photo by: dregsplod
Horse girls are different. We don’t think like “normal” people. Our main boy toy is probably our gelding, we never mind getting dirty, and we’re tough as nails. You can say what you want about us but if you so much as think about dissing our ride, we’ll cut you.
We schedule our events and plans around barn time, our family includes our horses, and we tend to be animal lovers of all shapes and sizes. We have a tough exterior and can handle a lot of pain, but the most hurtful experience we have is when our horse is injured in any way.
Which we know all too well is bound to happen at some point. They might look like big, strong, invincible animals, but in reality, they’re incredibly fragile. As tough as we are when it comes to our own pain, we turn into mush when Buttercup has a scratch on her face. And we all know our horses get into trouble constantly…
I still remember the day I was told I could never ride Brownie again. I was in such shock that all I remember is being told the news, something about future plans for what to do, and then the next thing I knew I was in my apartment with my roommates holding me for as long as I needed it.
I cried for a long time. I blamed myself. I was furious that I ever got into horses. But more than anything I just wanted to make him feel better, and I knew I couldn’t. I’ve been through heartache before, but none of that hurt ever came close to this day.
And now I have a new horse, Reef, and of course I had hoped we would have smooth sailing forever, but that’s just not a reality in this sport. Reef is an OTTB so I knew there were probably going to be some underlying issues in his legs (currently the case), but that would never stop me from loving him. He’s a wonderful guy and I’ll do whatever it takes to make him feel better.
And that’s just what horse girls do. We love our horses despite their flaws, just like they do for us. Reef forgives me for sitting crooked, using way too much right leg while my left leg flaps in the wind, and probably definitely a million other annoying habits I have. Meanwhile I embrace the fact that he’s not perfect either and that we’ll face many challenges in the future.
I find that no matter how tough of a horse girl you are, no matter how dirty you get, and no matter how many falls you endure, the one thing that gets to you is your horse’s health and happiness.
I think if you fill up a room with equestrians and ask them, “Would you rather fall off your horse 20 times in a row and bruise every inch of your body or have your horse get a small abscess for a day?”, every single one of us would take the falls. What’s a few bruises anyways? It’s not like we’re headed for tea with the Queen of England anytime soon. Especially if she expects us to take time away from the barn for it.
But that’s what makes us special. We might be tough, and strong, and brave, but when it comes down to it, we can’t help but have our hearts on our sleeves.
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