The Power of Horses

I've always been afraid of large animals.  I was bit by a large dog when I was a child riding my bike and have been afraid every since.  And my cousins didn't help, they were the only ones I knew with horses, so when we would go visit, they would give me a hard time and in some cases feed my fears "playfully".  Like the time I was walking with them through a pasture and we came up on some cows, to which they told me to stay still or they would attack me.  Yeah, really funny y'all!  I later found out that cows will run from you, especially if you raise your arms and say HA!.   So I'm glad my daughters do not have the fear I have, but they do have respect for animals and my youngest has a big love for animals especially big ones.  When she was about 6 months old we went to visit a friend who had horses, I was holding my daughter while my friend was showing us the barn, when one of the horses head showed up right next to us and I jumped, my daughter didn't and was very intrigued by the horse.  My friend quickly took my daughter from me and said, "you are going to teach her to be afraid", but I think she was sooo hooked by the horse that she never looked back.  After years of bugging us for a horse and wanting anything and everything that was or having to do with a horse, a year ago she got one (and a donkey in tow).  My only experience with horses is visiting my cousins in Washington State who had horses and I was afraid back then, now we have 2 horses and a donkey!   Mostly my daughter takes care of them and works with them, but occasionally she has tennis or something else at school and I have to feed them or something.  I'm quite proud of myself most days, because I have come a long way.  I use to not get on the same side of the fence as the horses and now I have to get into the stalls with the horses and telling myself to stay calm is my mantra.   My daughter has become my teacher (I think she has read every book there is on horses, plus had extensive lessons).  I know enough to know I don't know very much about horses, but I can appreciate their beauty and power!  This morning on my way back from dropping my daughter off at school, I was passing a large horse farm that is down the street from our place and the horses were all running.  It was awesome.  There was no traffic, so I just stopped the car and watched them (about 10 horses in that particular pen).   From the safety of my car I could imagine them as if they were back in the early days of running around free on the vast lands of Texas.  So when I got home, our horses and our stinker of a donkey were all at the fence wanting a treat.  My husband has nick named me as the "Treat Lady".  My thought...it makes them love me!  I am not quite the lover of horses that my daughter is, but her and my husband (who had a horse of his own growing up) are determined to make me ride.  I feel as though when I have been on the horse for the five minutes that I am, that is "riding", but my family laughs and says that's not riding.   I guess my dictionary has different definitions than theirs.  But horses can be very loving animals, you just have to learn to read them and respect them and since you have to be calm around them, they have the power to relax you and make you take a deep breath and take it all in.

This is a Powerful Picture of Relaxation

Photo:  Lola