Riders are a unique group of people. We find enjoyment in riding thousand-plus-pound animals, in challenging ourselves to overcome our natural fears, and in paying exorbitant amounts of money to do so. But let’s be honest – we all love being a part of this fascinating group. Check out this fun list of things that only true riders can really understand.

The Cleaning Conundrum

When was the last time you happily spent the day cleaning your barn? You pulled the grain bins out of the feed room so that you could get deep into the corners, you cleaned and organized the tack in your tack room, and you spent time removing cobwebs from all of the rafters.

Now, when was the last time that you cleaned your house with such enthusiasm? Exactly. As riders, we will put more effort into cleaning the barns where our horses live than we will put into cleaning our own houses. And we’re okay with that.

The Tack Price Tag

Raise your hand if you paid more for your saddle than you paid for your horse. It’s a common occurrence, with the prices of saddles rising into the thousands. Still, buying a quality saddle can make a big difference in comfort for both you and your horse. Just don’t try to justify the cost to a non-horseperson.

The Grooming Challenge

If you’ve ever taken on the task of grooming a muddy or dirty horse, then you know the challenge that grooming a horse while attempting to stay clean yourself can create. Basically, grooming transfers dust from your horse onto you. And to make it even better, we pay pretty hefty prices for our riding clothes, which we just wear to the barn and get filthy. But grooming is therapeutic for both us and our horses, so it’s an enjoyable (albeit dirty) pastime.

The Saddle Pad Collection

You have one horse and ten, fifteen, or even more than twenty saddle pads. So do the rest of us. Saddle pads seem to accumulate and multiply, so while having a few pads to rotate is practical, it’s hard to justify the saddle pad collections we acquire for a single horse. Still, you want to be able to match your pad with your polos, and you’ll need a pad for each of the holidays, and…..well, you know how it goes.

The Little Things

Training your horse can be a tedious process. But have you ever thought about how the tiniest things, like your horse lowering his head by an inch, can absolutely make your day? Manure from a horse with a case of colic can bring about shouts of glee. And your horse touching his nose to your cheek or ear can be enough to melt you inside.

Yes, to outsiders we might seem a little crazy, but the truth is, the horses make everything worth it.

Original Source: Things Only Riders Understand