Face your fears to overcome them - Rain the Spotted Saddle Horse - 21 Oct 2023

Rain the 4yr old Spotted Saddle Horse mare has a good bit of inexperience based fear. Horses view the world as if anything they are not familiar with could be a horse eating predator. In an environment rich with horse eating predators that is a survival advantage. In this actual environment with literally zero horse eating predators it is a serious liability. So we simultaneously work on increasing the horse's personal courage AND its trust in its master. Increasing its personal courage involves helping it face its fears and reason out that what they thought might eat them actually is not going to eat them. And going through many such experiences with the horse help it trust its master's judgment more and more when you tell it "it is not going to eat you."

When we first approached these cattle Rain put on the brakes saying by body language "50 ft is plenty close enough - that way if they try to eat me I have time to turn and run." When she got brave enough to come a bit closer the cattle moved a bit and she shot backwards a couple steps. And I calmly and persistently told her she had to keep facing what she was afraid of - she had to keep looking at those cattle she mistakenly thought were going to eat her. And bit by bit she started changing her thinking - started wondering if perhaps they were safe to approach and pretty soon she was nose to nose with them like they were old pals. She had to face her fear - really take a good hard closer and closer look at it - so that she could decide it was NOT nearly as scary as she thought it was - that is how she then chose to give away that particular fear.

Training horses always involves some risk of injury (or even death) to the horse, the trainer, any spectators, equipment used, etc. - this risk is totally your own as you will be making your own judgements on what to do. As with any suggestions on any subject you must weigh them out for yourself and proceed accordingly - at your own risk.

Remember to intentionally, on purpose, learn of God each day by prayerfully reading, studying, and pondering upon God's word each day. Talk to God in prayer as your Heavenly Father who would like for you to be His friend. Find out what He would like you to do for Him as His friend and go and do it for Him as His friend. Yes very intentionally, very much on purpose, become the friend of God. And have a blessed day!!

Jack Griffes
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