Plugging In

Plugging In

Remember the movie Avatar, James Cameron's sci-fi epic about human colonization of an alien planet called Pandora? It's ok if you don't! I'll explain. There's a part in which the hero (a problematic, white savior bro, but that's for another essay) is learning how to partner with Pandora's version of a horse, a flying dragon-horse-like creature called a direhorse. It is a visually stunning, imaginative metaphor for what horsemanship could be, even though the partnership is between beings from another planet. I love sci-fi, what can I say?!

Back to the movie. The scene distills many essential tenets for working with actual horses. First, the direhorse picks their person. There is a moment of resonance in which the direhorse consents to the partnership. We see a beautiful and solemn reverence for the relationship shared between the two beings in which they acknowledge what's being asked of both of them, to give up a piece of their singularity in order to move forward together, as one.

Then, the rider has to "plug into" the direhorse through their respective tendril-like appendages. Basically, these are neural lines that serve as conduits for tuning into a collective consciousness that is shared between all living things. Pretty cool right?

This connection allows the person and the direhorse to communicate one on one with each other, through their respective thoughts and feelings. The person’s ability to control and wield thoughts and emotions as well as visualize intentions is key to the partnership becoming stronger. The direhorseman must know himself, trust himself, believe in himself and love himself before he can ask the direhorse to carry him beyond the forest floor. In the movie, the hero has a hard time controlling his racing thoughts, especially his insecurities and limiting beliefs. In turn, the direhorse spins out of control, dangerously panicked.

Sound familiar? Once the hero becomes present, embraces his truth, and reclaims his inner power, finally untethered from the shoulds and the what-ifs of his mind, he and his direhorse, partner fly together, gracefully around the planet.

The literal and physical connectivity between the person and the direhorse opens up infinite space for limitless possibilities for what they can achieve together.

By now, I think you know where I am going with this.

Here's the point. When we go together with the horse, we plug into an energy that allows for a two way connection between the horse and ourselves. The energy flows whether we are conscious or not. The horse is receiving information, either way and will be impacted, either way. When we ask horses to partner with us, especially in any kind of focused work or practice, it is our responsibility to be fully present. If we allow our racing minds or faraway thoughts to take over, we drown out our ability to attune to the horse. In this way, we pollute the energy flow with static which results in stress and tension and we lose the ability to sync in a way that is intentional and progressive.

Whether we relate the process to nervous system regulation or spiritual harmony or heartmath energy field or a silly, sci-fi movie plot, the outcome remains the same, our work with the horse is a reflection of who we are. As the mestre Dominique Barbier says, "We ride as we are."