Musings of An Eclectic Cowboy

May 24, 2008

A Good Horse

 I have always been in awe of horses that can basically read your mind. They are horses that are so well trained that they respond to the most subtle of cues given to them. I have had horses that were pretty good but I have never had one that was fantastic. It takes two things to make that kind of horse. The first thing that it takes is a person who understands the horse that they are training. They have to realize that what works for some horses will not work for another. The other factor is the horse itself, it’s background, it’s genetics, it’s personality. A horse that has not been touched or around people will respond differently than a horse that has been around people since it was born. Now not every horse has the potential to be a PRCA Heeling horse, or a World Champion Halter horse or even a World Champion Dressage horse. But every horse out there has the great potential to read the mind of its rider. To be effortless to ride and to respond to the very touch of its rider.

 People are the same way. God is our trainer. He knows us better than the best trainer knows horses. He knows how we will respond to criticism, love, punishment and praise. The big difference is that God waits for us to come to Him to be trained. He gives us opportunities to come to Him but He does not force opportunities upon us. It is totally our choice to allow Him in our lives. But when we do the results are absolutely phenomenal because each and every one of us has the potential to respond to the most subtle cue that God gives us. We don’t all have the potential to lead the country, to be the CEO of a major company, to write a book, to train horses or to even dig ditches. But we do have the potential to do whatever God is asking us to do. He won’t ask us to do more than our potential but he will keep asking us up to our potential. And that potential goes way beyond what most of us realize. A good rider won’t ask a Shetland Pony to jump across a 20 foot ravine but he will ask him to go under some low hanging branches that a big horse can’t go under.

 Are you looking to God to realize your potential? Are you willing to respond to His very touch?

Vaya Con Dios

The Eclectic Cowboy

Winfield Davenport

musing@theeclecticcowboy.com

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