IF HORSES WERE MEN

The last two months articles I have written for the NWHS have been on fear, both the origins and how to manage it. Today as I was riding, it just hit me that if I replaced the word “horse” with the word “men” or “women” it would read just as true. The fear of getting back in the saddle after divorce or heartbreak can be just as paralyzing. The red flags you once missed, start popping up everywhere. You feel panic over old wounds, and as you get older, it gets harder to fool yourself into just trying to ride it out. I talk a lot about fear as an alarm system, and that it can be healthy to protect you. I say that trust is something that is gained, built and earned, and is important in a relationship with your horse to avoid frightening situations.

The phrase that struck me the hardest in my upcoming article was “Of the (fearful) people I talked to, nearly all had a horse that was not suited for them.” and “People have many specifications or limitations when they are horse shopping. Even worse, they often have none. “I fell in love with him” or “the price was right” is not justification for an equine purchase.” (**Chortle**)

How was it that I was so clear all along on what built a good horse/human partnership, but only recently was able to apply it? Life is sure a lesson. So when you read the March and April issues of the NW Horse Source, give it a second read and insert men/women in place of horse. It is like the magic of a reversible jacket, it becomes a whole new article :)