One of my favorite quotes comes from a book called “The Road Less Travelled” by M. Scott Peck.. I honestly don’t remember most of the book but, I remember the opening lines. It goes like this:

“Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult-once we truly understand and accept it-then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.”

Many of my clients over the years have expressed the wish for their relationship with their horse to be positive, stable, simple, and fun. I have certainly wanted that. Wouldn’t it be great to go for a trail ride or enter a show without worrying about a worried horse. Or have a horse that responds effortlessly to my aids. Or a horse didn’t come up lame right before the clinic.Or a horse that didn’t threaten to colic or founder. Or a horse that didn’t hurt themselves in the field that we carefully combed for threats and dangers.

There have been times where I have even felt that there must be something wrong with me that I faced these challenges with my horses. The old, “Other people don’t have these problems. Why me?”

Yesterday a picture of my daughter-in-law Tara and Revel showed up on my phone. It filled my heart with joy and brought tears to my eyes. For those of you that don’t know, I foaled Revel out. He has been my one of my greatest loves and greatest challenges. Our relationship has enriched my experience. From hospital stays in the Fairfax Hospital neurology department to large vet bills. From self-imposed battles in the arena to wild and free gallops across the countryside.

Revel can still be a challenge and Tara has done a beautiful job of building a partnership with him. She has been patient and courageous and persistent. I love to watch their relationship grow.

My reflection this morning is that life is beautiful and terrible, exciting and exasperating, inspiring and challenging, and so much more. I will except this truth, all of it, because in acceptance of what is I enter the true richness of the human experience: its lowest depths, its greatest peaks, and everything in between. ~ Paul

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