Whatever form of ‘equestrian life’ you lead, be it serious or part time competition rider or happy hacker and equestrian family, one of the biggest differences you will notice when relocating to France, is the loss of other horse friends and the horse talk that goes with it. In the FH&C postbag we receive many emails and letters and many contain the comment -’How do I find other like minded people around?’ or ‘Help, I cannot find anyone local to talk to!’
Unless you are fortunate to move to a location where other riders and country folk live, then you may find that once the pleasure of the peace and quiet passes, then you can become lonely and somewhat ‘desperately seeking mates or contacts.’
With the increase in ADSL and WI Fi then many of these previous issues can be overcome to some degree by joining Equestrian Forums and discussing problems and life changes. If you find a friendly supportive site then wonderful. Sometimes there are reports that over zealous posts cause friction amongst members but on the whole they can be an excellent horse social network replacement, even if virtual.
Alternatively there is the fun and challenge of joining your local Centre Equestre Club; very useful for contacts, exams and meeting the locals. It has to be said though that often the idea of the Club in principle is encouraging but the compulsory ‘club room/bar and lodge are very rarely populated and often locked, so the camerarderie or the expected ‘evening get togethers’ are limited. Maybe an idea to put forward and organise one yourself!
So until you find riders to talk and ride out with and also for those long dark evenings or the days when its too hot to be outside, then FH&C will bring you articles on French Equestrian Life and the people and places that make this lifestyle so wonderful.
Browse through the ‘FH&C Articles‘, they are a great source of information and contacts. If you know of something that would make an interesting article that FH&C could consider for publication, then please ‘Contact Us.’
