On of my favorite horse trainers/bloggers, Anna Blake, wrote something the other day that really struck me:
Money and technique are never enough to create the art needed for a horse and rider to dance. Love transforms. Nothing less.
I am often overwhelmed by what I do not know about working with horses.
It's certainly one of those things that the more you know the more you realize you don't know.
Horses are so intuitive, it sometimes makes me feel self conscious. She knows I don't know what I'm doing right now yet I'm trying anyway. And she knows it. I try to speak her language but I'm sure it sounds so broken as I trip over how to translate my requests.
But horses are also very forgiving. No judgement.
Indeed, I may be ignored because she doesn't understand what I'm saying but she still won't judge me.
So when I become overwhelmed, instead of shutting down, I'm forcing myself to just do it anyway. Do something. Even if it's 10 minutes of something. The only way you're failing is if you stop. So I try not to stop, not to procrastinate.
I will never know it all. Horses are a journey of self-reflection really. The more I understand about horses and training horses the more I understand about myself. Horses are that amazing.
And if that quote above is true, well, I should be just fine. I've got so much love for my horses it makes my heart explode.
If it is love that transforms then I'll keep taking my tiny steps and keep learning how to improve.
If my horses improve, that means I'm improving as well. Becoming a more thoughtful, purposeful, mindful, grounded and loving person.
What a concept. The velvet muzzle therapy.