Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you are right

Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you are right
There were 60 of us, sitting in folding chairs in an arena, with horses and ponies running all over the place.  The first couple of people to do an exercise looked like it was very challenging.  There was one pretty gray arab mare that was frazzled.  She looked like she had ADHD and was just freaked out.

My turn came to do an exercise in front of the crowd.  I picked the frazzled gray mare as my partner, I thought we both needed each other.  The first assignment was to have the horse stand still, and for me to walk around the horse.  That horse was all over the place, and it was hard to even get two steps around her before she was off doing something else.  This was all at liberty of course.

The second exercise was to stand still and have the horse walk around us.  My gut reaction, "I CAN'T DO THIS!"  As soon as I had the thought, a feeling came over me, I can do this.  It was an overwhelming whisper, deep inside.  I went to the center of the arena and closed my eyes.  I pictured her going around me and I felt my heart connected to her heart.  I would glance up every once in a while, and there she was, calm, quiet, peaceful, walking around me.  I thought let's see what we can do.  I pictured her coming in closer and she did.  I pictured her going out further and she did.  I pictured her changing directions, and she did.  I pictured her trotting quietly with her head low and she did.

Our exercise was supposed to be 10 minutes, but for 30 minutes, we were there, in the center, connected heart to heart.  The audience was silent.  In their own thoughts of wonder.  The owner of the horse and the practitioners were in shock.

I finally just stopped, and she came to me and pressed her head into my chest, and we just breathed together.  In that moment, I knew for the rest of my life, when I had doubt, I would think of the pretty gray mare and know, "I CAN".

This was the most powerful moment I have ever had in my life.  It was a precious gift from God.

Can Horses Sense Fear? I have proof!

Can Horses Sense Fear? I have proof!

It was a really windy day.  Tarps and boxes were blowing around and the noise from the leaves in the trees was like a freight train.  I took Michelle for a walk because other than the wind, the day was gorgeous.  I thought it would be good to practice walking behind me at the end of the lead rope.

 

Up the hill, she was so good.  She stayed back and we had a great walk.  Around the corner of the pasture, we kept walking and voila, the cardboard flew off the car trailer right next to us.  It gave us a great opportunity to do some work and ignore the cardboard.  She did very well but I could tell I was at her threshold.

 

We turned to walk back to the pasture gate.  She was at the end of the lead rope behind me, but I could tell she was a powder keg by now.  I kept checking over my shoulder to make sure she didn't run me over and she escalated some more.  I checked more.  Then, BAM, it hit me. Can horses sense fear?  YES! 

 

She didn't know I was worried about her running me over.  She thought I was worried about what was behind us, the cardboard, attacking.  When I had that realization, I immediately started walking confidently just like I had on the way out.  It was a drastic difference for her.  She immediately blew out and started to relax.  She followed along at the end of the lead rope, and I knew she wasn't going to run me over.  I was confident.  I needed to be her leader, not the person afraid of being run over.  As soon as I let go of the fear behind me, she let go of the fear behind her and we had a lovely walk back to the pasture.

 

As I was reviewing this later, I realized that the fear of what is behind us is far more than just in that moment.  My fear of my accident in 2000 was a fear of what was behind me, in the past.  There are so many fears that we carry along that are behind us.  These fears are an anchor holding us back from living life to the fullest.  Drop the anchors, raise the sails and become the captain of your life!