty people, too. People tend to treat us however we allow them to. If you let people walk on you or expect you to do things for them, guess what will happen? You’ll get walked on and used. I see this quite a bit among horse people. Being kind does not mean being a door mat or a work horse for somebody else.

[JanM]

I think part of the problem is that we were all taught to be polite and not offend people. But with really deluded people (or others who don’t seem to know boundaries or courtesy) you have to be firm in setting the limits and stick to it.

[system]

Quote:
Originally Posted by GotGait View Post
I was just going to post the same thing. Having shown both horses and dogs - dog people.
I’ve never been to a cat show, but I’ve heard rumors that they are even worse.
lol! I heard that too. I avoid the cat shows now

There are cat shows??!! People really are crazy :eek:

[chai]

It’s time to fess up. I think we’re all a little crazy, some definitely more along the fringe, but still, mr chai and I think horsewomen are a different breed altogether.

I once had a man pick hay out of my hair in the checkout line at the grocery store. Another time, I ran into a horse friend in the checkout line at the grocery and we started discussing my gelding’s weird lumps in his sheath and how the vet had been out to ultrasound and I check them every day to see how big they are. Suddenly I noticed it got very quiet around us…

I, too, wonder about the sanity of a horse owner who wouldn’t give me permission to let the vet put her horse down when he had a heart attack until I screamed in her face to do the right thing, or the co-op member who showed up once a month to see her horse but was down at Hunter’s Inn 3 nights a week dressed to the 9s in breeches and boots. There are some real whack jobs out there, but thank God, most of us are just a little batty, and in a good way.

[Arbitrary]

[QUOTE=SaddleFitterVA;4503810]
Everyone is crazy in their own way.

The secret to happiness is surrounding yourself by people whose crazy complements your own crazy.

Works for me. [/QUOTE]

Love this. Crazy as charged.

Fortunately I am surrounded IRL with similar crazy horsepeople (all dedicated to good horsemanship and riding in all types of weather :lol:). No barn drama -just a love of all things horse.

Some of the people (seems to be mostly middle-aged women IME?) I’ve run across on the internet, however, are dried-up bitter bat-sh** crazy pot-stirrers. Whoever posted about the bad-crazy-types being unfulfilled in their real lives is spot on, as far as I can tell.

[MistyBlue]

If you think someone is normal, you just don’t know then well enough.

I like that, too true! :yes:

Horse people are nuts. Always have been and to all different levels of nuts.
Many have few human social skills…probably why they got involved with horses in the first place. Unjudgemental and silent friendship. :winkgrin:
Many are also pretty dogmatic about anything equine related…and can get frothy about it.
And we’re all a bit off in the haid.

[Arcadien]

[QUOTE=Nic Nicodemus;4507618]
There are cat shows??!! People really are crazy :eek:[/QUOTE]

Oh no, you really have to check out a cat show, it is too much fun -

as long as you go with the right attitude! Go to admire the lovely cats, and the cool blinged up kitty show stalls lining the aisles… be amazed by how many breeds there are of actual “cat” (really it’s astounding!), and maybe funnest, stand back and people watch -

It’s unreal, but seriously entertaining, I come away feeling much more sane and in touch with reality. And when I get home, I get to enjoy “pretend judging” my barn cats, who are not totally impressed as I try to pose them, assess their head shape, fur quality and (cough) grooming job.

Truly a not to be missed experience, put attending a cat show on your bucket list! if you like kitties and have any kind of a sense of humor - but don’t laugh while there, these people are DEAD serious! And for heaven’s sakes, no matter how soft and alluring the fur may be - DON’T TRY TO TOUCH A CAT!!! This will get you rays of DEATH and kitties will be flounced away far out of your reach the rest of the show.

Arcadien who is completely sane, doesn’t know what this thread is trying to get at -

and off to go watch some bull riding on ESPN so she can feel even saner! GRIN

[Arcadien]

[QUOTE=eventersmom;4504569]
Hmmm…let’s look at the evidence, shall we?

Horse people get up at the crack 'o dawn to feed/water/hook up the trailer/head to shows.

Horse people slog through pouring rain, raging ice storms, and several feet of snow to make sure their horses are warm, fed and happy.

Horse people have their vets on speed dial. Their own doctors? Not so much.

Horse people buy their equine friends $200 blankets and $100 shoes while wearing 10 year old stained t-shirts and jeans.

Horse people study equine nutrition and spend hours of time concocting the best mix of feed and supplements to feed their pony while grabbing whatever fast food (or worse, horse show food) for themselves.

Horse people spend immense amounts of time on COTH having rousing discussions with other horse people instead of working on that massive project that is due next week.

Horse people take all expendable income to the tack shop. Or use it to pay off the vet bill. Or sink the money into truck and trailer repair. If they are really lucky they use the money for a show, lessons or clinic which ensures the horse will go lame a day or two before the scheduled ride.

Woe to the husband who states “it’s me or the horse!” Horse people will frequently respond “bye bye husband”.

Yep, I’m a horse person and I am bat sh#! crazy. :winkgrin:[/QUOTE]

LOLOL, thanks for this one - I’m printing it out and putting it on my fridge so I can just point to it the next time my parents complain “but honey, no one lives like this!”