Teenagers. Just that one word is enough to make you sigh, roll your eyes and flounce out the room. And that’s if you’re a parent. However, horsey teenagers have many saving graces. Here are ten reasons to be cheerful – well, most of the time – if you have one in your household.
1. When your friends moan about their teenagers refusing to get out of bed at a reasonable time, you can tell them how yours is so passionate about horses, (s)he is up and ready to go at the crack of dawn. Unfortunately, this only works on the morning of a show or event. When the prospect heralded by that early morning call is school or college rather than a horsey day out, things are different. Of course, you don’t have to tell your friends that.
2. When you want a picture or a video of your beloved horse and your mobile phone is defeating you, ask a teenager. Thirty seconds later, it’s not only done but is good enough to be nominated for an Oscar.
3. Need to reply to an urgent text or email while you’re trying to plait a horse’s mane? Ask a teenager, because she’ll probably be able to text with one thumb while plaiting at the same time, without looking at the screen. I’m not being sexist; girls usually love grooming and plaiting, so by the time they get to be teenagers, most boys have mastered the art of persuading a sister or friend to do it for them.
4. Need an honest opinion? Ask a teenager. The catch is that you’ll get an honest answer that might not be what you hoped for. Questions such as “Does my backside look big in these breeches?” are not recommended.
5. Putting together a soundtrack for a dressage to music class? Your teenager’s suggestion for a playlist might surprise you, but not necessarily in a bad way. Having said that, trotting down the centre line to indecipherable rap lyrics, as suggested by a friend’s son, isn’t recommended. To be fair, it was a wind-up, and it worked. He then came up with a fantastic selection of golden oldies/classic songs (delete where applicable) that were perfect.
6. When your teenager is down in the dumps or feels misunderstood, a horse will always put things right. You might not understand, or not appreciate what it’s like being a teenager – because after all, you’re too old to remember what it was like – but a horse is always a good listener.
7. When you’re fed up with your teenager taking pouting selfies, suggest (s)he takes one with her or his best friend on four legs. There’s something about horses that makes everyone smile.
8. A teenager’s bedroom might be full of clothes that should have been put away and coffee cups that have been left there so long they have secondary mould growing on the first lot, but a teenager’s horse’s bedroom will be mucked out with pride. Take heart – one day, the teenager’s bedroom will meet the same standard.
9. However many disagreements or pointed silences you share, there’s always a way to solve the situation. You can’t be bad tempered around horses, even if you only have a temporary truce!
10. When others complain that teenagers have no staying power, patience or sense of responsibility, look at your teenager and his or her horse – and feel proud.