New Eyes

No horse sessions to report of today. Just a thought I had (Uh oh!):

I was updating Monday's post just now and my cat, Mao--who is now laying on my arm as I try to type this--joined me. I was looking at him and I was involuntarily looking at him with new eyes. Like when you say a word so many times and suddenly, it sounds like just a group of meaningless phoenetics. Well, the same thing happens visually when you look at something with fresh perspective. I was seeing Mao in the light of my laptop. I thought "What makes Mao a cat? Has he always had a nose that long? And such shiny eyes?"

As useless as the new perspective may seem in this instance, seeing a problem with fresh eyes is important for satisfaction with and appreciation of your world and a key to inovative problem solving. Listen closely as I sneakily take this post towards natural horsemanship! Now, first off, I found a resurgence of my appreciation for Mao seeing him like that. It also made me think about how familiarity with domestic animals makes them seem mundane to us at times. You might think your horse is lovely, but do not try and tell me that you are stopped in your tracks every single time you see him or her. You do not see your horse as if she or he was blue whale, the biggest creature on Earth, swimming in your paddock. Next time you see your horse, study him or her with fresh eyes (try not to freak him out). Horses don't breathe through their mouths. Watch how the muscles of the nostrils move as he breathes. Watch her twitch her fly shaker when a fly lands. Look at the shape of the pupil. Isn't that weird? Pretty soon, you will be looking at your horse like she is a blue whale, the biggest creature on Earth, swimming in your paddock. For me, this exercise gives me a great deal of appreciation for my horses. It also makes me see how the batty events of life can't hold a candle to the good things I have going for me.

If getting emotional over your horse's breathing isn't practical to you, then know that this sort of thinking really does lead to breakthroughs. Looking at a problem from a new perspective gives you a chance to see a bigger part of the picture. It is why, as an artist, I leave a painting for a while, look at it from a great distance, or ask for the feedback of someone who has not been sitting before it for 5 hours straight. It causes you to realize variables and angles previously unconsidered. This is what gets you asking "How little can I do?" and "How do I not make my horse feel wrong?"

So, go see the world with new eyes.

Natural Horsewoman Out.