Heart 2 Horse (2025)

28/07/2022

"He has known joy and violence. Felt the warmth of children and the cruelty of abuse. He has nearly died saving lives, and merely been killed by a drunken act. He has known the finery of grand estates and the filth of stinking slums. He has survived fire and flood, starvation and torment. And nothing could break his spirit-or his great love. This is HIS life. He is called the horse.
--Anna Sewell

Carol found this photo of a retired cavalry horse and thought it fit today's quote from Anna Sewell, author of Black Beauty. The photo was taken in 1952 and the gelding's name was Pat. In the photo a WAC (Women's Army Corp)has stopped by to give Pat a pat as the WAC quarters were close to his pasture.

Horses were used in cavalry in WW1, just over a century ago. It's jarring to think that airplanes, autos and horses were used in the same fields during that conflict. Many horses gave their lives along with the men alongside them.

Today horses can be trail or show horses, pasture pets, or elite athletes. That doesn't mean that some don't face hardships because they do. There are many good people who work to redirect the flow of unwanted equines to better fitting homes. They are the people among us who know the depth of a horses feelings and their desire to be useful.

If you come across them please consider supporting them.

About
Heart 2 Horse is a blog written by Carol Jensen and Rebecca Anderson, both Wisconsin horsewomen/artists. The vintage photographs are from Carol's collection and the musings are written by either Carol or Rebecca. Carol is also the finder of the quotes that accompany each photo. Our aim is to highlight the deep relationship women have enjoyed with horses since forever. We hope you enjoy the visit and feel free to share the post.

01/06/2022

"There is much we can learn from a friend who happens to be a horse." -- Aleksandra Layland

Since it's show season it's fitting that our photo today is of a fellow Wisconsinite, Barbara Thomas who used to compete on her horse "Pevine's Rainbo" in Hands & Seat Class at the Wisconsin State Fair. The photo is circa 1937 when Barbara was a wee lass.

Barbara and Pevine (a three gaited roan) look like they are ready to conquer their class with a fine turnout and good posture. Barbara loved showing with her group of friends from the Joy Farm Academy (Milwaukee) where she stabled her horse. Back then the riding academy was run by Lt. Allyn Tidball, a WW1 calvary veteran. She learned military style riding which was a precursor to dressage.

Barbara is in her 90s today and recalls much about her time riding at Joy Farm. Lt. Tidball was likely gone by the time I was riding at Joy Farm in the mid 70s but we'll always remember the horse friends we made back then.

About
Heart 2 Horse is a blog written by Carol Jensen and Rebecca Anderson, both Wisconsin horsewomen/artists. The vintage photographs are from Carol's collection and the musings are written by either Carol or Rebecca. Carol is also the finder of the quotes that accompany each photo. Our aim is to highlight the deep relationship women have enjoyed with horses since forever. We hope you enjoy the visit and feel free to share the post.

11/02/2022

"A horse can lend its rider the speed and strength he or she lacks - but the rider who is wise remembers it is no more than a loan." Pam Brown, poet

This vintage trick rider is at top speed, standing atop two horses with nothing but two reins, balance and a lot of trust. It has to be that horses sense the need for mutual trust in a situation like this. The rider needs the horses to hear her cues and likewise the horses need her to guide them, safely and confidently, to where they are going. That is a massive amount of trust and yet all we see is a rider standing atop two galloping horses each loaning the other what they need in the moment. This may just be secret sauce of horsemanship; trust in the moment and know it's just a loan you need to keep earning.

About
Heart 2 Horse is a blog written by Carol Jensen and Rebecca Anderson, both Wisconsin horsewomen/artists. The vintage photographs are from Carol's collection and the musings are written by either Carol or Rebecca. Carol is also the finder of the quotes that accompany each photo. Our aim is to highlight the deep relationship women have enjoyed with horses since forever. We hope you enjoy the visit and feel free to share the post.

06/10/2021

"Perhaps there is a language which is not made of words and everything in the world understands it. Perhaps there is a soul hidden in everything and it can always speak, without making a sound, to another soul."
Francess Hodgson Burnett - author of The Secret Garden and A Little Princess.

The back of the photo tells us the woman's name is Billy, the horse's name is Puck and the photo was taken in 1940. Billy is gazing up at Puck and he has his attention on her. What contentment. It looks like they were out on a ride somewhere and stopped because it was a beautiful day to pause and have a look around.

I think this photo captures a moment of "just being" with your horse. No purpose, no needs, no demands, just plain being with the world and those around you. It's in times like these that we can grasp--for a few seconds or minutes anyway--how light life can be at times if we let it. Even better when we recognize the lightness when it hits us. Horse people are intuitively good at this so next time someone says "what do you DO all day with your horse?" you can simply say "just be." Here's to the incredible lightness...may you always find it.

About
Heart 2 Horse is a blog written by Carol Jensen and Rebecca Anderson, both Wisconsin horsewomen/artists. The vintage photographs are from Carol's collection and the musings are written by either Carol or Rebecca. Carol is also the finder of the quotes that accompany each photo. Our aim is to highlight the deep relationship women have enjoyed with horses since forever. We hope you enjoy the visit and feel free to share the post.

02/08/2021

"I may hold the reins but we share the podium." -- Beezie Madden

The photo is dated 1960 and our rider appears ready for the show ring. The horse and rider are nicely turned out for saddle seat--a discipline still ridden today. The quote is from Beezie Madden (google her), a decorated rider and fine sportswoman who has shared many a podium step with her mount.

It is high show season in most parts of the country. From rodeo to Olympic dressage to equitation it's the time of year the horses get bathed, the boots get shined and goals are tested.

Showing a horse is more than getting dressed up; it's hundreds of hours of prep time, practice and picking oneself up after things don't go as planned. It's fitting the Olympics are running as this is written. The stories coming from the Olympics are of achievement, disappointment, rallying and trying again. It's funny how the shows that don't go well are those that teach us the most. And when horse and rider are in sync, there is nothing prettier to watch. Cheering on all of you showing this summer--may it be fun and rewarding.

25/04/2021

"The love for a horse is just as complicated as the love for another human being...if you never love a horse you will never understand. " -- Author unknown

This photo is from 1945 and the caption on the back says the woman's name is Jacqueline and the horse is Golden Nugget. Even in a black and white photo this horse looked like a palomino.

Sadly, the note on the photo says that Jacqueline died a year after this photo was taken. She is leaning into Golden Nugget and he appears to lean back, ears up, eyes alert--a pleasant moment for horse and human.

As our unknown quote sayer claims, explaining the connection to a horse to a non horse lover is ...complicated. Maybe it is the sense of patience that grows in inpatient people who start working with horses. Or the sense of pride in communicating with a creature that speaks a different language. Or allowing the human to flop over a bare back on a warm summer day and just lay there while the horse eats.

It's a love that develops over time, lasts, flexes, just "is" and is the best love of all.

About
Heart 2 Horse is a blog written by Carol Jensen and Rebecca Anderson, both Wisconsin horsewomen/artists. The vintage photographs are from Carol's collection and the musings are written by either Carol or Rebecca. Carol is also the finder of the quotes that accompany each photo. Our aim is to highlight the deep relationship women have enjoyed with horses since forever. We hope you enjoy the visit.

14/03/2021

This elegant rider and her adorable horse were photographed somewhere in England about 1870. The photograph is a small carte de visite, or calling card. The quotation I have paired with it comes from an article titled, HINTS TO LADY EQUESTRIANS, and was featured in an 1861 issue of ARTHUR'S HOME MAGAZINE.

"I had almost forgotten to mention the whip.
It should be carried in the right hand, and simply as an ornament. A good rider never requires it; a kind rider will never use it. The man who strikes the willing creature that carries him through heat and cold, through rain and wind, in spite of fatigue or thirst, degrades himself by the act. A lady uses the hand that holds the whip but to pat and encourage. "Poor Fellow! Good horse!" will do more with the noble animal than the blow."

It seems that the present movement to more understanding and kindness in training and riding horses germinated quite some time ago. The publication of Anna Sewell's BLACK BEAUTY gave it a welcome boost. As one of my favorite horsewoman, Anna Blake, has said, "There is a shift in paradigm happening in understanding and working with animals, and women are on the cutting edge. Lead with confidence because we're right about this."

Peace.

20/01/2021

"A feeling of quiet ecstasy surrounds many female riders and their mounts, as if they've resurrected a lost part of themselves while galloping down the trail, as if all the centuries that men went to war on well-trained steeds seem trivial compared to a single moment of understanding between a teenage girl and her first bay mare."--Linda Kohanov

This vintage photo is likely from the wayback days of the 70s and not to date myself but I was there. I recognize those pants and hair. The young lady on the horse is content, proud even. Her dog is ready to tag along on whatever adventure is ahead. There is something timeless about the image of a girl and her horse. The look on her face and her posture beams strength from within.

I was a horse crazy girl who spent my days bugging my mom for a horse, reading the newspaper ads for livestock, and the yellow pages (the way we googled back in the day) for stable ads--just to read the ads and dream. Nowadays I'd diagnose a teen exhibiting these behaviors as having "horse disease." The cause is hard to spot and there is no cure.

My mom never let me get a horse but I found ways to ride. It took me awhile but eventually I bought a farm and lived the life of taking care of horses and learning to be their partner.

Our quote today by Linda Kohanov, an insightful writer, sums up the eternal bubbling of horse disease in young minds. May it never cease. And if you spot a case of horse disease, it's best to guide the energy to a good spot--a barn with horses is perfect.

About
Heart to Horse is a blog written by Carol Jensen and Rebecca Anderson, both Wisconsin horsewomen/artists. The vintage photographs are from Carol's collection and the musings are written by Rebecca or Carol. Our aim is to highlight the deep relationship women have enjoyed with horses since forever. We hope you enjoy the visit.

21/11/2020

"We are not without hope that ladies everywhere may take up equestrianism in the right spirit. It is a false notion that a woman cannot ride a horse with safety. All that is required is skill."
-Peterson's Magazine, 1854

What a photo; our rider and horse are well turned out. The horse looks like a lot of horses I know who make stink ears when the camera comes out but beyond that, he is a dandy looking fellow and the rider looks relaxed. And who doesn't love a paint?
Peterson's magazine was sort of a "Family Circle" of its day back in the 1850s. It was full of articles geared toward women-- focused on fashion advice, patterns for sewing, knitting and crochet and recipes.
While we could ponder how much things have changed in 130 years let's play the "what is still true" game. For starters this young rider looks more than capable of handling her horse. She is confident and ready to go and kudos to whomever guided her along to this point in her riding. Or maybe she did it herself?
I met a young lady recently who really really really wanted a horse but her parents (grain farmers) were not quite ready to add horses to their 1000 acre crop/cattle operation. Not to be denied, the young lady haltered up a cow and hopped on. When she showed her dad how well she could ride the brown swiss (thinking she would convince him of her horse worthiness), he said "you better not do that by yourself, it's not safe."

Pause to say that I was glad to hear he didn't tell her to stop riding the cow.

Not to be deterred, the young lady was next seen riding the cow alone but wearing a riding helmet for safety. Atta girl. I told the parents I would love to have a student like her...and I saw the little spark of "hummm" go off. I predict a horse in the young lady's future.

Some things never change.

About
Heart to Horse is a blog written by Carol Jensen and Rebecca Anderson, both Wisconsin horsewomen/artists. The vintage photographs are from Carol's collection and the musings are written by Rebecca or Carol. Our aim is to highlight the deep relationship women have enjoyed with horses since forever. We hope you enjoy the visit.

06/11/2020

"In riding a horse, we borrow freedom."
---Helen Thomson

There is a magical place that can open up to us when we ride, if we allow it, where we experience the freedom Helen Thomson spoke of. Sometimes it's a mental freedom where the worries and frustrations of our daily lives are forgotten in the joy of feeling what our horse is thinking. It might be the physical freedom we get when we can match our movements to our horse's. Or, wonder of wonders, it could be both!

I think the young woman in this beautiful old photograph was also enjoying the freedom that her horse offered. The difference is that she lived in an era that offered limited freedom to a person of her gender. She was restricted not only by her long skirt and corset, but also by the conventions of Edwardian society. There were few professions open to women at that time. She couldn't vote. She was expected to marry at a young age and have as many babies as she was physically able.

How exhilarating it must have been to "borrow freedom" and be her own person as she rode her horse that day long ago.. At the click of the shutter she has paused at the edge of a quiet country lane. It is almost as if she is hesitating, looking back for a moment before she rides off into her future. A new decade is just around the corner, along with a world war, shorter skirts, and voting rights for women. I wonder what was waiting for her at the end of the lane?

About

Heart to Horse is a blog written by Carol Jensen and Rebecca Anderson, both Wisconsin horsewomen/artists. The vintage photographs are from Carol's collection and the musings are written by Rebecca or Carol. Our aim is to highlight the deep relationship women have enjoyed with horses since forever. We hope you enjoy the visit.

09/10/2020

"Most women use more brains picking a horse in the third at Belmont than they do picking a husband." -- Lauren Bacall

This has to be a photo of an owner bearing an apple for her favorite race horse. The photo is dated 1958, the track is somewhere in France. Just for fun let's say it's Longchamps...where the woman's fur coat would be the norm in the fall. The horse is doing its best unicorn stretch to get the apple. The woman is smiling, knowing that the horse knows something good is about to happen. Women--and horses-- always know such things.

For my part I am guilty of doing exactly as Ms. Baccall aptly states in her quote. Back in the day (20 years ago) I sat for hours in the box at Belmont staring at the Racing Form and the horses as they went by in the parade to post. Did the horse belong in the race? How were their recent workouts? Which jock was aboard that day? All clues to maybe picking the winner. Often the clues I gleaned led to a losing ticket but I repeated the exercise many a Saturday for years. Perhaps had I studied the person I intended to marry as hard as I did the past performances of horses before a race I would still be married. Maybe there needs to be a "past performances" for humans too? That way those of us romantic-but-statistics-minded women can rate their chances in the long race of marriage. While I wait for that to happen I'll be in the barn feeding snacks to my horses.

About
Heart to Horse is a blog written by Carol Jensen and Rebecca Anderson, both Wisconsin horsewomen/artists. The vintage photographs are from Carol's collection and the musings are written by either Carol or Rebecca. Our aim is to highlight the deep relationship women have enjoyed with horses since forever. We hope you enjoy the visit.

26/09/2020

"For many young girls, having a horse of their own ranks high on the scale of importance, right up there with breathing. --Kim Meader, author, motivational speaker, horse rescuer

The girl on this horse is queen of the world. She is smiling the thousand gigawatt smile of a girl on a horse wearing Mary Jane shoes. Can anything top this?

Kim Meader made the ultimate statement by saying being with a horse ranks in importance right up there with breathing. Yes...yes it does. In some respect I knew that when I was a kid on a horse but it took decades more to realize how important being with a horse was to me. I spent decades of working on career and life and family which offered great fulfillment for sure. Yet I needed my horse for some deep sense--on its own plane--of contentment.

Now, all those years later I realize how few possessions I need to be happy in the world and I now know how big a role my horses played in my life. Here's wishing the same for you, the knowing of that inexplicable contentment known to horses and their people.

Heart 2 Horse

28/07/2022

01/06/2022

11/02/2022

06/10/2021

02/08/2021

25/04/2021

14/03/2021

20/01/2021

21/11/2020

06/11/2020

09/10/2020

26/09/2020

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