"I don't know if many of you know this, but I've been an avid horserider for a few years now."
"I've part-owned a horse and helped raise countless horses, I've also ridden countless horses, had the bumps, fallen off, got back up again, had double vision, learned how to earn trust, e.t.c."
"Throughout my riding experiences, however, I came across a little poem that I'd like to share here from an unknown author."
"It is called: The Horse's Prayer and it explains how a bond between horse and rider should be. Showing great amounts of respect and trust, both towards animal and from it."
The Horse's Prayer.
Always be kind to me. Your voice often means as much to me as the reins.
Pet me sometimes, that I may serve you the more gladly and learn to love
you. Do not jerk the reins, and do not whip me when going uphill. Never
Strike, beat, or kick me when I do not understand what you want, but give me
a chance to understand you. Watch me, and if I fail to do your bidding, see if
Something is not wrong with my harness or feet.
Do not check me so that I cannot have free use of my head.
If you insist that I wear blinders, so that I cannot see behind
me as it was intended I should, I pray you be careful that the
blinders stand well out of my eyes.
Do not overload me, or hitch me where water will drip on me.
Keep me well shod. Examine my teeth when I do not eat;
I may have an ulcerated tooth, and that, you know, is very painful.
Do not tie my head in an unnatural position, or take away my
best defence against flies and mosquitoes by cutting off my tail.
I cannot tell you when I am thirsty, so give me clean, cool water often.
Save me, by all means in your power from that
fatal disease – the glanders.
I cannot tell you in words when I am sick, so watch me,
that by signs you may know my condition.
Give me all possible shelter from the hot sun,
and put a blanket on me, not when I am working,
but when I am standing the cold.
Never put a frosty bit in my mouth; first warm it by holding
it a moment in your hands.
I try to carry you and your burden without a murmur,
and wait patiently for you long hours of the day or night.
Without the power to choose my shoes or path, I sometimes
fall on hard pavement which I have often prayed might
not be of wood but of such a nature as to give me
safe and sure footing. Remember that I must be ready at any moment
to lose my life in your service.
And finally, OH MY MASTER, when my useful strength is gone,
do not turn me out to starve or freeze, or sell me
to some cruel owner, to be slowly tortured
and starved to death; but do thou, My Master,
take my life in the kindest way, and your God will reward
you here and hereafter. You will not consider me irreverent
if I ask this in the name of Him who was born in a stable.
AMEN.
"This poem, prayer, extract, whatever you may wish to call it, has a depth of meaning and it also has a slightly eye-opening point to what a lot of people do put their horses through unnecessarily."
"When I first rode a horse, I did not use saddle, nor bit, nor bridle. I used a single strand of 'twine' around the lower, nearest to the withers, of a horse's neck."
"That horse's name was Hjarta's Promise, whom later went on to become a shared horse between myself and my aunt."
"When I first rode that animal, I'd never realised how much of a connection one could have just by riding a horse."
"If you think about it in Layman's Terms, you've got to put your entire trust and your life in the hands of an animal which weighs about the same as your small hatchback."
"As well as that, that animal has to accept all the commands and the responsibility of having a human upon its back. YOU are in a position which it cannot see you. It uses only its ears and the feeling on its body as direction to what you need it to do."
"I have never used a whip on a horse in my life and I never will."
"Nor have I used spurs, nor a saddle, unless in professional situations."
"I ride bareback so as the horse can feel what I want it to do and so as I can feel every little change."
"I'll shut up now, I could go on about riding for the whole day."
"I'll upload pictures of me and Hjarta soon."
"I've part-owned a horse and helped raise countless horses, I've also ridden countless horses, had the bumps, fallen off, got back up again, had double vision, learned how to earn trust, e.t.c."
"Throughout my riding experiences, however, I came across a little poem that I'd like to share here from an unknown author."
"It is called: The Horse's Prayer and it explains how a bond between horse and rider should be. Showing great amounts of respect and trust, both towards animal and from it."
The Horse's Prayer.
Always be kind to me. Your voice often means as much to me as the reins.
Pet me sometimes, that I may serve you the more gladly and learn to love
you. Do not jerk the reins, and do not whip me when going uphill. Never
Strike, beat, or kick me when I do not understand what you want, but give me
a chance to understand you. Watch me, and if I fail to do your bidding, see if
Something is not wrong with my harness or feet.
Do not check me so that I cannot have free use of my head.
If you insist that I wear blinders, so that I cannot see behind
me as it was intended I should, I pray you be careful that the
blinders stand well out of my eyes.
Do not overload me, or hitch me where water will drip on me.
Keep me well shod. Examine my teeth when I do not eat;
I may have an ulcerated tooth, and that, you know, is very painful.
Do not tie my head in an unnatural position, or take away my
best defence against flies and mosquitoes by cutting off my tail.
I cannot tell you when I am thirsty, so give me clean, cool water often.
Save me, by all means in your power from that
fatal disease – the glanders.
I cannot tell you in words when I am sick, so watch me,
that by signs you may know my condition.
Give me all possible shelter from the hot sun,
and put a blanket on me, not when I am working,
but when I am standing the cold.
Never put a frosty bit in my mouth; first warm it by holding
it a moment in your hands.
I try to carry you and your burden without a murmur,
and wait patiently for you long hours of the day or night.
Without the power to choose my shoes or path, I sometimes
fall on hard pavement which I have often prayed might
not be of wood but of such a nature as to give me
safe and sure footing. Remember that I must be ready at any moment
to lose my life in your service.
And finally, OH MY MASTER, when my useful strength is gone,
do not turn me out to starve or freeze, or sell me
to some cruel owner, to be slowly tortured
and starved to death; but do thou, My Master,
take my life in the kindest way, and your God will reward
you here and hereafter. You will not consider me irreverent
if I ask this in the name of Him who was born in a stable.
AMEN.
"This poem, prayer, extract, whatever you may wish to call it, has a depth of meaning and it also has a slightly eye-opening point to what a lot of people do put their horses through unnecessarily."
"When I first rode a horse, I did not use saddle, nor bit, nor bridle. I used a single strand of 'twine' around the lower, nearest to the withers, of a horse's neck."
"That horse's name was Hjarta's Promise, whom later went on to become a shared horse between myself and my aunt."
"When I first rode that animal, I'd never realised how much of a connection one could have just by riding a horse."
"If you think about it in Layman's Terms, you've got to put your entire trust and your life in the hands of an animal which weighs about the same as your small hatchback."
"As well as that, that animal has to accept all the commands and the responsibility of having a human upon its back. YOU are in a position which it cannot see you. It uses only its ears and the feeling on its body as direction to what you need it to do."
"I have never used a whip on a horse in my life and I never will."
"Nor have I used spurs, nor a saddle, unless in professional situations."
"I ride bareback so as the horse can feel what I want it to do and so as I can feel every little change."
"I'll shut up now, I could go on about riding for the whole day."
"I'll upload pictures of me and Hjarta soon."
