A Lesson From Horses

As a child, I lived in a remote little town in Namibia. It was a great few years in primary school. My best friend and I, with whom I am still very close friends, spent much time riding horses in and around the town. I remember the oneness with the horse. How it reacted to your commands and was always eager to please. Yet, some days the horse would just be stubborn and would not co-operate. We always finished our riding with cooling and rubbing down the horses. They loved it!

Lately, I have read a bit more about horses and their connection to or relationship with their riders. The awesome revelation is that a horse has such a big heart. Physically and in spirit. It is said that the horse has such acute awareness of your state of mind that it reacts to that. Their reaction can be that of confusion because suddenly they are unsure how to respond or what to expect because they are confused by your state of mind. The riders emotional state brings out either understanding or confusion based on the relationship between horse and man or the bond formed through a caring relationship with each other.

Similar, as kids we also read the “weather” as Dad or Mom entered the house. You know by sight and gut through their presence what the atmosphere looks like, and you adjust your own actions accordingly.

The lesson learned is that in relationships we learn to experience each other’s presence - or lack thereof - in a certain way, and many times we are confused about how to react to a certain state of mind from the other person. What makes this easier to navigate is if we have a foundation of care and safety no matter the circumstance or emotional state. Then we can be in each other’s presence and lean into each other to either comfort or encourage one another. The message always is: you are not alone no matter what.

Therefore, my advice is to build a relationship of care and trust with those close to you. So much so that you know that your presence - no matter the state of emotion or mind of the other - will bring calm and acceptance as we lean into each other’s worlds.

Roy Kapp | Director

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