12 Tips For Riding Successfully In The Hu-Man Race
Lately it’s felt to me that being alive, and trying to make sense of my life as a man, is like being a jockey on a strange and sometimes unpredictable ‘horse’. . All of us are born with our own horse to ride;; that is to say, our spirit or soul – the energy and identity that is uniquely our but also directly connected to the spiritual place from which all life comes and returns. Our ego is the rider, the part we identify as ‘Me” during our brief sojourn on this planet; and between birth and death, me and my spirit steed are inseparable, although the relationship between us can vary from a happy partnership to stress and misery.
There is the only one unique horse for each of us, so there’s no point in trying to ‘beat’ anyone else’s; they all have their own race to run. The only person I’m up against in this race is myself!
Here are a few tips that I’ve found have helped me to be a ‘’winner” in my own hu-man race.
- If you’re lucky enough to have started life with a healthy horse, riding will soon become second nature to you. You’ll do it well without even thinking about it. And when you see others getting stuck or falling off, you may feel sorry for them and ask. If you were taught to appreciate and look after your horse, he will grow with you and happily take you wherever you want to go. Just don’t show off about having such a great animal – that’s exactly when you’ll fall off!
- If you weren’t shown how to look after your horse, or couldn’t be bothered for some reason, he may well become sick or resentful. And if you don’t notice that and keep riding, at some point he will throw you off. There’s no point blaming the horse (it’s only trying to survive) – or yourself as a bad rider. You just need to take him back to the stable, talk to that horse to find out what the problem was and nurture him back to health. There ae also many good teachers who can help you. And remember to take better care of him in the future.
- When you’re riding, you may see a weaker horse and rider, and try to pull him along with you, but this will just slow you both down. The best way you can help them is by showing them what good riding is like, and explain where he can get help. And if you see a horse on the ground that can’t move, there’s probably nothing you can do, other than ride to tell the next horse doctor you see. If you get off to help, your own horse may run away!
- If you started out with a sick scrawny horse (and there are all kinds of reasons that might happen, but none of them are your ‘fault’), and try to ride him or push him into acting stronger, he will get stubborn and may just give up and lie down. What he needs from you is compassion and care. And if you don’t know how to make your horse well again, there are equine experts who can advise and explain what you must do to get back in your race.
- Your weak horse may be in pain as you try to ride him, but if you give him something to numb the pain and keep him going, sooner or later your horse will collapse. You may have hurt him to the point where he can’t even get up to be led back to the stable. Then you’ll need a horse doctor to come and help with the slow process of getting him back to recovery. But with some good horse medicine and the right attention from you he will get better and grow to be as good as any horse.
- If your own horse seems especially slow and stumbling, you may be tempted to try and get on someone else’s when they ride past. You could stay on for a while, but each horse can only ever be ridden by its own human, and sooner or later he will throw you off – and then you’ll have difficulty finding your own steed again. Better to find out what the problem is – and if you ask patiently and are able to listen your horse will always tell you – and then you’ll know what you need to do to make him strong again.
- You may feel like you want to harm a healthier horse out of envy and anger but if you try it, you’ll only end up feeling worse, and your horse will see what you are doing and hate you for it – and either abandon you or sabotage your future efforts to ride. Your own horse is always the best one for you, but if he will notices that you don’t love him completely as he is, he won’t take you to all the lovely places he knows.
- It’s very nice to find another rider for company, who’s horse knows new destinations that they can share with you, and you can both ride to them together. But you’ll only be able to do this safely once you are able to ride well on your own, and once you love you own horse completely and don’t feel in any way ashamed of him, no matter what anyone else might think.
- The best way to ride is with confidence and leadership, not domination and brutality, which no horse will stand for long. A weak rider will get thrown off; if this happens, your horse will wait for you, so you just have to heal your wounds and get back on with lessons learned about how to ride well; with a real appreciation of your horse’s many qualities, and an understanding that you are on the only horse that is meant for you
- Another rider may try to jump on your horse with you if their own is sick. This might seem fun for a while, but be careful – you might end up going to places you’re not interested in, or even be thrown off yourself! Best to explain how your guest can heal his own horse, and be sure to look after your own.
- If your own horse is feeling especially weak for some reason, you might think you should try to make him look bigger and stronger. That might make you feel better, but no matter how good he looks, that horse will never get better until you give hm the care he needs.. You need to nurse him back to good health, and ride with him for life.
- There’s no point envying other horses – they may seem to be going faster, but they can never go to any places that are more interesting to you than your own; he knows you better than any other. When you trust him, look after him, and let him take you to the places that he knows are right for you, your horse will always do his best for you and will make sure your life’s race is a wonderful one.
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