The Way of the Horse

I have never been one to buy into all the eastern philosophy and mysticism that is often found in the world of horses, particularly that of horse women.  I do, however, strongly believe that there is some bizarre and hard to explain bond between the human and the horse.  A bond that began thousands of years ago and is seen perfected in the ways of the modern-day so-called horse whisperers.  I have felt the bond with my own horses.  I have seen it first hand...how horses can heal a person's soul in their darkest hour and make grown women (and men) cry.  How else do you explain the results of horses who have helped disabled and mentally challenged humans overcome their conditions when nothing else would work and brought people out of depression, loneliness, and so on.  You hear the stories over and over and over.  It is not just hearsay...it is truth.  The power and majesty of the horse combined with his (or her) nature to be unconditionally forgiving and accepting is just the beginning.  We humans may never fully be able to grasp or comprehend the almost magical link between horses and humans.  But I intend to ask God about it one day.

It is something that has been written about for ages.  It is something that is seen throughout our history.  This human adoration of the horse and the horse's miraculous acceptance of the human as friend and partner when the mere act goes against nature in every way is simply amazing.  Examples are not difficult to find.  How about Marguerite Henry's many tales, Anna Sewell's Black Beauty, Walter Farley's The Black Stallion, for starters?  And what about the great horses like Secretariat, Man O' War, Seabiscuit...whose stories in their own time brought people together and gave hope to a nation.  Let's not forget the modern day equine dotings of, some of my personal favorites, Lawrence Scanlan (author), Tony Stromberg (photographer), famous horse owners like Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman, Sheryl Crow...and the list could go on forever.  The horses under my charge at the summer camp where I worked are forever in my heart and never far from my thoughts.  I saw how those horses changed the lives of children and my own life, truth be told.  I am forever grateful to each of them for the mark they left on my life.

Plainly, horses touch the lives of nearly every human in some way, shape, or form.  Not many can deny that.  And this is what draws me to out to the pasture on those days when life gets a little rough or uncertain.  It is what brings peace to things around me when the noise of life just gets too loud.  It is what puts a smile on my face when a lot of others things can't get the job done.  Just this evening, I took the opportunity to just "be"...out in the pasture with my horses while they were eating their dinner.  That is one of my favorite times...utterly peaceful.  All day, all week, I spent my time thinking about what house to buy or should we build or should we keep renting or what do I do about our blind dog who keeps escaping her kennel or how will I ever adjust to my husband's new schedule or the poor people in Haiti or the dirty dishes in the sink and the clean laundry waiting to be folded....I could go on and on.  But just being outside, listening to my filly shift weight on the snow and gently crunch the grain in her mouth, smelling the sweet aroma of grass and alfalfa, touching Scout's furry coat and loving how he lifts his head high and quivers his lip when I scratch his chest, looking up over Scout's back and seeing a Bald Eagle soar overhead as the sun was setting....these are the things of life. In an instant, peace and serenity flowed into my mind and soul.  It never ceases to amaze me.  My horses bring such joy to my heart...like not many other things do.  They are my friends, therapists...the source of much happiness and on a day like today, peace, in my life.  But then again, that is the way of the horse.

Me with Coco (age 5-ish)

    Me and Scout circa 2004