The little child looked upward to the sky, but a gigantic creature was blocking the sun. He moved slowly toward the little girl, her feet frozen to the ground. Inches away, the animal’s nostrils flared and retracted as the air around her face disappeared. She felt a silent scream in her ears, and life seemed fast and slow all at once. The child didn’t know if she should run, but her intuition told her to stay put. She controlled her fear and took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and felt the soft, warm breath being blown down on her face. The sweet smell of grass settled her, and she became entirely in that moment, nothing else in the world existed. It was only her and this tall, beautiful creature.
She tried to get her thoughts in order, patiently learning to trust herself and follow her intuition. Her gaze fell to her boots and meandered around the lush green grass, then she felt a nudge on the top of her head. As the dark brown muzzle sifted through her caramel curls, the tiny girl giggled. Her gaze lifted to the bay-colored horse, her brown eyes twinkling with excitement like bubbles in Sprite. They stood gazing into one-another’s eyes and whispering in silent communication. He leaned down and wiggled his muzzle at her tummy, and she giggled. She stepped closer, and he softly, slowly wrapped his large head and neck around her as she folded her arms around his long leg. She rubbed her face in his silky soft coat and inhaled his scent. She was engulfed with the feeling of always being wanted and loved by this amazing new friend. Her heart swelled, and she took a long, deep breath in, loving nature. The outdoors now spoke to her in ways she’d never dreamt. Her little hand rested on the bridge of his nose, and he blinked his eyes slowly. She softly filled her lungs with his horse aroma and both as one fell still.
Now years have gone by, but not a day has passed without the sweet smell of grass and hay. She learned discipline, because not every day is sunshine and butterflies, but she learned to get dirty and value the hard work of trudging through the mud. He was her responsibility, and he filled her heart with unconditional love. He taught her how to relax when days were spinning too fast and always gave her a shoulder to cry on. If she fell, he taught her how to get back up and keep trying. Now she’s a trailblazer, and thanks to him, she’s a gentle and consistent leader.
Her gaze with his, she smiled. This was their consistent form of communication. She reached around and folded her arms gently around his head and said, “I love you too!”
Lessons learned around horses are more than most could ever imagine. So if your child, wife, husband, or partner wants a horse or to be around horses…be open-minded. Every day we learn something new, so it might as well be with a gentle giant that will nicker when he or she sees you.
RA Anderson 