By Cathy Sobke
This is a shout out to all my fellow Shorties out there. No, not slang for girlfriends. I mean all those ladies out there who, like me, have short, if not stubby, legs.
Yes, we do exist! If the long legs so coveted by fashion and beauty norms abound, then their counterpart, the short leg, also exists and is worthy of some love. We have been overlooked by designers and authors alike. Every single piece of horse fiction ever has described the main heroine as long-legged, which to be fair, is a desirable trait for being able to wrap yourself around a one-ton animal.
Us Shorties like Tailored Sportsmen, not for the brand name, but because the cut of the leg is designed to stop mid-shin. Not for the Shorties! Tailored Sportsmen stop exactly at the top of our ankle and avoid the breech cuffing and chafing associated with other brands. Our patron equestrian saint is Margie Goldstein-Engle. You will find us secretly smiling when everyone else is complaining about the leg room on airplanes because, for once, something was designed with our bodies in mind.
A Shortie has short, compact legs that can be described as THICK. I did not appreciate the extent to which I belonged to this club until I switched horses with a friend who had the exact opposite body type as me. She was long-legged and short in the torso, but her overall height was about three inches short than mine. She had to let the stirrup leathers down, and I go up, when we switched mounts. So my friend who was three inches shorter than I actually had legs that were two inches longer than mine.
For us, riding a horse above 16.3 hands is a real struggle. Big-strided horses mean we are literally launched out of the saddle with every stride. Heels down is helpful, but when you have less surface area on your legs to grip, this is easier said than done. Asking us to get a horse in front of our leg while in two point or half seat? Well, that is an exercise in futility. Lifting our upper bodies out of the saddle is hard enough with these short stubs reaching down from our backs. Mounting without a block is never going to happen unless you can temporarily deactivate gravity.
This is the reality our world. What is not fair and harmful to our self esteems, especially for the young Shorties, is the inherent bias that long legs are better and short legs are inferior. In jest, I have commented on my Shortie status to those with long legs, and their response is to assure me that I am not a Shortie and that I am beautiful. As though short, stubby legs are not beautiful. Well, thank you for the vote of confidence, but I know my legs are short AND beautiful. For me, my short legs are compact, yet still quite strong. Being a Shortie has also given me a- ehm- robust derrière. Avoiding horses over 16.3h is also a blessing, they eat less, it is easier to horse shop, and are often easier to keep sound. I can even ride a pony without looking absurd. And when you are not a kid, pony sass and attitude can actually be quite fun.
So to my fellow Shorties out there, I see you. You deserve to celebrate your body, short legs and all. Maybe one day a piece of equestrian fiction will describe the protagonist as “beautifully curvy, with short, muscular legs that allow her to truly appreciate the grace and power her mount affords her while in the saddle.” In the meantime, to all who belong in our club, finding properly fitted breeches and boots will forever be a struggle, but you are still beautiful!