I’ve just recently read a book that was recommended by one of the faculty for our NC 5-Day Academy for Spiritual Formation this fall. The name of the book is Horse Sense for People: The Man Who Listens to Horses Talks to People by Monty Roberts. Monty is considered the world’s most famous horse gentler and he helps us to understand the depth of communication between human and horse, and he helps us to understand how his model for communicating with horses can be utilized to strengthen human relationships as well.
Monty grew up in a family with parents who were in the horse business. He was exposed to traditional trainers who use techniques of fear and intimidation in trying to tame horses. This method of training didn’t feel right to him and he began to experiment with training techniques with a focus on rewarding desirable behavior. He became convinced that violence is never the answer. Since then he has realized that communicating in a nonviolent way and establishing a partnership, whether with a horse or with a human creates a joy of working together.
Here are the key points made in the book that carry over well beyond the relationship between and horse trainer and a horse:
Violence is NEVER the answer.
Violence is always for the violator and never for the victim.
No one has the right to say, “You must or I’ll hurt you” to any other creature, animal or human.
This book was not written with a Christian or spiritual slant, but it occurs to me that when God made humans stewards over creation, it was never God’s plan for us to abuse any part of it. God gave us dominion with an expectation that we would be trustworthy. Let us all enter a season of discernment over how well we are responding to God’s call for us to be good stewards of the earth and all of creation.
“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.” –Job 12:7-10
Amen, y’all,
If you would like to print or share this edition of Claire…ification,
you are encouraged to use this pdf:
Claire – Horse Sense for People
To read past editions – you are encouraged to follow this link:
https://capitaldistrictnc.org/claire-ificaton/
