Horse Wisdom: Invitation Works Best
With horses and with humans, there are those who want to work with us and those who do not. Echo loves connecting, performing, and pleasing his leader. It's amazing to experience his tangible joy to excel in his performance, and his basking in the joy of his leader when he is successful.
For me, this relationship is about sharing the journey.
I fuel Echo’s passion for connection and performance by giving him work he loves, and making sure he is pain free and has the ability to perform. If Echo is sore from the previous day, or doesn’t want to go into the woods because he knows there are too many horseflies, I adjust our activities (or provide fly spray) to ensure his comfort and confidence. If one of us is anxious about trying something new, I try to stretch and build our partnership by going beyond our comfort zone.
Firm, confident leadership with a trusted partner is my goal, and I measure success when I go to the pasture. When Echo chooses to come and join me because he wants to, and we walk together to the barn to do something fun for both of us, my joy is complete.
As I get older, I try to force things less and less. What is meant to happen will, and who shows up is who is meant to be there. Life is so much better when those we want to share our journey with make the choice to join us.
