A Passion for Horses: My Conversation With Horse Lovers
PrefaceWhile I was reorganizing a photo album, I realized I was not getting any younger. As I flipped from page to page, there was no ignoring that I had become, taller, leaner, and more wrinkled. But what impressed me even more was that every page of the album featured at least one photo of me with a horse. Better yet, I could still recall each animal’s name, his quirks, and what it felt like to sit his trot or caress his neck. I think that photo album best defines my life. Even the earliest pictures, just grainy black-and-white snapshots, show that I was a girl in love with anything connected to horses. You can tell by how proudly I modeled my cowgirl outfit at age four.Over the years, I’ve learned that horse lovers share three things. First, we need little prodding to converse about how horses have impacted out lives, regardless of the differences in our ages, geographical locales, or financial underpinnings. Second, horse lovers have a habit of collectingphotographs. Thank goodness for snapshots that help us recall a treasured pony, a faithful show horse, or a long lost riding companion. Finally, horse people are an expressive bunch. Our love of horses is so strong, so ingrained in the very essence of our soul that we seek out ways to express that love.A Passion for Horses profiles people who have unique ways of telling the rest of the world about their love affair with horses. It also is a collection of my personal reflections after spending years in the saddle. But most of all, A Passion for Horses is a book for kindred spirits who feel a special stirring in their hearts whenever they look into the deep, liquid eyes of that magnificent creature, the horse.