The Allure Of Horses

It intrigues me why humans are hooked on horses!

At my seminars I often ask riders and owners "Why?...  Why do you have horses in your life? Why do you ride?"

The replies can often sound varied but in fact they all have one thing in common - a release of deep 'emotions and feelings'. Horses seem to enable us to connect with feelings missing in every day life.  These can be feelings of deep love, connection and understanding towards the horse, or feelings of self expression that the horse brings out in us.  Some recent examples of what people have said about why they have horses - include...
 

Freedom!

Sense of deep connection

To feel the wind in my hair

Allows you to truly forget about the outside world

 

Communication between me and another creature

It gives me a sense of achievement and freedom
 

It provides me with the most amazing feeling in the world where nothing else matters

 

Makes me feel free, happy and content 

When I ask clients and horsey friends to think of a metaphor that describes what being with their horse is like for them, here are a few of my favourites...

"It's like...."

Drinking a large glass of good wine :)

Driving a top-of-the-range Rolls Royce with super power steering!

Melting chocolate

Harmony

An early summer morning

Floating on clouds

The biggest hug!

If this is how alive we can feel around horses, if this is illustrative of what we get out of being around them, whether riding, competing or not, don't we owe them a huge debt of appreciation in return?  

Unlike in our human to human relationships where we tend to keep a mental tally of who owes whom for what...horses don't!  Whereas at home, we know exactly who last took out the rubbish, whose turn it is to empty the dish washer etc, with our horses this unhealthy game of resentment doesn't exist. 

What we owe our horses in terms of a debt of appreciation is not just about our thanks for positive things we do feel around them freedom, melting chocolate etc, but a deeper thanks for the person we are NOT; when we are around them! Free of resentment, bitterness, judgement or petty arguments we can be more of our true selves.  

If I spent my whole working day, my horse time and my family time mentally 'score keeping' I doubt life would ever feel light, free or  happy. People need to have times, places and relationships where we can escape from being our angry, judgemental, bitter, resentful selves and re-connect with our full self to feel love, joy, harmony, softness.  I believe this is why so many of us are drawn to horses.

For those who do not succumb to the magnetism of a horse, it might be through a sense of music, art, cooking or nature that they tune back in to their "full self".

Many books have been written trying to express this human 'love affair' for horses.  From the work of Elizabeth Kay McCall and the Tao of Horses, the quotes below capture the incredible depth and spiritual level the horse can reach within the human psche. 

"...horses new role is a mental and emotional asset" 

   - James Wyllie Co-owner of Paramount Movie Ranch

"you could just sit with a horse and feel better"

- Michael McMeel Owner of Inner City Slickers Ranch, USA

"horses put people together, people from all different fields. 

They are the great equalizer..."

 "...horses are a way of life. Those moments are the moments that count" 

- Joao Oliveira - son of Nuno Oliviera the great European Dressage Rider

"horses teach you a lot - instead of a person talking back at you, 

they'll act back to you"

- Jorge Ludwig Chilean Trainer

 "The cattle on a hill belongs to the Lord....

My wife isn't mine she's been loaned to me by the Lord....

They are gifts. To me, the horse is one of those gifts" 

- Randy Rieman - Cowboy Poet

"They're more than just horses, they're special souls"

- Wayne Newton Arabian Horse Breeder

"animals in general, give a positive perspective to people.

Unless you learn to understand, appreciate, and love animals, 

you have that much less understanding and appreciation and love for humans"

- Louis T. Holz served in USA Cavalry

 

"I think horse riding is a meditative experience, as much as it is a spiritual one" 

-Launsky-Tieffenthal Diplomat and Eventer 

"Horses are teaching me about real patience and kindness - 

the incalculable value of kindness... they will repay you a hundred times"

"horse back riding keeps me in life everyday - 

it makes me have true relations with others and with nature"

- Tedi Tate Movie Producer

"to know a horse you have to know yourself" 

"so how do you come with a pure heart? You have to be free... 

allowing your rhythm and the horse just to weave something so beautiful you just go 'wow'"

"freedom is being able to be open so you will hear, what is right and pefrect for that being 

and that being will respond. 

At the end, the question for anything is, 'Am I myself?' 

I cannot experience a horse otherwise"

-Dr Hew Len - PhD., Educator and practitioner of Ho'oponopono

"the more people know, the less they feel.  Unless we are able to feel, in a way, 

we are less intelligent than the horse or animals in general" 

-Bartabas  - Founder of Theater Zingaro 

To use Elizabeth's own words "Horses transcend language, culture and politics..."

  
A personal favourite from Joao Oliveira:-

" A horse can make you feel like you are capable of doing anything, even if you aren't a talented rider.  

It's kind of like he has wings on his feet and takes you above every little difficulty you have with riding.  

He lifts up your spirit"

I love Joao Oliveira's thougths as it would be such a wonderfully simple, honest way of being towards humans and horses if it were our own mantra for life. Such an extroardinarily unselfish way of being. 

If the allure of horses can help us to develop this as a mission in life, the world truly will be a much safer place!