Love Poem

I fell in love with horses all over again this week. Yes, it was a pretty short fall and yes, it does happen every week. And no, it never gets old. Does my enthusiasm make me seem less professional?

It has been also been one of those weeks when most of my clients are having challenges with their horses. Some of the challenges are old ones and some are brand new but regardless of origin or cause- a challenge is an opportunity by another name.

This is a diagram of why I especially love horses when the going gets tough. It means that something great is within reach and that the space between a rider and their horse is getting smaller. One of the things we love most about horses is who we grow-to-be when we are with them.

I want to share a favorite poem this week. I love writing almost as much as I love riding, and when I find a piece of horse writing this wonderful, it deserves sharing.  Please check it out: Love Poem by Paul Zimmer. This is the photo I would use to illustrate the poem:

Oh, did I neglect to mention the poem is about love between horses? I hesitate to call what horses experience love, it might be something better. We are great at assigning human emotions to animals, but that doesn’t make it so. And since theoretically we are the superior animal, we would do better to learn their equine language and character, instead of defining horses by our reality.

In the poem, two horses “Rub muzzles, bumping flanks to embrace in their own way.” It’s a position less restrictive than our human hug. Some horses give their human this embrace. It’s precious- maybe your horse sees you as less of a wolf (human predator) and more of a herd-mate. And maybe the rider is learning a new language and a little bit more about living in the present.

But like I said at the beginning, I am especially mushy this week. I admit it- I am wild about the horses and riders I work with. Keep up the good work! It is a special thing to be a witness to this inter-species love affair- especially on the not-so-good days leading up the the good days. That’s where the magic happens.

Anna, Infinity Farm.

P.S. Equal time for donkeys: