Lindsay Rausch: Early-onset symptoms of chronic horse-itis

Is your kid’s “horse thing” just a phase or a full-blown condition? Here are the top 10 ways to tell.

From Lindsay:

Countless parents have hoped and prayed that their child would just get over the “horse thing” before it gets any more expensive and/or time consuming. Does the horsey-crazy kid in your life have a chance? Here are some early-onset symptoms of chronic horse-itis:

10. Any inconspicuous loop of rope is bound to become the reins to the greatest imaginary steed EVER!

9. They know that the only white horse is an albino, and all others are really just a gray.

8. Any conversation can be related back to a horse fact or story.

7. When going to the fair, if they get to visit the horse barns and see the horse events, they are perfectly happy.

6. Their personal library has more horse novels and how-to books than all other topics combined.

5. For birthdays they no longer ask for a little black beauty pony but rather an X-hand, Y breed horse, and have provided you with the proper Craigslist ad, complete with pictures and contact information.

4. When describing their dream house they start with pastures and barns… the house is more of an afterthought.

3. The fact that there is no horse around has no effect on their desire to acquire tack for the future horse. The Power of Positive Thinking.

2. If they had a bad horse experience early on, such as being run away with or falling off, it has done nothing to faze their passion.

1. They will take advantage of any chance to be around horses, even if it means mucking out friends’ (or strangers’) stalls.

If the horse-crazy child in question has one or more of these symptoms, it can be confirmed that he or she is chronically in love with horses and there is not anything that can be done about it. The only treatment for the Horse Love Condition is periodic interactions with horses to mitigate the symptoms. As for the family, it is best to resign yourself to the fact that resistance is futile and support treatment whenever possible.

Go Riding.

Lindsay Rausch learned to ride at a young age from her mom who had been a trainer and horsemanship instructor in a previous life. Lindsay has always been a western trail rider, and even though she has not owned a horse of her own she has always looked for any chance to get a leg in the saddle. She is currently setting up a 10-acre farm for cattle and horses. Lindsay would love to hear questions that readers have about the western world that she could research for the Horse Nation.

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