The role of the Horse has shifted tremendously during the last few decades. Most of my life I remember hearing conversations where people were looking to rehome a horse because it was no longer ridable. Or they would just put it down because it served no purpose.
In our world today, there is a rising population of unridden Horses. We now partner with them for emotional therapy, nature-based insight, and spiritual partnership.
Several years ago, Mystic was kicked in the hocks and became unrideable, not only was this a tragedy for me as she is a lovely trail Horse, but because of this her life is much smaller as she is not sound enough to cover any distance.
I still take her for walks and sometimes I can find places to leave her loose while I ride Chant. She loves these times, and she often refuses to give trail to Chant, instead she leads the way as she remembers her days of glory on the trail.
I grieve for her as she will always be in some measure of pain and her life is smaller now, but she is as valuable to me as she ever was. Now, much of our time together is spent in quiet reverie and conversation about life, forgiveness, purpose and pondering alternative possibilities.
If you have an unridden Horse and are contemplating their role in your life, a Reading can help shed light on your purpose together.
I believe that there are things that can be realized from an unridden Horse that are harder to hear from the Horse we ride. Simply because we approach them with less agenda than we do our ridden Horses.
The Invitation
If you desire a deeper and enlightening relationship with your riding Horse, spend some time with them, not riding. Perhaps take a month or more off from riding and just walk with them. Hang with them, observe them as they are without any requests from you. And allow them to observe you as you are, without any demands. Then notice any differences in interaction between you. Again, observe them when you start riding again. This will shed much light on who you are together when you are not ‘working’.