Horses, Humans And Love

Chapter 5

Over the years I have come to see humans and horses as basically two different animals. I do not consider either one to be superior or inferior to the other. Each has their own unique abilities that have enabled them both to prosper and survive as a species. A baby horse learns from its parents how to be a horse with all the skills necessary to survive in the world. A human child must learn the same skills from their parents. Even though most humans consider themselves as superior to all other animals, when I consider that horses have lived millions of years longer that humans, it would seem we might benefit from learning about and perhaps acquiring some of their survival expertise.

There are two unique evolutionary traits which have contributed to the success of equine survival and enabled horses to live for eons. The first one is Hypervigilance – the unfailing effectiveness of a horse’s five super human senses to instantaneously detect the slightest predatorial stimulus and immediately run away to safety. The other is Herd Dynamics… the horse’s innate ability to harmoniously live together and get along with each other all of which they accomplish by utilizing the greatest principles of love and compassion.

To promote social harmony and keep the herd safely together, equine Herd Dynamics possess a number of evolutionarily hardwired qualities that have graced horses with what I call Ten Textbook-Perfect Social Skills. Having observed thousands of horses for more than 30 years, these ten qualities I have witnessed are:

Acceptance, Tolerance, Patience, Understanding, Kindness, Honesty, Trust, Respect, Forgiveness and Compassion.

Taken together they constitute what I have come to believe is the universal or true altruistic meaning of what we call “Love.” I believe it is this Love, that when emulated by humans, enables us to become better parents, children, husbands, wives and partners. It is this Love, so eloquently demonstrated among horses that is the literal archetype for the Love that is not only indispensable for every successful human relationship...but potentially the future existence of humanity.