Wisdom Learned from Working with Horses

          I have been privileged in my life to spend a great deal of it with horses. My first equine teacher was a sweet old camp pony. I was given my own foal when I was eight. I adored that foal and spent much of my time training him. He was, without a doubt, my best friend. Through the years I have trained and owned many horses of my own and for others. There are some truths for horses that we humans would do well to take to heart:

1.     Keep moving forward. It is tough for a horse to buck or rear as long as he is putting one foot in front of another.

2.     Sometimes it is best not to face your fears. Often, the best thing is to turn away from the scary, horse eating item and keep moving forward. (Refer to #1)

3.     Even when you are slowing down or at a standstill, keep that energy focused forward. Focus on your potential energy, keep everything ready to move ahead. (See #1)

4.     Take time to assess new situations. Think and then move ahead. Don’t be afraid to learn gain information and use that learning to…you guessed it…move forward.

5.     Move away from pressure and stress. Be willing to learn new things and apply them to what you already know. Use them to keep moving forward.

6.     Learn to trust. In trusting you learn to love and to form a valued connection. Trusting will prevent you from getting stuck, no longer able to move forward and in loving you are able to continually move forward.