Thanks for your reply Corto. I am sorry to hear that you gave up riding horses if it is a great passion for you. You have raised some valid issues about horses that I’d like to address here because I see horses as some of the best teachers one can have in the quest for self-knowledge and spiritual growth.
Corto wrote:
When you deduct everything we added to it to make us feel good about it - horse ridding is not about anything else but sheer dominance over the animal by force.
Yes and no. Horses are remarkably willing animals—a trait which more often than not leads to their exploitation. In situations where some mechanical force is added (chutes, gates, bars, electric shock etc.) a horse can be physically dominated and forced to move in some direction. But, a human rider alone, with only a bit and saddle as aids, cannot force a 1000 (or more) pound horse, who has more muscle mass in his neck than the human has in his whole body, to do anything that the horse is not willing to some degree to do. Most horses who are treated with any degree of fairness while they are being tamed and trained respond with a willingness to go along with human demands. This behavior sets them up for exploitation. In many areas of the world horses are still used for work, as well as for sports. Any time money is involved and people can make a profit off of an animal, there will be many, if not a majority of people who will abuse them to some degree for monetary gain.
It doesn’t always have to be this way. One doesn’t have to be a Horse Whisperer to learn to communicate more clearly with horses and train them with respect and kindness. Like any other successful intimate relationship, healthy boundaries have to be set, clear communication used, and a desire for the well being of the other maintained. But, unlike most other intimate relationships humans have with cats, dogs and other humans, horses out weigh people by nearly ten times and they are prey animals. Most of the time horses hurt people by accident—they are usually afraid of something and you are in the way (my experience when I was trampled). Because horses are prey they instinctually run first and think later, and because of their size it does not take much of an incident to harm the human body. The only time I was deliberately hurt by a horse was when I was bucked off hard, on purpose by a horse who we found out later had experienced abuse in his past. All other harm I incurred was due to my own disregard for safety techniques requiring good communication, knowledge of my own limitations, and the situational awareness to stay focused on the moment.
When a horse and rider can train together with respect, kindness, good boundaries, and clear communication, riding the horse becomes like dancing with an intimate partner. You move as one and read each others subtle cues, a sleight shift of weight, a flexed muscle, or a soft squeeze on the rein, will be all it takes to stay in balance and in motion together. It is thrilling. It takes a long time, serious study, a good teacher, and practice to get to that level.
In the process of learning good horsemanship, the most important lessons one learns are the ones a person learns about oneself. To have a functional relationship with a prey animal one has to learn to take their perspective—understanding that you are now the hunted not the hunter builds compassion and empathy. Prey animals are hyper vigilant all the time. In order not to create anxiety in the horse one has to learn to recognize, and control one’s emotions as horses will react fearfully to your anger at your boss, your fears, or any strong emotion with a negative vibration. Mastery of your body is another requirement. One must be able to command your body to relax while sitting on top of a 1000 pounds of fearful horse ready to bolt at some noise in the bushes. To ride in harmony requires one to use isolated muscles in one area of the body while doing something different with another area (like yoga). For example, while the calf muscles on one side may need to flex firmly, the seat and thighs must stay relaxed and following the motion of the horse, while the hands remain light (no pull or weight) on the reins, all the while your center of balance remains in sync with the horse’s. This takes a lot of knowledge to do all this, and it takes the ability to stay focused in the present moment. When your mind is wandering while you are around a large prey animal that is when you will get hurt. Working with horses has taught me many lessons about my mental, physical and emotional self—the way of the mind, the way of the body and the way of the heart.
Many of these lessons were painful. Horses are very humbling. When you realize how little control you really have over a horse without his willing cooperation you learn methods other than force, and to do that you first have to be able to control yourself—to know your own limitations, weaknesses, and willful prideful stubborn behaviors. A wise instructor told me that whatever problem I was having with my horse was nothing more than a reflection of some issue I was having in myself. Like other intimate relationships, horses are great mirrors to our own souls. I made many, many mistakes in the past and caused some harm to my horses and myself out of my ignorance, lack of attention, and my inability to see myself. Like some martial arts, and many other arts, good horsemanship requires self-discipline, self-knowledge, and a willingness to do the work—all traits applicable in the quest for spiritual growth.
Horses are amazingly sensitive, intelligent, and powerful creatures who are so often willing to work with humans and ask for so little in return, that they should be treated much better than then generally are. Horses, like humans and other creatures here on 3D Earth, are exploited and often treated cruelly by those who seek to profit from them. I no longer compete with horses where winning and losing has become about profiting financially. I would like to see all horse related sports become hobbies that willing partners do together for fun, and all horses who work for humans treated with the kindness and dignity they deserve. Horses were the original “machines” of war and transportation and the wealth of nations has literally been built on their backs. They, like their human counterparts the soldiers and workers of the world, have been ceaselessly exploited and sacrificed throughout the ages. As a teacher I work my curriculum the best I can to expose students to knowledge of this plight of humanity, and as a horsewomen I help horses and their cause where ever I can. I will continue to do what I have heard Ark and Anart and others advise: do that which brings you joy, which for me is horses, because it fills me up, teaches me so much, makes me healthier in mind, body and spirit; and energizes me, which in turn, helps me find the energy to give to others.
Corto, maybe if you can find the right instructor, you can find a way to enjoy your passion again. Good luck.
shellycheval
