When you can do this, winning a ribbon or a cooler at a show becomes an empty victory. If you treat your horse like a vehicle to gratify your own ego, you will never achieve success. Have an attitude of partnership, of oneness and you will win more if it’s about the ride, the relationship and not the winning. IN the eyes of God you are always a winner. There is a way to train for success in the show ring without the interference of the ego and all that comes with it.
Your horse should not be viewed as a possession like a car or a boat, after all this is a living, breathing thing. They are an animal with a heart and emotional needs just like our own, but from the horse’s point of view. I have done lots of showing in my life, but it was never about the winning, except when I was really young. It was about showing people that a horse can be happy showing, not miserable, cranky and sour. It should be fun to go and there and show off your partnership with your horse, it shouldn’t be stressful and nerve wracking. If you don’t care about winning, or trying to control the outcome, then you can relax, enjoy yourself and you will probably win after all! An Olympic rider told me years ago when going to a show: “pretend your entry fees are just a rental for the facility, and then you won’t be so nervous”. I never forgot that.
Sometimes you see people getting so caught up in buying the latest gadget, a new custom saddle, blankets etc., for their horse, that they lose sight of the real joy in owning a horse. Be careful that your possessions don’t possess you. Chasing them rules your life, you spend money you don’t have to acquire what you don’t really need, and it weighs heavy on your mind because you now have to pay these big bills off. It takes away from the fun and that money could have been put to better use. People need to get back to basics and get good second hand stuff until they can afford new. Don’t buy into the gimmicks, most of them are not necessary and they are just retail therapy, you buy them out of guilt because everyone else has one so you should too. Really? Not. You feel pressured to keep up with what others are doing, but are they all really necessary? What did we do when these things were not available, 20 years ago? Instead of hiring a massage therapist, we spent an hour grooming our horse. We cold hosed legs and learned to wrap all different kinds of bandages to take the swelling down; we used ordinary stuff and our hands. I have healed hundreds of horses with very simple stuff and good knowledge, nothing fancy that cost me tens of thousands of dollars – like electromagnetic blankets, hock boots and laser light machines. Not that some modern technology doesn’t have a value but a lot of stuff can still be handled by basics, saving you hundreds – if not thousands of dollars, and building an inextricable bond of trust between you and your horse. You create memories that will last you a lifetime, make you smile when you are sad, that no one can ever take away from you. All the blankets and fancy stuff only stresses you out trying to achieve it – it becomes your master and you lose sight of the animal standing in front of you, and what they need.
Are your possessions really what defines you? Are you all about the car you drive, the house you own or clothes you wear? We come into this world naked, and we leave the same way. Sure stuff is nice to have, but make sure you are not a slave. All of us can survive with so much less in reality, our needs are few and we are happier by far when our lives are more uncluttered. There are two kinds of people in the world – the ones who live one dimensionally – and judge and receive information based on their five senses of taste, touch, smell, sight and sound. If it’s not physical, they cannot absorb it, they are detached from emotion except on a very base and child like level, and they usually live on impulses – no plans, no dreams. They believe that they must control all external forces in life – their job, their friends, and their family. They see life as a battle, and the only way to win is to take from someone else. There always has to be a winner and a loser, there is no such thing as a “win/win” situation in these people’s minds. When they own a horse they are a control freak, the horse loses because there is no freedom, everything is “my way or the highway” and the relationship is fear based. Mutual trust is squashed out by their need to be right, and that means the horse is always wrong. This type of person is totally controlled by their own ego, and they are scared to death to move out of their comfort zone, no matter how glaring the truth is that is staring them right in the face. It’s very hard to get them to even examine new ideas, let alone adopt them. They remain stuck, frustrated and mad – and the horse takes the brunt of this. These owners treat the horse as a possession. Constantly trying to control the outside of everything brings more anger and frustration, as expansion, learning and ascension then becomes impossible. They feel trapped in every sense, and so they trap their horses using devices that limit movement and shut down brilliance. Freedom – true freedom is the only way to achieve brilliance.
Then there is the second type of people – “Multi-dimensional thinkers”. These folks are always exploring their truth, and seeking answers to life’s questions beyond the physical plane. They feel a connection to something greater than themselves; they see the universe as being all connected and full of abundance. There is no shortage or lack; they do not have jealousy or the need to make someone else wrong so they can “win”. They allow their horse to have their personality within the confines of safety, and they do not see the animal as a possession to be bought or sold when convenient. They understand that the animal has feelings, emotions and needs just like a human, in other words, they are a sentient being. The horse is a close and trusted friend, something that can be relied upon for emotional support when needed, and also a teacher. These folks understand that they are responsible for their own happiness, they do not pin that responsibility on anyone else. These people are the truly great horsepeople of the world; they do not care for winning ribbons, for the only judge whose opinion they are interested in – is their horses. These folks understand that to truly “Ride from the Seat of our Soul” you must first have a soul connection, to yourself and to the soul of the Universe, which connects us all. These folks understand that life is growth, and without it you die. You die physically, emotionally and creatively. They know that change and expansion are part of the cycle of life, a Universal rhythm that runs through everything, from the tiniest ant to the leviathan whale, and even the planets and the solar systems are part of this dance of life.
So I ask you, seek more out of yourself, life and your journey with your horse, the answers will astound you!
