Breathing With A Horse

“There’s something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”

Winston Churchill said that and from my perspective he was right!

The other evening after attending a 2-day training session from which I was somewhat brain tired my wife said to me “the water tank for the horses needs to be filled” as she made her way to an online meeting.

Usually this is not a big deal since we fill said tank every couple of days. BUT….this time I was in the middle of a mini-project attempting to get plastic sheeting over a raised garden frame to protect newly planted tomatoes and peppers all the while fighting the wind that threatened to blow the plastic sheeting over to the next county with me still holding on for dear life.

SERIOUSLY!
The wind here could lift a 1,200 pound hog if it had wings.

Looking at her with my best incredulous facial expression I said “I’m in the middle of something” while thinking YOU MUST BE OUT YOUR MIND WOMAN!

So much for practicing equanimity.

Getting back to the raised garden with tools, nails and wood I managed to get the plastic sheeting in place and secured. Those plants better appreciate that they are protected from the wind dammit!

Bracing myself against the wind I made my way down to the barn to fill the water tank.

Got hose?
Check.
Connect hose to hydrant?
Check.
Move other end of hose to water tank and position it inside the tank?
Check, roger that.
Lift handle on hydrant.
Water flows!

As I stood there looked around and appreciated the quiet of the evening as the sun sat low in the western sky and lit up the underside of a few clouds. So peaceful!

One of our mares Chancie sauntered over.
Maybe she ambled.
Who knows?
Either way I was aware of her presence before I turned around to greet her with my open hand.

^{Chancie in the round pen ready to coach.}

She sniffed my hand and proceeded to move her nose up to my face to breathe with me. We stood in place silently when her eyes closed half-way. I began to stroke her neck while she inhaled and I exhaled. She exhaled and I inhaled. My body (and mental state) that was tense earlier was in a state of serenity. Chancie’s head dipped onto my shoulder and we stood sharing the moments together before I moved to turn the water off.

Without a doubt Chancie helped me find the chill that I wanted (needed?) in that moment of tension.

Think what you will about that story.

We have plenty of stories to share about how miraculous the horses are when they helped our clients find peace in their personal maelstrom. Our own stories about our interactions with the horses illustrate why being around a horse is good for inside of a person.

That’s all for this post, folks.
Short.
Sweet.

Thank you, Chancie for reminding me that Winston Churchill made a profound statement.


Glenn