What horses teach us, forgiveness

Anyone who has been around horses for a period of time knows how smart they are. Most horses have the brain development of a nine-year-old, allowing them to use both verbal and non-verbal cues to not only communicate but also to learn. When you meet a horse or enter your horse stable, he or she is not only listening to your voice and the tension or timbre it carries, but more importantly, your body language. Are you tense and nervous or calm, happy and focused?

Yesterday was a difficult day, I had decided to take this week and really focus on my business, no more nonsense on the Internet. It sounds so simple, but when I am at the computer “working”, there is a lot of other information that my eyes seem to want to look at. George Cloony got married, you say? Hmm, you should see the photos. Has the latest American star just received a DUI? I need to take a quick look. These kinds of distractions can end up derailing for hours, so I decided to stop looking at the latest “news” and focus on what really makes me money: my equine training and e-courses.

In the meantime, I had changed my ISP and it was supposed to go faster, but it wasn’t, it was slower. Super-duper slow and I had been working on a sales page for an upcoming contest and was almost done when I lost everything. I was really frustrated with the lack of technology that needs to be at my disposal 24/7! I turned off my computer and headed for the barn.

One thing that I have taught people and that I have always tried to practice, has been the following: Empty my mind and raise my vibration BEFORE I see Zeus. Usually I can do this easily, however I am human and sometimes I don’t follow my own advice.

As soon as I met Zeus at his post, he was very quiet and contemplative. I usually look at him, give him his treat, and greet him face to face, which always puts us both on the same page and allows us to communicate better. He was looking at me with his big soft brown eyes, wondering if I was okay. Horses have always been able to catch up with me where humans have failed. Your thoughts are true with no ulterior motives. They only seek to help and communicate on a level that many humans never master.

This may sound funny or be a new concept to you, but I have always told my horse exactly what is going on with him or me. When I said I was “frustrated” he just said “Well you’re here now, let’s do something.” So, I was brought back to reality, where my frustrations didn’t seem so important after all.

Horses not only bring me back to the present moment and what is really important (which is usually what is in front of you), but they also teach us how to forgive others by enlightening ourselves. They are a mirror of us, except that they are a much clearer image of light than we could ever be. One of the great advantages of being able to be surrounded by horses every day is the rare opportunity you have to be able to change. Horses don’t cling to frustration, anger, or fear. Emotions show up and then they go away. For example, when you are teaching your horse a new move, he doesn’t know what you want, but he tries and tries to please you. Many times he will fail until he finally gets it right, but if he seems frustrated, it may just be due to an inability to please you from our point of view, which is to do the move correctly. There is a big difference from both points of view and you should always strive to put yourself in their place.

When you learned to post to the correct track you probably failed many times, but each time you bounced back and kept trying. It was an important step in your progression as a pilot and one that once you have it, you never forget it and never have to learn it again. It’s like riding a bike and it becomes so easy for you that you probably don’t remember how difficult it was when you were just learning how to do it. If you have a good relationship with your horse, he or she will try to please you to the point of hurting himself. They will jump hurdles that they may not be physically ready for, but they will do it because you asked them to.

When I got into my car, I was grateful not only for the communication and the feeling that when I am in the barn there is nothing else for me except the 1,200 pound animal with a very intelligent and sensitive brain. It teaches me to be a better human than all the humans I have come across. Forgive your horse when he fails and give him room to try again until he gets it right. The “try” should always be rewarded because without it you will have nothing left to work with. Also, don’t forget to forgive yourself, we all make mistakes even when we think we are doing the right thing. Horses don’t cling to your mistakes, why should you?

I’d love to hear your comments and opinions on this article, let me know what you think! My website is http://www.equine-24.com.

With love,

Jules