The past two years have been, to us humans, a challenge requiring steadfast commitment to maintaining a sense of normalcy. Mandates, lockdowns and social distancing were imposed and history will prove their effectiveness. Now when things just can’t get any worse, we are staring down the barrel of a major world crisis, unequaled inflation and having to wait at the gas pumps for your loan to be approved so you can afford to fill your vehicle and drive to work. However, to the horses with their wisdom and life lesson instructions, we can become better humans by acknowledging the horse’s ability to appreciate simply enjoying your current place in time, to quit seeking false happiness through looking over the next ridge, or taking that next expensive, stressful vacation (kind of defeats the purpose of a vacation) and become more deeply involved with the people/horses right in front of you.
It would be a stretch to believe horses have a sense of wanderlust. That doesn’t mean that horses haven’t lived all around the world and visited strange new places; what it means is that they were along for the ride (pun intended), faithfully assisting their bipedal partners who, to this day, have a desire to remain nomadic. It’s uncommon to meet anyone who was born, grew up and lived the entirety of their life in one location. You might say, that’s not in our nature. On the other hand, horses do not seek fulfillment through visiting faraway lands, even if they had the ability to load up the herd in a party bus headed to Deadwood. There is no judgment written here for those that relish a much-needed getaway; the point is, are you able to truly enjoy where you are and take solace from the people around you that have much to offer? There may be great benefits from this characteristic, if you didn’t perfect it yet while you, like many others the past couple of years, learned guitar or how to make sour dough bread. Travelling may become an expensive option for free-time activities.
One less stress in the lives of horses is the price at the pump. While we may still be forced to stay close to the barn, horses have already figured out that this could very well be the best option. Have you hugged a horse today? It is one of life’s free pleasures.