While I was at work one morning, I met a gentleman outside the conference center where we were directing attendees headed to the "Gut Brain" seminar. The seminar was all about the connection our brain has to our gut and how all that connection is directly linked to stress, mood, and overall well being. He shared with me that he was a retired Psychiatrics Nurse Practitioner. He worked in the emergency room for years helping patients and their families during very traumatic events. He then asked me how I found myself helping others find their destination to this very important seminar. I paused for a moment and decided to share this:
"You know, it's a funny thing how our lives meander from one place to another. I've been an educator my whole life and worked as a Reading teacher and Montessori teacher for over twenty years. I'm now studying the profound connection between the human and horse bond. I am fascinated by the fact that being in the presence of horses allows a human's body to relax physically so that they can grow emotionally and intellectually. I work so I can feed my horses and I enjoy meeting new people like yourself."
This gentleman looked at me stunned. He stood there and went to say something, stopped, took a breath and then decided to start again. "You know, I'm not sure how it came to be that I met you this morning, but I have a friend who has some horses and I started to help out with them, going over and brushing them for a while. And I have to say, I always feel better when I'm there with them. I go regularly now because I actually need that feeling. It's like my soul lights up when I'm around them. Why is that?"
I couldn't help but smile. How many times have I been approached by a person who sees my horse t-shirt or hears me speaking of my horses in such a passionate way that they feel the desire to come over and speak to me about how much they love horses as well and wished horses could be in their lives. If I had my way, every person on the planet would have horses.
Back to this gentleman's question....
I replied, "horses have quite a large electromagnetic field. They are capable of sensing the energy from humans in ways that we cannot do for ourselves. I say this with caution because humans rely heavily on non-verbal communication as well. It's something like 80% of our communication is non-verbal while the rest is verbal. Crazy isn't it?"
He nodded and look at me as if to see, keep talking, so I did!
"When you think about it, horses just have a larger presence because they are gigantic compared to us. They have a larger energy field, and a larger desire for peace and being comfortable. It is why they are drawn to us... We love things! Humans have a huge capacity to LOVE and have connection. When we are standing with horses it is apparent that they know this. They also sense our instability and anxiety as well. The best part about them is they don't use it against us! There is no judgements, ever!"
The gentleman nodded in agreement and smiled as if he were remembering a time when he felt that connection, that trust and that love from a horse. Our day was about to get very busy with attendees headed our way for the seminar. He thanked me for spending a little time with him that morning and reminding him of the magic of horses. I had such gratitude for him and the opportunity to share my passion with him. Blessed are those who get to experience the positive light of horses and all they are to mankind. If you're ever in need of being in the presence of a one thousand pound angel, the farm isn't too far away.
