A guy is walking through the country when he spots a sign that reads, “Talking Horse for Sale.” Intrigued, he walks up to the stable to check it out. “So, what have you done with your life?” he asks the horse. “I’ve led a full life,” the horse answers miraculously. “I was born in The Andes where I herded for an entire village. Years later, I joined the mounted police force in New York and helped keep the city clean. And now, I spend my days giving free rides to underprivileged kids here in the country.” The guy is flabbergasted. He asks the horse’s owner, “Why on earth would you want to get rid of such an incredible animal?” The owner says, “Because he’s a liar! He never did any of that!”
What a shame it would be to go through life believing you have all the answers and unknowingly miss the miracles handed to you in plain sight. If you’re thinking, “Yeah, right, a talking horse” perhaps your narrow-minded human belief system is not yet open to the idea that horses can and do speak to us; it is simply without words and in a language not yet learned.
The Dalia Lama once said, “When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.” Horses are continuing to gain traction as successful therapy devices through their non-judgmental, non-verbal communication style. Horses are experts at projecting an honest reflection of your current mental state and level of anxiety. To make this work, you need to accept that what the horses are demonstrating to you is accurate and potentially beneficial in helping you cope with our daily human derived tensions and aggravations. The horses have no motivation to falsely represent your emotions; they have nothing to gain. The challenge is for the humans to talk less and listen more, to tune in to the horse’s body language and begin to understand their non-verbal cues as their attempt to be that good friend with the broad shoulder to lean on.
Contrary to the joke above, horses are not liars. In fact, there is no more honest creature willing to offer their abilities of listening, caring and being in the present than the horse. To take advantage of this wonderful gift requires the courage to interact with the horses and begin to appreciate what it is they are capable of describing to you and about you. Sometimes looking directly in the mirror is a terrifying proposition, but if courage allows this path to be taken the rewards can be miraculous. The herd at East Point Horspice is ready and willing to help. Contact us at (308) 762-3848 or email eph@bbc.net. EPH will be hosting the annual Wild West Party at the Alliance Eagles Club on Saturday February 26th beginning about 5:30 pm. You’re invited to come and visit with the many volunteers to see if this would be a venture you might consider. If nothing else, come out for a smalltown Saturday night horsey hoopla complete with food, auctions, live music with Crossbell. Hope to see you there.