There is something almost indescribable about the intense bond that can exist between people and horses, a magical and ancient connection that lets us see inside a wider universe. Some people are drawn to that mystical quality in horses, some to their perfect beauty, others to their athletic power, and many others still to the emotional healing that horses can provide. And some people, those like me, are drawn to all of these things.
This story is about recovering my identity, lost over two decades of wifehood and motherhood, through a reconnection to horses and the sport of showjumping. It’s about learning to raise girls when I grew up in a male dominated household and sexist culture. With horses once more in my life, I found the strength to withstand the emotional crises surfacing during my 40s, of parenting a challenging child, of living inside a strained marriage, and of reconciling my own painful coming of age.
Below is a video of my horse Tomasa and I in the last class we competed in together before her retirement at age 19, a 1.25 meter Amateur Jumper Classic in Wellington, Florida in March of 2019. We were third :)
