It is over 2 ½ years since my horse ~ Jupiter ~ came into my life... and in that time I have had to learn how to adapt his feed according to his requirements and give him the correct type of exercise needed for his joint issues. He was only 2 years old when I got him and had already had a chequered past and had also experienced an uncertain future at one time when he was sent to the 'dogger sales' as a yearling.
He had a lot of work to be done for him to help him to get his front legs in good condition as he had what was deemed to be a bad case of 'behind-the knees'. His behaviour in some cases indicated he had been weaned too early and also left on his own when very young. He had no idea how to be a horse... when I first met him he didn't know how to run....
But slowly over time that all changed... he learned how to run... he learned how to be a horse, his joints improved and he also became my teacher...
Recently we had one such day...
I have 2 horses... my big boy (he is 14.2hands but next to me he is big) and our little man... who is a 29 year old miniature...
Jupiter has had food aggression issues in the past due to many reasons... but as time has gone by he is learning that he cannot go and eat LG's (the miniature) meal just because he has finished his own dinner... it has involved someone being outside to prevent this from happening and a lot of patience...
On one particular evening recently it was different from other times...
Instead of just walking over to try and hurry LG up with his eating Jupiter stood beside me and waited... his head was aligned with mine and he just stood there.
If you have done anything with horses they can quite easily walk around you to get to where they want to go... we are a lot smaller than them and they are aware of this... but they chose to be with us...
We both stood there in the drizzling rain for approximately 15 minutes... and I am quite sure that LG deliberately slowed down his eating as he really didn't have that much left over in his feed bucket. During that time Jupiter would occasionally touch my face with his nose or lightly rest his chin on my shoulder... not once did he try to walk around me...
I began to feel a sense of complete calmness and serenity sweep over me as we stood there in our silence... listening to the birds, feeling the rain lightly touch my face and the gentle breeze sweep past us. We just stood and I understood in that one moment of time the completeness of being in the moment... to just 'be' one with what is around me and within me. I surrendered and let go of any thoughts of what I should be doing once I get back inside the house etc... I just zoned into the moment that I was sharing with Jupiter.
In return Jupiter stood motionless and breathed steadily... we became as statues for but a brief time. He showed me the importance of just allowing things to 'be' to not be in a hurry to do the next thing... Jupiter showed me the gentle effect this has on a person... he showed me that it is ok to just chill... it is ok to be still... it is ok...
After having a chaotic day at work this had a powerful effect on me... when I got home my mind was running with getting their feed done... getting dinner started... getting clothes in the washing machine etc etc... this mind chatter stopped completely once I surrendered and allowed myself to just 'be' in the moment...
Then as time slowly passed by LG made the slightest movement to let me know he had finished... at which point I stepped aside and Jupiter slowly walked past me and licked LG's dinner bucket clean..
He then brought fun into the whole experience by picking up the now empty and thoroughly cleaned bucket and giving it to me...
It is so easy to get caught up in everyday life that we often forget to just breathe and slow down. After having a challenging day at work I find that sometimes I am stressed and my body aches... when I spend time with the boys (my horses) everything melts away and I am able to breathe again. Today I was shown the importance of just being in the moment... this brief moment in a meditation helped so much... I felt much lighter both in mind and body and was able to continue with the next set of chores without being in a hurry to do them.
What I felt in that brief moment of time was stillness... complete and utter stillness... it was a beautiful feeling to experience that with another sentient being... one who has been my guide as much as I have been his.
It is not the first time I have experienced such an episode with him but tonight it seemed to be on a deeper level... we were connecting on another plane of existence and stopped to relax in the swirling mists of eternity. I realised just how connected I am to him and how much he has helped to assist me in overcoming many things and how through him I have learned to step up and be more...
When a person allows themselves to be in connection with an animal their whole world changes... they change... the person becomes new as they release the shackles they have been carrying around for a long time...
This happens because unlike us animals live very much in the 'now'. They are not challenged by the next task to be completed, the next meeting, the next anything... they are sentient beings living and sharing sacred space with us and showing us that there are far better ways to do and achieve things if we but allow it...
Meditation has been a wide spread practice over a millennia of time and throughout many cultures. It has been proven to have many health benefits not just to the physical but also to our mental well being. Meditation allows us to breathe in the moment and relax.... consciously relax and be mindful of the chatter that fills our thinking space on a regular and daily basis.
So if ever you get the chance to just 'be' in the moment with an animal.. no matter how big or small... just breathe, relax and allow your mind to meld with the wonderful experience and opportunity of growth you will gain from it...
He had a lot of work to be done for him to help him to get his front legs in good condition as he had what was deemed to be a bad case of 'behind-the knees'. His behaviour in some cases indicated he had been weaned too early and also left on his own when very young. He had no idea how to be a horse... when I first met him he didn't know how to run....
But slowly over time that all changed... he learned how to run... he learned how to be a horse, his joints improved and he also became my teacher...
Recently we had one such day...
I have 2 horses... my big boy (he is 14.2hands but next to me he is big) and our little man... who is a 29 year old miniature...
Jupiter has had food aggression issues in the past due to many reasons... but as time has gone by he is learning that he cannot go and eat LG's (the miniature) meal just because he has finished his own dinner... it has involved someone being outside to prevent this from happening and a lot of patience...
On one particular evening recently it was different from other times...
Instead of just walking over to try and hurry LG up with his eating Jupiter stood beside me and waited... his head was aligned with mine and he just stood there.
If you have done anything with horses they can quite easily walk around you to get to where they want to go... we are a lot smaller than them and they are aware of this... but they chose to be with us...
We both stood there in the drizzling rain for approximately 15 minutes... and I am quite sure that LG deliberately slowed down his eating as he really didn't have that much left over in his feed bucket. During that time Jupiter would occasionally touch my face with his nose or lightly rest his chin on my shoulder... not once did he try to walk around me...
I began to feel a sense of complete calmness and serenity sweep over me as we stood there in our silence... listening to the birds, feeling the rain lightly touch my face and the gentle breeze sweep past us. We just stood and I understood in that one moment of time the completeness of being in the moment... to just 'be' one with what is around me and within me. I surrendered and let go of any thoughts of what I should be doing once I get back inside the house etc... I just zoned into the moment that I was sharing with Jupiter.
In return Jupiter stood motionless and breathed steadily... we became as statues for but a brief time. He showed me the importance of just allowing things to 'be' to not be in a hurry to do the next thing... Jupiter showed me the gentle effect this has on a person... he showed me that it is ok to just chill... it is ok to be still... it is ok...
After having a chaotic day at work this had a powerful effect on me... when I got home my mind was running with getting their feed done... getting dinner started... getting clothes in the washing machine etc etc... this mind chatter stopped completely once I surrendered and allowed myself to just 'be' in the moment...
Then as time slowly passed by LG made the slightest movement to let me know he had finished... at which point I stepped aside and Jupiter slowly walked past me and licked LG's dinner bucket clean..
He then brought fun into the whole experience by picking up the now empty and thoroughly cleaned bucket and giving it to me...
It is so easy to get caught up in everyday life that we often forget to just breathe and slow down. After having a challenging day at work I find that sometimes I am stressed and my body aches... when I spend time with the boys (my horses) everything melts away and I am able to breathe again. Today I was shown the importance of just being in the moment... this brief moment in a meditation helped so much... I felt much lighter both in mind and body and was able to continue with the next set of chores without being in a hurry to do them.
What I felt in that brief moment of time was stillness... complete and utter stillness... it was a beautiful feeling to experience that with another sentient being... one who has been my guide as much as I have been his.
It is not the first time I have experienced such an episode with him but tonight it seemed to be on a deeper level... we were connecting on another plane of existence and stopped to relax in the swirling mists of eternity. I realised just how connected I am to him and how much he has helped to assist me in overcoming many things and how through him I have learned to step up and be more...
When a person allows themselves to be in connection with an animal their whole world changes... they change... the person becomes new as they release the shackles they have been carrying around for a long time...
This happens because unlike us animals live very much in the 'now'. They are not challenged by the next task to be completed, the next meeting, the next anything... they are sentient beings living and sharing sacred space with us and showing us that there are far better ways to do and achieve things if we but allow it...
Meditation has been a wide spread practice over a millennia of time and throughout many cultures. It has been proven to have many health benefits not just to the physical but also to our mental well being. Meditation allows us to breathe in the moment and relax.... consciously relax and be mindful of the chatter that fills our thinking space on a regular and daily basis.
So if ever you get the chance to just 'be' in the moment with an animal.. no matter how big or small... just breathe, relax and allow your mind to meld with the wonderful experience and opportunity of growth you will gain from it...