Abe Davis Today!

[Half-Fast]

They all like Horses & Riding and shopping with Ann's mom.

Oh you poor soul.

My wife has been a horse nut since she was 3 years old. I'd be better off financially if she were hooked on cocaine. A horse is the most efficient way to convert cash to manure that the world has ever seen.

Other hobbies can be set aside for a while when necessary. You can stop cave diving for a month or two when you need to re-pipe the house or fix the car or have the kid's teeth straightened. But not the horses. They still have to be fed, vet'd, shod, etc.

And you think cave gear is expensive? Go price a dressage saddle. Or a horse trailer. Or a horse farm.

<sigh> No complaints, though. Barb supports my activities and I support hers. And we involve the kids in both of our hobbies. Our daughter has Downs, and was very active on the Special Olympics equestrian team for years, winning gold medals at the Florida state games. Our son always came along when I was racing cars, helping in the paddock and keeping lap times, and he got his OW cert last summer and now goes diving with me.

Mark, take my advice. Try to divert 'em away from horses and get 'em hooked on raising hamsters or goldfish. Good luck, brother.

[cavemark]

Other hobbies can be set aside for a while when necessary. You can stop cave diving for a month or two when you need to re-pipe the house or fix the car or have the kid's teeth straightened. But not the horses. They still have to be fed, vet'd, shod, etc.

That's been my argument all along. I can leave my gear in the garage for months and it doesn't cost a penny and we don't have to hire someone to feed it if we go away for a few days. Their argument was "They're Free!!! Someone is just giving us the horses!!!" To that I replied "There's no such thing as a free horse. They could give us $5,000 with each horse and it would still cost us."

And you think cave gear is expensive? Go price a dressage saddle. Or a horse trailer. Or a horse farm.

I grew up with my sister involved in horses. I wanted to ski and got the short end of the stick when it came to financial support for a relatively inexpensive hobby. My sister spent more on one pair of boots than I spent on all of my ski equipment! Come to think of it she spent more on that pair of boots 30 years ago than I spent on by first drysuit 3 years ago. Luckily no trailer needed we have miles of horse trails accessible at the rear of our lot and we already had the land.

Mark, take my advice. Try to divert 'em away from horses and get 'em hooked on raising hamsters or goldfish. Good luck, brother.

It's going to be hard getting them out of the back yard. We have 6 acres just outside of Crystal River. Last year I cleared land and built the pasture (1 acre and nearly killed myself putting in 110 fence posts in 4 hours with a 1-man auger), put up a run-in shed and re-plumbed for water to the pasture. I am in the middle of building the barn. For 2 horses we are spending about $250 a month for upkeep. My dive gear costs me about $200 a year to maintain. I don't get any questions when I come home with a new piece of gear, so I'm okay with it for now.

[Techno_Bob]

Congrats--keep on diving

Bob

[FW]

.... I'd be better off financially if she were hooked on cocaine. A horse is the most efficient way to convert cash to manure that the world has ever seen...

I need to send that to my 'horse nut" sister!

[MORGAN]

Oh you poor soul.

My wife has been a horse nut since she was 3 years old. I'd be better off financially if she were hooked on cocaine. A horse is the most efficient way to convert cash to manure that the world has ever seen.

Other hobbies can be set aside for a while when necessary. You can stop cave diving for a month or two when you need to re-pipe the house or fix the car or have the kid's teeth straightened. But not the horses. They still have to be fed, vet'd, shod, etc.

And you think cave gear is expensive? Go price a dressage saddle. Or a horse trailer. Or a horse farm.

Yup - my wife is both an equestrienne and a cave diver. I tell her that wives are expensive pets!

I suppose the next logical step in expensive hobbies would be for us to buy a delapidated old wooden 40 foot sailboat to restore.

Mike

[Half-Fast]

I tell her that wives are expensive pets!

When I was racing cars, I knew a couple who were sharing his racecar. They were dating, and she was just getting started as a racer. She came in after one race with some fairly extensive metal-to-metal contact that caused a good bit of damage to the car. He walked around the car for a few minutes, looking at it in silence, shaking his head, while she got more and more worried. Finally he looked up at her, stared into her eyes for a moment, and said "Will you marry me? Because you're getting to be a very expensive date."

They were happily married for quite a few years until he passed away.

I suppose the next logical step in expensive hobbies would be for us to buy a delapidated old wooden 40 foot sailboat to restore.

Mike

Oh, that'd do it. Or maybe an old Piper Cub.

[Half-Fast]

That's been my argument all along. I can leave my gear in the garage for months and it doesn't cost a penny and we don't have to hire someone to feed it if we go away for a few days. Their argument was "They're Free!!! Someone is just giving us the horses!!!" To that I replied "There's no such thing as a free horse. They could give us $5,000 with each horse and it would still cost us."

EXACTLY! Barb's thoroughbred came straight from the track, from someone who had to liquidate their racing stable due to a medical hardship. She bought that mare for about 1/10 her value. Later she got our quarterhorse gelding, also at a bargain. Big whoop. What those things cost in feed and vet bills makes the original cost completely insignificant.

The ^&$@ thoroughbred collics regularly, and of course it's ALWAYS at night on a weekend, requiring a vet to come 40 miles one way. I think we've almost finished putting the vet's kids through college now...

Luckily no trailer needed we have miles of horse trails accessible at the rear of our lot ...

Same here, but she still needs the trailer to go to horse shows and to lessons.

It's going to be hard getting them out of the back yard. We have 6 acres just outside of Crystal River. Last year I cleared land and built the pasture (1 acre and nearly killed myself putting in 110 fence posts in 4 hours with a 1-man auger), put up a run-in shed and re-plumbed for water to the pasture. I am in the middle of building the barn. For 2 horses we are spending about $250 a month for upkeep. My dive gear costs me about $200 a year to maintain. I don't get any questions when I come home with a new piece of gear, so I'm okay with it for now.

Similar situation here. We have a couple of acres outside Haines City. One acre of pasture, fenced, hotwired, and irrigated. Two-stall barn with tackroom and two adjoining paddocks, plus a large workshop. Our property fronts onto a paved road, but behind us is a dirt road that leads through orange groves. We can go out the back and ride all afternoon over nice countryside. So far I think we're paying about $2500/mile.....

[MORGAN]

Or maybe an old Piper Cub.

That would be even better than a sailboat, because we'd have to learn to fly it!

Though I like bush planes - so maybe a Super Cub on floats/skis. I wonder what a Dehavilland Beaver is going for these days?

Mike

[Half-Fast]

That would be even better than a sailboat, because we'd have to learn to fly it!

Though I like bush planes - so maybe a Super Cub on floats/skis. I wonder what a Dehavilland Beaver is going for these days?

Mike

Next time you're diving in Florida, take a drive down here to Polk county and visit Fantasy of Flight. http://www.fantasyofflight.com/ If you like old aircraft, this place will blow your mind.

[MORGAN]

Next time you're diving in Florida, take a drive down here to Polk county and visit Fantasy of Flight. http://www.fantasyofflight.com/ If you like old aircraft, this place will blow your mind.

Looks cool! Appears to be about 3 - 3.5 hours from Luraville - might be a nice way to spend a day offgassing.

Mike