Humility and the horse: life lessons learned from horses

It is very ironic how true horsemanship humbles the human being. Most people can think of humility as a bad thing, as if they feel humiliated. Humility in its simplest form only means modesty or respect. Horses have taught me many things about how to be a better person. A horse can almost instantly forgive a transgression, but it will not forget it. That makes a horse a perfect companion.

That’s one thing that makes the horse the perfect lesson in humility. An average horse generally weighs around 1,200 pounds. They are fast and strong. They have hooves and teeth, and they do not eat meat. They speak a different language than the verbal language that humans speak. Now we have to convince a 1,200 pound animal to do things that it would not normally do. Like getting into a trailer, riding and putting on shoes, as some examples. We have two options when working with a horse, to get frustrated, which usually results in getting angry or giving up. Then we have the other option, to learn what works with little effort on our part. That usually leads to admitting we don’t know and seeking help.

It’s an old truism, a horse can never lie. But they use their emotions in their body to let the world see if you know what you are looking at. A horse can read your emotions very quickly. He can instantly see if you are shy, aggressive or ignorant in the ways of the horse. The way horses are naturally is a way the horse can teach you about yourself. A horse can find its weakness in minutes, sometimes seconds. This can lead to frustration that he is not listening to you. He is listening to you, but you may not be listening to him. He is talking about your weakness that no human has the guts to tell you. Which takes you down the path of truth and the maximum dose of humility. If you can’t take in large doses of truth and humility, then a horse is something to steer clear of. When you except humility you are one step closer to being a rider or an Amazon and a better person.

You have to discover your mistakes and be honest with yourself. A horse will become a mirror of you. If you don’t like what’s in the mirror, don’t look at the horse. that should humiliate you. To be truly successful, you must listen to the horse, be firm and fair enough for the horse to perform its task smoothly. Being aggressive and bossy won’t give you the horse you want, and neither will being a shove.

They say that a dog is man’s best friend. That must mean that the horse is man’s best partner. A horse requires three components for a successful relationship. You must win each one sincerely. They are TLC. Trust, Leadership and Communication. Every interaction must be expressed eloquently, as you mean it.