You may have heard about the recent study sponsored by Harley Davidson that found that women who ride motorcycles are happier than women who don’t. The study interviewed 1,013 adult female riders and 1,016 adult female non-riders. “The findings make it clear that riding a motorcycle greatly improves a woman’s feelings of overall self-worth.”
More than half of the participants credited their motorcycle as a key source of happiness, and 74 percent said their lives have improved since they started riding. In addition, they reported that women who owned motorcycles reported having better relationships and a better sense of self worth. “Stress can cause tension between significant others, but since more than a third (34 percent) of women riders report that they now feel less stressed after starting to ride, it’s not surprising that 50 percent of them are extremely satisfied with the state of their current relationships,” the company stated.
I wonder what a similar study would find, if they interviewed women who ride horses rather than motorcycles? I would wager that the results would be even greater, since owning horses is surely more rewarding and fulfilling than owning a motorcycle. Horses, after all, are living, breathing beings, and while they may not be as cuddly as cats or as human-adoring as dogs, they are still affectionate and have unique personalities that endear them to us. I have nothing against motorcycles, but they don’t nicker at you when you offer them gasoline!
Personally, I have found that when I take an afternoon and go riding that not only is the time spent with horses enjoyable, but also when I get back home I have a much better outlook. Yesterday, for example, I left a house full of dirty dishes and piles of laundry to go out and ride with a couple of friends. We spent two hours riding along creekbanks and around the edges of cornfields. We saw bald eagles and several deer, and one really huge buck jumped out from a thicket very close to our horses, who didn’t spook but watched him bound away through the brush. It was relaxing, quiet, and so refreshing to get out and ride.
Then when I got home, I fixed supper, washed all those dishes, and stayed up until midnight conquering the laundry and finishing some other tasks that had been bugging me. I think the afternoon’s fresh air and exercise gave me the energy to happily get my chores done. I felt happy for getting everything done, and having a great afternoon with my horse friends as well.
Women who ride are happier. We are inspired by each other to be good caretakers of our animals. We bond with our horses, we get satisfaction out of each small success in their training journey, we feel accomplishment when we get our horse to cross a trail obstacle, and it does carry over into our personal lives and relationships. I think horses affect our everyday life much more than we realize.
If you’re looking for a positive change to make in your life, there’s no better time to do it than now, at the beginning of a new year. I’m not saying that you have to go buy a horse or a motorcycle. But find something you are passionate about and do it. Make some time for yourself, broaden your horizon if you’re stuck in a rut, and give yourself the gift of freedom, confidence, and happiness. If you’re like me, having a horse life makes a world of difference!
