During the recent deer hunting season the horses were, by no choice of their own, confined to the corrals and paddocks at East Point Horspice. In an overly protective act, it seems prudent to not allow them to roam the adjoining pasture should they be hit by friendly fire or mistaken for a very heavily bodied deer. For that short time frame, safety can be easily argued. The horses might not agree with this forced imprisonment, but the fun part always comes the day after the rifle season ends.
As humans we have recently experienced a similar situation of not quite enjoying the freedoms of moving about and stretching our legs during the pandemic. Masking up, finding favorite restaurants unable to satisfy those cravings, and being asked to socially distance were only a few of the changes imposed on our society. But, after 2020 we higher lifeforms were behaving remarkably identical to the EPH equines who tasted the luxury of running to the pasture, kicking up our heels, rolling around in the sand and chasing one another to let off steam. It is always exhilarating to witness the herd at a full sprint through the open gate like second graders racing to the swing set during recess. I must admit, however, that the similarities between horses and humans drastically decline at this point.
With our relatively massive brains and frontal lobes, it becomes addictive to scour social media and absorb mainstream news platforms in an effort to make sense of the world around us and have opinions presented as gospel. If we can take another lesson from the horses on how to be better humans, here’s an excellent opportunity. By living in the present, as horses do, we might be better served to worry about what is front of us, literally, and put honest effort and concern in to the people who we consider to be important to our daily lives. Worrying about events around the globe really has no benefit to the ones closest to us and the communities in which we live. Sharing an act of kindness or simply offering a smile to a stranger at the grocery store just might have a deeper impact on the world in which we all live than you’d expect. Allowing yourself to kick up your heels, at what may seem to be insignificant events to someone else, might be the boost you need to get through a tough day at work or when there is too much month at the end of the money.
Smartphones and televisions have a very important control feature built in which most people aren’t aware exist: the off button. The horses challenge you to experiment with this option once in a while and pay them a visit in the pasture. Lean against a fence post on a sunny fall day and invest 15 minutes in observing how the horses have survived for millennia by enjoying each other’s company, quietly grazing on grass and working out their differences without being divisive or unnaturally mean. These teachers have a lot to demonstrate and school is always in session.