Friday, October 24, 2008

I heart Horses

I love my mare. I wanted a horse so badly when I was a kid. I begged my parents everyday. I talked about horses constantly, in school, at home, at my friends houses, in the car, to myself. I'm sure I was known as the dorky horse girl to the kids at school. Whatever, we all have to have a passion, right? When I was four years old Santa left a little brown stuffed horse under the tree. She was not really bay and not really chestnut, but brown with a dark brown mane and tail. She was in a laying down position with each back leg tucked unnaturally on each each side and her front legs straight out. I named her Sugar and I still have her. She's snuggled away in my cedar chest. Sugar lit the flame of a lifelong blaze in my heart for horses. My parents never bought a horse for me. That's okay, I'm not traumatized, I simply bought one for myself when I graduated from college. I had an apartment and there was a barn down the street where I could board one. Long story short, I went through three geldings before I found the mare I currently have. The geldings were okay, but there were various reasons they didn't work out besides the fact that I discovered that I don't bond well with them. When I saw my mare the first time, we had an instant connection. We still do, and it deepens with time. I'm still the dorky horse girl and folks who aren't horse people might think it's strange to have such a bond with an animal. But I've never felt that I had to apologize for my love of horses. Some people don't get it, some do.

This time of year is fantastic for riding. My mare and I rode through the fields last Sunday enjoying the sunshine and crisp weather. All the crops have been brought in and the fields looked so inviting. We wandered along the edge of the fields for about two hours. No people, no houses. Just wheat colored fields and deep blue sky. The clouds in an autumn blue sky are always puffier with just a tinge of dark gray making them look more animated than other seasonal clouds. I breathed deep and closed my eyes so many times tilting my face to the sky. My mare was mostly on auto pilot. Her steady gait beat out a cadence that was soothing and rhythmic. She carries me effortlessly leaving me the luxury to be inspired and daydreamy. She loves rides like this too.
After our ride I wanted to capture it forever. I snapped a few shots of my mare back at the barn and thought I'd share a few.

5 comments:

Annie Wicking said...

We all find something which makes our life complete other than just our family and friends.

Mine is writing, yours is horses.
I would talk for England about books, writers etc. It's a part of me that brings me such joy that I can't find the words to explain, but then again I don't need to explain to you because I'm sure you will understand.

Best wishes and thank you for joining my friends and I at the writers' tea party.

Best wishes,

Annie

Andrea said...

I am just like you. Every year for Christmas a horse was the very first thing on my list. My parents never bought me a horse, but they did get me riding lessons. They thought I would grow out of it. I went to college to ride horses, and now I have 6 and two coming next year!! I Heart Horses too!! They are all I think about, talk about, dream about. I think my husband gets sick of it.

I am the weird horsey girl too.

Your mare is super cute. She looks like she is really nice.

Mrs. Mom said...

Horses have been a life line and a life long passion in this tiny corner of the world too. I too have been viewed as the Dorky Horse Girl for my entire life, and know the feeling well. Sure sucks to be the ones poking fun at us huh? While they fuss and whine and stress, we head out for a ride or just some horse nose to nose therapy ;)

Your mare is lovely Elliemae. What a great build on her!

Five O'Clock Somewhere said...

My passion is horses also, glad to have found your blog.

"If you have it, it is for life. It is a disease for which there is no cure. You will go on riding even after they have to haul you onto a comfortable wise old cob, with feet like inverted buckets and a back like a fireside chair." MONICA DICKENS

The W.O.W. factor! said...

I know that feeeling too. I wanted a horse as a child, the other siblings wanted musical instruments..they got theirs, so I set out to buy my want! And I did..I'm still the only one in the family who enjoys what I did as a "child"...no one else maintained their wants thru adult life...my parents should have 'invested' in me instead! ;)