Too Much Time With Horses

[cosmo96]

Does your spouse or significant other ever fuss about the time you spend handicapping or playing the horses?

[46zilzal]

Does your spouse or significant other ever fuss about the time you spend handicapping or playing the horses?
Nope she actually comes to work with me helping me carry my camera equipment between the paddock and winners circle.

[Cadillakin]

Does your spouse or significant other ever fuss about the time you spend handicapping or playing the horses?
I lost my first marriage because of it... I really didn't realize how seriously wrong things were in my marriage until one day she screamed at me.. "I don't want to hear another word about your goddamned horses."

I was supporting her well. I was loyal.. I came home every night, so what's the problem? So, I went on as usual...

One year later she was gone and I was left with a brief Dear John that said; My lawyer will be calling you at 8:45am. Bye.

[andymays]

I lost my first marriage because of it... I really didn't realize how seriously wrong things were in my marriage until one day she screamed at me.. "I don't want to hear another word about your goddamned horses."

I was supporting her well. I was loyal.. I came home every night, so what's the problem? So, I went on as usual...

One year later she was gone and I was left with a brief Dear John that said; My lawyer will be calling you at 8:45am. Bye.


That's one of those things that really isn't funny but I can't stop laughing! :D

[Dave Schwartz]

My wife has bugged me for years to play more.

She says we need the money.

[miesque]

Does your spouse or significant other ever fuss about the time you spend handicapping or playing the horses?

Well, since the only people I really have to answer to is me, myself and I, the response is no. Whats worse is that I am totally unrepentant about that fact and just don't care which drives some of my female acquantainces up the wall. :D

[bob77713]

I'm not sure how or even if I want to, discuss something personal on a public BB, so I'll just say this.

Yes, constantly.

[BlueShoe]

Will answer a qualified no.Since am retired and not in a serious relationship my time and resources are used as I choose.In the past,the horses rather faded into the background when involved with an SO,since by choice,preferred to spend time with her instead of the horses.Most of the gals I took to the track,otb site,or Nevada in an effort to get them interested.Like almost everyone on this forum have seen the ugly side of this topic,with marriages destroyed and budding relationships killed.

[Cadillakin]

That's one of those things that really isn't funny but I can't stop laughing! :D
To be accurate, the divorce really had nothing to do with horses.. It was about attentiveness. A man can't spend all his time, day in and day out, being attentive to something other than his wife and have a good marriage.

I didn't really understand that..

[dvlander]

My wife is generally anti-gambling and I really do not find that to be a fault in her. I have shown a slightly positive ROI for the last eighteen months or so and I tell her that I'm willing to provide the data for her at any time. She worries about gambling becoming a "problem" for me and I've tried to show that I don't really have gambling instincts. I test endlessly to give myself the best chance at a positive ROI especially with the advent of rebates.

We have finally come to an understanding and it involves some trust on both sides. I assure here that I won't ever get into trouble with gambling and it has now ended up being a "don't ask, don't tell" arrangement. I don't excitedly tell her about the 39-1 shot I hit at Finger Lakes yesterday and I don't tell her when I'm on a bizillion race losing streak because my testwork has shown that both of those events will happen in the normal course of things.

Seems to work for us.

Dale

[point given]

I layed down the law, " it's either golf or the horses ! " Yeah :bang:

[Donnie]

Definitely, I have the best wife in the world! She enjoys the trips to Vegas, whether free because of winning a tournament, or out of pocket to attend a tournament. She has helped Ken out at his seminar in the past. She has no problem keeping herself busy shopping, or surfing the slots or running with other players' wives around Vegas.

She has no problem with my tournament play online.

She enjoys accompanying me to the track on an infrequent basis. She likes to play by name.So I print out a copy of the PP's for her, although she couldn't tell you much of how to read them. While she watches TV late at night, I'm playing MNR on the laptop.

But the key is communication. Letting her know in advance, especially when I am going to be tied to the computer for an afternoon doing an online contest. If you are going to have a family/signifigant other, you'd better make time for them.

And it doesn't hurt to throw a little "mad money" her way every once in a while, especially on those "real good days". If it's not such a good day, I do the dishes, or laundry. Gives me time to think about the mistakes I made! :bang:

[notchback]

My wife introduced me to Horse Racing... She has been going to the track for years and usually does OK... Using nothing more than a program...

I of course, don't do anything half way so when I caught the bug I dove in with both feet... Books, videos, pod casts, software, research, forums, etc...

Now she says I spoiled it for her because I take it too seriously... We can't even go to the track together anymore because I just can't sit back a pick horses out of a program and bet 4 horse super boxes all day long and she can't pour over factors and pace figures, etc... Ignorance is bliss... It was a lot of fun to go to the track together before I got "serious"...

I must say I was quite frustrated after she went to the track a few weeks back without me... She came home + $400 and I stayed home, bet online and ended up $200 in the hole for the day...

[Track Collector]

This thread reminds me of a t-shirt I saw some guy wear at the races some years ago.

On the front --> My wife said that if I didn't give up horseracing, she'd leave me.

On the back --> I miss her!

:)

[thespaah]

Does your spouse or significant other ever fuss about the time you spend handicapping or playing the horses?]
I got my wife into it.
She likes the track so that makes it pretty easy.

[Cangamble]

I've learned how to appear completely attentive to my wife when she talks to me while a race is going.

I don't hear a word she is saying, but she has absolutely no clue about that.

[Overlay]

For my situation, it's not so much the time itself as the value of the time. Income exceeding outgo keeps my wife happy.

[Cadillakin]

For my situation, it's not so much the time itself as the value of the time. Income exceeding outgo keeps my wife happy.
Money wasn't enough for my wife.. She wanted love and attention.

Silly women...

[BlueShoe]

A man that I have known casually at the track for a long time told me this one years ago.No reason to disbelieve his funny tale about the ending to this often sad situation.----According to the man his marriage was going sour,and to make it worse,his wife was constantly nagging him about his going to the track.He worked all week and went to the track every Saturday.On the last day,as he was preparing to leave,they got in a huge arguement.His wife issued an ultimatum;her or the horses.If he went to the track she would not be there when he came back.He said that he stood there silently and deliberated for a whole ten seconds,which he thought was very considerate of him.Then,smiling sweetly,he told her,"Well,guess that I had better be leaving now.I really like something in the first race and I dont want to be late".He said that the outcome had a good part and a bad part.The good part was that his horse won easily and paid eight dollars and change.The bad part was that the winnings only paid for a very tiny part of the divorce settlement.

[Sid]

The best race-watcher, handicapper, and horseplayer I have known quit wagering a couple years before before I met him. So how do I know he was the best race-watcher, handicapper, and horseplayer I have met?

For a number of reasons. First, he was reputed as such among all the horseplayers I knew and respected who also knew him. Second, although he quit betting he didn't leave the racing industry, and I watched him work every day for two years in a job that lets you know such things. Third, although he stayed further away from touting -- even in casual conversation -- than most any horseplayer I have known (I mean, we all have our occasional enthusiasms regarding an entry, no?) I have seen grown men with years on the racetrack dash straight for the windows when my friend offhandedly remarked about a square-priced runner's chances.

So obviously I once asked him point-blank why he quit. He instantly answered that, to paraphrase, it takes too much time to do it right and it's disastrous if you do it wrong.

I've certainly found that to be true. Though I for one value horseplaying as a participatory sport and often participate without the time to do it right. Even then it's a more intelligent game than most.

[Shelby]

Money wasn't enough for my wife.. She wanted love and attention.

Silly women...

:lol: Sheesh, we're so needy :lol:

My husband and I LOVE betting together.....we have a love of horse racing in common, so, it works for us.

[Cadillakin]

:lol: Sheesh, we're so needy :lol:

My husband and I LOVE betting together.....we have a love of horse racing in common, so, it works for us.
I was just joking, Shelby... The failure was all about me...

But it's well in the past now, so I can joke about it.. I'm with my second wife now.. It will be 18 years in September.

[oddsmaven]

She used to fuss but rarely now because I cut back...left alone I would spend a ridiculous amount of time:

- heavy, time-consuming hours of pre-race preparation.
- then glued to the tote screens and action all afternoon.
- and of course an evening of post "day at the races" wrap-up evaluation.

Even I would draw the line at following that with some west coast racing.

I miss that much committment but it's not fair to her and she does happily attend the races with me when I suggest it :kiss: and she even "caps" using the Form, but I wish she didn't insist she is the better player.