The extract below is taken one of the leading message boards in the cyber equestrian community. The struggle for paradise, aka devoting your unlimited love to horses, always faces the eternal problem of jealousy, coming from the other (dark) side.
Why is it that boyfriends decide just before a big event that you spend too much time with your horse and not enough time with them and cause all sorts of havoc? Why do they claim to understand that you love your horse and your sport but months into the relationship they decide they should be getting more attention then your horse?
You just get your life arranged so you can work a job, clean stables, work horses, play with foals still see your family/friends and allow time to spend with the boyfriend and he says enough is enough i want more time. Don't they realise the effort that is gone to to see them at all! You spend more time with your horse then me or you love your horse more than me are my favourites, well maybe if he brought the horse food, and spent his hard earned money on the horse he would love it as much as i do to!
Just because the horse costs more than him and gives me more pleasure how can he expect to be in the same category after all can he try that little harder over a fence in a jump off cause he loves me? Can he produce a beautiful healthy foal that is everything youve dreamed of? Can he nicker to you in the dark so you know where he is or does he whinny to you at competitions when you return to the float?
NO, he just complains that your going to another show this weekend, that your horse is sick so you have to wait for the vet and can't go out for dinner. (author = Lis)
--Astrid Appels
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