People often talk about what a horse is worth. Ranging from 10’s of 1,000’s to ‘dog tucker’ money… I find it a strange concept when I pause to think about it – the worth of a sensitive, sentient fellow being.
Worth has so many ways of being measured. I have seen horses destined for the hounds given another chance to go on to become beloved members of a family. Purpose bred horses overwhelmed physically and emotionally by the demands placed upon them put to sleep. Supposedly ‘nothing special’ horses transcend their humble beginnings to inspire crowds of thousands.
Do we measure a horses worth by what they can do ‘for’ us? Feats of athleticism, courage and endurance. Or do we measure their worth by what they can do ‘to’ us? Inviting us to feel things physically and emotionally that only being with a horse can. Nurturing our compassion, self-awareness and responsibility.
If you have been around horses a while you have probably laughed at one’s horses antics, worried over one’s health and wept at one’s passing. They may not have been the fastest, strongest or most beautiful but they held a place in your heart that may have remained undiscovered otherwise. What does that make them worth? Priceless x