KNIGHTS OF THE WIND. They are daughters of the wind … the legend is that a fierce wind came form the south storming across the land and from this heat and swirling sand, the Arabian horse was born … because of this birth they are able to run faster than the wind itself.

100 HORSES. THE LIST has meant a lot to me throughout the years. I had started the THE LIST when I was about 14 years old. The goal was to reach 100 English horses, Arabian, Half-Arabian or Saddlebred, within my lifetime. At first, I thought it was absolutely unrealistic! But it turns out that the goals that you set that
seem impossible to achieve, are the ones that make you feel the best when they are achieved.

THE ARABIAN MARE. The Arabian Mare, priceless beyond measure. Warhorse. Beloved of the Bedouin. Treasure from which all bloodlines are traced and held. Stallions may be powerful and majestic, but the true strength of the Arabian breed resides in the mare.

THE HORSE IN ARABIC LITERATURE. The Arabic poetry always mentioned horses and riding throughout Arabic history. In addition to the marvelous examples of ancient Arabic poetry we mentioned earlier, the tradition continued until the present day.

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR HORSES


1. My life is likely to last 20 or more years. Any separation from you will be painful for me. Remember that before you take me home.

 

2. Give me time to understand what you want from me.

 

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial to my well-being.

 

4. Don’t be angry with me for long. Don’t lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your entertainment and your friends. I have only you.

 

5. Talk to me sometimes. Even if I don’t understand your words, I do understand your voice when it is speaking to me.

 

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I’ll never forget it.

 

7. Remember before you hit me that I am powerful enough to hurt you, but choose not to.

 

8. Before you scold me for being uncooperative, obstinate, or lazy, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I have a problem that you are not yet aware of.

 

9. Take care of me when I am old. You too will be old one day.

 

10. Go with me on the last journey. Never say, “I can’t bear to watch” or “Let it happen in my absence.” Everything is easier for me if you are there.

  
WHEN I AM OLD ...


I shall wear diamonds
and a wide brimmed straw hat
with black leather on it.
And I shall spend my social security
on red wine and apples
and sit in the alley of my barn
and listen to my horses breathe.


I will sneak out
in the middle of a summer's night
and ride the bay gelding
across the moonstruck meadow
if my old bones will allow.


When people come to call I will smile and nod
as I walk them past the gardens to the barn
and show, instead, the beauty growing there
in stalls fresh-lined with straw.


I will shovel and sweat
and wear hay in my hair as if it were a jewel.
And I will be an embarrassment to all
who look down on me.
They've not yet found the peace in being free

to love a horse as a friend.
A friend who waits at midnight hour
with nuzzle and nicker and patient eyes.


For the kind of woman I will be

when I am Old.


~ Patty Barnhart ~

  
ESSENCE (OF HORSEMANSHIP)

 

A majesty not contained by force,
but directed by silence.


An elegance not gained by control,
but grown by subtlety.


A purity not made by hands,
but found by perceiving.


A presence not seen by eyes,
but imagined by feeling.


A language not written by man,
but understood by listening.


~ Ivy Schexnayder ~

 

 

QUITE LITTLE HORSE

 

I am the quiet little horse in the plain brown wrapper.


I am the one you walk past to see the big, the bold and the beautiful.


I am not flashy, not fancy and not going to stop traffic.

 

But I will give you everything I have, no questions asked.


I will give you a peaceful trail ride or a gallop across the hills.


I will let your children pet me and your dog play with me.


I will always give entirely of my heart, my soul and my trust.

 

So when you walk past the quiet little horse to see the big, bold beauties; know that under the plain brown wrapper it is lined with pure gold.

 

~ Author Unknown ~