Eccentric! Who me???

OK I'll admit it. I mostly thought I just gathered eccentric friends over my lifetime and travels with horses and horse people. But it turns out I am one too! My good friend commented on how nuts it is to wrap my lung line so it hangs perfectly in the shape of an eight. Heck that's nothing! What quirky things do you do for and around your horses. Here are some of mine.

I will think nothing of working for hours mowing a trail so that Tug can walk on short grass.
I would rather make a carrot cake for the horses than bake for my husband.
If you hang my halter and bridle wrong you will hear about it!
I often hang out at the barn and have a beer with the gang....they are only allowed one.
I anthropomorphize all the time. I really do know what they are saying!

So who is brave enough to admit your quirky side?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Carol Pullum on August 23, 2009 at 4:51pm

LOL, you don't sound eccentric, just sensible. Or maybe I'm eccentric, because I can relate. I grew up with "a place for everything & everything in it's place", and if you put away my stuff wrong I'm gonna squawk too, 'til you do it right. I also buy carrots every week when I grocery shop. You guessed it, we don't eat too many carrots here, but I have to have them to feed all the horses at the barn. That's right, they're for the entire row, those horses know when someone else is getting a treat and they aren't, so I buy for all!!

Permalink Reply by Jackie Cochran on August 23, 2009 at 7:38pm

I don't know if this is what you are thinking of, but I am considered weird and eccentric because I insist on riding Forward Seat even if it hasn't been fashionable for around 40 years.
I am also considered eccentric by some because I really do care about what the horses think about my riding. I consider them my best judges and teachers.
And of course I have always been considered weird and eccentric because I ride hunt seat and prefer riding Arabians, in fact the great majority of horsepeople I run into down here seem to think I'm totally ga-ga crazy for prefering Arabs over their breed, usually Quarter horse, TB, Warmblood, Appaloosa, TWH or Saddlebred.
I have also gotten strange looks because I will trim my horse's hooves myself. Once two local guys lent me the tools and a shoeing apron just to see me trim my stallion's hooves. They could not get over seeing a woman UNDER A STALLION peacefully trimming the hooves. And a crazy Arabian stallion to boot (he wasn't crazy, they just automatically assumed all Arabs are crazy.)
I also tend to understand what they (the horses) are saying, you are not the only one.

Permalink Reply by Debbie Matuszewski on August 31, 2009 at 10:10pm

I have to give you alot of credit for trimming your horses hooves, that you can do it! There is a woman farrier in northern wis. I heard does an awsome job, better than many men, in that she also has alot of patience with the difficult ones. You must have a really great stallion. He sounds like a great horse. My quarter horse reminded me of an arabian last week, when twice he pranced around the arena, with his head tucked in, chest out, and tail arched way up. I seen arabians do that in the pasture, and it looked so awesome. Wish I could have filmed that!

Permalink Reply by Debbie Matuszewski on August 26, 2009 at 8:35pm

There is nothing wrong with that! I tell my horse secrets I wouldn't tell others, including my husband! (horses won't tell how much you spend, and hopes and dreams, others may laugh at you, but he just listens) I am one of the few to ride western at the stable, on a smaller quarter horse, and I love it. I still have my cowboy hat from the 70's with the higher crown I always loved, that is no longer in style. I am thinking I will still wear it, even tho the crown is so tall it may pass for a "witches cowboy hat"! I bring in treats too, and enjoy picking out what my horse may eat. He even tried 1 green bean from the garden(one time), I had a horse grab my whole hot dog and eat it!

Permalink Reply by Marti Langley on August 31, 2009 at 6:34pm

Hi, Debbie! How are things? I guess we are all a bit quirky, huh? I love to press my forehead against either of my mares' foreheads and communicate. It is really condusive to talking. I also am OCD about cleaning the stalls and paddock at least twice a day. I like to brush my horses daily, even if I don't get to work or ride them that day. And I buy a heck of a lot of carrots!

Permalink Reply by Debbie Matuszewski on August 31, 2009 at 10:02pm

Hi- I do the same thing! I wonder too if they can read your mind. I heard stories to make you think they can and do. Then TJ better read mine, and know he better behave at times! Sometimes when I kneel down in his stall, while he is eating his hay, he will push a bunch over to me with his nose, and I wonder if he is showing me he is trying to share with me, and that it is affection. Maybe that really isn't so, but it feels good thinking that!

Permalink Reply by Gail Morse on August 27, 2009 at 1:54pm

I grew up in the Pony Club so everything had its place. You picked your horses feet out before and after you rode and you cleaned your tack. I still do both of those things or at least make sure the girth is clean. I have been referred to as anal at the trail barn I ride at for the summer as western people do not clean tack I am told. I also use a clean saddle pad each time I ride. How about that? Gail.

Permalink Reply by PJ on August 27, 2009 at 3:34pm

Ha I grew up in Pony Club also.( could this be a clue to our eccentricities?) One of my instructors had us dismantle our bridles in a heap at our feet. Then we were all blind folded and it was a race to see who could put their bridle back together first. We laughed so hard! I can still do it today although my fingers are not as nimble as they were back then.

Permalink Reply by Gail Morse on August 31, 2009 at 10:11am

Can you still do it with your eyes closed? Gail.

Permalink Reply by PJ on August 31, 2009 at 11:21am

I did last winter.....and now with my eyes as they are I am doing more and more with my eyes squinting.lol

Permalink Reply by Chris Gloin on September 8, 2009 at 12:41pm

Lol I still figure eight my bridle when I am done with it - and I love love love cleaning leather and putting bridles together. Not quite so bad about the saddle pads - but I like 'em clean, and do lots of horse related washing. I paid waaaay to much for my saddle to let anythig hurt it - so the girth is cleaned everytime I ride, and the saddle at least once a week.

Permalink Reply by Gail Morse on September 15, 2009 at 12:55pm

Here I am again. Saddle pads clean every day and the same for the girth. I bought a custom made saddle from Schleese so again it is looked after as well. Gail.