Megan & Emmy | Project 27 Portrait Session
Megan & Emmy’s Horse & Rider Photoshoot
Neenah, WI
Have you ever found yourself reconnecting with a passion you thought you left far behind? Do you remember what it feels like to once again connect with something that was at a time so dear to you? Rediscovering an old passion can be like reconnecting with an old friend, which is exactly how Megan feels about the deep connection she shares with her horse, Emmy.
It began long ago, in childhood. Megan’s earliest memories are full of horses. “It all started with my mom,” she recalls. “She used to show in western pleasure and won many ribbons in the process.” Megan grew up learning to ride on the family’s quarter horse, Beauty, and her colt, Wheeler, from an early age, and it was from such an early exposure that Megan learned confidence and horsemanship. But changing circumstances in Megan’s young life meant that this passion would have to take a backseat.
“My parents got divorced when I was in 3rd grade,” Megan explains. Suddenly a single mother of four kids, Megan’s mother understandably struggled to care for the needs of her family on top of the demands of horse ownership, and the family had to rehome their beloved horses. But deep inside of her, Megan always knew that she would one day find her way back in the saddle—and she did, at 30 years of age. “I couldn’t believe how much I missed my passion for riding!” she says. At age thirty-three, Megan bought herself her first horse, Emmy, and with that came a snowball effect—in just a few years, her sister, mother, and nieces were all once again living an equestrian lifestyle.
Megan’s connection with Emmy, a charming-yet-sassy red mare, was instantly undeniable, but it wasn’t until a few months after bringing Emmy home that Megan realized that this was her forever heart horse. “It was nothing fancy,” Megan says of the experience, “But there was a day in the round pen where we were working on lunging. Emmy always knew how to push my buttons, and I was a pretty good push over in certain aspects.” At this particular moment, Emmy was being particularly stubborn and refused to lunge for Megan. A fellow barn member offered some advice: Emmy was being clear—she didn’t want to do what Megan was asking of her, and Megan needed to be assertive.
“I had to match what she was giving me,” Megan says. “I tried again with more assertiveness, and we lunged and joined up. It was the best feeling—not because she listened, but because in that day we became partners. We had an understanding.”
And in their three years together, Emmy has given Megan a type of understanding and connection she seldom finds with others. Up until owning Emmy, Megan struggled with feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. Growing up with divorced parents and three younger siblings, Megan felt pressured to be the best, to be responsible, and to look out for everyone else, even if that meant neglecting herself. “Emmy taught me that I can put myself first,” Megan says. “I can do things that I enjoy doing and not have to feel guilty.”
Emmy has also helped Megan to see her strength for the beautiful thing it is, and this strength has reinstalled in Megan the confidence of her youth. The first trail ride they took by themselves off property was naturally a bit unnerving, but Megan and Emmy persevered and hit their stride in no time. “I have never felt so proud of myself but also proud of her, too, for trusting in our bond. This girl has taught me more about confidence, patience, and loyalty that nothing or nobody else ever could.”
Megan and Emmy remind horse lovers everywhere that you don’t need to spend every moment of your life with a horse by your side to deserve the love a horse has to offer. Even if you’ve been away from the barn for a while, it’s never too late to rediscover your passion. Even though Megan grew up riding horses, it wasn’t until later in her life that she found her heart horse. This type of unique connection is one of my favorite things to highlight during the course of Project 27, and I am so privileged to get to introduce Emmy and Megan to my community of horse lovers. But you don’t need to hear it from me—when it comes to the kind of influence a horse can have on its rider, Megan sums it up perfectly.
“She looks into my heart and tells me that it’s okay not to be okay sometimes. Throughout our short three years together, I never thought I could be where I am today.”
It’s true—we owe it all to them, don’t we?
