Equuality: Reflections on Life with Horses

A Lens on Fear


About the Book
The idea is to die young as late as possible. -Ashley Montagu

The way that people perceive us through verbal communication has become so important that, as a global culture, we are more afraid of being asked to give a toast than we are of dying from cancer, being killed in a car accident, or being ruthlessly murdered. The knowledge that more people rank fear of public speaking above fear of death is so common, that it has almost become a cliché. To me, being more afraid of speaking than of dying seems to indicate a deep imbalance. It is time that we consider our fears and decide whether they serve us or hold us hostage.

An equine partner can serve as a wonderful lens to bring into focus what priorities we put on our own fears. Consider this; any horse, yours included, has one primary fear: death. He's not afraid that his boss will ask him to work overtime or that his kid will embarrass him by missing the choke shot at the varsity basketball game. His most fundamental concern is that he will be injured and die.

For a horse in the wild, there are no sutures, no vet wrap, no antibiotics. A Mustang has no hope of having his stomach pumped, his leg put in cast, or his faulty heart operated upon. A simple cut quickly leads to a deadly infection. A misplaced foot lands in a hole, a leg is broken, and the horse is left behind. A troublesome noise is disregarded and in the next moment a cougar pounces from the rocks. Make no mistake, any time your horse spooks, shies, bolts, kicks, bucks, or acts out in any way, he is afraid that whatever has scared him might have the power to kill him.

Now, consider this. Living a life where the most basic fear is that of mortality, a horse can spend hours upon hours grazing contentedly, walking calmly, or simply standing relaxed with a leg cocked and head down. Unless we put them into severely unhealthy situations, horses are not afflicted by anxiety, stress, or panic attacks. They live each moment fully and completely. If we are smart enough to pay attention, they will show us how to live a few of those moments fully with them.

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