Ah, horse girls. Throughout the ages there has been a very distinct affinity between women and horses. This is certainly not a new subject, and yet, so many books, articles and poems continue to be written about this bond. When I was teaching riding full time, I would guess 65% of my students were girls between the ages of 7-12, most of the rest in their teens and a small portion under 7. But 100% of my students were girls. I saw a few boys stumble through a week long “summer riding camp”, never to be seen again, and at the entire barn of about 200 privately owned horses and probably 300 some riders, you could count the male riders on one hand.
What is this magic that we, as females seek in the power of horses? I like to believe it is because the horse represents all we want to be as women. Strong, wild, beautiful, gentle, kind, nurturing, teachers and healers. Things, at our female core, we can all relate to. Of course there are the obvious things about riding that draw us to it like it being healthy, athletic, outdoors and just plain fun. But what is it that draws us to these powerful animals in the first place? What makes a girl choose a Breyer model horse over a Barbie doll? What makes her beg relentlessly for the pony ride, or lessons or horse camp? I’m not sure that question can be answered. I want to believe that it’s something spiritual. Not all girls who ride as children become so hopelessly addicted that they continue on into adult life. But those that do, they will be bound to the animals, with a need similar to oxygen their entire life.
This weekend I met an old college friend down at our old stomping grounds to meet up with a former student of mine that is now pursuing the same equine degree, my husband along for the ride. We are all hopelessly addicted horse girls. Dreams we could never wake from, and Lord I pray we never do. I was there to help my friend on some technical riding aspects and we borrowed my former student and her horse. We stepped into the arena, and it was almost instantaneous, we all breathed deep of the smell of the indoor ring. The damp smell of good footing, horse sweat and leather. I mentioned it first, and us girls knew exactly what I was talking about when I said that it smelled like heaven. My husband seemed lost on the comparison. All three of us girls are at extremely different places and stages in our lives. But when it comes to this crazy passion, we are all on the exact same page. We all instinctively know what “it” is, that draws us to the dream, to the horse. Weather we can name it or not, we all feel it. We are true horse girls. Bound for life to the sport, the dream, the horse.
Cheers!
