To Love a Horse
 
If it is in your blood to love horses, you share your life with them. Our horses know our secrets; we braid our tears into their manes and whisper our hopes into their ears. A barn is a sanctuary in an unsettled world, a sheltered place where life's true priorities are clear: a warm place to sleep, someone who loves us, and the luxury of regular meals. Some of us need these reminders.   When you step back, it's not just about horses - it's about love, life, and learning. On any given day, a friend is celebrating the birth of a foal, recovery from an illness, or an achievement or disappointment in trying something new in the teaching/learning partnership. That same day, there also may be loss: a broken limb, a case of colic, a decision to sustain a life or end it gently. As horse people, we share the life cycle of horses:  life, love, loss, and death that caring for these animals brings us. When our partners pass, it is more than a moment of sorrow.

We mark our loss with words of gratitude for the ways our lives have been blessed. Our memories are of joy, awe, and wonder. Absolute union. We honor our horses for their brave hearts, courage, and willingness to give.

To those outside our circle, it must seem strange. To see us in our muddy boots, who would guess such poetry lives in our hearts? We celebrate our companions with praise worthy of heroes. Indeed, horses have the hearts of warriors and often carry us into and out of fields of battle.  Listen to stories of that once-in-a-lifetime horse; of journeys made and challenges met. The best of horses rise to the challenges we set before them, asking little in return.

Those who know them understand how fully a horse can hold a human heart.

In the end, we're not certain if our angels entrust us to our horses--or our horses to us. Does it matter? We're grateful to live amongst such magnificent beasts.
They give us respite from the horrors of the outside world. Who can walk into a barn and look deep into those liquid brown eyes and not be transported to a more peaceful place? We are so blessed to have discovered this miracle in our lifetimes!

Author Unknown