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I love horses. If you're reading this, YOU likely love horses. The reasons people give for exuberantly claiming “I love horses” are many. And while they are all true on some level, I think they only scratch the surface of the truth. I recently discovered the real reason you, and so many people around the world for hundreds of years, love horses.

• Beauty: Horses captivate us with their beauty. From flowing manes and tails to gorgeous colors and color combinations, the physical beauty of a healthy horse is nothing short of magnificent.
• Size: From the smallest miniature horse to the largest of work horses, we love horses for their size. Every size holds different capabilities. Whether used as a therapy horse in hospitals or nursing homes, to move civilizations from one area to another, to herd cattle, to pull wagons or plows, or to entertain with dressage, the horse's size captivates.
• Use: The productive uses of a horse decreased with the advent of automobiles but they are still used every day by farmers, law enforcement, and businesses, such as those with horse-drawn carriages.
• History: There is no animal more involved in the evolution of modern-day man than the horse. Utilized in wars, in giving people the ability to move across long-distances, in the Pony Express, and so much more, we love the horse for the reminder of times gone by.
• Sense of Freedom: Moving from the physical attributes of the horse to the more emotional, we love horses for the wildness, the sense of freedom that they give us. Watching or riding a horse as it gallops effortlessly across a pasture, an open plain or field, lights up a part of us that wishes we could be wild again, even if just for a moment.

I recently was feeling very down about my life. While I spent the first half of my adult professional life having great success at everything I touched, when I hit “middle age”, everything seemed to fall apart. I am blessed to be “gifted” in a number of things, coaching, photography, making jewelry, and of course training anxious rescue horses, but no matter what I tried to put my focus on, I couldn't seem to get any financial traction.

And on this day, I was feeling particularly low. I wasn't making enough money to even pay all my bills. I felt restricted by my ability to do anything but have my own business due to the needs of my son with autism. My mind was in panic mode, not only hashing out all the terrible things that had happened, but those that could happen. I was the extreme of “monkey mind” that had “gone down the rabbit hole.”

Having recently rediscovered my love of journaling and the insights it brought, I grabbed my journal and pen with turquoise ink to take with me to my horses. (My horses don't live on the same property with me.) My plan was to feed the horses, hang out with them, and then do a little journaling to see if any insight came about what I should do next.

After they finished their breakfast, they roamed around a bit before following me out to stand under some shade trees. Prince, my chestnut gelding, was especially attentive. He wanted to be right next to me. And initially, he was adamant about not wanting Ankh, or Fyre, close to me. But they were persistent, as they too seemed especially adamant about being close to me. I slowly convinced Prince to let them get closer.

The Set Up for The Realization

So, there we stood, the four of us. I was leaning against a tall oak tree that was in a shallow ravine that ran through the front half of the property. Prince was on my right. Ankh and Fyre were on my left. Or occasionally Fyre was standing in front of me. He and Ankh were particularly restless it seemed, moving around each other in order to position themselves close to me without catching the disapproval of the herd leader Prince.

Slowly my “monkey mind” began to fade. I was no longer covered up in the darkness of the rabbit hole. My mind cleared and my body relaxed, shoulders dropping. The tension headache I had woken up with just disappeared. I realized I felt like I do when I go to the beach and ocean. I was so at peace. It explained to me why I hadn't felt the urgent need to go to the beach like I used to. In fact, I haven't been to the beach in several years.

As I stood there, an idea just seemed to bubble up. It was an idea for an event that incorporated a particular type of journaling and/or other creative outlets that could be done while spending time with my horses. I have had so many “ideas” that I wasn't 100% positive that this wasn't just another “monkey mind” idea, born out of desperation.

But I soon discovered, that was not the case.

The Experience

I was feeling so good and thought I should try to do some journaling just in case some other ideas needed to bubble up. My journal and pen were in the barn though, so that meant leaving the circle I was in with the horses and returning back to the barn. I wanted to grab it and come back before the horses could leave the treed area. I went at a brisk pace and hadn't made it 50 feet when I noticed I was back in “logical” mode.

Just like that, when I stepped out of that ocean of horse energy, my body and mind shifted away from that peaceful place, and into my mind. It was a noticeable and significant “re-entry” just like when you return from vacation to your own life. I went from paradise to reality in less than 50 feet.

I went and grabbed my journal, pen and folding chair and ran back to sit under the trees with the horses. Every time I tried to open the journal, Fyre or Prince came and BIT it. See the picture of Prince biting it below! They would not leave me, or the journal, alone. I literally could not write anything because they wouldn't let me open it long enough to write anything in it. I finally had to give up.

They were telling me that the idea I had been given was the only one I needed.

The Science Behind It

But the true result of the entire experience was the insight into why we love horses as much as we do.

Every time we share space with them, they are taking us out of our logical mind. The logical mind that often is filled with doubts, anxiety, self-criticism, judgement, and even choices that don't ultimately makes sense for us. The mind may encourage us to make them out of desperation or a place of fear.

But what happens when we are taken out of that place? What we feel, what we “hear”, what we experience is not our conscious, but our subconscious. Our soul even.

On a scientific note, the mind processes 11 MILLION bits of information per second. The conscious human mind, the logical mind, can only process 50 bits per second. Think about that for a second. Let it sink in.

When you are making decisions from your logical mind, you are actually making them with extremely limited information. But when you separate from the logical mind, and tap into the subconscious, you are accessing an ocean of knowledge. It's like comparing a 1/4 teaspoon of water to the entire ocean.

While there are many methods of tapping into this wealth of knowledge, many can require practice, skill, and a conscious focus (which seems ironic). Instead, one can spend time with horses, and they help you to do it much faster. Not to mention they smell so good! 😉

Personally. I believe they are even able to do it to a certain extent by seeing them in pictures, in movies, in videos, etc. I've had many people tell me my horses have brought peace to them solely from the pictures I share of them. Horses inspire just by being them.

The Real Reason We Love Horses

But what if they do more than inspire? What if the reason we love horses so much is because they are a switch that can take us from our conscious mind to our subconscious mind, or soul, just by being in their presence? Think about the possibilities!!

My experience confirmed that. And looking back on daily experience with them for years confirms it as well.

I didn't realize that the idea they gave me to host events with them held an even deeper meaning. Each event will give attendees the opportunity to experience this switch from conscious to subconscious mind for themselves.

I pondered the idea of holding the events on Saturday mornings but in the end, decided on Sunday mornings. The time will vary depending on the temperature outside. (Summer/high temperatures will mean earlier mornings for instance.) As long as there are attendees signed up, they will be held even if the date is a holiday in most cases. And rain or shine. Check this page for all the details on Soul Sundays with Horses!!!!