For my fellow horsewomen…
My Uncle
Jack Rich, first introduced me to the term, equipause. Definition: Noun. A duration of time from when a girl first
discovers she has an intense love for all things horse. It effects women from
the age of 1 to 90 and there is no cure. It’s something most men won’t get.
Equipause is expensive; it requires several horses, trailers, saddles, riding
lessons, and barns. A woman’s love for
her equine pal will leave a guy scratching his butt and winding his watch. Women may go gaga over puppies, sunsets,
babies, and old couples that still hold hands, but there is nothing that quite
enthralls a girl like her love for a horse.
A true horsewoman spends more time thinking
about her horse than a man actually spends thinking, I think. But if a man understood what that horse does
for her, he would never question it. Her
horse teaches her lessons that no parent or teacher ever could. Her horse is her best listener of thoughts
and worries, and is the keeper of her secrets.
Her horse gives her wings to fly and makes her smile. Horses help her see that hard work really
does pay off in the end. Her horse
strengthens her soul and helps her face fears she thought she could never
overcome. Her horse is her peace and
solitude when nothing else seems right.
The feeling she has when she rides, she can’t explain; all she feels is
free. In her mind, she’s that ten year
old girl again riding bareback across the meadow. Her horse is her travel partner over miles of
rough trail in life.
In the end,
you can’t put a price on that. It’s
worth every nickel ever spent. A little
note to the man that marries a horsewoman with equipause; don’t expect her to
change because you knew she was crazy about horses when you met her. And if you ever can’t find your girl, check
the barn. There’s a pretty good chance
you will find her there with her face buried in his mane. She’s there for the peace it brings her at
the end of the day, and for the love she gets in return.
So thank you
to my horse, Twist for what you give me each day. I never want to outgrow that “horse phase”,
and I pray to God I never do.
