Horses ARE Life

Life’s a dance you learn as you go
Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow
Don’t worry about what you don’t know
Life’s a dance you learn as you go

The longer I live the more I believe
You do have to give if you wanna receive
There’s a time to listen, a time to talk
And you might have to crawl even after you walk
Had sure things blow up in my face
Seen the longshot, win the race
Been knocked down by the slamming door
Picked myself up and came back for more
Life’s a dance you learn as you go
- John Michael Murphy

Definitely a metaphor for life. As I tend to Billeous I am again struck by the complexity of responsible horse ownership, and by extension, of life itself. The never -ceasing vigilance that good care requires.. .a vigilance that becomes a second nature and a labour of love. And you watch horses in the pasture and they all look the same but they are each unique in their personalities and what they bring to the herd and to us humans. They represent “another town along the road” and your ability to weather “the bumps and bruises “along the way.

In “rancher’s language”… I got to eat some dirt on my maiden voyage on Billeous. A very well trained horse , but a highly spirited a bit like navigating your way in the pasture. Each with their own personality, that you must read since you obviously can’t “talk” to them. Like us humans, they have different constitutions; Brady is far more nervous, Picken a thoroughbred, more regal and independent.

My recent acquisition of Billeous, an Arabian, is truly a horse of a different color. Arabians have compact bodies that suggest strength and speed. Their backs are short, and ideally they have well sloping shoulders, and powerful hindquarters. They have elegant arched necks, fine silky manes and tails and a refined head. Their physical presence suggests refinement, power, agility, and elegance.

By nature they are social creatures and have a herd mentality as that’s how they have survived . And while they have their foibles, they teach us different lessons. Alle and Picken are this way.. “yin and yang” in personalities and two of my greatest teachers. I don’t know, at times I’ve wondered is it courage or stupidity? I’m not entirely sure. I do know that great riders and fearlessness seem to be synonymous. It’s no secret that horses are inherently dangerous. It’s not that anyone enjoys those unforced dismounts bein, stepped on, kicked or bitten. Its more of a decision. It just happens that to most of us, it is worth it for that one perfect moment on the back of a horse.

Smaller than both Picken and Alle, Billeous is a far easier fit for me. But I rerecalled back when I was first trying to learn how to drive a stick shift… lots of fits and starts and time in seat… and then it becomes a fine tuned machine..and you are in in synch. ito in me learning how to ride him rather than how I ride Picken or Etched. So in the next week.. it’s “slow down to go faster”… get to know him and how he danced. What I typically discover is that somewhere along the ride, I become proactive rather than reactive… and the relationship transforms.

When everything comes together, and this powerful creature begins moving willingly and effortlessly beneath you at your slightest touch. Equestrian Ecstasy… like a drug we constantly crave from the first moment we feel it… trying to get the same fix from every ride from that point on. Sky- ground is definitely part of the journey to becoming a rider. Coping with fear is just another part of learning to ride. It may not happen over night, but commitment combined with action will eventually achieve results. You just have to take the first step.

“In training horses, one trains himself.” …Antoine De Pluvinet
Trot on friends, trot on.