Pickleball has become a huge sensation, and although I have not tried it yet, it does look like fun. A game that doesn't seem to require a lot of thinking, just reacting. Volleying back and forth until someone misses.
What does pickleball have to do with horses? Horses, as prey animals, spend a lot of their time in a reactive state. They are on constant alert for danger. As humans on the other hand, we have the ability to consider a situation before we react. We are predators, and have the fight OR flight thought process. We can hear a noise and decide if we need to run; horses just run.
Horses spook at anything from a squirrel running through the woods, to flags flapping in the air, trees falling during windstorms, and even something as simple as a wheelbarrow sitting in a new place.
This differences in our natures mean we really have to step up our leadership with horses. We need to be clear, calm and consistent so that we can let them know if a situation really warrants their fear. We can help them be less reactive.
Back to pickleball, do we want to live our lives in a constant state of reaction? Or would we rather leave the pickleball on the court and be active participants in guiding and leading our lives?
Comments