Equuality: Reflections on Life with Horses

The Simple Truth

It does not require many words to speak the truth. -Chief Joseph, Nez Perce

I like Chief Joseph's words because they say so much with so little. I am not unaware of how fitting that is. But it is true. Truth is not something that can be explained, or dissected, or rationalized. Truth can only be felt, deep in our cores. What often trips me up is that my analytical mind is very good at what it does and I've become very reliant upon it, as have many of us living in this culture. Luckily, it is the nature of truth that makes it easy to discover. If something does not ring true in our hearts then it simply is not true. If it does, then it is.

I can't begin to count the number of times I have deceived myself when I have been playing, or, more often, working, with a horse. Something will start to happen that is not according to my plan. I feel the horse is no longer listening to me. She's being a "stinker" today. She doesn't respect me. She's spooking at nothing. My analytical mind kicks in and starts to reason everything out. These reasons are all wonderfully logical and seem so delicious. Sometimes they fill me with the zeal of righteousness, sometimes with the poison of self-hatred. The common denominator is that they are all simply enticing stories.

The realization that they are all just stories is what allows my heart to open. If I can just take a breath and be still for a second, I find that all the stories fall away, and what's left is the simple connection of the horse. Then I can see the truth: if there is animosity, it is likely because of my energy and attitude, not his, and either way the antidote is to return to the relationship as an equal and move forward from this moment.

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Perfect in the Moment

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Each Moment a New World

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