
Many don't know that Winston Churchill was quite the Cavalry officer in his younger days; he loved horses. His quote is quite telling; I think he meant that the demeanor and spirit of his horse under saddle was picked up by his soul. Perhaps it was developed by the fact that a horse to a combat officer was often his lifeline, helping him survive life's arduous battles. But it could also be that his horse usually knew what he was thinking, developed from daily interaction, training and a sixth sense.
Today in a world which is spinning out of control in so many places, animals such as the horse can often give us a soothing dose of normalcy, an experience with the natural order of things. Sometimes it is clearly best if we leave things alone, for man sometimes by his very actions often "upsets the apple cart" and makes things worse despite the best of intentions.
The truth is, we individually have little if any impact on the events of the world. Oh, we need to voice our opinions and speak out for what we believe in, and of course we need to vote our conscience and spend time with our Maker to keep us God centered and on the right path. But sometimes the best thing we can do is just get away from all of those horrific things that clutter our mind and receive some peace. For me, spending time with our horses in the barn or haying their paddock does just that. They are soothing, they are intelligent and I learn much from just watching them.
This might sound silly but our good old boy Gabe, the only "guy" in our group, and I carry on a conversation and understand each other explicity. Similar to Churchill's experience, I guess it's because I've been feeding him for nearly fourteen years. Besides, Gabe is the only other retired male on the farm. We older guys have to stick together. But come to think of it, I think he probably gets better medical care than I do but that's another story for another day.
So whatever your passion and interest, always take time to use that time to get a little escape from the trials of the modern world. It will keep you healthier and help maintain a positive outlook no matter what the day might bring. And as for me, I'll just keep on enjoying a peaceful morning and late afternoon daily with my equine friends.
Animals, they truly are a wonderful gift from God.

If you like this way of thinking and life you might like my book. Real life stories about animals, horses, dogs, cats, birds and some wild things that frequent our rural homestead. Now available online at the following sites: www.outskirtspress.com/honeyweshouldaboughttheark and www.amazon.com/author/jamesdick. A quick read and family oriented. God bless.