Ten Reasons Why Women Love Horses

When I created this blog, I had to think about a name. I take naming things very seriously, and so it was hard for me to come to a decision. Clearly, "Flying Horses" is not the most amusing name, nor is it very literal. After all, this is not a blog about carousels or a Pegasus. But I derived the name from two great sources: one, the Koran ("Horse, thou art truly a creature without equal, for thou fliest without wings and conquerest without sword."); and two, a very memorable non-fiction book.

Now, I generally prefer to read fiction, and I think most people feel the same way. After all, no matter how many great non-fiction books or articles you read, the word itself has negative connotations. Non-fiction. Prosaic. Maybe didactic. Boring? And, God forbid, true.

But non-fiction has to be none of these things. (Okay, except for true. It does have to be true. Mostly.) In fact, there is some non-fiction that is more captivating than any novel ever written. And for those of you who know me and my obsession with novels, you know that for me, that is saying a lot.

But Mary D. Midkiff's She Flies Without Wings has made a lasting impression on me. Enough so that, three and a half years after reading it, it inspired the title to this blog. There are pages within that book that I can quote by heart, as well as words and phrases from it that have subconsciously slipped into my everyday language. Whenever I talk about horses, I pull from the ideas presented in that book. And I have only ever read it once.

She Flies Without Wings is subtitled "How Horses Touch a Woman's Soul," and I think those words just about some up the book. It is that theme right there that makes the book so special. Because many of us know our passion for horses, but we can't explain the why. To someone on the outside, it all seems so strange. But Mary D. Midkiff gets it. She breaks down the magnetic force and passion these animals have on us into ten compartments, ten reasons why women are so drawn to horses.

1. A Natural Affinity
We are drawn to horses by our very nature. More than puppies or kittens, little girls always wish for ponies. As we get older, our wishes mature, but the attraction to the horse remains the same. To paraphrase Midkiff, a hungry soul is always looking for a horse. Their very nature inspires us from the first encounter; we are filled with awe and respect and wonder.

2. Sensuality
I was watching The Nanny the other night, and Fran turned to Niles and said, "Yes, but Mr. Sheffield thinks Miss Babcock goes horseback riding for the exercise." Despite such innuendo, Midkiff focuses on the difference between sensuality and sexuality. The smells of horses and barns are comforting to us horsepeople; they are sweet and familiar. The shine of leather, the feel of horsehair beneath your fingers, the sweat of both you and your horse- riding is a very sensory experience. Horses teach us the difference between pop culture "sensuality" and true sensuality. Horses "simply live fully in their bodies and their surroundings." They are fully aware of their bodies, and teach us to be the same. This sensuality is a great freedom to women who have had the media's image of sexuality shoved down their throats.

3. Commitment
Let's face it: in today's world, there are few things that are certain. Divorce rates are up, the meaning of friendship is ill-defined, and attention spans are shorter. And one phrase has come into popular use, "commitment issues." There is a certain commitment that women can get from horses that we can't find anywhere else. They may fight with us, they may ignore us, but at the end of the day, they are always there. The relationship between women and horses is very codependent. We rely on each other, and we learn to be fully committed to each other. In a world where commitment is scarce, this bond with a horse is even more valuable.

4. Creativity
"The horse is a catalyst for a woman's creativity because it carries us through the doors that stand between the familiar and the unfamiliar... and introduces us to experiences we might otherwise miss." (p. 75, She Flies Without Wings) I think I've already covered how horses inspire artistic creativity, but they bring out creativity in more than artists. They are a break in the monotony of life; they inspire us to be adventurous. To push our limits by raising the bar of that vertical, by attempting that upper level movement. We have to be innovative in our approach with horses, we have to think on our feet (or on their feet), and we have to be able to lift ourselves to new heights and set our eyes on higher horizons.

5. Danger
In every human is that small craving for danger, the liking of adrenaline. We're not all Evel Knievels, but there is part of us that is attracted to the dangerous. With horses, that level of danger is always present; that we are able to overcome our fears and the possibility of danger to truly free ourselves and be riders speaks volumes about our trust in our horses. But admit it. There is part of you that, even when you're scared, loves the adrenaline. When I'm rushing toward an abnormally large oxer in one of my jumping lessons, I get scared- but I love it. And when I'm over the jump, I feel brave for having overcome that danger. Whether you're a jumper or not, there is always some threat with horses. But the danger speaks to us. That is why we are able to fall off the horse, and get right back in the saddle again.

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