Horses

I stood in the cold of the barn looking at the beautiful horses preparing to accept their riders. There was a new horse that I'd never seen before named Stryder. He is short and powerful with a mane that had been intricately braided. I looked at him in comparison to the other horses in the arena. There were all types -- tall with thin noses, tall with broad noses, short and furry, short and sturdy. All of them were doing the same great work and were perfect for their rider's needs. I looked at all of them and thought why can't we look at people like this? Who decided that the tall thin women are the best? Who decided that short, sturdy women weren't desirable? Why can't the world look at people like we look at horses -- appreciating them for what they are and what they can do and their inherent beauty?