A Religious View of Horses - Part I
Just a quick explanation first. I found these old writings while cleaning up and packing for our move. I wrote the following 21 years ago, when I was 17 years old and in Grade 12. I was raised a Roman Catholic, and as such I went to a Roman Catholic school. Religious Studies was a required course, and one that I actually greatly enjoyed. To this day, I enjoy a good theological discussion, so long as the other party is willing to actually have a discussion, and not merely preach at me. In any case, the class was presented with the following question: "To whom have I most recently shown that I am a living symbol of a loving God?" The following is copied verbatim from the original text, including any errors in spelling, typos, or grammar, and the text in bold italics at the bottom is the teacher's response to what I had written. Enjoy...
Feb 12, 1987
To whom have I most recently shown that I am a living symbol of a loving God? Good question. I would have to say that it was not a whom, but a what. I am referring to three yearling foals at an equine clinic and stallion station that I visit on weekends. I personally love it when I am allowed to visit simply because I love the horses, especially the yearlings. These youngsters have been surrounded by humans since birth and thus have no fear of a human's presence. My favorites live outside in a large paddock and are free to run around or just be lazy or whatever. When I enter the paddock their attention is immediatly upon me. They watch what I do from a distance. Then, by standing a distance from them, and being still, I have given them an invitation to join me, thus completing the first requirment of any encounter.
There are three yearlings in the paddock, sometimes four. Usually, one of them accepts the invitation and comes to me, the others usually follow very shortly. They approach slowly, sniffing and observing. When they are close enough, they stretch out their necks to take a really good sniff. If I smell safe, they will come right up against me and nuzzle me as they would each other. Sometimes all of them do this at the same time, when this happens it becomes rather hard to breathe beacause of all the moisture in their breath, but it is still enjoyable. You knoiw beyond a shadow of a doubt that your invitation has been accepted.
During this, a transformation, the third stage, occurs. You may go in feeling rather depressed of uneasy about the world, but spending some time with these bright-eyed lively youngsters soon brightens your heart and makes you feel alive and wonderful. They too, seem to change. The presence of someone who justs comes to be their friend seems to lift their hearts as well. The mutual grooming that they share with each other is highlighted when I help them remove burrs and twigs that they cannot. The grooming seems to stimulate them and make them even more lively. They try to groom me as well, but I usually leave a lot dirtier than I came in. They mean well though, and it is nice to be accepted by them. If comparable to nothing else, the whole thing is very much like giving a new toy to a child, the child is delighted and plays wit the new toy carefully and with a bright, happy heart. The yearlings may play a bit rough now and then, but that seems to make them even more loveable.
The final stage, the outward change, is very noticable when I leave. They are bright and happy, and clean when they had been mopey and scruffy. I leave bright and happy and dirty while I had been mopey but clean. Overall, I would say that being with these yearlings, and helping to care for them allows me to show that I am a living symbol of a loving God. It also shows me that they, too, are a symbol of God's love, and perhaps even moreso than I am.
What a superb job of expressing your understanding!!!
Back to 2008, it's great to look back at these writings, and see how I saw the world back then. I'm pleased to say that I still feel very much the same way about horses, and I'm glad that I had a teacher who understood that animals were just as spiritual as people.