I won’t be talking about New Year’s resolutions today – though I did actually make them this year and they’re all MEASURABLE, which I’m pretty stoked about. Instead I’m talking about animals.
By and large, I am not an animal-lover. I like cats and bunnies, and that’s about it. I believe some of this dislike stems from watching too many tear-jerker movies as a kid involving the tragedies and triumphs of every animal imaginable. (The dog ones were the worst.)
When it comes to horses, the main contributor to my disinterest is one too many bad horseback riding experiences. Nearly every family vacation growing up involved us signing up for a horseback ride. There was the time we were led to believe we’d be galloping along the beach in Hawaii, only to experience about five minutes of riding on the sand and the rest in weeds about as tall as the horses. Another time the horses brought on a bout of allergies.
Our final horseback riding adventure as a family, while in Mexico, didn’t go well either. The memory burnt into my mind from that trip is FEAR as my horse maneuvered down the mountain of at what felt like a 90 degree angle.
The irony in all of this is that the man I married trained race horses for several years. He likes horses, has worked with horses, knows how to ride horses. The other ironic thing is that I write historical romances set in the West where people rode – and often adored – horses. Thank goodness for my critique group or the horses in my last book wouldn’t even have had names!
Maybe I should enlist my husband’s help in creating a positive horseback riding experience. Or maybe I’m content to look at horses from a far and stick to writing fiction where animals and people live in harmony – or pretty close.
Are you an animal-lover or not? If not, why not? Have you ever been horseback riding? Do you like movies/books centered around animals/pets?
*Come “like” my new writer page on Facebook!
Share with:
When I lived in England (until I was 11 yo), I used to ride every weekend. I loved horses and wanted to own one. My parents told me if we ever moved to Texas or Mexico, they'd get me a horse. Little did they realize that one day we would move to Texas (Houston). Never did get my horse though. Probably just as well. I HATE western style riding. I'm an English style rider all the way.
(No, I still don't have a horse. I don't ride anymore).
Have you seen War Horse?
Yes, I'm an animal lover. Thought I wanted to be a vet when I was young.
Do I like your page yet? Going to check later today.
~ Wendy
Stina – How cool you lived in England as a kid. If it weren't so expensive and so far from family, I'd love to move there!
Wendy – I actually do want to see War Horse 🙂 – mostly because I've done a bunch of research about WWI and think it would be a fun film. Did you like it?
Oh, I am not a big fan of animals. Which makes me feel like a terrible person. They stink, shed, and slobber. No thank you.
At least your horse-back riding misadventures happened in some pretty exotic places…
I have a love/hate relationship with animals. I really do love them, I just don't like the things the carry on their bodies, yack out of their mouths and poop out the back ends. ;0)
I have great childhood memories on horses that my dad's boss had him take care of.
I want to be an animal lover. Really. I do, but I'm just not. I have a lap dog I tolerate. It never gets in my lap.
🙂
Stacy I think we are soul sisters–seriously. I'm not an animal lover either. I tolerate cats because they kill mice, but other than that NO THANKS. I had a bad horse experience once too, and I haven't been on one since. See…soul sisters 🙂
Kim – We're in sync here! 🙂 And you're right. While the horse riding experiences weren't so thrilling, the places themselves were awesome.
Jenny – LOL! Include the hair they shed everywhere, and I think you've got it covered. 🙂
Jessica – It's okay. Come to the dark side of us animal-nonlovers. 🙂
Angela – Totally soul sisters! I'd forgotten about the whole mice killing thing. There's another plus for cats.
I'm an animal lover.
I have a rescued greyhound, and a border collie we rescued from the pound.
I think we need to speak for the animals because they cannot speak for themselves. My greyhound ran for 4 and a half long years on the track. (a life we don't even know about her) Track life for these dogs is…well…H E double toothpicks…I'm not even going to go into it here…but she was lucky…she is now a happy, 45 mph, couch potato.
I definitely think you should enlist your hubby for a positive horseback riding experience. You might have the most awesome (and romantic) horseback ride of your life.
Happy New Year to you and yours!
For some reason I just found this so, so funny. Yes, I'm laughing at your expense!
Yes I'm an animal lover (but you already knew that!). Though, strangely, I'm not so much a fan of the animal movie. I have a ton of my own happy/sad/tragic/victorious animal experiences. I do like horse movies though. 🙂
I totally think you should enlist Peter's help! Learn to love the horsey! You can do it!
I love animals, though my hubby does not. He likes other people's, but doesn't want any pets. I'll talk him into it someday…
When I was little I wanted my parents to buy me a horse. Or three. It never happened. 🙁 I even had a billion pictures covering my bedroom walls. The more I think about it, the more nerdy I sounded! Ha ha!
Loree – I like the sound of that – a positive, romantic horseback ride with my hubby.
Ali – Glad you saw the humor in it, even at my expense! 🙂 I hoped to garner a chuckle or two.
Chantele – The only pets we have are bunnies, which like I said, I don't mind. They are surprisingly low-maintenance and so cute as babies.
I have always wanted my own horse–instead I married a man with one and rode it only once. Instead I love cats and dogs and am waiting for the day I can own a dog again! We are looking to purchase land right next to a horse–will LOVE it!
Terri – All this talk about people owning and loving horses is making me reconsider. 🙂 I ought to give them another try.
Oh Stacie, you need to ask your husband to give you a good riding experience. Trail riding horses are usually so unresponsive to commands because they carry too many people who don't know what they're doing. We experienced this on a trail ride through the Colorado mountains similar to the one you described. I had the most ornery horse on the planet! When you know how to move your legs and hands and body and have a responsive horse, the experience is amazing…this from someone who's also been bucked off. Gotta say my hero-hubby caught me 🙂 I also have a dog, cats, goat and chickens so I'm definitely an animal lover
I think my view of animals was shaped by growing up on a farm. My dad raised and sold cattle, used horses for working cattle, and hunted deer and birds. I'd say I appreciate animals more than have a love for them.
Sandra – Okay, you've convinced me to give horses – not trail riding horses – a try. My next book they ride horses A LOT so I should probably get in some firsthand research. 🙂
Julie – I'd love to talk to you about growing up on a farm! In my last book the heroine runs a cattle ranch. I like the idea of appreciating animals while not actually having to adore them. 🙂
Too funny! I'd definitely utilize your at-home resource. How convenient is that?
I haven't been horseback riding in years and years, but used to go on trail rides as a girl when we lived in New Hampshire. I always enjoyed those outings, they were an adventure that probably fed my imagination!
I'm not a huge animal person either. I think I went horseback riding once and was freaked out. They don't seem that tall when you see them from a distance! 🙂
Oh my goodness! Too bad you had to have so many of those experiences. I love animals. I don't love taking care of them. Terrible – right? *sigh* However, I do think you should recruit the hubby's help for a positive horse riding experience. They really can be wonderful when done the right way.
Donna – Guess I know what the hubby and I will be doing for date night in a couple months. 🙂
Joanne – Now your experience sounds lovely, probably what I'd always hoped horseback riding would be like.
Sarah – So true. From a distance they can look so majestic and docile. 🙂
Abby – That was one of the things I said before we got our bunnies – I didn't want to be the one in charge of caring for them. And while I made sure they lived through the summer this year, my husband has taken the winter shift and that's great with me!
Ha! You are too funny, and I appreciated it even more because I'm a horse-lover and ex-riding teacher (just for one summer).
Though I have to thank you for the laugh, on a serious note, it's too bad that horses are one of the animals with which so many people have bad or frightening experiences. I wish everyone were introduced to riding slowly, under proper circumstances, not thrown on a horse they know they can't control and whisked off on a "trail ride" as their intro to the equestrian world!
I'm a big animal-lover. The only ones I don't care for tend to be the usual suspects like snakes and spiders…non-mammals. And crocodiles and alligators…I can't stand them because they are killing machines and have no emotion in their reptilian brains. It always made me laugh when the Crocodile Hunter acted as if they were cute and cuddly. 🙂
I love animals, but I've never been big on horses. I like them, but I don't have that horse-farm fantasy. At my babysitter's house, I had to help muck stalls when I was young and I quickly learned they were a lot of work. I'll take bunnies, cats, and dogs any day!
Rosslyn – I'm so with you on the spiders, snakes, reptiles. I refuse to allow those as pets in our house, though I guess the spiders are there whether I like it or not. 🙂
Jill – I've heard mucking stalls is a BIG job. We have some friends with horses and their younger kids routinely mucked stalls too.
Oh yes, I do love horses. I don't care for how some animals smell, but I pretty much like them all. We have four snakes and it doesn't bother me a bit. *grin* (I know, they're reptiles).
Anyway, you should def. enlist your hubs to help you see a different side to the horses. 😉
Oh yeah, love animals. But I understand the fear…. and horses can be very intimidating. I've been on some horse rides that were very tense… at inclines on narrow trails in Hawaii, Costa Rica, Montana …. and wow, it's not always the romantic image you conjur when someone mentions a horseback adventure.
Jessica – Four snakes? Shudder. In our last house we discovered some snakes in the unfinished basement around the time we were moving out. It freaked me out to have them down there!
Pk Hrezo – Riding horses in Montana or Costa Rica does sound rather adventurous and exotic, minus the inclines. 🙂
Oh, no, no no!!!
I am so sad to hear about people's negative horse experiences. Granted, the allergy one really wasn't anyone's fault.
I'm a horse nut and I've had my share of bad experiences too. You have to learn a bit of horse psychology before you can be comfortable around these critters. The beauty of it is, you spend a little time on horse psychology to learn how to enjoy them, then they give you a whole bunch back – there's is so much truth to horse therapy. 🙂
Sorry for a long comment!
Have I ever told you about my horseback riding experiences? Two times. Fell off both times. I now have this fear of riding horses. And yet, people say I write about riding horses so well. Weird, right?
I've been a stranger to your blog. I'm looking to fix that. 🙂
Margo – My hubby has so many life/parenting/relationship analogies that have to do with horses and horse training. I really want to put that stuff into a novel one of these days.
David – There's some of that irony. Writing about things we really don't enjoy in real life. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.