Posted by Mona

My mother’s love for horses was no doubt passed down to me. I have memories of her sharing stories of the horse she owned as a child. Sugar was the horses name and it was apparent through her stories that Sugar was too much horse for a little girl. But my mother always spoke fondly of the large red roan mare. My grandfather also loved horses and I am sure passed his love for horses down to his little girl. Though the line of horse loving seems to be strong in our family my older brother and sister have no interest in horses. I am sure my mother shared the “Sugar” stories with them as well but it seems it did not have the same affect on them as it did me.

I often wonder why some children seem to inherited their parent’s passions and others don’t. Why is it that I have a deep rooted love for horses and my siblings don’t even have an interest? The more I meet horse loving people and hear their stories I am convinced that God placed a special horse loving gene in us unsuspecting humans. This gene takes many forms. Dog, cat and even chicken lovers have their own version of this gene as well. I think this is God’s way of ensuring his creation is cared for.

I say this with no scientific research or evidence but I am convinced there must be something in our DNA that says “Horse Lover Gene”. It seems that people who don’t have access to horses have this same deep rooted love but are not able to nurture it and so it seems to fade. Many people have a “later in life” introduction to horses and learn through love and heartache and a few sore muscles that they were in fact born with this “horse lover gene”.

Definite signs of a horse lover gene include but are not limited to enjoying the smell of horse manure, tearing up or all out crying when observing a horse run across a field or beach, a greater desire to muck stalls verses doing house work and flocking to all conversations that involve horses. Though my mother has not owned a horse since she was a child she says sometime she just has to visit a local ranch to just “smell” them. Only those with the horse loving gene can understand this need.

 

 

Horse loving people also love to be around other horse loving people. We seem to find each other in crowded rooms. It’s like a sixth sense that draws us to each other. A perfect example would be how my long-time horse loving friend and I met. There is no doubt in my mind that God placed us together in the same room to discover our mutual love for horses. Though our lives at the time were very different our love for horses is what bonded us instantly.

Whether you have loved horses since before you can remember or just discovered you can’t live without them, recognize that it’s a God given passion. A passion that will not disappear but will be with you for the rest of your life. A passion that can be hidden or nurtured. Our love for horses is not only for our enjoyment but to better the lives of the God’s magnificent creation. Don’t let the gift of your “gene” be hidden.