Reality vs. Fantasy

I have been horse crazy since my Dad got me my first Breyer in the early 80's. I then took lessons, Pony Clubbed, worked at other peoples farm's to ride, leased horses, rented horses, rode on the horse show team in college... basically, I did everything I could to be around, among, or even thinking about horses. Including reading every horse book I could lay my hands on, watching National Velvet and other old horse movies (anyone seen Horse in a Gray Flannel Suit?), and reading horse magazines. This all built up in me an image I'm sure many horse crazy girls have, a romanticised, loving, instant bond with a dream horse who is perfectly trained.
How many hours have I spent in my youth galloping cross country on my Breyer horses? When my husband Daniel and I first moved to the farm, I was unpacking my Breyer horses and each one has a name, a personality, and memories frozen in me just as they are frozen mid prance, canter or trot. These fantasy horses are easy to love. They never bite, buck, bolt or balk (4 letter words!), they do not get sick, or need $80 shoes every six weeks, they don't eat a bale a day, they don't require good footing, etc, etc, etc (and I do mean etc!)
So, back to my point of fantasy vs. reality, I loved my day dream horses. They always behaved and were a lot easier to care for. But a living, breathing animal with his own opinions (that don't always match mine) is certainly a lot more interesting. And the expense is worth it to me (not necessarily to my husband...) but to me, it is worth sacraficing a Starbucks or new work clothes to hear a nicker when I round the corner with a bucket of grain.