Sometimes there is a fine line between what is perceived as brilliance and what is perceived as insanity. What will lead us into our future and what will be the end of us. This type of behavior/leadership not only accompanies Humans, it presents itself though Horses too.
As Human we are finally starting to trust that resistant, pushy, or avoidance behavior from our Horses is not necessarily disobedience, it is an invitation to explore a different way to ask or to honor the Horses needs, its psyche, its physical body and its desires and its health. It is an invitation to dive into our own ability for wisdom. This is an invitation to access the Mystic within us to approach this partnership with another being in ways that honor both of us.
Far too often Horses are labeled as one thing or another, many of them not flattering or even remotely correct. Horses are rarely jerks, though sometimes their behavior suggests that they are. So, if we are to interact with integrity with a Horse with this behavior, how else can this be viewed.
Perhaps the horse that is ‘being a jerk’ is far more frustrated with you than you are with them. What if they feel like they have asked questions that you refuse to answer? What if they are ‘off’ that day but you were too busy with your agenda or yakking with your friends to see the horse was not its normal self.
When we have a Horse that seems to be ‘slow’ or not intelligent, we need to step back and observe the big picture. Is this horse Musing about possibilities between the two of you? Is this horse asking you to find a language it can understand? Is this horse not suited for the work you ask of it? Does this horse need to know you better so that it can understand you better? Is this horse carrying trauma from past experiences and does not know whether to move or be still?
The horse that challenges you at every turn, this mischievous, this misunderstood, this Misfit horse is your greatest teacher. This horse will demand that you become more than you have ever been. More understanding. More insightful. More compassionate. More clear. More stable. More connected in the language and message you give to this horse. More centered within yourself so that you know what is yours to hold and what belongs to the horse.
My observation is that we often approach the Horse with baggage. Too much agenda or demands. Too many memories of past situations that did not go as planned and a determination to make sure it does not happen again.
As Human, we have all experienced these things and understand the repercussions of it. So why do we do this to our Horses? Who is the Misfit here? Misfit being defined as a person whose behavior or attitude sets them apart from others in an uncomfortable or conspicuous way, something that does not fit or fits badly. Is our behavior uncomfortable for the horse?
Far too often it is the human that destroys the Muse or the Mystic within the horse, therefor destroying then within ourselves. When we give ourselves to being the Mystic within our partnership with our horse, we will find a Mystic looking back at us.
The Invitation
If you sincerely desire a deep and Mystical relationship with your horse, and with yourself in relation to your horse, then give some time to being these things before you even approach your horse.
As you enter this holy realm that holds the spirit of your horse, enter it as the Mystic. Allow the Mystic within your horse to reveal itself. This will require that you lay aside the theory that you know more than your horse does and open the door for mutual assessment and understanding. Be available to learn what your horse has to teach you, and then as the Mystic you can apply this information towards achieving what you desire with your horse. Even if your horse explains to you that this is not a good fit, then you have information you did not have before. And this is good information.