16 reasons ‘normal’ people think horsey people are nuts
Ever noticed the look of disbelief on non-horsey people’s faces when you reveal a car boot jam-packed with riding gear, or how your colleagues wince when you talk about riding at 7am on a Sunday? Here are 16 reasons why those who lead an equine-free life think horsey folk are nuts.
1. They look forward to a Sunday lie in, but you’re on the yard by 8am as normal.
2. Driving a huge lorry doesn’t faze you, and neither does reversing a trailer down a narrow, twisty lane.
3. They think the rain and cold means an indoor day, but you’d still rather be outside doing something horsey.
4. You rave about riding and being out in the fresh air for staving off a hangover, but they’d rather be in bed. The same applies for a cold.
5. They no longer ask what you did on a Saturday night because they know you were most likely in bed early ahead of the next day’s competition.
6. Agreeing on the right temperature is difficult. So while you’re in the office wearing a t-shirt, everyone around you refuses to take off their coats and scarves until the heating is turned up.
7. They list shopping and socialising as a hobby on their CV, and can’t understand why this makes you laugh.
8. Grooming your horse is one of your favourite ways to unwind. They’d rather go for a massage.
9. While other drivers or walkers give droppings on the road a wide berth, you go straight over without a second thought. “It’s just grass,” you argue — but they’re not convinced.
10. They can’t wait for summer to arrive, but you’re secretly dreading the horse flies/sweet itch/sunburnt muzzles.
11. They gush about the designer shoes they recently bought; you’re more interested in the smart close-contact saddle you’ve had your eye on for months.
12. While non-horsey people save for a mortgage, you don’t have much to spare after paying your horse’s livery bill.
Like this? You might also enjoy reading these:
9 reasons you like horses more than people
15 signs you’re totally addicted to horses (and wouldn’t have it any other way)
13. You arrive at work on Monday morning with tales of a great weekend competing.
“Did you win?” asks an unhorsey colleague.
“No, but my horse gained a lot of experience,” is your reply. They don’t get it.
14. The best conversations you have are with your horse. Again, they don’t get it.
15. They regularly comment on how tanned your face and arms are, and wonder why you never show off your legs. (All those hours in breeches mean they are too white.)
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
16. You rave about the likes of Carl Hester, Scott Brash and Michael Jung, but they have no idea who they are.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Aimi was responsible for Horse & Hound’s showing, pointing and veterinary pages, as well as assisting with eventing content. Aimi also edited Horse & Hound’s popular occasional magazines, Ask The Vet and Ask The Trainer. She is the former deputy editor of Eventing magazine. She left Horse & Hound at the end of 2017 to take on new challenges in the publishing industry and is now editor at Your Horse.