A Simple Statement
(Originally, this essay was entitled "I RIDE" with the author listed "unknown". Julia contacted me to identify herself as the author and offered to email me her original version and her photo! Isn't that awesome? -- Thanks Julia! Many have enjoyed your essay and can relate very strongly to it. Thank you for sharing it with all of us!)
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I ride. That seems like such a simple statement. However as many women who ride know it is really a complicated matter. It has to do with power and empowerment. Being able to do things one might have considered out of reach or ability. I have considered this as I shovel manure, fill water barrels in the cold rain, wait for the vet/farrier/electrician/hay delivery, change a tire on a horse trailer on the side of the freeway or cool a gelding out before getting down to the business of drinking a cold beer after a long ride.
The time, the money, the effort it takes to ride calls for dedication. At least I call it dedication. Both my ex-husbands call it 'the sickness'. It is a sickness I've had since I was a small girl bouncing my model horses and dreaming of the day I would ride a real horse. Most of the women I ride with understand the meaning of 'the sickness'. It's not a sport. It's not a hobby. It's what we do and, in some ways, who we are as women and human beings.
I ride. I hook up my trailer and load my gelding. I haul to some trailhead somewhere, unload, saddle, whistle up my dog and I ride. I breathe in the air, watch the sunlight filter through the trees and savor the movement of my horse. My shoulders relax. A smile rides my sunscreen smeared face. I pull my ball cap down and let the real world fade into the tracks my horse leaves in the dust.
Time slows. Flying insects buzz loudly, looking like fairies. My gelding flicks his ears and moves down the trail. I can smell his sweat and it is perfume to my senses. Time slows. The rhythm of the walk and the movement of the leaves become my focus. My saddle creaks and the leather rein in my hand softens with the warmth.
I consider the simple statement; I ride. I think of all I do because I ride. Climb granite slabs, wade into a freezing lake, race a friend through the manzanita all the while laughing and feeling my heart in my chest. Other days just the act of mounting and dismounting can be a real accomplishment. Still I ride, no matter how tired or how much my seat bones or any of the numerous horse related injuries hurt. I ride. And I feel better for doing so.
The beauty I've seen because I ride amazes me. I've ridden out to find lakes that remain, for the most part, unseen. Caves, dark and cold, beside rivers full and rolling are the scenes I see in my dreams. The Granite Staircase at Echo Summit, bald eagles on the wing and bobcats on the prowl add to the empowerment and joy in my heart.
I think of the people, mostly women, I've met because I ride. I consider how competent they all are. Not a weenie among the bunch. We haul 40 foot rigs, we back into tight spaces without clipping a tree. We set up camp. Tend the horses. Cook and keep safe. We understand and love our companions; the horse. We respect each other and those we encounter on the trail. We know that if you are out there riding, you also shovel, fill, wait, and doctor. Your hands are a little rough and you travel without makeup or hair get. You do without to afford 'the sickness' and probably, when you were a small girl, you bounced a model horse while you dreamed of riding a real one.
Written by with Permission to post: Julia Dake - 2006
Greetings From A Friend
A gentle nudge,
to get your attention,
a knowing look,
and so much affection.
A warm breath
on a winter morning,
patiently waiting
for the day's dawning.
An impatient stomp
saying
"HEY I'm Hungry"
Watcha waitin' for buddy?
A sleepy eye,
under the brush,
seems to be telling you,
No need to rush.
At the end of a ride,
a grateful sigh,
rolling in the dirt
with a sweaty hide.
Such beauty and grace,
in his face,
power and speed,
when you race.
He is always there,
to say "hello",
no matter what,
no matter where.
Who ever knows what that horse is thinking?
But I truly believe
in a horse's greeting.
Red Roan
a/ka Carrie from Indiana
I Love To Ride My Horse
by Linda Lashley
I am a great horse rider,
I love to ride my horse,
but if I don't stop tensing up,
he'll drop me on my arse.
I am the one in charge of me,
he doesn't own my mind.
If there's a way to make him play,
the secret I must find.
Drop your butt, lift up your chest,
smile with all your cheeks.
Keep that pace and happy place,
don't let him know you're freaked.
The experts tell me "feel his mood!",
that trust in him is key.
Start letting go to find his soul,
control begins with me.
I am a great horse rider
my horse I love to ride.
Sounds so simple, yes it does,
so why can't I comply?
For when I ride adrenalin pounds
just like a storm with fury.
I hold my breath and tense my back,
my horse becomes unruly.
I do not know just what to do,
nor just what I should think.
Perhaps a pill will help me chill,
or better yet, a drink.
To be a great horse rider
takes guts and nerves of steel.
I'll not quit, I cannot quit,
the love exceeds the fear.
TWO HORSES AND A BELL
Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each looks like every other horse.
But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind.
His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing. If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell.
Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her halter is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her.
As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray. When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.
Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.
Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives.
Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see.
Good friends are like this ........You don't always see them, but you know they are always there. Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours.
"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is
fighting some kind of battle".
"JUST A HORSE "
From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a horse", Or,"that's a lot of money for just a horse".
They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the Costs involved for "just a horse". Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a horse". Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a horse", but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moment have been brought about by "just a horse", and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a horse" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.
IF you, too, thinks it's "just a horse", then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend", "just a sunrise", or"just a promise". "JUST A HORSE" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust and pure unbridled joy. "JUST A HORSE" brings out the compassion and patience that makes me a better person.
Because of"just a horse" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly into the future. So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a horse" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dream of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment. "JUST A HORSE" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day. I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a horse" but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a woman".
So the next time you hear the phrase "just a horse", just smile, because they "just" don't understand.
THE HEART OF A HORSE
When your day seems out of balance
and so many things go wrong...
When people fight around you
and the day drags on so long...
You are so blinded by confusion
and can't stay the course,
just go out in the pasture
and wrap your arms around your horse.
His gentle breath enfolds you,
and he watches with those eyes
He may not have a PhD,
but he is, oh so wise!
His head rests on your shoulder.
You embrace him oh so tight.
He puts your world in balance,
and makes it seem all right.
Your tears they soon stop flowing.
The tension is now eased.
The problems have been lifted,
and you're quiet and at peace.
So when you need the balance
from circumstances in your day...
The best therapy that you can seek..
.is out there eating hay!!
Where to Bury a Horse
If you bury him in this spot, the secret of which you must already have,
he will come to you when you call; come to you over the far, dim pastures of death.
And though you ride other living horses through life,
they shall not shy at him, nor resent his coming.
For he is yours, and he belongs there.
People may scoff at you, who see no lightest blade of grass bent by his footfall,
who hear no nicker pitched too fine for insensitive ears.
People who may never really love a horse.
Smile at them then, for you shall know something that is hidden from them
and which is well worth the knowing...
The one place to bury a horse is in the heart of his master.
