This beautiful September, I want to talk to you about how horses touch our souls. First of all, let’s talk about the soul. Our soul is different than our spirit. Our soul and our heart are the exact same thing. Some people say “pop” and others say “soda.” Language is different, yet communicating the same. So it is with heart and soul.
Our soul contains seven timings. I call these timings because they are not pieces (we are not fragmented) or departments, but a rhythmic timing that resembles flow. These timings are: understanding, consciousness, judging, imagination, mind, memory and will. The will is referred to as the feet of our soul. One of the beauties of horses with people who are struggling with PTS (post traumatic stress) is the horse’s ability to soothe memory.
Some horses are described as left brain extrovert, and they get bored easily. If you are connecting with a left brain extrovert horse, your imagination will be ignited, or you will have a bored horse in your presence who acts out. Since horses are prey animals, they are great at outwitting their predators (that would be us). All seven timings of the soul are involved to bring forth human leadership worth following to your horse.
I have watched horses casually transform people’s perceptions/understanding about themselves without a human facilitator present. One example would be the girl who had no interest in riding, but simply wanted to spend her session alone grooming her horse. I was near if any questions came up. Her trust level had been shredded, and her horse was a safe shelter for her to experience restoration of her soul. Her horse would not break confidentiality. She was safe to express her vexed soul.
Another person had experienced the loss of a loved one and found it extremely difficult to talk about. Because horses are followers, she needed to bring forth leadership through communication. Showing up for horse sessions opened new lines of communication for her, and she became conscious of the special moments she had shared with her loved one, and that which seemed bad and wrong transmuted into peace and goodness.
I mentioned about the flow between the seven timings of our soul. Because horses are so aware of energy, I wonder if horses are aware of blockage in that human’s energy field. I say that because they seem to pick up everything from a broken heart to a car accident to a traumatic experience that is being carried around in a person’s soul or body. I watch these horses, in their own unique way, connect with that human’s energy field and bring a space for awareness, healing, and an invitation to move forward. They remove blockage.
Sometimes we have judged ourselves harshly. Horses are great at ignoring ego. A person gets frustrated because the horse isn’t doing what is being asked, and the person wonders what they are doing wrong. Great opportunity to understand that it’s not about right or wrong, but are we getting the results we were going for? Are we giving mixed messages or unclear communication? Is our energetic field suggesting or leading? Big difference! Through awareness we make an inner shift from asking “What am I doing wrong?” to “How can I connect?” We judge, but not the horse or ourselves. We judge the situation, the results, the communication, the solution.
King David in the Bible referred to his soul as his “darling.” He would ask his soul, “Why are you cast down?” He would encourage his soul to “Rejoice in the Lord,” to trust God, even asked that his soul would be restored, and that the joy of his salvation would return to him.
I am grateful for the connections in the corral. The more we awake to the fact that we are the righteousness of God in Christ, and that we are righteous apart from our works, the more we are empowered to live a life that brings glory to God. Is it any wonder that the King of all kings is coming back on a white horse? I think not!
My hope is that this horse and soul article will empower you to love your soul. And if you need the support of a horse, give me a call.
