“Horses will always be waiting for you,” is a well-intentioned reassurance uttered too frequently and exclusively by loved ones who’ve never experienced the isolation of a hiatus from horses. My fiancé offered me the same phrase following the doctor’s orders to stop riding due to minor pregnancy complications that could worsen by the turbulence of a moving horse. This temporary farewell to my lifelong passion served as my first sacrifice of motherhood, and I felt the significance of it at the time.

Super Senior Still Going Strong - The early morning sun in Courtenay, BC penetrates the chestnut coat, warming the 33-year-old Quarter Horse as he waits quietly for his run. He appears calm with his head lowered, but his ears are pricked and his eyes as glassy as black ice are fixed on the herd of cows in front of him.