World race. Horses. Horses and world race? You may be one of the MANY people who have known me for a while and are bombarded by my horsey social media therefore knowing that horses are one of my biggest passions…no duh, I have two beauties of my own.
So, you have asked how/if the World Race ties in with horses or if this was just a whim of a decision.
(I apologize beforehand for all my quirky horse lingo-ask google if you have questions)
Step one: catch the horse
To catch a horse out in the field, one must never run, but walk. The horse has a choice to be caught and led or run away. The horse knows what is going on; he is about to be ridden. That horse then has to trust the handler that she knows what she is doing. The handler has a vision of what she wants to be done and accomplished with this horse.
Step two: groom and tack up the horse
Then the handler must groom the horse before putting tack on, all the dirt needs to be curry combed out so that no caked dirt or ice is in the place of where the handler will sit. The horse has to choose to be groomed whether it hurts or not, he knows that it is better to be groomed than have something rub against his back while being ridden.
Step three: groundwork
Before getting on the horse the handler leads the horse, backs them when he oversteps, and seeks communication and partnership that when the handler moves, the horse moves, when she tops, the horse stops. Moving as one, not as a tyrant over the horse, but a partner yet still a leader. For even before riding one must establish a partnership and trust. The horse must be soft to the handlers motions, actions, and cues to prepare for being ridden.
Step four: ride the horse as a team
In the wild horses are not ridden except when a cougar or mountain lion jumps on them to attack them. For a person to put dead animal skins on the horse then climb on his back involves a ton of trust that the horse has to accumulate over time towards the handler. Yet the handler gently woes the horse to her work by patience.
The goal of the handler is to be one with the horse, to truly work with the horse and not against it, to listen to the horse and have the horse listen to the handler, to create a soft spoken partnership that takes subtle cues for the horse to move willingly because the horse trusts that the handler will never harm him, but seeks to elevate him and create a horse worthy and willing and soft to its calling.
This is the good handler.
The evil handler seeks only his reward out of the horse. The horse is a machine, not flesh and blood. He does not care for his life. It has no value more than the next. He applies fear and cruel- not healthy- punishment to the horse. This is his training method, breaking the horse so that there is only the body left, but the spirit is gone, so that the horse only comes willingly and does willingly because he fears for his life. The horse is forced to soften, and has no choice for he would rather live in fear, than die in a holding pen.
I have a good handler, one that seeks me out to find me, one that lets me choose, one who forgives, seeks my heart, and loves unconditionally.
World Race as God has showed me is a stepping stone to growing closer to Him, people, His heart, His church, etc. This is what He wants us all to do. Follow Him. Be soft to His voice. Learn. Grow. Surrender.
World Race is a season God is putting me in to grow and challenge me in already so many ways-humility, battling spiritual warfare, fervent praying, unbelievable trusting of His provision just to name a few. If He calls me to full time missions, so be it. It actually gives me excitement to just think about that. If I never do horses again, so be it. Yes, I will ball my eyes out, but you know what? No matter what any one says or what I feel, living for God is life. I would rather live for God and die out on the field than reject His call and have horses. BUT God gave me specific passions: horses/animals, music, organization, empathy etc. God is not wasteful. He gave those to me for His glory. He may not be done using those gifts, and I can certainly use ALL of them on the race.
If you still have questions as to how this all lines up AND you have read all my other blogs, ask me personally the questions you may have.
