Progress and Perspective

Progress: “forward or onward movement toward a destination”

Right now, with where Kestrel and I are at, it doesn’t look like we’re making progress. In fact, it looks more like we’re regressing.

But journeys are not linear.

Sometimes it’s one step forward and two steps back, or one step forward and ten steps back, but it’s all about perspective. Every step you take “backwards” IS progress, but we’re conditioned not to see it that way. It's an opportunity to realign, to find what you need to work on, a course correction from the universe. Previously, I probably would have pushed to find the way through; gathered all the information I could, searched for a way to “fix” it. But now I’m learning to accept things the way they are and to listen.

I may not be riding right now, but that doesn’t mean I’m wasting this time. I’m using it to identify the weak points in our relationship, exploring ways to help his body move better and be more comfortable, becoming more attuned to his body language by reading the wrinkles around his mouth and eyes, and assessing his gait to see where he’s solid and where he’s having issues.

I could tell myself that I SHOULD be riding, but I know that’s not helpful. I’m learning to trust that I’ll get the green light from Kestrel when and if he’s ever comfortable with it again. And if he’s not, then that’s something I'm willing to accept. If I’m gonna talk the talk, then I’m gonna walk the walk, because essentially it all comes down to respect.

Much of our history with horses labels them as stupid, when in reality they’re anything but. If anything, I'd say we’re often the "stupid" ones.

We’re conditioned to operate from our logical, linear thinking patterns while being emotionally incongruent, when in fact life itself is non-linear. True connection and alignment comes from feeling, not logic.

Horses have a right to an opinion, regardless of how much money we spend on them. If you don’t think that’s true, then I’d encourage you to ride a motorcycle instead. Riding is only a small facet in the greater realm of horsemanship. Horses are not machines, they're conscious beings with feelings, just like us.