The present can be a gift.
Sounds redundant, huh? During this season of giving and thinking of others, leave it to the horses to remind us that their cherished ability to live in the present, to not overthink things whether in the past or future, is their gift to us as humans.
While forgetting about the past is sometimes difficult, it is not always necessary to do so. If we forget about past events we are stripped of memories and will remain unable to learn and grow, be wiser and neglect opportunities to share our knowledge with others. The horses demonstrate that the trick in dealing with events which occurred before this very moment in time is how we choose to let these effect our lives, our personalities, our resulting presentation to the world; do we choose to be angry and frustrated or take a more open-minded approach? The horses seem to have a forgive and forget mentality and choose not to invest any energy in being upset, but rather move forward with concise reconciliations to allow the ones around them to peacefully get on with their day. Now, if you have spent any time around horses, you have seen concise reconciliations be defined as total conniptions intertwined with screaming, kicking, biting, and even chasing. However, this spirited exchange is normally short-lived and within minutes you would be unaware a confrontation even took place. To hold a grudge is such a human folly, but horses get by every day without needlessly letting these negative powers consume the good things in front of them. A gift from the horses: Let it go.
At the other end of the spectrum is the future. Being human has certain pitfalls and bottling up anxiety over what we should do with our lives ranks right at the top in ways we can implode. Horses do not put any stock in worrying about what might be. To relish in what is provided to us everyday we should, like a horse, become more deeply involved in the events, creatures, thoughts, and people positioned directly before our eyes and mind. There will never be another moment like the one happening right now and what a shame it would be to not squeeze as much juice from that moment as possible. Wishing for future events is human nature. Perhaps a more productive approach would be to consider the benefits of putting that effort in to being immersed in your actions and relationships with your direct environment. Learning to cope, get along with, and truly enjoy the things which bring you joy will undoubtedly result in a higher level of mental satisfaction. The horses seem to understand that this is easier to attain when interacting with the present instead of wrestling with what was or what might be. Packaging up this ability in a neatly wrapped box, complete with shiny paper and big red bow, would be another gift from the horses: Do not neglect the important things directly in front of you.
Past life events have brought us all to where we are at this moment. It is the hope of EPH that you are able to live a little like a horse and treasure what is front of you. Share a hug, a glass of eggnog or bucket of oats, then slow down and appreciate what truly matters this holiday season. The East Point Horspice equines and their humans wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We look forward to seeing you in 2022.