Debra DeAngelo - The Elements of Horse Spirit: The Magical Bond Between Humans and Horses

Lewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

The Elements of Horse Spirit: The Magical Bond Between Humans and Horses 2020 by Debra DeAngelo.

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First e-book edition 2020

E-book ISBN: 9780738764177

Cover design by Shira Atakpu

Editing by Marjorie Otto

Interior art by the Llewellyn Art Department

Chakra figure Mary Ann Zapalac

Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data (Pending)

ISBN: 978-0-7387-6380-4

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Llewellyn Publications

Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

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Woodbury, MN 55125

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Manufactured in the United States of America

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my four-legged soul mate, Pendragon, who quietly and patiently showed me how to heal and changed the course of my life. You are my clarity, my partner, my friend. You are proof that magic exists.

Contents

: Horses & Humans, History & Culture

: Horses Changed Everything

: Horses in Culture and Language

: Horses in Mythology and Religion

: The Spiritual Horse

: Elemental Horses

: Horses of the Tarot

: Honoring Horse Spirit

: The Physical Horse

: So, You Want to Get a Horse?

: Ready for a Horsebut Which One?

: So Many Horses

: Your Horse, Partner & Friend

: Bonding and Groundwork

: Horses as Healers

: Saying Goodbye

Acknowledgments

So many planets had to align for this book to materialize. If just one of the following people had not played a part, there would be no book. My sincere thanks to each one:

To Sarah, who practically dragged me back to the world of horses by the scruff of my neck and brought Penn and me together, and for the hours upon hours of time, insight, and guidance she provided me. She is the best pal a Horsey Girl could ever have. Thank you!

To Debbie, who loved her horse so much that she selflessly gave him to someone who could take care of him when she no longer could. She saved Penns life and changed the trajectory of mine. Thank you!

To Joe, who encouraged me and had my back when I wanted to get a horse. Thank you!

To Jason, who told me to try again, just one more time. Thank you!

To Heather, who gave me a chance when I doubted Id ever get one. Thank you!

I also wish to thank my childrenJimmy, for endless enthusiasm over my new venture in life, and Janine, for believing in me more than I believe in myself. You two are my heart.

FOREWORD
BY SARAH DICKINSON

I never understood all the clichs: Live in the moment. Seize the day. Live your best life. It seemed to me, while rocketing my way through life, that the day was seizing me.

When I returned to horses after college and children, I learned the meaning of those clichs. They became truisms in my life. Spending time with horses and cultivating a life that includes horsemanship gave me a deep understanding of what it means to live your best life.

For me, horsemanship is a passion, not a hobby. Its a never-ending quest for excellence that leaks into the rest of my life. Education, empathy and compassion, inner and outer strength and fitness, letting go of ego, kindness, softness, and deep knowledge of myself comes from my passion for horses.

Being educated, aware, and striving for excellence in every aspect of the horse is true horsemanship, from feet to feed, or biomechanics to proper equitation. If youre intensely interested in every aspect of the horse, you can spend a lifetime in the pursuit of horsemanship excellence.

Letting go of ego is one of the most rewarding aspects not only in my horsemanship journey, but also in my personal and professional life. Letting go of ego means putting the horses, and others, wellbeing first. As my partner, my horse should enjoy our time together as much as I do.

Learning to accept feedback with regards to my horsemanship is part of my journey. It took me some time to find the value in paying someone to give me feedback about my horsemanship. My ego had to take a step down and be willing to accept the feedback. One of the best life lessons is learning to accept feedbackany feedback, good or badespecially if youre paying for it.

Horses bring abundant compassion and empathy into my life. Seeing the horse as a living, breathing, feeling creature with a heartbeat, desires, and emotions inspires a level of empathy and compassion in my soul that no other being has been able to awaken. Looking into a horses soft eyes and seeing a soul so deep and pure, a healer, a friend, a partner, gives me compassion not only for horses, but for all animals and people.

Spending time with horses shows me what it really means to be a partner and communicate with an animal. Weve all seen dude ranches where people ride single file on a horse trained to dully follow the horse in front of it, nose to tail. The folks enjoying this ride are passengers. However, riding a horse requires full participation and communication between both parties.

Harmonious riding is a conversation between the horse and rider. The rider uses their entire body to communicate to the horse, and the horse is listening and returning the communication. The hours I spent learning to speak the language of riding became a beautiful conversation, a dance, barely perceivable to the observer. Harmony between horse and rider is difficult to describe, but you know it when you see it.

A large part of horsemanship is feel, meaning the ability to feel the horses movement and intention, and being able to react immediately. When a horse and rider move together with imperceptible cues, the rider is feeling where the horse will go, what the horse is communicating back, and adjusting. Feel is a cultivated skill, Some people are better at it than others, but everyone can have feel, not just for horses, but for everything in their life.