This morning I was reading Ponies At Home and Maire reminded me that one of the many lessons we can learn from horses has to do with attention and intention and being present in each moment.
Sometimes I get too busy rushing around the barn/barnyard, doing chores, etc., and the horses and donkeys seem to be sending me the message: Stop!! Just stop for a moment!
The sound of all those equine voices is silent and yet very powerful, like a wall of noise I can't ignore. So I stop, and stand, and let myself be quietly with any one of them, or all of them in turn.
And when I do, they test me - will you stand here for as long as it takes, or will you stop, pat, rush on? Are you in a hurry, or are you willing to be here, quiet, listening and absorbing, but mostly just being?
They remind me daily that we lose nothing and gain everything when we stop for as long as it takes, which in the scheme of things, isn't very long at all.
billie hinton’s camera-obscura:
life and lessons on November Hill Farm
14 comments:
Beautifully put, billie - the "to do" list, the "shoulds" so often crowd out the beauty and quiet wonder of "now."
There is an interesting survey in "Horses for LIFE" - "Why do Women Love Horses."
http://horsesforlife.com/content/view/1772/1495/
All the answers, to me, hold pieces of the answer, but none fully answered - perhaps this is simply one question that cannot be answered in human words. Having said that, without addressing the specific question, you're little essay today comes closer . . . horses bring us back to a shared harmonious union with the vibrations of the universe . . .
. . . or something like that :)
today's "to do":
breath in, breath out
and
*be* grateful for the ease of each breath.
thanks for sharing,
Beth an Cookie,
in Virginia
Thank you Beth for adding even more to this brief post! I will enjoy perusing that list. :)
Very nice - thanks. For me, being there and stopping to listen and feel are so important and something I'm always working on.
Lovely, Billie! What a wonderful observation about time.
I experienced something like this in Vermont last month. I began to notice how the horses in my neighbor's field seemed to have a different sense of time, and then I realized how I envied them for that because I so often forget or ignore that patience about time--What blessed animals they are!
Billie-
Your post totally resonates for me today.
I've been realizing that attention, focus and patience are major issues for me in regards to my riding and horsemanship. I haven't got the longest attention span at the best of times... add any stressors to the situation and I may well go on the fritz!
My horse was v-e-r-y helpful in pointing this out to me just yesterday during our leading, following, standing without grazing practice session. (Thanks Val!)
Why women and horses?
Horses keep us honest and are our best teachers - engines for personal growth!!
Kate, I don't think it ever stops being a lesson for us humans.
Thank you, Jessica. I suspect most horse people would agree that when you go around horses, you enter a different space and time zone if you are open to them. I don't have clocks in the barn and each time I go out there, I lose time if you're looking at the clock, but what I gain is something akin to infinity.
V, I'm so glad it resonates! There is no more perfect biofeedback than from a horse.
Beautifully said. If we stop and appreciate why we have horses we would see it's not only for their beauty on the outside but for what's inside each and every one of them. They can teach us to appreciate the wonders around us each day.
Arlene, you make a lovely point - about each having a different wonderful perspective to share. I walked up and down the barn aisle this morning, spending time with each equine, and it was like getting a big batch of gifts, each one different.
They share their spirits, which is difficult to put to words, but people who live with horses know exactly what I mean.
"The sound of all those equine voices is silent and yet very powerful, like a wall of noise I can't ignore." That is so beautifully put - like a poem.
Thanks for linking. Are world gets so rushed and if we can hear these silent voices, we get our chance to step aside from the rush, which is such a gift from our horses to us.
Thanks for the inspiration! It was your post today and that photo of Ben that got me thinking. :)
Thanks for the reminder, Billie. My friend Susan gently urges me to be in the moment. I'm looking forward to communicating with your horses.
You're most welcome, Greta!
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