The Art of Being with a Horse

One of my favorite things to do is to hang out with the horses who live with us. And, when I say “hang-out” I mean…. just “being” with the horses and donkeys.

No expectations

No need for me to touch and pet

No desire to teach anything

No impulse to direct or control or move

No checking my phone

No thought of being “leader”

Just…being. Me being with these other sentient beings who are just being

We share the same ground upon which we step

We share the same air that we each inhale

We feel the same cool fall breeze on our skin

We smell the same fall scent of decaying leaves

We hear the same final calls of the Sandhill Cranes down in our wetlands

I pay attention…not in a laser-focused way as if to analyze their gait

I pay attention…in a soft, spacious way as if I can sense it all

I can almost sense the space between me and a horse contract right before he moves

I can feel my breath begin to synch with the horse’s breath

I can sense when the horse quietly approaches from behind me to sniff the back of my head

I just be…slowing my breath, deepening my breath…allowing my breath to be light so that my nervous system remains calm

The feeling of gratitude envelopes me

I radiate the feeling of gratitude out into the world from my heart just like the sun shining its golden rays with equanimity

I fill our world with the feeling of gratitude

This is how the horse will know to trust you…this is how you will learn to trust your horse

This is me being with horses...join me!