If you're a horsey mum there are one or two things you're bound to be guilty of — from using Mane & Tail conditioner on your children to picking them up from school in your breeches. How many do you admit to...?
1. I love my kids – but I also love dropping them at school and knowing I have six uninterrupted hours to hang out with my horse.
2. I slightly resent the school holidays for eating into my riding time.
3. I am much better at plaiting my horse up than my daughter. Her hair is too silky, and she just doesn’t stand straight.
4. I’ve actually used Mane & Tail conditioner on my daughter when her hair was particularly tangly. It worked a treat.
5. Yes, I’m the mum who turns up to pick my kids up in jods, muddy boots and a parka covered in dubious stains of horsey origin. Luckily my children are too young to be embarrassed… yet.
6. I sometimes forget when it’s parents’ sharing assembly, but I never forget when I’ve got a cross-country lesson booked.
7. I’m getting riding lessons for my daughter just so I’ll always have a hacking companion when she gets a bit older.
8. I bought her a complete riding wardrobe just because she looks insanely cute in it. To be honest, I bought her riding stuff before she was even old enough to ride, for that reason.
9. I wear a My Little Pony T-shirt that matches my daughter’s. She’s four. I am 40. I know no shame.
10. I buy huge bags of carrots and parsnips every week — the Sainsbury’s delivery man obviously thinks I am a carrot and parsnip-obsessed nutter. These are not destined for the family dinner table, however, but my horse’s feed bucket.
11. I washed my horse’s rugs in our washing machine, and blocked it with horse hair.
12. I told my husband I needed to use our joint credit card to buy a load of worming and flea tablets from VioVet for the family pets, but sneaked a pair of new breeches in there (lovely Caldene Carter ones – I recommend them.)
Like this? You might also enjoy reading these:
15 types of Pony Club parent you’re sure to recognise
Riding holidays to keep your children happy
13. I also used the joint credit card to buy my horse a new rug. Well, she looked cold.
14. And some treats.
