I met my husband two years ago this week. After a month of getting to know each other playing Words with Friends, we finally met strapped to snow shoes, and never looked back. There are many reasons to love my husband, but I appreciate him the most, because he tolerates my irrational equine addiction; the countless riding lessons, constant summer weekends away at clinics and horse shows, the obsessive discussions of my riding asymmetry and my horses’ personality traits. What this does to my emotional stability is priceless.
Actually to say that he tolerates my horse habit is unfair- he actively supports my horse habit in numerous ways. I ride at the barn late several nights a week during the winter (for him to tolerate the evenings away right during dinner would be one thing), but he comes outside to greet me when I return and helps me put the horses away. Last night, he went out to feed the horses their final night meal so that I could stay bundled up and warm by the TV after a hard day. Last week, mid-winter mind you, I found him washing down my horse trailer after he washed his truck! What did I do to deserve this man? I don’t think that he will every know how much these little efforts lift me up. His active support amplifies my joy with horses rather than mutes it.
First trail rides, horse shows, and non-horsey weekends.
I’m not writing this morning to list all the ways by which my husband shows his support for my horse habit, but I am here to celebrate the significant others that do. I’ve had it both ways; yes, I’ve been married before and then divorced to a wonderful human being that grew resentful of my passion. I was made to feel guilty for every ride, every time I drove away to a horse show, and every dollar spent on feed and tack. It was the most depressing time of my life, and the experience galvanized my commitment to myself to never compromise the equestrian in me ever again. Honestly, after that experience, I questioned whether I would ever find a partner who would celebrate what made me happy rather than just tolerate. I’m shocked to say, folks, that I found one! They do exist!
Andrew and I had a small, at-home, immediate family only wedding in June of 2020.
If you have a partner that supports your horse habit, please share with us how they do so in the comments below! And if you haven’t found that person yet, don’t stop searching and never compromise the passionate equestrian in you!
