I’ve been thinking in terms of the way in which we interpret the world around us. As humans we have become dependent upon our eyes. Often if we cannot see it, cannot touch it, we do not believe it exists. It is then only an idea, a theory, etc.

But what about the things which can be seen, if only we were able to see them? I’ve watched riders who are for or against something and as they are describing it I also witness them doing the very thing they are against. I don’t believe it is a genuine effort to be dishonest or misleading, but even with perfect vision we can only see what we choose to.

Does this mean too that the horse can be of equal intelligence and emotional development as people if only we become willing to see it? Does it mean that we can achieve anything we put our minds to if only we turn our eyes to see it?

Horsemanship is simple, almost easy. It is easy once you know it, but to know it you have to be able to see the simplicity of it, and to see the simplicity with ease you also have to travel the road of difficulty and ultimate frustration. Usually we get stuck in the difficulty, and with the powers of our reasoning we create excuses as to why horsemanship is not simple, why it is not achievable by everyone at the highest level. What if we all believed that horsemanship was only a mirror of our own development in life? What if life was simple, almost easy? What if life became easy once you knew it’s ease? Then you only had to understand the simplicity of life to experience the ease of it’s happiness; but to see the simplicity in an honest way you also have to travel the road of difficulty and ultimate frustration. But we usually get stuck in the difficulty and frustration of life and then give reason to it by finding excuses as to why life is difficult for everyone.

We are the blind leading the blind in that regard. Horses make a great mirror of our life. If horsemanship is difficult, so is life. If horsemanship is easy, life follows the same path – all of it. If we break horsemanship up into pieces – riding, caring, management, business, equestrian interactions, clients, students, friends, individual horses, competitions, etc. – and base the ease off of each one with some making it and others not, life will follow the same. We will be happy in some areas and not in others. The only difference between them is our own personal interpretation.

Have you been caught up in the whirlwind of thinking that much of riding is about impressing your fellow riders, your instructor, trainer, the judges at the show, all the other competitors, your students and clients, and perhaps non-horsey spectators?

What about impressing your horse?

I am reminded of a time in my own life when it seems that I took on the duty of trying to be something to everyone, trying to impress them with some feat, talent, quality that I possessed with riding and training horses. And with it I began failing even the basic talents that I once held. My horses’ training deteriorated, I found myself frustrated and my horses equally or more-so.

It seemed like every day was a challenge not to overcome, but a challenge to fail at every turn. But the days that I went out and explored, that I was curious and inquisitive. The days that I listened to my horses instead of what I thought everyone else wanted… those were the days that I flew high with my horses. Those were the days that new things were created. Our relationship expanded and my horses offered freely new talents of their own, and in turn supported the development of my own unique gifts.

Ever wonder why they say that horses are the greatest teachers? It is because they listen without criticism. They encourage your questioning mind. If you make an honest mistake they are freely forgiving. Like the best of mentors they will let you go on and on doing the wrong thing without beating you over the head until you are ready to listen, and then their silent words resonate so deep that you are amazed at the lesson you learn.

Today, I challenge you to strip away all the outside motivators from your relationship with the horse. Go ride, go interact, go listen, go whisper in your horse’s ears. Be a child again, get curious, ask questions, discover new worlds. Leave the critics and judges outside for today.

Come swiftly, or slowly. Come towards me when you are ready. I will stand, I will wait, I will be ready in every moment.

Turn left or turn right, stay straight ahead if you like. I am centered, I am balanced, I am ready in every moment.

Jump ahead or turn around, step straight forward, step straight back. I care little which way you should go, for I will be ready in this moment.

The horse in his infinite patience has but to ask us for ours in return, but do we listen? That is the meditation, we listen, we become still and silent. We leave the door open for the wind to tousle, or the curtains drawn for the sun to shine inward. Meditation is not the thought, but leaving the thought behind. Isn’t that what we long for in our time with the horse? To leave the thoughts behind of tomorrow, of yesterday, of the stresses, of the worries, of all those fears that keep us locked to the ground or stuck in our own path? That the horse could set us free, and yet we find new problems arise in that hope.

We find fears with the horse. He moves too fast or too slowly. He turns the wrong way or doesn’t turn at all. We want him to be caught easily, when he runs away rampantly. He bucks when we want an easy ride, or pulls back in the cross-ties. Perhaps we want to be successful in competition, while our horse refuses to polish just the way we want?

So today, let’s take just a moment for Meditation Upon the Horse. Let’s take this one time we have with our horse today to listen, to be still in our mind and set aside all of the thoughts outside of the arena. To let go of those that are not connected to the horse, and then let go of those connected to the horse. To be truly in the moment, without thought, with only action as needed. To find a sense of curiosity – not borne out of theories, ideas, concepts, logic or any other thought-based origin, but simply out the desire to try it and observe what happens.

When we catch our horse, what happens when we stop and count to ten, when we resume walking towards him we move slower – in half speed. As though time has slowed to a crawl and we can move no faster than a snail. Not out of hesitation in the step, but out of controlled slowness, intentional. What happens when we speak softly, not out of concern that we may spook the horse with our voice, but rather to establish the connection with him, to begin the relationship. To ring the telephone and then listen for the response on the other line. To listen.

When we groom, to be so involved in every small step. The curiosity of a child in the way the brush must feel upon his coat, or the curry against the grain. The hoof pick as it picks at every nook and cranny. The way the saddle sets upon the horse’s back, to be present with every step. To take what has become automatic and turn it to manual. To relearn what we’ve learned. To find the nuances in the ordinary.

When we ride the horse, discover what it is to move to and from, left and right, up and down, like a dance. One step forward and two back, turn slightly, one step forward and two back. To pick a rhythm, a beat, a dance step of sorts and play with it. Pick a rhythm in four-time, or perhaps a waltz in three-time. Feel your seat in the saddle, your legs how they hang beneath, the touch of your calf to the side of the horse. The gentle swing with each step, or the up and forwards movement in the trot. The lovely flow in canter. To be present, to listen, to be curious, to rediscover. To ultimately be thoughtless, to observe.

That is the meditation. To be present. To honor every step. We can meditate while seated on the ground in a quiet field, and we can meditate upon the horse while cantering through the same field. Meditation can be taken with us, it is not a ritual but a state of mind, or mindlessness. Of leaving thought behind and in that thoughtlessness moving beyond the very thought you’ve let go of.

Meditation also takes practice. It is not gained all at once. You could escape to a monastery in the mountains and find meditation there, but you can also practice it every day in small ways without giving up your life and commitments. Washing dishes with presence, being consumed by the rag against the plates, forks, etc, without thoughts bound up in the action. It will come in small pieces, which over time create periods of thoughtless meditation. This can grow into continuous meditation, with a presence of mind to every action and interaction you have.

Why this impacts the horse is that often our thoughts can interfere with what we ultimately want with the horse – a connection which bring joy and happiness. Anything we attach on top of that is extra – i.e. winning a blue ribbon, gaining a certain level of skill, performing a difficult maneuver, going for a trail ride, etc. Underneath all of that, we are driven by the pursuit of happiness. If we thought the outcome of riding horses would bring us pain, injury, unhappiness, frustration, sadness, fear, etc – we would move on to another activity. We can become distracted in our thoughts from finding this joy and happiness, and by letting go of the thoughts we are able to move back to our original intent, making every interaction with the horse not only a success, but one with un-contained enthusiasm along with it!