Are we legit crazy?!

A day or two ago someone asked me what makes riders giddy about horses and the prospect of riding. I didn't really know the answer then and I still don't, but today I was asking myself why I bother. It was super windy this morning and a storm was blowing in, but I had to let the 7 horses and ponies out to pasture, and it was pretty hectic. They all have their buddies of course, so no matter what order I did it in someone was feeling left behind, and they were all being very pushy and one especially almost ran me over as I was opening the pasture gate, so I asked myself "Why DO I get giddy about this? This sucks, I could be doing something way less stressful right now".

And yet, despite all of that, I had a productive day with three of them after the weather calmed down and I have a day of horsey stuff planned for Sunday and I already have that weird butterfly feeling again. I honestly have no reason for why I love doing it so much, because a lot of the time it would be so much easier to be an interior designer, and yet I can't even remotely picture myself being happy doing anything else for the rest of my life.

So I'm going to ask this again to anyone who might be reading this- Do any of you guys have a reasonable explanation of why this phenomenon occurs? I sure don't, and would love ya'll's opinion.

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Comment by E. Allan Buck on April 30, 2011 at 1:15pm: Tiz in the eyes and soul of the horse.

No other animal communicates with mankinds heart like the horse.

Tiz the smell and touch of the nose against my face or hand or whatever that sends rushes of compassion and understanding through my body.

Comment by Marlene Thoms on April 30, 2011 at 12:32pm: I can think of lots of reasons for the attraction (in spite of the dangers, pain, cost, inconvenience, time). For one, horse riding is a real activity as opposed to spectator sports or video activities, so it actually uses your brain and body. It's a challenge, I'm a sucker for a challenge (maybe my horse senses that). It keeps me fit, I will push myself and not even feel it, till maybe afterwards, but even then I don't care because I feel like I've accomplished something that day. Horses don't talk, but they definitely communicate, and sometimes they listen, even if you aren't talking. So it shuts down my overactive verbal thoughts, otherworldly cares, and puts me in the moment. That moment is usually pretty good, getting into a rhythm, enjoying the sunshine and the forest, the deer, the breeze, no motors or gadgets, time stands stil, works kind of like a natural tranqulizer. Horse are a perfect barometer if you are trying to get to know yourself, because you can only be yourself with a horse. If you are tense, or mindless, or scatterbrained, your horse is going to remind you somehow that you need to relax, and pay attention to right now. My horse seems to have changed a lot in the 18 months I've had him, but really, he's the same horse, I suspect at the age of 12 he didn't have a big personality change. But he has changed me and taught me, and now he behaves quite differently. I'm sure he still has more to teach me. A therapist could not have done as well.

Comment by Willow King on April 30, 2011 at 11:46am: That makes sense!

Comment by Jackie Cochran on April 30, 2011 at 11:10am: I've wondered about this myself.

I finally decided that I was born with a horse shaped hole in my soul, and that I did not realize my soul was incomplete until I met a horse and from then on it has been----horse, horse, horse.

Horses, the crown of creation, the most amazing creature that has ever lived, and they actually consent to be with us and work with us.

Yeah, we're crazy.