Thanks In The Giving – Horse Whispering

Thank You! Sometimes these two words may seem insufficient in expressing or showing someone gratitude and appreciation. Needless to say, I want to thank each of you for reading the HORSE WHISPERING column. Thank you for the emails you have sent to me, your statements, questions and requests. I enjoy hearing from each of you.

A BIG ‘thank you’ to our wonderful horses that have been bridges connecting me with friends, new faces, teachers, students and horse lovers!
In the summer of 2013, I made a decision to take applications for a mentoring program where I would select one person with the objective of laying a foundation of basic horsemanship that included grooming, ground work, and riding. In the spring of 2014, this individual was selected to represent Alabama in Washington, D.C., through 4-H. Working with horses is a great venue to empower young people to be the best they can be while developing leadership skills. Being with horses is a great arena to build confidence and compassion. With the completion of the ‘mentoring program,’ my focus has been redirected to horses.

Three new horses and three new friendships have trotted into my life! We are scheduled to attend a horse conference to further our education and understanding and plan on working together in getting these horses ‘safe’ for young people. We will be preparing these horses mentally and physically before connecting them with our hands-on program. One of the beauties of this goal is we humans will be entering a classroom of awareness to our emotional fitness!
Being in the presence of horses to train mentally and physically requires emotional fitness on the human’s behalf. Each of us will notice how easily or how often we may get angry, afraid, or frustrated. Then, we each decide if we want to change. I am grateful to have these new connections. This is a beautiful opportunity to increase emotional fitness during this training time.

As 2014 is nearing the end, I am remembering what I am grateful for and expressing my thankfulness! Thank you to each of you within the state and out of state that stopped in and spent some time with the horses and with me. Self-awareness was awakened in some, and they left the horse arena to be an excellent leader in the corporate arena. Thank you to the person who was challenged by their horse to stop being so rigid and be willing to be flexible. Thank you to the youths where ‘trust’ was the classroom with the horse as their teacher.

Thank you for the tears you let flow when the horse was touching every raw emotion you didn’t know you had. How you got a taste of what it was like, not to necessarily be in control of your emotions, but to make a decision that you simply don’t let your emotions be in control of you. Thank you to each of you that a horse mirrored the importance of setting boundaries, and to some of you, not only setting the boundaries, but enforcing them!

Thank you that some of you realized it was time to take your life force up a notch and make a decision to take steps away from apathy and passivity to engaging and asking questions. Some of this came from “UFFDA! What’s wrong with this horse?” The answer: “OH! I need to be present and engaging!” MIRROR, MIRROR, ON THE WALL; AM I CONNECTING AT ALL?

Thank you to each of you who experienced a ‘pause’ moment while in the presence of a horse. During the pause, you made a decision on how best to respond to the situation rather than react. Awesome life lesson!

Thank you to each of you when the horse invited you to speak and think positive about yourself rather than blaming yourself or asking, “What am I doing wrong?,” or getting frustrated with yourself because of a communication gap. How you chose to reposition yourself inside and be creative instead of blaming; connecting instead of condemning!

Thank you for each card, call, note, hug, mug, and gift; expressing meaningful time spent.
“Happy Thanksgiving”! And remember the thanks are in the giving.
Your NEGHbor,
Deb Kitchenmaster
Corral Connections
www.corralconnections.com
‘A church of great heart’
256-426-7947
Animal B.E.S.T. practitioner
dkitchenmaster@mchsi.com