There are horses people use for competition, and if they don't perform well or go lame, then people ask the vet to put them down to get the insurance money. And my vet knows I love horses, so he gives them to me.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Horses are like people - they have different personalities. They can be nice, friendly and hard-working, or awkward, difficult and lazy. If horses were people, some would be on the dole, and others would be entrepreneurs.
I think some horses are meant to do... eventing or dressage. We have Western horses who canter around. I think it takes, especially at the level I'm at now, it takes a horse that wants to do it.
I just love the development of horses, getting into their brains, making them more athletic and powerful, responsive, and I'm rubbish at everything else.
If a horse doesn't want to do something, you're not going to make him do it. They're incredibly powerful animals.
I've always loved horses. When I was younger, I competed in horse shows and did quite well.
I'm used to riding horses. My father used to breed horses when I was a child. I grew up in Tipperary, in the country, and lots of people have horses there. If my parents hadn't been in the business, we would have them anyway, as pets. And my cousin Richard is a jockey.
For most athletes, there's a focus on your own fitness, but I have to rely on my horse, too. I've been very lucky so far, and it hasn't presented a problem, but you can never count on a competition going as planned until you're there and actually doing it.
I love having horses from a young age and seeing how far they can go.
I've bought perfectly healthy horses for a couple of hundred dollars just as they were about to be loaded on a slaughterhouse-bound truck.
It always amazes me when people go rent horses and ride them. You mean you want me to pay you to ride a horse?