What was the one toy you wanted as a kid that your parents never bought you?
Submitted by Princess of Darkness.

It wasn't really a toy.  The one thing I wanted growing up was a horse.  Not a pony mind, a horse, one that I could use in equestrian sports, specifically jumping and dressage.  I liked the western equestrian sports well enough and still do enjoy rodeo, but I loved jumping and dressage riding.  I still do, even though, given my arthritis, I couldn't get on a horse, let alone sit one if my life depended on it.

However, while the inital cost of the horse wasn't much, the food and upkeep were out of the price range of my family, especially after my parents got divorced and my mother was trying to make ends meet on her own.  Even had she been able to afford the basic costs of the horse, entry fees for shows and trailering and the like would have ended the deal.

So...no horse.

It was kind of funny though because in talking to Bob and Arlene at FIRS a few years ago, and Bob was saying that he actually liked their horses, even though they were too old to be of any use.  He liked going out to the barn and talking to them, and Arlene (bless her heart) says she'd rather muck out a stall than clean up the kitchen.  The two girls wanted horses, Rob wanted dirt bikes.  I said something to the effect of "This is a classic case of parents buying pets for the kids, and then ending up taking care of them."  Arlene responded "Sure.  But who knew they were going to live 30 years!"

For whatever it's worth, their oldest daughter did grow up to become an equine veterinarian.  It kind of makes me wonder what I would have become if I'd been born into a different family.

I ended up scratching my horse itch by hanging around the race tracks and public stables and helping out where ever I could.  I'm still pretty darn good at handicapping horse races.

Originally posted on capecat.vox.com