Learning To Swim

In A World of Rip Tides

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We are all searching for some form of family or foundation - for a place we can feel safe and secure. ~ Jena Malone

Horses, like any other living, breathing, sentient being, need to feel safe. A horse will forego food and water if he is not at peace with his surroundings and situation. He will pace the floor restlessly, whinny and perhaps paw the floor in a state of agitation, ignoring not only food and water, but attempts to help him settle. Often in such situations, horses become hyper reactive, spooking, bolting, and kicking out at shadows. Unless his handler can figure out a way to get through to him and show him he is safe and on top of the situation, the horse will act out in any number of ways, ways that are often dangerous to himself and/or others due to his sheer size and latent power.

Or, he will disappear into himself, weaving from side to side in a corner of the stall, self soothing much like the manner seen in some autistic or deeply traumatized people.

And really, humans are no different when you think about it. When we don’t feel safe in the world, the room, the relationship, we look for ways to express our fears and uncertainties, often without addressing the issue itself. Desperate to please? Or at the other end of the spectrum, road rage, anyone?