A lesson from a Mustang

Training a wild horse is like nothing else I've ever experienced. Training horses, in general, teaches so many lessons; it reveals who you really are, but training a mustang that's never been touched, man, that gets my soul.

You're probably wondering why there's such a difference starting a wild horse compared to a domestic horse. I used to think that too, I mean the saddle, flag, rider, it's all new to each horse. Most domestic horses though have been handled since they were born. They've been checked over and deemed healthy before being turned out to grow up for awhile. Mustangs, and ranch horses that grow up on the range, they haven't had that interaction. They haven't had someone feeding them every day or cleaning their pen. They aren't used to trucks and tractors driving around. Not only that, but their sense of fight or flight is heightened because they aren't the only ones living out in the wild. They live in survival mode.

This mustang had never been around a dog before, and this pup hadn't been around a horse. Both were wary and cautious

This fight or flight, high sense of needing to survive is what makes training mustangs so beautiful. Before you can teach the horse anything, you must earn its trust. Some horses you can do this with in the first few days just by feeding them. Others, may try to climb out of the pen anytime you are near. My first two TIP horses were polar opposites. One was somewhat curious and gentle from the beginning, the other was a get out of the pen, run away fast kind.

Before I bore you, who may not love horses as much as I do, too much with only horse details. I want to pause to draw a quick picture. The whole goal of training is to teach a horse, by leading it, to become confident, sure of itself, and to make it feel safe and secure. Now imagine this, what if God is similar to the trainer, and we are similar to the horse. God wants us to grow in a relationship with him so we can be confident, sure, and feel safe and secure.

I had a difficult time for a while trying to figure out what it meant to have a relationship with God. I mean I knew God existed and I knew He was this big, powerful, loving God, but I felt separated from Him. I was the horse running in circles looking outside of the pen when God was standing right there in the center waiting on me to look in. Through riding and training, I have learned so much about who God is, and is goodness and love for us.

This horse was a horse to run and run. He was extremely scared of humans, but with patience, trainer, Byron Hogan, won him over at a first touch demonstration done by Mustangs on a Mission in Illinois. *Pictured here is myself and Olivia Maxwell praying before the event.*

Okay, back to the training story. After gaining a horses trust, the process begins, one step forward, one step back. Two steps forward, one step back. Sometimes there are big set back and other time progress can be made really quickly. Through the whole process, the trainer is working to teach that horse to be confident and to stop and think when they are unsure of something. I want to teach horses that I am their leader and when they are uncertain of something or where to go or what to do, they need to look back to me. God is just like this with us. He doesn't want us to be uncertain or anxious our whole lives. He wants us to grow so confident in Him and in who he created us to be that when we face challenges, we pick our head up, pull our shoulders back and march on knowing He is fully sovereign.

One common mistake in horse training is micromanaging the horse. Rather than teaching, the trainer makes the horse do something. And then makes it do again and again. To make a horse do something, is to always have to make a horse do something. To teach a horse to do something, is to create a partnership that can do more and more. Here is yet another parallel with God: He wants to be our leader, but He desires a relationship and partnership with us. He is not a dictator saying "do this" or "don't do that," God is a teacher and a leader saying follow me, I'll show you the way.

My friends, I encourage you, if you are unsure about God, or feel like you have drifted far from him, stop running and look in. God is patiently waiting on us. He is quiet, soft, and consistent.

Over time, with consistency, we can trust our horses with big tasks, like packing around a kid or beginner, or riding across the country. Likewise, as we develop a deep relationship with God, we get to lighten our load from the heavy things in life by sharing them with the Lord.

This gentle mustang, Romeo, is as solid as they get. He is quiet, patient, and loving to any rider on his back.

Please reach out to me if you have any questions or need prayer for anything! I will continue to write and grow my horse training series and would love to hear how you've experienced God through horses or what you're passionate about. It never ceases to amaze me how God uses the things we love to gently draw us nearer to Him!

I am so grateful for each and every one of you who has joined this community! Until next time, enjoy the ride!

xo,

Sara