Tuesday, February 28, 2012

ComfortING




How many times have we heard great horsemen talk about horses wanting safety and comfort? Most recently I've heard Buck Brannaman
talking about horses wanting peace and comfort more than anything else.

I've also heard him talking a lot about "comforting the horse". In almost every exercise he talks about balance and how physical balance is comforting to a horse. All of a sudden it dawned on me. That's what he means by peace and comfort. Peace and emotional comfort.

One of my friends and mentors believes that horses are just fine by themselves. That they only have trouble when the human comes into the picture. I don't think I agree with her anymore. I have personally observed a fair amount of horses and now that I have better ears to hear the great horsemen describe their experience, that theory doesn't appear to bear out.

Certainly we can cause our horses even more unrest and fear than they would have innately. When I think about it though, maybe horses are not designed to be completely composed. As prey animals (and more specifically flight animals) they are designed to be on some degree of alert at all times. And yet the desire for peace is there. Just as it is in every living thing.

Horsemen say to "make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult but not impossible". They are not talking about making the horse do anything. I think they are talking about causing the horse to search for and be empowered to find, the peace and comfort that we can provide for them.

Studying Ray Hunt's book and DVDs, I notice that he talked all the time about "operating the life in the horse's body all the way down to the feet". The LIFE. I finally made the connection. By the time the message is manifest in the horse's feet in a balanced way, it has comforted the life in him. Comforted their being. The same way we would comfort an upset child or friend.

Buck says a horse will always, ALWAYS choose peace. If you offer to exchange peace for movement, they will always take you up on the deal. No matter the horse's age, breed or personality. Their spirit is unquiet if they are afraid and it is equally unquiet if they are dominant and pushy. If we can offer it, they will choose harmony over disharmony every time.

In a very deep place inside me this is resonating. Better yet, each day my horses confirm it. Its like a dream come true. It means I really do have intrinsic value to my horse. Just me. Just the way I was born. And no one can take that away. I need only develop it in myself. Its like a giant relief. It feels like coming home.

I guess this is where it gets spiritual. ComfortING. Its just a tiny detail.....

7 comments:

  1. Great blog Emma, thank you for sharing your findings and thoughts, I am excited for you......... the spiritual journey is an awe inspiring and wonderful one and you are absolutely right, it is coming home. My Spiritual awareness kicked in fully when Teaks came into my life a few years back, when I read back through my diaries and remind myself of the experiences that I have had being open and receptive to the devine it is mind blowing, I have just been reading an amazing book which I think you may find most interesting, he's called Dr Wayne Dyer and the book is 'Wishes Fulfilled' Its just been released. Love and Light to you Emma, keep the updates coming they are you and they are fabulous xxx

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  2. My bestie Em!!!you have an incredible gift of words...you never fail to amaze me with how you can bring such brilliant thoughts whorling around in your psyche... into form for us all to get to chew on, that makes me smile in awe!!! Thank you for the gift.:)

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  3. Absolutely wonderful! I've shared it with a friend who was wondering what she could contribute to her level's horse's life and it was her lightbulb! She suddenly understood her herd member status and is planning to ride again . . . thank you!

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  4. Wow, talk about resonate! being with horses has always affected me on an emotional level as well as riding well, I want to really connect with horses generally which ever one I meet and my journey is taking me deeper into a respect and loyalty I have for Flaire my schoolmistress.
    thank you
    Alisonx

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  5. Emma, you have a poet's heart, an inquisitive mind, and a wonderful way of putting things. I saw your comments on Betty Staley's blog and wandered on over here... I hope you don't mind. I absolutely love your insights. You think about things so creatively and intensely that I am embarrassed at how little thought I have given so many of these extremely important concepts. You and Betty are huge inspirations to me. I am also embarrassed at how crudely I handled my communications with you in the past. I am so sorry, and I hope that you can forgive me. I would very much like to hear your further musings, experiments, explorations and findings as you travel this road with passion. Also... I now find myself quite capable of peacefully keeping my thoughts to myself if I should happen to disagree with your views. ;-) I very much support you on your journey. Love to you and your ponies... Tamara

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  6. Hey guys. Thank you all so much for your comments on this blog. Its such a huge concept. I am so grateful to have gotten the idea out on "paper". Now...I've just got to master it. :) Wishing you all great fun playing ponies! -emma

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  7. That's a fantastic realization :) Thank you for sharing your enlightened moment with us!

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