In my course ‘The eQUESTrian Namaste’ one of the tools that I recommend, is to become The Observer. And the way it works is to step outside yourself, let go of expectations and attachments, blame, agenda and pressure and just observe. From this vantage point you can become a witness to what is happening. This place of observation reveals a much larger perspective, for you and your Horse because you have released your personal reactions and investment into defining the situation.
On a recent ride with Chant, I was given the opportunity to practice my own philosophy. We met with a friend to ride on the Robie, a local trail with miles of singletrack along the side of the mountains. This trail is narrow (sometimes referred to as fall off and die trail) but my horses love the singletrack, after they settle in, they work it like a slalom track.
We had not ridden that trail since the fall because we had a great storm come through in December and it took months for the trails to be cleared. So, in my enthusiasm to be back on that trail again we headed out with high expectations.
However, Chant was not the Horse that I expected her to be that day. Instead of eagerly working the trail, she was vigilant and focused on her environment rather than me and the ride. I found myself irritated with her for not working the trail as she had in the fall. She went forward, as I asked her to do, but she was cautious, and she was oblivious to my leg asking her to move out.
About a mile in, somehow, she whirled around on the trail facing the horse behind us. This is dangerous, it is impossible to pass on this part of the trail. I had to get off and navigate a turn along the mountain side to get us in the right direction again and do this without knocking the other Horse off the trail. Then, I was really irritated. This is very dangerous.
I know my Horse, I know she is headstrong, I know she can challenge me, and because I also know she is my consort in my Spiritual Journey, I caught myself. I was approaching this ride from my expectations, not as it was.
So, I changed my energy and my focus, and I became The Observer. Energetically I hovered above Chant and I, looking down at the situation. Without attachment, without expectation and without judgment.
And what I saw was a Human focused on her desires, with a firm agenda and fixed expectations. With a narrow vision of what I imagined would be happening that ride. And I saw a Horse that was acutely tuned in to her environment, her sensory awareness taking in the aftermath of the storm, to a prey animal, the woods and the trail did not look the same as they had in the fall. Clearly a great and violent change had taken place since our last ride here, causing her to yield to her instincts.
I knew I had to let it go. The agenda, the expectations, the irritation, and the judgments over what was and was not happening. And the best way to do this is to become The Observer. Allow myself to remain the witness to this ride while I align with my Horse as she assesses this change in landscape around her. And become the Human that trusts that the Horse is doing the best she can in the moment. Become the Human that allows a different form of ride that satisfies both Horse and Human. Allow the Horse to remind me that she is capable of making decisions that will keep us safe if I release my expectations.
And so we did. And we were safe, the pressure and the disconnect stopped and we experienced a ride that worked for us both.
The Invitation
Whenever it seems that you and your Horse are not aligned in whatever your situation is, become The Observer. Detach from what you are doing and thinking and as you energetically hover above Horse and Human, observe what is happening with the both of you. Notice what needs to change or be included or let go of. From the place of non-attachment, free from judgment and agendas new pathways to connection and Soulutions will form.