'Misty of Chincoteague', 'The Black Stallion', the 'Saddle Club' books, I read 'em all. I was horse-crazy.
I grew up on the South Island of New Zealand, in a city chosen and beloved by my parents for its proximity to the mountains - Christchurch is two hours distant from the worn saddle of Arthur's Pass, the mountain village that was and is my father's spiritual touchstone, his chapel and cathedral in the wild.
Polo is like playing golf with a saddle, and there are a lot of moving parts.
You put a tuxedo on me, it's like putting a saddle on a hog.
A song is like a saddle: you ride it for a while, and if it's the right kind of song you can sing it for the rest of your life.