Horse Whisperer Diary -- week #8

Greetings!

I first met Steve a few days after he acquired Luke in mid-February. I came to his compound in Cottonwood on a cold and dreary day, with absolutely no expectations or pre-conceived ideas of what was going to take place. I was admittedly completely unknowledgeable about horses and the only experience I had was a frightening one when I was twelve. That first day, when Steve was driving Luke around the Porta-Flex with his long bamboo stick, I felt a sense of calm and serenity. I stood inside at the edge of the canvas wall snapping away with my camera. Luke would come racing around within inches of me and I never flinched. Steve commented about this and I was very surprised myself. I felt no fear, for there was none to feel around Luke.

Week after week, I watched in amazement as Steve directed Luke around the Porta-Flex, all the while quietly acknowledging Steve's disappointment in not being able to touch Luke with his hands. I knew the goal was to gentle this mustang for the Extreme Mustang Makeover, and I wondered if any other trainers were experiencing similar situations. I couldn't understand why, after all this time, Luke could not trust Steve. Steve provided Luke with food, shelter, a safe environment, and companions (Ben, the mustang & Coco, the burro). He never raised his voice or hand to Luke. All the repetitious training surely reinforced to Luke that Steve was not there to hurt him in any way. And yet, Luke was either still too fearful from his past experiences with humans or just plain defiant.

Whatever the case may be, I have come to the realization that there is more of a story than simply a man training a wild mustang. Who is the teacher and who is the student? I'm certain that Luke is both. I am certain that Steve is both. And in some ways, I am certain that I am both. Luke is teaching Steve to be infinitely patient and to come up with creative ways to gain his trust. Patience and creativity are two wonderful virtues that can be applied to the betterment of our existence and those around us. If we look carefully and with open hearts, we will discover that we are all beneficiaries of this experience -- Steve, myself, the people who gather to watch his weekly demonstrations, the people who read his weekly web diary, an ultimately, the person who adopts Luke.

In the beginning, I said I had no expectations when I started this project. That is not to say that I don't have high hopes for Luke and Steve, now that I know them better. My lack of expectations is perhaps due to this being a unique experience and one in which I had no frame of reference. When we have expectations that aren't fully met, we open ourselves up to disappointment. Because I didn't know what to expect in this situation, I could accept it for what it was and to learn and fully experience it. It's difficult for people not to have expectations, but as we become more enlightened, we can learn to accept others for who they are and what they do. Don't expect things from people, but be pleasantly surprised if they fulfill your hopes in some way. Expectations can be unfulfilled or unmet, but hope is everlasting. After eights weeks, Luke has allowed Steve to touch him with his hands, and I hope that Steve will be able to ride Luke before their time together is up and they part ways.