The Weaker Sex ?

My whole life as a woman I can remember being referred to as the weaker sex.  Over the years I’ve come to disagree and resent being placed in this category simply because I am female.  There have been many times that I’ve thought women were a lot tougher than men, mostly pertaining to dealing with horses.  How many women have you known in your life (including yourself) who have been hurt unintentionally by horses? The occasional stomp on the foot, perhaps resulting in a broken toe, a horse’s head swinging into yours giving your brain a good rattle and hum are just a few of the minor inconveniences that come to mind. If you count various broken bones, back and knee issues, or how some of us work through arthritis and daily aches and pains, it becomes clear that we sustain substantial injuries over time working with or around horses.
 
And yet, we forge ahead and ride once more when we are able to get a foot in the stirrup.  Indeed, we still get ourselves out there to ride or feed or muck in the most extreme weather, regardless of injuries or illness.  My feeling is that there are not too many of us women who sit around feeling sorry for ourselves.  Some non-horsey people most likely think we are crazy and maybe we are a teensy bit guilty of that.  But the partnership and love we have for our horses goes soul – deep; they are a part of us, making us willing to deal with our infirmities and simply consider them daily inconveniences. Wishing for our stronger and more athletic bodies of youth that we’ll never get back is futile and we know it. However, learning to adjust to the way we are now is a challenge that we are, without a doubt, capable of confronting head on.  Why? Because we are not the weaker sex; we deal with situations that occur day by day and rise above the pain simply to enjoy the time spent with our horses. Why?  It’s a very simple answer really: if you have never loved a horse and been loved back you will never understand the connection you can have to an animal with a beautiful soul—a gentle being who asks nothing of you except respect and kindness in return for all they bring to our ordinary lives.
 
The weaker sex …indeed!
 
Until next time
 
Quote for Today
The love for a horse is just as complicated as the love for another human being...If you never love a horse, you will never understand.