A Rant

I am spending a great deal of time with the animals that are left behind, i.e. our horses, our two cats and Haley, our youngest Border Collie.

We have three horses and they are Gigi’s horses. One is very old and I am surprised to see her alive every morning. The other two are younger, majestic and beautiful.

Gigi used to ride but her physical abilities are limited with fibromyalgia. I holdout hope that one day she will feel good enough to hop on one and ride.

Our general animal policy is any animal that comes in to our possession is taken car of until death. We get attached to our animals and they get attached to us.

So it is, that we have three pet horses.

What really gets me mad is when someone challenges my reason for owning horses. They’ll sarcastically ask, “Do you ride them?”

“No.”

“Then why don’t you get rid of them.”

This angers me more than it should for several reasons. First, it is none of your damn business if I have elephants and squirrel monkeys if it is not harming anyone or causing a nuisance.

Second, unbeknownst to you, you have insulted my wife, and her physical limitations.

Third, why is a horse only good for riding? Guess what, I own 4 herding sheep dogs and I don’t own any sheep. My truck has seating for 5 but there are only two of us. I have cats and use rat and mice poison at the barn. I have a parrot and I am not a pirate.

I am not a horse person. I rarely ride, but I have promised Gigi that I would take care of them if something happened to her.

And you know what? I find pleasure in just being around them.

7 comments:

Ali said...

You are too a pirate - don't try to fool me.

TerryC said...

I can't believe someone would be so rude as to ask you why you don't "get rid of" the horses.

That's such a harsh term.

Well, now that I think about it I can believe it. There are some real jerks out there.

Unknown said...

Ha ha a pirate! Wow that is great. I wish you were a pirate. That would be pretty cool to have an Uncle Pirate.

Don't worry, I have a Chihuahua and I am not gay. Some people just don't get it I guess!!!

Michael said...

We have 11 dogs, more than enough for a sled team, but no sled... or snow.

Liv said...

Well, a lot of people I suppose just can't fathom having horses and not riding. Maybe, just maybe, if they don't know you, they're not being intentionally cruel but it hits a raw spot? I know, it's odd for me to be reasonable, but I have to hope if these people really knew you and were your friends they would never say that, because they would never want to hurt you. Some things still just suck to hear though.

Anonymous said...

Under this logic, my springer spaniel is a bird dog who is too old to hunt anymore, so... I should have her put down? People who ask such questions are not animal lovers.

Stacy said...

yeah i hate people all up in my business like they belong there