"Maybe some women aren't meant to be tamed. Maybe they just need to run free til they find someone just as wild to run with them."
I'll give that a hearty Amen and a nod! The most captivating women I have the pleasure of knowing allow themselves to unhitch from the world and get-up to a full gallop whenever they please. I got to chewing on the idea...
Let's say we corral two wild horses together and set 'em free out yonder, no rules and no tack. One snort and they're off. They'd have a hell of a time and run for longer than the sun is high. Chances are good they'll never be seen again, or only for a glance after they've raised a stampede and torn off again, pulling down a mile of fence. Free as the birds in the sky, but cursed by ranchers and forgotten by all! They are their own tornadoes, playing off the other's energy, running the countryside ragged. They'll cover every square mile until they've memorized their own trails. However, they are bounded. Their freedom from saddles, and thus men, keeps them inside the natural limits of the uncultivated frontier as not known by horses with riders; for a man, a set course, and his horse can merely be delayed, never halted, by obstacles.
How might the scenario look if we switched the wild spirits with two cowboys (the title to include women/cowgirls as well. I know a few women prettier than a cactus flower and just as tough!) set in at a rolling ranch instead? I opine the contrast to be polarizing. The character of a cowboy is apparent by the order of his property, the respect of his elders, and the loyalty of those under his hand. No chore would be undone, no dependent left wanting. The sun-worn wrinkles of his smile affirm the tall tales of his younger days. Yet all quiet on the front brings little action for new scars. On repeat, the stories soon become unbearable, and wear ruts into the porch by their rocking chairs. The world outside would soon become solely speculated without the means for a kick in the pants.
I'm left wanting for satisfaction in either scene. One more change to make - let's pair a cowboy with the untamed horse, the beast with a rider. Oh how the relationship would be rough from the start! The unbroken mare would refute the cowboys best efforts yearning for open pastures. The wild one to break free on many occasions, but the cowboys is nothing if not persistent and dedicated, bringing her back time and time again. After too many failures to count, the cowboy might catch a break and mount the stallion, holding onto his britches for dear life while the mare refuses with her best efforts. Likely later rather than sooner her stubbornness gives way to his steadiness and they're ready for a ride sharing a wearied trust. The cowboy needs only a saddle. The horse needs no bit by which to be steered. The unbridled freedom is the cowboys adventure as much as the horse's. He sets her free to roam; he is merely a bird in her expansive sky. She roams, but understands his provisions of assurance and protection and so returns when ready. She gives him the means and motivation by which to explore the world and challenge his borders, freeing his soul. He gives her a base from which to spring forth more mightily than before, and by covering her most crucial necessities gives her the true freedom to run away from all worry of what lies ahead. He opens the gates, scouts the river crossings, and mends the aches and pains. She stretches her legs and shares with him the world through the wind in their hair.
Save a soul, ride with they who free you.
