[Irish_Thatcherite]

It is interesting the different approaches to horses - in Britain and Ireland, horse riding is regarded as 'posh', in America, particularly in your part of the States, it is mainly a working class pursuit - I guess those differences stem from the histories of those countries; in Britain and Ireland, the lords rode horses, the commoner rode donkeys, whereas in the States the working man rode a horse!!

[tuliptree76]

Actually, in my neck of the woods, horse riding is mostly for those with money. They do a lot of show jumping and riding.

[Monkey Face]

Actually, where I come from, horses are, indeed, "spendy" items. People keep horses for cattle ranching (quarter horses -- an American breed) but they also have quarter horse races. We raise a lot of thorobreds for racing, and of course, the ever popular Arabians. Horse racing is often a livlihood for a lot of people.

We also have polo matches, though that sport is (for now) reserved for the "rich."