The Mane Tail Of The Love Of Horses

The horses here at Corral Connections send you their February loving nickers and velvety rubs from their noses.

To all you wonderful linguistic people the “correct” caption would read, “The main tale of the love of horses”. I simply can’t seem to get away from horsin’ around.

In the equine world, what do you suppose love looks like? Some of the meanings of love reflect feeling affection for, adoring, worshiping, being devoted to, caring for, finding irresistible, being keen on or being in love with. That may be connecting with another human or perhaps canine, but more than likely it will not be a success story in your human/horse connection beyond the caring/devoted factors.

When I consider meaningful love in relation to our connections with horses, the “L” would signify leadership that builds confidence. “O” would represent organizing your life. “V” represents the value the person will receive from their horse/human relationship. “E” lovingly leads us into the four winds of engaging, embracing, enjoyment and exploring.

LEADERSHIP: Everyone talks about it; few understand it. Most people want it; few achieve it. Ask nine people to define leadership, and you will probably receive nine different answers. Bottom line, leadership is influence. He who thinks he leads and has no one following him is only taking a walk. Leadership is the ability to obtain followers. Horses are natural followers. A natural horseperson I want to be, as my equine partner follows me. I must remember as I go, through summer suns and winter snows, I am building confidence between my equine partner and me. You can love horses without leading them, but you cannot lead horses without loving them.

ORGANIZING: Start with yourself. We cannot travel without until we first travel within. When we are foolish, we want to conquer the world. When we are wise, we want to conquer ourselves. Deal with the drama, chaos and lack of clarity in your life; in doing so you will light a spotlight for brilliant clarity. The Greek word for self-control comes from a root word meaning “to grip” or “take hold of”. This word describes people who are willing to get a grip on their lives and take control of areas that will bring them success or failure. If you can develop focus in the midst of distractions, you are in a position to put your focal cues to use in the saddle. You will wean yourself from your reliance on physical aids and learn to trust your focal form of communication by using only focus to direct your horse.

VALUE: People tend to stay motivated when they see the value of self-discovery due to partnering with their horse. People tend to stay motivated when they see the importance of developing the leader within that ushers them into the arena of life and human relationships, resulting in reconciliation and healthy boundaries. The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership. My grandson, Evan Michael, would come to his mommy early in the morning and tell her ‘it’s a beautiful day to wake up!’ Well said, Evan Michael! Surely it IS a beautiful day to wake up to your dignity, value and worth. Horses are great awakeners!

ENGAGING, EMBRACING, ENJOYMENT and EXPLORING: Enough said.

I hope this article has planted a few seeds of awareness and inspiration and are helpful to you as you LOVE yourself and your horse.

Remember, consistency is paramount when partnering with your horse. Without it, you will get nowhere.

Your “NEIGH”bor,
Deb Kitchenmaster
Corral Connections