It’s been just past a year since I first released my book in eBook form. Since then more than 200 people have at least purchased my book, if not read it. More folks in the horse world have begun trying to figure out how to change the way they relate to horses. More have simply been introduced to a different point of view, certainly not just by my book but by the slow rolling wave of autonomous horse advocates, gentle horse handlers, and emotionally savvy trainers online and in the media. At the same time, there have been horrors of horse abuse at top-tier barns exposed, more horses dumped into the slaughter pipeline, and the casual disregard of horses’ emotional lives. There is still such a long way to go.
What has become obvious to many is that not only do horses benefit from better horse welfare, humans do too. Unfettered from the clash between emotional awareness and dominance theory, humans are able to follow their intuition into better relationships with horses. Calmer, closer, more trusting relationships. They’re able to recognize that the things that make sense with horses then also make sense when relating to other humans. We are all, at the core, social animals. We, too, only want to feel safe and be treated well in our relationships with others. Horses are just more honest about it.
I hope you’re able to take some slow moments during this holiday season, whether it’s with your horses, with fellow humans, or even just with nature. Find a little pocket of breathing room and let yourself feel whatever you feel just then. I know it has helped me.
You can find my book, Standing in a Field With Horses on Amazon, SmashWords, and other online book retailers. If you’ve read it, leave a review! Thank you so much.
Maeve Birch Home 