Horses Know the Truth
I grew up with horses, but I didn’t develop a love for them until about a year and a half ago. Random times throughout the day, thoughts of horses would bombard me, and it would nearly bring me to tears. It was quite strange for I never thought of myself as a “horse girl.” That pushed me to take riding lessons, and here I am four years later, obsessed with horses.
Horses are very intuitive. They respond to our nervous system and the emotions we carry. Let me explain with an example I’ve experienced.
It was a cold winter night, and I headed into one of the pastures to grab the horse, Freya, I rode for lessons. There is a horse named Max, and he’s very pushy. He’s shades of brown and black and is the tallest horse in this pasture. If other horses come near him with a person nearby, he pushes them out of the way. He doesn’t like to share the love and attention. He’s like a toddler in horse form. There were two other white horses in the pasture, Rosie and Ezra. I’m walking through the pasture towards Freya, and Max sees me walking towards her and begins to block me from my destination.
Horses are big animals, and for someone like me, who was still learning horsemanship and etiquette around them for safety, it can be intimidating when things like this happen. I put my hands out, trying to create some space between us, and Max does not respond to any boundaries. I finally give up, and I just stand there, placing my hands on his side, and I start crying. For some context, this was a time when I felt the build-up of some personal things, and my body was overwhelmed with exhaustion. I kept ignoring my body's need to release this energy because sometimes I just get tired of emotionally processing things. (Don’t we all?) I’m sure others can relate to that feeling.
I’m standing there with my hands on this horse, and I’m crying. I immediately felt my body relax, and I sensed he was trying to get my attention for this reason. As I said earlier, he’s a pushy horse; however, I think I needed this pushiness to get me to pause for this emotional release. I let a few minutes pass, and with my hands on Max, I tell him to stay there, do not follow me, and I need space. I needed to get my horse and head to the arena for my lesson. I’m not kidding you when I say that within seconds, the two white horses, Rosie and Ezra, fold in between Max and me, blocking him from following me. He doesn’t try to push them, and he just stands there and lets them be the blockade I need. I put the reins on Freya, and I walk out. I’m near the gate, and I look behind me, and the two white horses part away from Max, releasing him from their barricade.
The story has a few lessons in it. One, horses are intuitive and can sense your true feelings. They respond to your nervous system, and they energy you carry. You can tell them one thing, but they’ll respond to what they are sensing on the inside of you. Horses don’t lie. They help you see the truth. Second, these horses helped me practice setting boundaries. I asked for space, and they gave it to me. While Max was pushy, Rosie and Ezra listened and helped me. Speaking out loud in a stern voice and having the two white horses respond was validating that you can have boundaries and your environment can change. I felt validated, protected, and strong in this moment.
The intuition and honesty that horses bring to people are helpful for deep healing. They show me where I am stuck and overwhelmed. It’s like they are a mirror of what your internal world is feeling and trying to express. When I’m riding a horse, and I am giving a command my first thought is what is the state of my nervous system and my breath. If there’s anything off inside of me, I now know that’s what they’re responding to. They will mirror how you feel within not what you are trying to show them. Well-trained horses can override this, of course, but there will be some bumpiness in the ride as they sense the incongruency. I’m learning how to be more congruent with how I’m feeling on the inside and match what I’m expressing on the outside. Holding back for fear of judgment or exposing myself is a human problem. That’s why I love horses. They respond to the truth.
Be wise. Be well.
Erin
