Living in Wheat Free Horse Hell

27. February 2007

“I am living in special flour hell,” my male friend rather abruptly broke off the girls’ excitement over his girlfriend’s wheat free buns that were being passed around the table. When I finally stopped laughing –yes I felt just slightly hit by his outburst - he had one piece of advice for me.

“I would keep very quiet about this wheat free thing Hilde. For a long time. In fact until you have a ring on your finger is probably safest,” he said causing the rest of the room to roar with laughter too.

“If I had known the implications of this I would have reconsidered my position for sure!” he added and smiled lovingly at his girlfriend despite the punches now coming his way.

Well in my case it’s a bit late for that. Despite being miles away from a ring on my finger I came clean pretty much straight away. I am not very good at withholding the truth or marketing myself if you like. My strategy is pretty much what you see is what you get. But as much as I intend to keep up my wheat free regime I also intend to make it as uncomplicated for those around me as possible.

But I noted that despite his girlfriend’s decision to ban wheat and her love of horses, which was equally incomprehensible to her other half, they were still together. We all have our things. But I do realize that the combination of the two is possibly not most blokes idea of fun.

“You need to find a man who either rides himself or who really understands what horses are all about. Or one who plays golf, because then they don’t tend to mind as much,” one of the married ladies at the stables told me one evening as we were still playing around with our horses at nine o’clock. Unlike me she had a man waiting at home so knew all about how difficult this could be.

“Whatever you do, don’t try to hide how much time it takes,” she continued as we laughed about the realities of it all. As much as I would be the first to prioritize the horses when I needed to I also realized how this could become a potential minefield in a relationship. There had to be a certain degree of give and take.

But anyone who knows me from before the wheat ban can testify that I am much better for it. It’s a small sacrifice considering the effect it has had on my health. And as far as the horses go I am afraid I am just addicted. But again as far as addictions go it could be a lot worse…