Stand Up and Be Counted

A good sign on the road to recovery for River -- she was moved to another pasture as she had decided to upset the horse hierarchy in her pasture.  River was low mare on the totem pole in her pasture, waiting quietly for the other two bonded, larger mares to eat.  River largely stayed to herself as she was the "third wheel" so to speak.  When River strayed from the hierarchy, she was immediately put in her place by the other two mares.  So, I was really surprised to hear that she had decided to take charge!  River is on a grain-restricted diet due to her laminitis issues, and she was put in with those horses in particular as they wouldn't let her near their grain.  With River stepping up and taking over the top of the "feed chain", River was moved to another pasture with another set of horses. She has settled in nicely as "top horse" in the hierarchy for that pasture.

So -- River decided to assert herself.  Now, in the horse world, that means re-establishing her place in the herd, which usually means forms of physical and verbal communication  such as pinned ears, kicking, or biting --- not acceptable behavior in the human world!  The concept, however, of being assertive when necessary (not aggressive -- assertive) definitely applies in the human world, both in one's work life and personal life.  This could be as small as saying "no" to a social commitment in order to spend time with your family to standing up for a cause you passionately believe in.

The dictionary defines the term "assertive" as:  "having or showing a confident and forceful personality".  Words associated with term "assertive" include confident, assured, forthright, firm, and emphatic.

Being assertive is necessary for us to establish boundaries in our lives.  I know that there are times that I need to be more assertive as I often have trouble saying "no".  Are there areas in your life where you need to be more assertive?  Food for thought courtesy of River.

 

                                  River doesn't hesitate to tell me how she feels about a bath.