03/06/2026
Sometimes, as humans, I feel we just ruin things. In many aspects of life, but in this case, with horses and our need for control.
At the end of the day, saying it in the most blunt and basic form â horses roamed free with the aim to just survive, before we brought in our own demands and goals and wishes.
The autonomy of the horse, of course, couldnât exist alongside another species whose underlying identity is to control.
From stabling, to competitions, to the way they should move (as decided by their rider⌠not by what is necessarily correct), how much they communicate with their herd, what theyâre fed⌠we became the leader of the herd, that ironically doesnât always have their best interests at heart.
When it comes to riding â whether it be intentional or unintentional â there is a pressure for perfection. Yet with two imperfect species, both not designed biologically and physiologically for this, the conflict begins. Embodied through micromanaging, domesticated ways of living⌠it sometimes even gets into such a mess that the horseâs body and mind takes the brunt; chronic and acute injuries from inappropriate stress.
I remember being in a lesson with Meji yeaaars ago, back in the day when I was unravelling so much of his trauma from Spain. He had been doing so well, but his saddle was now a bit tight as heâd put on some muscle. I said to the trainer that I would prefer to just do walk in the lesson, explaining the situation. I might as well of spoken another language, I will never forget the look of confusion, and then the pressure I had on me after to push him through. When I refused and said I would leave, I was told I wouldnât get anywhere.
Now â this clouding of the mind by external pressures can make you lose your gut feeling, your intuition, and therefore one of the only ways your horse communicates energetically and silently to you. Trust is lost.
Follow intuition, follow the little ways that our horses communicate with us, and allow them to speak, move, play, interact. They are not a prisoner to our ambitions đ¤
