It Started With A Horse

The Heart Of A Horse

Trust.

The moment you've gained the trust of a horse, you've won.

It doesn't matter what people say about you, there's always going to be a four legged beast waiting for you.

A horse  doesn't judge you. They are the secret keepers, the one we can trust to not judge a terrible mistake.

Many think a horse is just for pleasure, a backyard pet, nothing more than a work partner. But there's those who see a horse as more than that.

Those who look at their horse and see their best friend, a partner in crime, a sidekick, a 'Dear diary, today was crazy, here's why..' 

The ones who see their horse and think, that's my best friend, are the ones who are committed. The ones who are ready to spend thousands just to keep their best friend from dying, from getting sick or injured. A horse is more than a pet, or working tool, or just for the sake of having a horse just for the hell of it.

A horse is your partner. You go out in the show ring, you can't do anything without that horse.

'The horse does all the work.' 'Horse back riding is soo easy, all you do is sit there.'

Riders take offence to that.

Have you worked with an animal that weighs over a thousand pounds more than you, been bucked from its back? You work with an animal that doesn't speak that doesn't always understand what you want, dance with something that doesn't speak the same language.

A horse is more powerful than most people think. Remember, we used to use draft/work horses to harvest down crops.

Horses don't do all the work, the riders do some, too. Actually, it's 50/50, the rider helps tell where to go, the rider encourages the horse. Have you watched the ones who jump? They have one of the hardest rides.

Sit up, legs back, look up, look where you're going, look over your shoulder. Make sure you have the right amount of strides before the jump. There are so many steps to taking a jump, to dressage, English pleasure, western pleasure, reining, barrels and so much more.

Before you tell a horse rider, 'Riding is so easy, all you do is sit there. The horse does all the work. I bet I could ride your horse.' Think before you say it.

Olympian riders don't make it to the Olympics because it's 'easy', they make it because they put in the hours, they ride every day perfecting what needs to be perfected.

No rider is perfect without a difficult horse to ride. Every rider has started with a difficult horse, learned from one trainer, if not more than one, for their whole life.

The heart of a horse is stronger. A horse is a better dance partner, then a human dance partner. You have to speak a foreign language, but one that isn't spoken by people. The bond between horse and human is a perfectly imperfect balance, the in-between chaotic and quiet.

Only a true rider knows when a horse is trying to tell you something. You've got to listen, if you listen you'll hear the horse tell you everything. 

Don't ignore him, it might be important. The most important thing in the world. He might be telling you, 'I love you. I love you more than you know, please stay forever and don't leave me behind. You are my person, and I would gladly walk through to the end of the world with you.'

And that's the best thing any person could hear.