Truthful Horsemanship Empowers the Human
Sometimes I read something I wish I had written. Dan Koch’s* reply to my latest post is so wonderful that I didn’t want it to get lost as just a reply. It deserves its own blog post.
The other day, one of my students (70 ish) came over to inform me how much she has benefited from the training received over the past year. She is a widow and just lost her brother. She shared with me how her lessons in horsemanship helped to work through the problems encountered during this sad time.
When horsemanship is truthful, it empowers the human. Taking responsibility for your horse
Taking responsibility for our own actions is a critical development in the development of maturity, and like you said it pops up in many different places. Physical with a horse, social and psychological in relationships with fellow human beings, and there’s even a spiritual component when we take responsibility for our actions before God.
Daniel,
I agree with what you say here, but I want to expand on it.
You are right to say that there is a physical connection with the horse, but what I want to share with the world is that there also the social, psychological, and especially spiritual connection with a horse as well. I feel the most spiritual when I am making a connection with my horse.
That is why horses are perfect tools for teaching relationships with other humans. The same types of connections are made, but because he is a horse and you are a human, you are forced to think about those connections differently. And, then, you think about your human relationships differently.
Horses are wonderful beings. When we get pushed from our comfort zone of what we think we know, it can be thoroughly thought provoking.
May I ask a question? You mentioned feeling the most spiritual when you are making a connection with your horse. Who or what made the horse and why does that spiritual connection have value?
Hey Jay,
Thanks for posting my husbands response. I read it and it made my day. I’m a school social worker and horses really do make you a more thoughtful person and they are so forgiving when we err.
Dr.Linda Koch (Coke)
Daniel,
When I am working well with a horse, I am perfectly at peace. When we are thinking and acting as one, it’s a magical moment. And sometimes just going out to the paddock on a moonlit night and leaning against one horse while anothed is sniffing the back of my neck is a very healing experience.
Some people get that connection, and some don’t. For some people that joy comes from skiing down a mountain or taking the perfect picture.
For me, the path to enlightenment is trod with four hooves.
The question you asked me is getting dangerously close to discussing religion. That topic and politics are two that I choose not to discuss on this blog.
Thanx,
jay
Fair enough Jay, I still respect you and experience. Keep writing and I’ll keep reading….