If you’re dating an equestrian, and are wondering how you can make today (14 February) really special this year, here are some ideas to treat your Valentine
Are you dating an equestrian? And you’re reading this article on H&H about how to make them happy? Wow, you’re already the best boy/girlfriend ever.
What you need to know is that while you may never understand their obsession with white breeches, and your excitement when they announce they’re getting a new gag and whip is definitely misplaced, they’re actually really easy to please. Here’s how to make their Valentine’s Day just perfect today….
1. Muck out a stable for them
There is no greater romantic gesture than removing poo from your partner’s horse’s stable. Shakespeare would have put it into Romeo & Juliet, if only he’d been able to think of a rhyme for ‘manure’. You might reckon mucking out sounds easy, but strangely, it isn’t. Equestrians are fussy about their horses’ beds. Don’t let this put you off, though. Watch a few YouTube videos first to see how it’s done. Then do it. Just remember: horse people get up really early.
2. Fix that wonky gate/dodgy roof on the trailer/flat tyre on the lorry
There is no more attractive trait in the opposite sex than the ability to do DIY, especially if it means your beloved can finally reverse their lorry out of that mud drift it’s been stuck in for weeks. You WILL be rewarded for this — possibly in heaven, but possibly in this life, too. Who can say?
Yeah, we’re definitely going big with the practical stuff here. That’s horsey people for you, though. While they’d probably enjoy being serenaded in bed with croissants and Buck’s Fizz, part of their brain will be also thinking, “better stuff this down, Snowy starts kicking the door in if his breakfast is five minutes late”. Which can kill the mood. Getting their rugs cleaned (or cleaning them yourself, here’s how) and proofed (again, you can proof your rugs at home) is a gesture that will be appreciated even more than a red rose in a jam jar. We know. Mind-boggling, isn’t it?
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5. Book them tickets to a show
But not Frozen On Ice. That’s really not their sort of thing. Maybe offer to pay for their entry to their next competition, or if you’re feeling really flush, take them to the Winter Equestrian Festival in Palm Beach, Florida (here’s a list of hotels near the PBIEC to get you on your way). Actually, forget them, take us instead!
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Amanda Vlietstra is a freelance writer and editor who’s worked for a number of national magazines and websites. Having thrown herself back rural living with gusto since moving from London to Buckinghamshire in 2012, she juggles her horsey life with work and two small children. She claims to do dressage, but really just potters about having fun on her 14.2hh Belgian Warmblood mare, Roxy. She also enjoys a good gossip over a coffee in the tackroom!
