Sometimes having horses in our lives can get really complicated – mysterious health issues (for both of us…), advice from ‘guru’s’ coming from all directions, nagging questions in your heart about doing the ‘right thing’ by you horse, this list goes on and on and on….
Personally this year I have had quite a few times when I got stuck wondering what to do with my fulla, Fly. The irony was each time I played with the thought ‘what if I’m not the best person for him’ things changed. I know this doesn’t sound like ‘positive thinking’ but somehow it gave me the humility to stop trying to be the ‘best’ person and just do the best I could with what I knew at the time and let that be enough.
I stopped attaching to the outcome of our time together and let ‘trusting relationship’ be the most important thing. If that couldn’t be found in the saddle then I got off and started at first base – standing together quietly, sometimes with my ear on his belly listening to him breathe (when a girth on he often breathes so shallow that I don’t feel any rise and fall).
My ego fought with weapons of shame like ‘you are an experienced rider – get on and sort him out’ but my heart said there is no win/lose in trusting relationship – only lose/lose or win/win – trust cannot grow individually at the expense of another – it’s an ‘us’ game.
This got me to thinking about what my life with horses had been all about. And I realised at the heart of it was a little girl hugging a hairy pony knowing that she would love horses for the rest of her life, come what may.
Thank you for liking this page – it has taken much soul searching and detours for me to step into supporting horses and riders find happiness together. I wish you and your horse a very Merry Christmas xxx