I’ve been having a midlife crisis for some time now. Life’s uncertain — how do you know when you’re in the middle?

by Melinda Folse

I’ve been having a midlife crisis for some time now. Life’s uncertain — how do you know when you’re in the middle? That’s how I  justified dragging it out for ten years — just to be certain it’s the real thing. Then, when a phone call from my dad asking if I’d like to go look at a horse led to putting my foot in the stirrup and climbing back in the saddle after about 20 years afoot, my lifelong love affair with horses was on again — and this time there was just no stopping it. Looking around me at clinics, trail rides and the barn where I board, I realized I am not alone.

Natural writer’s curiosity led to research, and it turns out that the worn out cliché of Midlife crisis has found new life in a cultural phenomenon that now claims me as one of its own. For women of a certain age, in lieu of a spiffy red convertible, this means that record numbers of us (not to be outdone by our male counterparts) are claiming a shiny new “mustang” of our own.

Fascinated, I pitched a book idea to my editors at Trafalgar Square Books who were absolutely delightful to work with on our recently-published  Clinton Anderson’s Lessons Well Learned. They agreed that this was a book that needed to be written, and now, with contract in hand, I’m off on a new horse book adventure! As I research this new book (addition to spending a lot of time and energy trying to stay on the topside of my own horses), I welcome your ideas, comments, suggestions and burning questions.

Let’s face it. It’s not easy. We don’t bounce as well as we once did, and years of nurturing and protecting children have replaced our careless joy with nervousness and fear. But catch one of us on a good horse day and it’s a kind of joy one of my riding buddies describes as “like a baby eating chocolate for the very first time.”

Thomas Wolfe once said, “You can’t go home again,” but I’m ready to tell the story of how you can “go horse again.” Whether you’re ready to get back in the saddle literally or figuratively by reclaiming another kind of lost dream, I’d love to hear from you. I think we can all help each other by sharing ideas that will empower us to reach back and grab that forgotten passion — whatever it may be — and live it for the rest of our days.

Midlife News The Smart Woman's Guide to Midlife Horses