There is wisdom to be found in the non-human world, and when we are looking to craft our own systems of spiritual care it is extremely helpful to look at those whose lives are not shaped by human-made systems and constructs, and whose lives can be harmed by those same systems and constructs. While many animals can, and do, fulfill this role (I type as I look over at one of the office cats sleeping on a box), for me horses are primary for several reasons.
First, when looking at spiritual storytelling the horse is one of the few domestic animals with its own set of myths and legends, including those that are tied to the American West. Now obviously some of these myths and legends are rooted in colonization and colonial ways of thinking that we would do best to rid ourselves of; however, even in world mythology the horse has long symbolized sovereignty, freedom, and self-rule. The horse may be forced into our human constructs (such as 24/7 stabling) or human expectations (every horse needs “a job”), but they are thinking, feeling, independent beings who choose to work with us. And although humans fail them many times over, when the reciprocity of the relationship is fully realized, it can be an amazing existence.
It is true that I was born “horse crazy” and the draw to horse wisdom is an innate one within me. Horses are one of my autistic special interests, and in addition to the sacred herd, I’m surrounded by Breyer models, pictures, and other objects with the horse’s image placed upon them. But when I look at horses, I see an invitation for collaboration, an invitation to look at the ways that our human society constructs stories and the ways in which those stories help or harm horses as a whole, and individual horses as well.
The horse reminds us that the moment that matters is this one–right now. What has happened in the past cannot be changed; we can only deal with the after effects of any experience and try to release the pain and work through it. That takes its own time. The horse reminds us that we can either move into and through pressure or run away from it, and each action has its own consequences. (Note this isn’t about training methods, though I am a proponent of positive reinforcement and letting the horse set the pace, rather than dominance-based methods of getting a horse to submit to pressure.) And the horse invites us to look at the ways in which we are creating good lives, and the lives of those we deem “not worthy”, and how that is reflected both in the human world and in the equestrian one.
I use horse wisdom because it’s a language I speak and one that resonates with me. It’s something I bring into my coaching sessions, and something I hope to share with others. If you would like to find out more about how we can use horse wisdom to help you create systems of spiritual care, I’d invite you to schedule a discovery call.
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