We have often heard that Horses mirror us and there seems to be many ways that this can present itself. A Horse that has been abused mentally or physically may present a fearful, erratic, or menacing demeanor towards the person that abuses. This compels the question, was this person abused? Sadley, some Horses will never stand up against their tormentor, and should they present boundaries around their abuse, it is likely they will be abused further.
Horses that are seen as who they are on a soul level will respond in kind, seeing the essence of the person that has witnessed their true Being. So, perhaps it may be said that Horse has become a reflection of their Human. Only someone that sees with the eyes of Divine will look for the soul in others.
I am not a trainer, but I am deeply committed to connection with my Horses and this is a marker of our own inner truth and awareness. When we observe our Horse and its behavior, verses how we wish it to answer in behavior, we are looking at ourselves. While a Horse will always be a Horse, it is tremendously influenced by our treatment and beliefs about that Horse.
The opportunity for enlightenment and change is limitless here. When I behold someone that is completely unfair towards their Horse for any length of time, I see the Horse begins to mirror that person by responding to the verbiage and correction turned on the Horse, becoming the dissatisfaction directed at it.
I have been guilty of this myself. Asking a Horse to do something that I want, but not knowing how to ask or educate it for what I want. In return, I get muddled and reactive responses. Because I gave muddled and reactive instructions. My Horse has become me.
Take this farther, for a Horse that is being abused in its training and relationship, that Horse may show defiant behavior towards its assailant. And calling it training while using force or abuse IS assaulting the Horse, causing the Human to be an assailant rather than an educator. A defiant Horse has become the product of a defiant trainer. It has become what was directed at it.
And now the Horse will be blamed for becoming its treatment.
As soul inspired eQUESTrians, we can engage our Horse to lead us to fair and just education. Just by watching how our Horse responds to what we are trying to teach them to do or not do.
When we see our Horse responding to our request, or not responding to our request, we can see how we are asking. What we are missing or what we are misusing. Where are our intentions when we meet with our Horse for the purpose of education or deeper partnership?
If our Horses ‘become us’ through our type of education and interaction, this is a valuable tool to our own abilities and objectives. If we do not like what we see reflected in our Horses behavior, then we would not like what we would see when we look at our own behavior. Do we like what we see in our Horse? If we do, then we have interacted honorably with them.
Most Horses truly do become what their Humans sees in them, because it is with the eyes of the Human that the Horse is assessed and therefore will be diagnosed as such. As Human, if we do not relate with honor, we will place blame and scrutiny where it is not earned. If we assess with eyes of the Observer, we will see where error or excellence originates.
The Horse offers us a tremendous opportunity to see ourselves as we truly are when we interact with them. This is a freely given assessment of us as Human, one that we can use to strengthen not only our relationship with our Horse, but our inner guidance to navigate our own life.