How a child's passion for horses and riding arises can be a bit of a mystery if there are no horses in the family's blood. Nevertheless, children's enthusiasm for horses is quite entertaining. Therefore, we have compiled a list of the surefire signs that you are dealing with a horse-crazy youngster – if nothing else, you can probably nod in recognition of how you felt when you were there as a child.
You know you have a completely horse-crazy child when…
- Anything in the home can be used to get a ride around the living room floor. Whether it looks like a horse or is a box of cornflakes doesn't matter at all!
- The other school children refer to your child as "the horse girl" or perhaps "the pony boy."
- Your child doesn't want to go on family vacations because it means time away from the stable and the horses.
- You hear a "gch-gch" every time your child is about to run, and you've found out that your child actually has a third gait in the form of a gallop. You are fascinated – and laugh – a little every time you see it.
- Your garden has been transformed into a year-round jumping course.
- The kid insists on wearing riding pants in kindergarten or school and would rather use their riding helmet than their bike helmet when the "iron horse" needs to be aired. A whip may also be necessary to tame the wild metal beast.
- All your conversations can somehow be turned by your child to be about horses.
- If your child has a smartphone, you hear a neigh every time a text message comes in.
- If your child also has a tablet, you are fully aware of what My Horse, Horse World, and perhaps Horse Riding Tales are—according to your child, indispensable and very time-consuming apps.
- Your child is more up-to-date on what Rider By Horse, Kingsland, and Le Mieux have in terms of new products than you ever will be.
- Day after day, you are told how good it would be for the pony if you bought this new super bridle or this unique saddle pad. You just choose to smile and tell your dear child that it could certainly be a nice Christmas wish.
- Your child has suddenly become very fond of eating carrots, apples, and rye bread. And you are happy about it! If you want to get vegetables and whole grains into your child, just let them go riding, you have happily concluded.
- If you don't have a horse or pony in the family, you regularly ponder how you can avoid your child one day wanting a horse as a confirmation gift. Maybe you can even manage to change your child's interests entirely?
- When you clean or tidy up your child's room, you occasionally discover hidden "treasures" in the form of lost, rusty horseshoes, semi-illegal clipped tufts from the tails of all the riding school ponies, and a couple of handfuls of feed. Is your child planning to lodge a horse in their room?
- It's not uncommon for you to find a younger sibling dolled up with rosebuds and show shine in their hair. Next to them stands your horse-crazy child with scissors in hand, ready to trim the protruding tufts that have been too small to braid. Fortunately, you quickly put a stop to the show preparation!
Can you relate to any of this? Or do you know someone who definitely can? There are many joys of having a horse, but there are certainly also many 'joys' and funny moments in having a neighing child running around at home.
