Super Charged

Brrr! It was cold last night. I forgot my gloves this morning when I went out to feed the girls and my fingers were numb. After I put the hay in their stalls, Siete strolled out to investigate whether her mama got more than she did - smart little horse. I stuck my head into her stall to see if I needed to fill her water bucket, and I guess Siete thought I was trying to eat her flake of hay. She spun around on her back feet like lightening and thundered back into her stall. Luckily, I leaped out of the way in time, and although it wasn’t a move that I approved of in any way, I did feel a moment of pleasure knowing that Siete is feeling better.

There’s been some frisky horse play and running in the pasture. I was too busy holding my breath to pick up my camera. Hopefully, no one will bruise any hoof on a stone or disturb the healing process. Maybe I should be confining them so they can’t run and hurt themselves, but I’m going to take a chance because I know how badly these horses need to feel normal again.

Watching them, and listening to only the sound of their hooves and the wind rustling the leaves, I was grateful to escape the din of voices of doom and gloom. Driving home from Vermont in the dark Wednesday night, I listened to the debate and pondered the non-stop barrage of bad news that bombards us almost everywhere we go these days. Clearing my brain this morning as I enjoyed the graceful dance that Silk and Siete were doing, I found a way to align myself with what the horses have recently been teaching me.

They have shown me this too shall pass. Through the pain and extensive care caused by their hoof abscesses, I found great value in the ability to “just keep on keeping on”. It’s not helpful to whine or worry. Don’t think, don’t complain, just do what I need to do. Siete’s punky resistance transformed into an understanding that I really was making her feel better. She waits for me at the gate now so I can pick out her feet and quietly stands still while I soak them or paint them or boot them. I don’t need anyone else to hold her. I feel really good that I persevered on those days when I really didn’t want to mess with an irritated horse with sore feet. I’m proud that she and I worked out our differences by ourselves instead of relying on help from someone else.

So, for me, the understanding that healing takes time, doesn’t always appear to be working and is well worth the effort one puts into it can also be applied to some other aspects of our life, especially in the financial realm. The information overload keeps on clamoring that the Recession is going to go on for a long time, but maybe this is also the beginning of something that we can’t quite see just yet.