We started at a walk and built up my stamina and balance,” she recalls. “Muscle memory was there, but it was a challenge.” Bruning is not alone. According to Jean Halley, professor of sociology at the College of Staten Island and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), the connection between horses and women isn’t just something that so-called “horse husbands” commiserate about at barn parties, it’s a real thing. She should know—she wrote the book Horse Crazy: Girls and the Lives of Horses. Boys get teased about it, so they don’t want to be involved with a sport that is most often associated with girls.” Whatever the reason, the shift represents new ways for horsewomen to partner with their horses, whatever their age.

Finally, while the bond between women and their horses is obvious, the decision to become a so-called “horse girl” may not be a conscious one, Halley says. That’s because while not all girls become horse-crazy, horse-crazy girls often raise horse-crazy daughters. My muscles had atrophied and I weighed 96 pounds,” she says. “My fear was that I would not be able to physically recover to ride,” she recalls. It’s all about growth, acceptance, unconditional love and continuous education for my horse and for myself,” Conklin says. “I’d tell young horsewomen to keep doing what they do. If you feel that this is your love, don’t let go.” Everything takes place within a relationship—women feel safe with their horses even when they are afraid; in fact, they report feeling safest on their horses,” says Halley. “Also, women have intimate relationships with their horses, and in that relationship they feel powerful—they feel strengthened, and they feel safe.”

A Major Turnaround

Many of the women I talked to had had broken bones—legs, arms—but girls who ride overcome fear; they might be afraid, but they ride through it,” Halley says. “It has something to do with the fact that they are in a partnership with another sentient being that happens to be 1,200 pounds.” A Major Turnaround To satisfy her own curiosity about why women love horses, Halley spoke with 25 women who identified themselves as having been horse-crazy girls, and asked them about their relationships with horses, what those relationships brought to their lives, and how they evolved into lifelong connections to horses. Those interviewed included horse owners, rescue volunteers and women who overcame physical challenges with the help of their horses. In conclusion, do not have sex with horses unless you are a professional, have the proper training, don't care what other people will think if they find out, and don't mind the possibility of extreme bodily injury and/or death, and breaking the law.

If a horse isn't aroused for whatever reason and decides to rest, IT WILL SIT DOWN ON YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE UNDER IT. owwwwwww. The problems with this are many, since it's still your perogative if you want to have sex with horses or not, hey, ain't nobodys buisness if you do, I will not pass judgement on this practice, other than the medical problems I will now mention. At the same time, women may come by their relationships with horses naturally, according to Halley. That’s because girls are taught early on to be caretakers.These days, Conklin rides her horse Elle frequently, works with a trainer regularly, and participates in horse shows whenever she can. For example, one woman reported that when she was in the hospital with an injury, her horse would not eat,” Halley says. “Finally, [her friends] put a phone up to the horse’s ear so that she could talk to him and let him know she was alright. After hearing her voice, he began to eat again.” A Lifelong Passion According to Halley, western pleasure, reining and cutting disciplines were once dominated by men. These days, as the number of women competing and winning in those events is on the rise, the number of young men participating in all equestrian sports is declining. Living in New Jersey when I started riding, our neighbor told my mom, ‘Don’t worry, it’s just a phase, and Deb will grow out of horses,’” Conklin recalls. “During the passing years, my mom would look at me and say, ‘You never grew out of the horse thing.’ My response has always been: ‘And I never will.’’’ However, horse-crazy girls turn into horse women for life, and they have permanently changed the face of equestrian sports in general.

When I’m riding, I’m not thinking about what I can’t do, instead I’m thinking about what I can do,” she says. “Also, I feel I can leave a problem on the ground, and I have more confidence to solve the problem after I ride.”