“Loving-Knowing” Women and Horses

Symbolic Connections, Real Life Conflicts and “Natural Horsemanship”

Author(s)

  • Nikki Savvides Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52537/humanimalia.10058

Abstract

This paper investigates the complexities of relations between women and horses. Through an analysis of literary material, it highlights the therapeutic and empowering potentials that arise as a result of their connection. It makes a discursive analysis of interview material gathered from twenty-two female Australian horse owners, and, in doing so, challenges the often held idea that women are ‘naturally’ affinitive with horses. The paper analyses the tension between feelings of love and familiarity and matters of conflict between women and their horses, and demonstrates that power plays in their relations may hinder the ability for woman and animal to get along. It reveals the ways in which women have overcome such problems by treating their horses as ‘companions’, allowing the therapeutic and empowering potentials of their relations with horses to be realized.

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Author Biography

  • Nikki Savvides

    Nikki Savvides is a PhD candidate in the Department of Gender and Cultural Studies, The University of Sydney, Australia. Her Masters thesis explored the cross-species relations at work in dressage and natural horsemanship, practices in which she is actively involved. Her doctoral research examines the potential for animal-centered volunteer tourism to engender ethical relations between tourists and locals (both human and non-human) in lesser developed Asian countries. She shares her life with three cats and two horses, and is foster parent to a Thai elephant.

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Published

2011-09-17

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Savvides, Nikki. 2011. ““Loving-Knowing” Women and Horses: Symbolic Connections, Real Life Conflicts and ‘Natural Horsemanship’”. Humanimalia 3 (1): 60-76. https://doi.org/10.52537/humanimalia.10058.