Astounding Words

For over 30 years I have owned one of the world’s largest horseback riding vacation companies and about two thirds of our clients are women. They tend to establish rapport with horses easily. At our Wyoming dude ranch the majority of wranglers are women because they care for and are effective with the horses and our guests. Our wranglers have devoted much of their lives to studying and working with horses. Many hold degrees from the British Horse Society or similar institutions. The personal enrichment from horseback riding vacations rests largely upon the relationship between horse and rider, and it is often life changing for the guest.

Activities related to horses are those at which women excel in ways that no one has yet been able to fully explain. You may attribute their successes in part to their anatomical and psychological difference from men. Women possess obvious advantages for being able to spend long periods in the saddle and they tend to be more nurturing than men. This is certainly not everything.

After 70 years of riding and close association with all kinds of riders, I am convinced that the reason for feminine preeminence in equine sports is their ability to relate to horses in ways that cultivate trust and willingness in the horse. This creates a working partnership where the whole is far more powerful than the sum of the parts.

As a rule, men are driven to try to dominate and intimidate the horse rather than seek a mutually beneficial and enjoyable relationship. In short, some treat their horses as if they were insensate machines, like trucks or tractors. This is unfortunate for both parties.

Many of the outfitters we work with around the world are women. Women also frequently lead rides at our ranch, too. From Namibia to Italy, women lead rides and do a first rate job. Nevertheless, most Western dude ranches still follow the male model of Marlboro hats, heavy hands, coiled ropes and jingling spurs. Often, these ranches offer more the trappings of the Western experience with barbecues, hay rides, square dances and sing-alongs rather than riding in the full equestrian sense.

Women have come into their own with horses throughout the world. Whatever it is that makes women and horses such a good match, it is a delight to witness and I celebrate this partnership.

The Ragdoll cat breed consists of a variety of medium to long hair cats. Ragdoll cats are famous for their placid temperaments as well as their affectionate nature. Ragdolls are the most easy going and gentle cat you can own. These cats are not aggressive and should only be kept indoors. They do not have fighting instincts so they will not defend themselves when provoked.

The term “Ragdoll” comes from the way they go totally limp when picked up. The breed originated in California back in the 1960s. The first Ragdoll was a cat named Josephine. There are many myths regarding the history of Ragdoll cats; for instance, one account claims Ragdoll cats were left on earth by an alien race. Many of these wild claims were made by the breed’s founder and are still passed around today.

Ragdoll cats are bred selectively for certain characteristics. These selective traits include size, characteristic limpness when picked up, as well as their easy going nature. The breed was created from a mixture of Birman, Persian, and Burmese cats. The Ragdoll breed has been imitated by other breeds such as the Ragamuffin; however, many of these competing breeds are not recognized by cat registries as there is little differentiating them from Ragdoll cats.

Ragdoll Cats come in a variety of patterns and colors. The pointed patterns fall into three categories: mitted, bicolor, and colorpoint. The varieties of colors are lilac, seal, blue, and chocolate. Additionally there are several nonstandard color offerings such as red and lynx point. A typical Ragdoll takes 2 years to fully mature; adult males weigh between 15 to 20 pounds. Female cats weigh in at 9 to 13 pounds. Ragdoll cats are the largest domestic cat and make excellent pets.

Louie Latour is a Ragdoll cat enthusiast and founder of the site Ragdoll Cats which was established in 2005 to promote the Ragdoll cat breed. To learn more about this unusual cat visit: http://www.ragdollcats.info