Last night as I was with my horses, this thought struck me.
In order to be successful with horses you need to exercise four muscles:
Patience Persistence Creativity Timing
I have observed so many people with their horses over the years and there are some who are unable to succeed because they can’t get out of their own way.
I am not saying that I know it all, but I try to remain open, inquisitive, almost child like in my approach to horses. My herd is comprised of “normal”, misunderstood, emotionally wounded and physically unique horses, all of them bringing their own kind of magic to the table.
They have all come into my life because they needed to teach me something about myself and about other people. Some have crossed the rainbow bridge once they taught me what they were supposed to, leaving their hoof prints on my heart.
As my relationship evolves with my herd, I can tell how much they appreciate my attempts to clearly understand their communication and because I listen to them they tend to communicate that much more.
They tell me when they are feeling discomfort by showing me the places on their bodies that are troubling them. They show me their discomfort regarding situations that they are put in by acting out of character and I can see the palpable relief on their faces when they see that they are being heard. They see me as their safety and will visibly calm down when I touch them.
Some horses are so deeply intuitive and sensitive that they become “rogues” when they are not being heard. I have one such horse in my herd. He’s the newest member of my family and has already been such an amazing teacher. He is considered a rogue. He has not had a great relationship with being a riding horse so far in his life, although he has permitted me to ride him sometimes. I took him into my herd because he was ill and I have always had a beautiful connection with him. It wasn’t a choice. I knew that he needed to be with me. I have written about him a fair bit lately because he has so much to offer in terms of lessons.
Through his illness and subsequent long recovery, he has been the most compliant and trusting soul. He completely put himself in my hands and submitted very calmly to everything that I have had to put him through in order to get him well.
I bought him part way into his illness and I told him when he was officially a member of my family. They have an uncanny way of understanding our thoughts, words and intentions and I know that he understood. His facial expression and general demeanor changed. He almost has a soft little smile on his face and in spite of his physical discomfort he has remained bright eyed and happy. He loves his job working with my clients and is very clear on who he wants to teach. He parks over his person of choice and stays with them every step of the way.
It has been so beautiful watching him blossom. I know that he feels like he has a new lease on life and some days when I turn him out with his buddies to run around, he actually bucks and plays, something that I haven’t seen him do until now.
Getting back to the 4 muscles that I referred to earlier, can you see how they might also apply to our relationships, whether they are business or personal?
In following posts, I will break down these muscles into more detail, showing how it works with horses and how it directly relates to our lives.
There are so many human-horse parallels that I haven’t even explored yet and would love for you to join me on this journey.
Until next time…