My task in the activity at the ranch was to paint the way I saw myself. My canvas? The smooth chestnut side of the horse. My mind immediately began forming the picture that I could not look past. All I could see was a butterfly, one wing broken, limping on her
Why do we partner with horses? Horses have a powerful effect on people because their natural, instinctive behavior and senses guarantee safety and survival in a herd. Because the horse is a prey animal, it must be keenly aware of its surroundings and respond quickly and appropriately to new things to
By focusing on the interaction with the horse rather than on one’s self, defense mechanisms that become a part of our daily lives when we are wounded fall away, revealing the sensitive rawness of how we are, rather than who we are in God. But unlike when another person points out
How are you doing in the department of surrendering to God? Having trouble letting go and letting God? Yeah, me too. Every day. Sometimes, every moment, especially on the difficult days. I often wonder if Satan cackled merrily as Eve took the bite of that delicious, organic, gluten-free apple
Only God knows the process and the outcome. As humans, we have the shocking ability to think that we have developed all of these expert techniques for helping one another, often completely forgetting to acknowledge and thank Him for the process in the first place! Then, we go on
Want to know the greatest thing about having a relationship with an animal?
You don’t have to “be” anything for them! Animals accept us for who we are, where we are. Ladybug, our “black and white,” showed me this so clearly yesterday when I arrived at The Ranch. Earlier, God had brought a startlingly clear
Remember the Book of Job? What is one of the first things that happens after Job experiences the loss of everything in his life? We first see him, surrounded by the abundant blessings of prosperity; family, faith, and farm. Then, God and Satan have a little chat and the next thing
How can this be? She came and stood next to me at the fence. She came and breathed next to me. She came just to be with me. Her warm horsey body stood right in front of me. I didn’t see her because I was staring at the ground, trying to
Ladybug rolled to a stop from her easy trot and then turned gently to face me, directly head on. I started to raise my finger, the words “walk on” forming on my lips when suddenly, my arm fell limply to my side. I gazed into her eyes and
My mind flashed back through my memories of my short time with Ladybug. What was I doing wrong? Wasn’t I doing what I was supposed to be doing? Moving the horses’ feet so that she would recognize me as her leader and therefore trust me? Building a relationship
