Harley and I had another nice ride yesterday with our "Summer of 2007 Babysitter," Kody, and his mom, Susan. So, things are "back to normal." Yay!
I have a friend who came up with a theory about why last Friday's ride with Harley might have been so off kilter. While it doesn't matter too terribly much why, I do like to analyze and try to learn from the possibilities.
As I shared previously in the blog, I came to my horse time on Friday deeply wounded by someone I had thought of as a friend. While I wasn't wearing it outward physically, emotionally, I was definitely "licking those wounds," being rather self absorbed and putting on a pretense. Harley sensed my woundedness.
Maybe horses don't discriminate between physical wounding and emotional wounding in people since their world isn't about that. So to him, I might have just been a mess...even a liability!
I can't imagine a herd of horses continuing to follow a lead mare if she had been gouged by a lion, was nursing her wounds, limping along pretending all was well...
Like the theoretical lead mare, I wasn't myself. Harley knew it. But I insisted on leading our partnership that day.
So, is it possible that it literally frightened Harley to have a "wounded leader" call the shots from his back?
Hmmm....thoughts?
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1 comment:
I guess my initial thought is: how present were you during your ride with Harley last Friday? Moment by moment? If you were not the confident responsive leader Harley has come to expect and rely on, then you left him to stand alone and be the leader. Not what he was up for I guess.
A wounded leader is a great analogy though. Nice way of thinking it through!
Kathy
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