There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man. (Winston Churchill)

There's something about young girls and horses. It's not Prince Charming that we fall in love with, it's his horse.

When I was very young, I wanted a pony in the worse way. I even made up a song about it. (It wasn't a very good song; the words went something like this: Dream horse, dream horse. Magical, mystical dream horse. So pretty to see, so nice to ride; I wish that you were by my side...)

I didn't stay in love very long. Just long enough to have a couple of rides at a stable that rented out horses by the hour. I clearly remember one ride when the horse wouldn't go where I wanted him to because he was too interested in getting back to the stable to eat. There was also a ride on a horse that didn't like to be around other horses; he would kick or bite, which made for a nerve-wracking ride when you're basically a timid, unadventurous passenger. There were also a couple of good rides, but I think the fact that I was basically a timid, unadventurous rider ruled out my ever being a good rider.

My daughter is in the horse-loving stage of life. (Thank goodness -- I'd much rather deal with a horse than a boy!) It does surprise me a little bit; I thought this would be a very quick stage since she has a friend that owns a horse, so she knows how much time and work it entails. But instead, she's convinced that she can also handle the commitment of owning a horse. I can't handle it, so I'm not budging on my anti-horse-owning stance. We finally reached a compromise, and she's started taking riding lessons.

I'm sure you'll be hearing more about these as time goes on.