HORSES, HUMANITY AND HEART
The simplicity of ‘being’, through the eyes of our children
By: Eleni Argy, Australia
Our children and young people are the soulful artists of the colourful canvas of humanity’s future. These young minds and hearts hold the capability to move forward with strength in today’s uncertain realm. Navigating the current ambiguity of our present, has bubbled up a deep sense of grief for our past and future - so how can the children of today’s world feel hopeful, and see themselves with vibrancy, walking through it all with courage, when their parents and teachers and leaders are delicately crumbling?
Canvas of Current Humanity
The burdens faced by our children and youth today seem like mountains to climb, but it is within the liberation of that breath of fresh air, and in the simplicity of the equine kingdom, that they might find their clarity.
Our kids and teens have been largely misunderstood, undervalued and de-voiced. Have we forgotten how to lead them with kindness, how to parent with compassion, how to teach them with empathy, so that they may grow into the kind, compassionate and empathetic leaders, parents and teachers we expect them to become? Are we so lost in the discolouration of humanity and too busy grieving the world we have known, that we have forgotten how to teach our children to finger-paint, to play in the dirt, to unapologetically make a giant mess, and to run barefoot on the grass yelling jibberish and laughing at the top of their lungs? How can we re-remind them to be children, when we ourselves as adults are struggling to re-remember how to be human?
Fortunately, through the muddy waters of our complex world, a re-remembering of simplicity is beginning to emerge. It is the simple world that Mother Nature continues to intend for us, to brightly paint for us, but an image we sometimes lack the clarity to see. Through our busy business of being busy, we have lost sight of the bees and the birds and the trees, the feel of the wind, the movement of the waves, and the precious sounds of silence. The gentle hues and pigments of this canvas make up the gentle space where our animals live. In the simplicity of nature, these large and tiny beings with their inner knowing, have all the answers. So do our children, if we guide them to their heart; for it is there that they can find their vision, their voice and their true sense of ’being’.
The animal kingdom knows no expression of judgement of a world gone “wrong”. The animals of our earth have no need to remember how to simply BE in a “new world” with a “new normal” where we “right the wrongs” of others and take no responsibility ourselves. Our animal partners, all the magnificent creatures of this earth, just move forward from their heart, looking after each other as they go, simply moving forward with no complexity, just moment to moment, with a simplicity of being. This is why interacting with animals can be the perfect reminder to re-remember who we are, and why we are here on this earth. They are the impeccable leaders and parents and teachers for us all – if we have the courage to see into their world and listen to their silence.
The burdens faced by our children and youth today seem like mountains to climb, but it is within the liberation of that breath of fresh air, and in the simplicity of the equine kingdom, that they might find their clarity.
Our kids and teens have been largely misunderstood, undervalued and de-voiced. Have we forgotten how to lead them with kindness, how to parent with compassion, how to teach them with empathy, so that they may grow into the kind, compassionate and empathetic leaders, parents and teachers we expect them to become? Are we so lost in the discolouration of humanity and too busy grieving the world we have known, that we have forgotten how to teach our children to finger-paint, to play in the dirt, to unapologetically make a giant mess, and to run barefoot on the grass yelling jibberish and laughing at the top of their lungs? How can we re-remind them to be children, when we ourselves as adults are struggling to re-remember how to be human?
Fortunately, through the muddy waters of our complex world, a re-remembering of simplicity is beginning to emerge. It is the simple world that Mother Nature continues to intend for us, to brightly paint for us, but an image we sometimes lack the clarity to see. Through our busy business of being busy, we have lost sight of the bees and the birds and the trees, the feel of the wind, the movement of the waves, and the precious sounds of silence. The gentle hues and pigments of this canvas make up the gentle space where our animals live. In the simplicity of nature, these large and tiny beings with their inner knowing, have all the answers. So do our children, if we guide them to their heart; for it is there that they can find their vision, their voice and their true sense of ’being’.
The animal kingdom knows no expression of judgement of a world gone “wrong”. The animals of our earth have no need to remember how to simply BE in a “new world” with a “new normal” where we “right the wrongs” of others and take no responsibility ourselves. Our animal partners, all the magnificent creatures of this earth, just move forward from their heart, looking after each other as they go, simply moving forward with no complexity, just moment to moment, with a simplicity of being. This is why interacting with animals can be the perfect reminder to re-remember who we are, and why we are here on this earth. They are the impeccable leaders and parents and teachers for us all – if we have the courage to see into their world and listen to their silence.
The Heart of a Child
From the age of two, I could feel in the core of my body and soul that what was happening in my family was not “normal”. Other children appeared happy, carefree and unafraid. I was born into a seemingly loving home, that held deep secrets of family violence, which were endured in a never-ending journey of sheer survival for the first 20 years of my life. This path that I traversed, together with my mother and two brothers, led to a long road of healing, spanning a lifetime for us all.
As a child, I was on a constant search for the feelings of peace, safety and innocence that I witnessed in the eyes of other children. My quest for freedom from my sadness and fear led me to an outdoor realm. Amongst the trees in our back yard with our menagerie of dogs, bunnies, turtles, fish, lizards, frogs, all of which made me feel that I belonged somewhere in the natural world, my broken heart could fly, escape, and be free like the wind.
When I was 7 years old, I went on a school excursion to the local police station, the mounted division, where I got to see big horses in close proximity for the first time. The warm smile of an officer dressed in blue is tattooed in memory. As he gently lifted me onto a large horse, I remember the dark brown fur, and the sweet smell of kindness. The officer walked me down the driveway of the station, past my classmates. Proudly perched upon this huge animal, I vividly recall the profound sense of safety that resonated deep inside my body. It was a sense of security and freedom that I had never before felt. I am still not sure if my sense of security stemmed from knowing I was unharmable, being surrounded by a squad of police officers, or from the strength of this enormous animal who had the power to crush me, but willingly chose to gently and graciously carry me instead.
Perhaps it was a combination of all those things, but the only thing that was certain, was this experience resonated deeply inside my young body, in every cell of my physical, emotional and spiritual being, gifting me with a sensation of the true embodiment of “freedom”. I felt emancipated from my pain, even just for a few minutes, for the first time ever. From that moment I knew that somehow, I was suddenly on a lifelong quest for this very sensation of liberation. What I did not know, was that horses would inevitably become my perpetual refuge and sanctuary.
Horses and a Whole-ness of Being
My own traumas have given me a cyclical perspective on life. The flow of emotional acceptance allows for a cleansing of past obstructions, much like a river flowing back into the ocean, or the cycles of the animal kingdom, or the natural world with all its seasons, all of which cycle back into familiar patterns of evolution, of life and death and growth. As adults we circle back to the innocence and curiosity of children to find our “authentic selves”, in search of our “truth” of “who we were before the trauma”. Children naturally embody the untainted truth, intuitiveness and purity of the animal kingdom. There is no animal that more profoundly embodies this hyper-sensitive awareness, insight, and empathetic perception of truth, than the horse.
Horses taught me how to embody this compassionate whole-ness through every fiber of my being. Horses have gifted me that complete level of one-ness with myself, with humanity and with all of nature. Horses have the unwavering ability to look into the soul of a human, to lock eyes with a child, to speak to a teenager, to listen to a parent, to touch the spirit of a traumatised human, and offer a deep, silent “knowing” which resonates through the heart, that they are, you are, we are, in that very moment, completely and utterly safe.
Parallel to navigating my own healing, I have had a 30-year career supporting very vulnerable children, youth and families, most often teens and parents in crisis, very much like my own childhood and adolescence had been. I have been a stark witness to this profound circle of connectedness emerging through vulnerability, a world where all your parts can become whole, through gentle interactions with horses.
I have often said that I have spent the first 20 years of my life experiencing trauma, and the next 30 years trying to overcome it. I never wanted another child in this world to ever experience the pain and abuse that my brothers and I did. My long-spanning work in Equine Assisted Education and Therapy has been fueled by a tenacious commitment to supporting children, teens, and any other humans great and small, who venture into the intricacies of their trauma story, and are curious enough to listen to my own story about what saved me. Horses.
Each day, I behold with wonder the subtle, yet profound moments of healing experienced by the children, young people and individuals who interact open-heartedly with our herd. One of our 13-yr old clients openly described her anxiety and how spending time with our horses helped to alleviate it. “It feels like it’s slowly building, like butterflies, and I can't breathe. My heart is beating fast, and I just feel I need to get out of here. It feels like getting thrown by a wave, with everything happening at high speed, and I can't pay attention to what’s real. But being around animals is different. It’s calming, and it’s easy to talk when the horses are around. It is easy to separate my body from my anxiety, and I can put it aside and will deal with it when I have the skills and tools. Horses taught me to just breathe. You know your body is in alignment because you can feel it in your gut. I have an awareness of it all now. The horses helped me grow more mature and insightful.”
The Presence of Spirit
Horses generously bestow upon humans the perpetual gifts of acceptance, forgiveness, self-love, and compassion. There is no greater platform for healing, evolution and personal growth than the co-creation of an experience with horses. Through these silently inspired moments, the truth and simplicity of “being”, is possible.
While many of us still struggle to embody its essence, this sense of presence is the true coherence of our body, mind, heart and spirit, traversing from the most tangible elements of our physical existence, to the ethereal and deeply individual essence of our spiritual being. A nine-year old girl visiting our horses for the first time, perfectly articulated her understanding of “spirit”.
“Spirit is that thing you cannot see, but it guides you in everything you do.”
There is truly no greater virtue of humanity, in its purest form, than the heart of a horse connecting so graciously and unconditionally to the spirit of a child. ~*~
From the age of two, I could feel in the core of my body and soul that what was happening in my family was not “normal”. Other children appeared happy, carefree and unafraid. I was born into a seemingly loving home, that held deep secrets of family violence, which were endured in a never-ending journey of sheer survival for the first 20 years of my life. This path that I traversed, together with my mother and two brothers, led to a long road of healing, spanning a lifetime for us all.
As a child, I was on a constant search for the feelings of peace, safety and innocence that I witnessed in the eyes of other children. My quest for freedom from my sadness and fear led me to an outdoor realm. Amongst the trees in our back yard with our menagerie of dogs, bunnies, turtles, fish, lizards, frogs, all of which made me feel that I belonged somewhere in the natural world, my broken heart could fly, escape, and be free like the wind.
When I was 7 years old, I went on a school excursion to the local police station, the mounted division, where I got to see big horses in close proximity for the first time. The warm smile of an officer dressed in blue is tattooed in memory. As he gently lifted me onto a large horse, I remember the dark brown fur, and the sweet smell of kindness. The officer walked me down the driveway of the station, past my classmates. Proudly perched upon this huge animal, I vividly recall the profound sense of safety that resonated deep inside my body. It was a sense of security and freedom that I had never before felt. I am still not sure if my sense of security stemmed from knowing I was unharmable, being surrounded by a squad of police officers, or from the strength of this enormous animal who had the power to crush me, but willingly chose to gently and graciously carry me instead.
Perhaps it was a combination of all those things, but the only thing that was certain, was this experience resonated deeply inside my young body, in every cell of my physical, emotional and spiritual being, gifting me with a sensation of the true embodiment of “freedom”. I felt emancipated from my pain, even just for a few minutes, for the first time ever. From that moment I knew that somehow, I was suddenly on a lifelong quest for this very sensation of liberation. What I did not know, was that horses would inevitably become my perpetual refuge and sanctuary.
Horses and a Whole-ness of Being
My own traumas have given me a cyclical perspective on life. The flow of emotional acceptance allows for a cleansing of past obstructions, much like a river flowing back into the ocean, or the cycles of the animal kingdom, or the natural world with all its seasons, all of which cycle back into familiar patterns of evolution, of life and death and growth. As adults we circle back to the innocence and curiosity of children to find our “authentic selves”, in search of our “truth” of “who we were before the trauma”. Children naturally embody the untainted truth, intuitiveness and purity of the animal kingdom. There is no animal that more profoundly embodies this hyper-sensitive awareness, insight, and empathetic perception of truth, than the horse.
Horses taught me how to embody this compassionate whole-ness through every fiber of my being. Horses have gifted me that complete level of one-ness with myself, with humanity and with all of nature. Horses have the unwavering ability to look into the soul of a human, to lock eyes with a child, to speak to a teenager, to listen to a parent, to touch the spirit of a traumatised human, and offer a deep, silent “knowing” which resonates through the heart, that they are, you are, we are, in that very moment, completely and utterly safe.
Parallel to navigating my own healing, I have had a 30-year career supporting very vulnerable children, youth and families, most often teens and parents in crisis, very much like my own childhood and adolescence had been. I have been a stark witness to this profound circle of connectedness emerging through vulnerability, a world where all your parts can become whole, through gentle interactions with horses.
I have often said that I have spent the first 20 years of my life experiencing trauma, and the next 30 years trying to overcome it. I never wanted another child in this world to ever experience the pain and abuse that my brothers and I did. My long-spanning work in Equine Assisted Education and Therapy has been fueled by a tenacious commitment to supporting children, teens, and any other humans great and small, who venture into the intricacies of their trauma story, and are curious enough to listen to my own story about what saved me. Horses.
Each day, I behold with wonder the subtle, yet profound moments of healing experienced by the children, young people and individuals who interact open-heartedly with our herd. One of our 13-yr old clients openly described her anxiety and how spending time with our horses helped to alleviate it. “It feels like it’s slowly building, like butterflies, and I can't breathe. My heart is beating fast, and I just feel I need to get out of here. It feels like getting thrown by a wave, with everything happening at high speed, and I can't pay attention to what’s real. But being around animals is different. It’s calming, and it’s easy to talk when the horses are around. It is easy to separate my body from my anxiety, and I can put it aside and will deal with it when I have the skills and tools. Horses taught me to just breathe. You know your body is in alignment because you can feel it in your gut. I have an awareness of it all now. The horses helped me grow more mature and insightful.”
The Presence of Spirit
Horses generously bestow upon humans the perpetual gifts of acceptance, forgiveness, self-love, and compassion. There is no greater platform for healing, evolution and personal growth than the co-creation of an experience with horses. Through these silently inspired moments, the truth and simplicity of “being”, is possible.
While many of us still struggle to embody its essence, this sense of presence is the true coherence of our body, mind, heart and spirit, traversing from the most tangible elements of our physical existence, to the ethereal and deeply individual essence of our spiritual being. A nine-year old girl visiting our horses for the first time, perfectly articulated her understanding of “spirit”.
“Spirit is that thing you cannot see, but it guides you in everything you do.”
There is truly no greater virtue of humanity, in its purest form, than the heart of a horse connecting so graciously and unconditionally to the spirit of a child. ~*~
