Do you prefer horses to people?

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins

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Oct 10, 2004
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I am training to be a psychotherapist and part of that process is having my own personal therapy and understanding myself more.

It is apparent that I much prefer spending time with my horse than I do spending time with most people in my life. Is this true for you?

I love spending time with my immediate family (my husband and 2 children), but apart from them, I could happily go for weeks without speaking to anyone else. Does anyone else feel like this?
 
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Note I did say animals. It's not just horses. Although years ago when I spent all my time around the animals and never went out (Before I worked even) I became too much of a recluse, which actually effected my mental health. I think you need to balance life. I find it difficult around people and to socialise. I talk to the animals, it's a one way conversation of course but they are my therapy. When I can touch and cuddle them and I stop, they look round at me and step in towards me, as if to say whyd you stop, you know you are appreciated. Humans dont give me that appreciation.
 
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I am very much an animal person. I view new acquaintances with suspicion, whereas I note some people see them as immediate friends and will come away from their first meeting as FB friends and keep in touch etc. How they do that is beyond me. However I would do it all day long with horses or other animals.

My sister in law, who is very self educated about Aspergers, having two affected children herself, would say that is a sign of Aspergers. I said it used to be known as being introverted and she said there’s an argument that all introverts are actually affected with Aspergers. It’s just swapping one label with another if you ask me, plus I think it detracts somewhat from the very significant problems experienced by people severely affected by the condition.

Anyway , Aspergers aside, I met up with some of my father’s side of the family, sadly at a funeral, some years ago (complicated, I hadn’t seen them for years) and was astonished to find they were all as animal mad as me. I never knew where I got it from (my ‘real’ dad died when I was a baby and I never knew him) but it seems it is maybe a genetic thing.

Horses are something special though. I like all animals and have always been a dog person, but whereas dogs just seem to be happy to be with us, horses seem to have some kind of deeper understanding, as though they know more about us than we do about them. Or probably that’s just me being daft :p I’m just in awe of my horse :)
 
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I could quite happily do without people! Apart from my OH of course. But thats a thing I've acquired through bad experience rather than being born like it. I don't trust anyone whereas horses & animals to me are just such innocent creatures with no agenda, they deserve to be loved and protected.
 
I find animals far more interesting than people. I also find them much easier to get along with because I know how to react with them. And how to communicate effectively.

Most people I know would be scared do go into a herd of horses or a group of dogs. For me it's far harder to go into a large social group of humans! I find it hard to follow the conversation and I'm always very self conscious from years of being put down and criticised.

I think animals are far better at communicating what they mean and they are never fake. You know where you stand. Humans says one thing to your face and then behind your back something completely different.

Some people I do click with and I really enjoy their company, I can think of about 5 off the top of my head. They are all very genuine people who I would trust to talk to me truthfully and we have fantastic discussions about all sorts of weird, wonderful and interesting things. I really wish there was more people in the world like this.
 
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Interesting thread MP, I work in a very people orientated environment and for the most part I find I like people, I like talking to people and I'm quite happy in a social environment, I'm quite a friendly person generally and tend to not judge anyone until I know them and the only way to get to know someone is by interacting with them.
Animals I love and always have, any animal is welcome round me, be that horses, dogs, cats, rats, snakes whatever.
The difference with animals I think is that they don't tend to have an agenda, they give unconditionally. Where humans are vastly different is that we as a species believe we are top dog and believe we have to be better, have more etc. If I had to choose between animals and humans I would pick animals every time, but I do find people quite fascinating sometimes.
 
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I like all animals and love to spend time with them, but I enjoy interacting with people. If I am home all day with just the animals (though at the moment I really really wish for a day like that) I feel a bit restless and unsatisfied. I like my jobs: one is development and helping organisations with issues, and the other is running the cafe. Both involve constant people contact and are very satisfying.
 
I much prefer animals to people.
There is no way I could walk into a room full of strangers and start a conversation with one of them. However, if I walked into that same room and everyone had a dog or other animal with them , I could talk to them. I wouldn’t be making eye contact with them because I would be focusing and fussing the animal. Even if the conversation was about a totally unrelated subject.
I do sometimes think I would be labelled as autistic or having Aspergers these days now it has become more popular to label people who are slightly different.
 
In a big meeting one day with my big bosses they were doing team building, they asked what your dream job was, I said I'd like to work on a farm, they asked why and I replied so I don't have to deal with stupid people all day, apparently that wasn't a good answer :p

If I take a week off I will often not talk to anyone, I need that time to decompress. People have schemes and ulterior motives and lie, animals just are exactly what they are.

I do like to see people sometimes, I like meeting new people if there's no expectation from it, but I need alone time too and animals don't detract from being alone but stop you from being lonely.
 
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I sometimes worry (pathetic I know) that I spend far too much time around the animals rather than people. I used to be quite the party animal but that was a lifetime ago! I am far happier with just Mr T and our gang. Most days we work together and I split my time between "real" work and time sorting the horses and being outdoors. I do all their voices tooo_Oeven the friendly yaffle birds that live here too:D
I much prefer animal and bird company lol apart from Mr T's company of course - be lost without him - we are kindred spirits though and both prefer animals:)
 
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Some people I'd happily never see again, likewise some animals. There are people & animals I'd hate to be without. Probably the vast majority of both I'm happy to spend time with but it doesn't upset me if I don't see them.
 
I prefer animals. They don’t bullpoop and twist things to suit their version of reality. They just are.

Humans I can do without the vast majority of the time. Never had an animal lie to me to be anythong other than what they are supposed to be. There are a few people I can deal with but 99% of the human race can go blow.

I like forums for this reason usually like minded people, you get a few dreamers and a few trolls but the vast majority are likeminded.
 
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An example of why I find people interesting, the irony in your post is interesting @Mary Poppins, you are training to be a psychotherapist which in itself will mean you have to spend a lot of time with people....
 
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Mary Poppins said:
I am training to be a psychotherapist and part of that process is having my own personal therapy and understanding myself more.

It is apparent that I much prefer spending time with my horse than I do spending time with most people in my life. Is this true for you?

I love spending time with my immediate family (my husband and 2 children), but apart from them, I could happily go for weeks without speaking to anyone else. Does anyone else feel like this?
Click to expand...
Mary Poppins said:
I am training to be a psychotherapist and part of that process is having my own personal therapy and understanding myself more.

It is apparent that I much prefer spending time with my horse than I do spending time with most people in my life. Is this true for you?

I love spending time with my immediate family (my husband and 2 children), but apart from them, I could happily go for weeks without speaking to anyone else. Does anyone else feel like this?
Click to expand...
Yes indeed - exactly the same. I also find I do my best thinking about all sorts of stuff when I'm pottering around with the horses. I always go to the field when I just want to be sad too. I've had one close family member pass last year, and another one very ill, and I can just let myself feel what I want to feel without explaining.
 
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