Have you ever felt like you’ve fallen and no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to get back up? Or do you jump right up, brush yourself off, don’t look back, and just keep going?
I had been out riding my young horse Dreamer- he was 18 months old at the time, and we had just barely started riding him outside of the round pen. This would be the day he got to go out for his first trail ride! Kent and I were talking as we were heading back toward home at the end of our ride, and we were both commenting on how well Dreamer had done. He had successfully walked over several logs without tripping, had gone up a little hill, and had crossed a little wash. All of these minor little things can be very intimidating and scary for a young horse, and he had managed to handle and accomplish them all pretty well for his first time. Especially since it was also a bit windy, another scary factor for a yearling horse!
I was pretty proud of him, and we continued to talk about him as we finished our ride. Then all of a sudden “BAM” Dreamer stumbled and fell to both knees and onto his left shoulder, just about to roll all the way over. I was able to remain pretty relaxed through all of this, and I tried to help him by picking up his shoulders with the reins in a very calm and gentle manner. Dreamer was able to recover, and he finished picking himself up, and found his footing, all with me still fully upright sitting in the saddle. As soon as he was standing back up again, he walked off and acted as if nothing had happened, and we continued on our ride home. (neither he nor I were hurt in any way).
When we got back to the cabin, Kent said to me, “ I’m glad you both survived the fall!”
I just smiled and replied, “Me too”. My mind had not really even gone to what might or could have happened. Then it got me thinking… How many times in life have we fallen or feel like we have, and we just seem to get stuck. Do we pick ourselves up with grace, ease, and compassion? Or do we get angry with ourselves, or create a story around what or who caused the fall in the first place, or do we blame others for it? And then do we allow ourselves to stay down and stuck, and unable to get up? Do we fall back into the same pattern of feeling like a victim? Are we afraid to ask for help?
Or… can we accept that it just happened, no fault of anything or anyone? Then, can we find a way to just move forward and break up old patterns and stories? Yes you can! You do have a choice! We don’t always have control over the events that happen, but we always have a choice over how we choose to respond to them! We always have control over where we place our thoughts and our energy! And we can always choose to ask for support or help when we need it! Yes, this day could have had a much different outcome. I could have panicked, I could have stepped into past fear or trauma… the horse could have fought me trying to get up and he could have easily panicked. Both of us could have been seriously hurt… But that’s NOT WHAT HAPPENED! Next time you fall, how will you respond? I hope you are able to stand up tall, brush yourself off, and keep enjoying your ride!
Are you looking for a way to shift your energy or get back up when you fall? Or be able to help your client navigate through a time like this in their life? Equine Assisted Coaching is extremely beneficial in helping others get through those feelings of being stuck, or not being able to move forward after being knocked down in life. The horses are able to reflect back to us the clarity we need, so we can pick ourselves back up, brush off the dust and take a fresh approach.
Working with the horses and being able to be of service and help others is the most rewarding work I have ever done. I get to witness truly magical moments all the time. Contact us to learn more about how you can become a Certified Freedom Way Coach and you too can have a rewarding career changing lives!
info@freedomwayequinecoaching.com
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