I often wonder how we became the ones to harness the characters and power of such magnificent, graceful, intelligent, intuitive, absent minded, clumsy, whimsical, playful, purposeful, opinionated, forgiving, loyal and loving creatures as falls under the category “Equine”. They can handle a vast array of experiences from the parade horse facing cheering crowds applauding their glam and glitter to the utter routine of pulling a plow across the same fields, year in, year out. We are very much alike in that way, humans and horses. The difference is we most often are the ones to decide the path for both.

Do we ourselves pull a plow day after day, staring out of the small window in a cubicle hoping someone will mix up a hot bran mash on a cold Winter’s day? Or do we find that familiarity, reliability and stability lends our lives a greater peace from which to view our world? Did we sign up to be overwhelmed by fans and the machine that creates them because we began life wanting to dance and sing and thought it would be okay to calm our nerves with any manner of substances or ideas to get through what became such an affronting experience? Or relish every moment of serving others by elevating their time with us, reaching millions through our craft. We have a multiplicity of choice at our disposal in every moment in time. Horses rarely have that luxury.

In a way fate plays a great part in their existence. Bought, sold and bartered. Pawned off on others and even discarded, horses and their many cousins are technically “property”. Even “wild” horses are “managed” by human agencies. Yet their souls and minds can never truly be. Just like us. We both can endure or luxuriate in the situations that fill our lives. But for certain we have a conscious choice within our grasp at each moment that is not always within their reach.

It is an honor to be lived up to, the taking on of the responsibilities of a life, whether ours or theirs. In considering a horse we hold in our management of time, love and resources a great commitment to a magnificent creature capable of such wealth of intense relationship, trust and teaching. If we are up to the task we will never look back on a moment spent with anything but awe and appreciation, sore muscles, bumps and bruises taken in stride for they are an infinitesimally small price to pay for the time given in the presence of such a being. For horses hold up a mirror to our decisions and in doing so, our souls.

They are a reflection of our selves and they are themselves. They are the wind in our hair and the sun on our face, they are the tails tucked tightly against inclement weather quietly waiting for storms to pass. Knowing in their bones that storms will pass. They are action where action is needed and patience where nothing else will do. They are the best we can be if only we would look into and accept ourselves and others as who we truly are.

Horses are Truth and we all need Truth in our lives as much as we need Love. It is up to us to choose to see this, as we are the ones with choice. For as we do, we will find ourselves astride a miracle.