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2015-12-15: Hi! You're probably here because you did a Google search for 'plus sized horseback riders' or you saw my content quoted elsewhere. There are a couple of things I'd like you to know.

I am still here! But I am living away from my horses and not riding often. I could tell you a lie and say that I am, but I have always endeavored to give you the truth here. As a result, I'm not feeling terribly motivated to write blog posts and I feel out of touch with the community.

I'd love for you to stay a while and look back through the archives. Visit the links listed below. We still have an active forum community and I post on the Facebook page from time to time.

I have tentative plans to try to get more involved in the horse world in 2016, and I will absolutely share whatever that adventure becomes with you, so keep checking back!

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Phenomenal Woman


Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size   
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,   
The stride of my step,   
The curl of my lips.   
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,   
That’s me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,   
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.   
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.   
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,   
And the flash of my teeth,   
The swing in my waist,   
And the joy in my feet.   
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered   
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,   
They say they still can’t see.   
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,   
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.   
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.   
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,   
The bend of my hair,   
the palm of my hand,   
The need for my care.   
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.


Sometimes, I get asked what prompted me to start this journey of self love - to start writing this blog. Although I can never pinpoint it down to one single thing that sparked this journey, I can draw upon a small pool of media, people, and experiences that I consider to have been the kindling for what has been a pretty incredible last couple of years of self discovery and love.

Maya Angelou's poem, Phenomenal Woman, was printed and tacked to the wall of my bedroom at the beginning of this process. I can't remember who pointed it out to me, but the minute I read it, it resonated and so I wrote it out by hand and put it in a place where I would see it and read it every morning when I got into bed and every night when I got out of bed. It only took a couple of weeks for me to be able to say, without hesitation or doubt "phenomenal woman, that's me". 

Today, Dr. Angelou passed away. I never met her, never followed much of her other work aside from this one thought-provoking and inspiring poem that propelled me into a life that I could never have imagined ten years ago. For that one poem, I am eternally grateful, and I give the universe thanks for putting those words in my path at exactly the right time. 



3 comments:

  1. OMG. No! I hadn't heard she passed today -- that's terrible. May she be at peace; I can't imagine anything else for such a great and beautiful soul.

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  2. Great post. I love the horse/kitty friendship photo and the lovely quote on it. :)

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  3. I just wanted to share a quick story with you. Last week I was at a tack shop trying on boots. I was there for about an hour and not ONE employee stopped to ask me if I needed any assistance. I actually had a few questions about the fit of some of the boots, but I couldn't get anyone to help me! But EVERY SINGLE thin girl that walked in and went towards the boots had an employee come to her side within minutes. I left the place without spending a dime, and got my boots elsewhere. It infuriated me that I was ignored just because I don't look like a typical equestrian. They probably thought I was just "some fat girl trying to be fashionable", when in fact I've been riding for over 20 years and was looking to drop $150 on a new pair of boots. Shame...

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