Kings and commoners, heroes and villians, saints and sorcerers, have all ridden into history on the back of a horse. Equines bring human beings as close as we will ever come to flying on our own.

And yet, for as long as horses have been in our consciousness, they remain a mystery—perhaps, because no other creature in our lives holds the sweet paradox quite like the horse.

These powerful beings are at once mysterious yet knowable, wild but manageable. Horses evoke in us a fierce love, and unique relationship that, once discovered, never dims with age or fades with time.

There are as many opinions on how to train a horse as there are horse trainers to give them, but most will admit that to spend any meaningful time with a horse requires one to be in a state of self-reflection.

Today we listen to horses not only to train them but also to train ourselves; to learn from their exquisite and perfectly returned silence whether we are in harmony with our true nature or if the stories we tell ourselves are distorted and foolish.

In her book 'Horse Sense for the Leader Within', author Ariana Strozzi writes: "As our industrial dependence on horses has significantly dwindled, the
Horse as a Healer has dramatically increased. It is as if we inherently know that we need them to rekindle our psycho-spiritual vitality. We are
remembering that they connect us to the natural world, to compassion, to love and honesty. We are witnessing the transformation of the modern horse as these powerful animals become teachers, healers, coaches, mentors and body workers. The emergence of programs that involve horses as emotional and spiritual guides has increased by over 300 percent between 2001 and 2003."