Sunday, September 27, 2015

"Treat people the way you want to be treated.  Talk to people the way they want to be talked to. Respect is earned, not given."  ~ Unknown

If you read the newspapers, watch the TV news, or are tied into electronic media, the concept of respect almost appears to be a thing of the past.   Common courtesy, patience, civility, and a genuine sense of caring have been supplanted by the need to check all the items of our to do list or to prove that we alone are right about a particular subject.  Those same items that have been supplanted in our society are the same ones that are key to earning the respect of others.

The same quote by "Unknown" above (who was a very wise man or woman, I might add), applies to our relationship with horses.  One doesn't walk up to a large animal like a horse and demand respect.  Developing a respectful relationship with horses involves time and patience.  It requires give and take, consistency, firmness, and kindness.  It requires listening as well as talking -- and believe me, the horse is talking to you though sometimes not through verbal cues!  And that time and effort results in a bond that is truly amazing to behold -- when an animal many times your size places their trust in you. 

If we can establish respect with an animal as noble as the horse, surely we can apply those some precepts -- time, patience, kindness, listening -- to all those humans (face-to-face, on the phone, on the internet) that we encounter in our daily lives.  Our animal friends can often be the best teacher in how to be human.

Wishing you much kindness,

Maynette and River





 

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