Horses and Humanness

A bicycle ride with my daughter? Yes, great! But, we weren't headed for the bike trail, and she said we wouldn't road-ride. “Turn into that driveway.” “Look at all those horses.” It was a great surprise and a wonderful treat. A horseback ride with Melony on a gorgeous fall day. I couldn't remember the last time that I had ridden a horse. What joy to be back in the saddle again. (Gene Autry was one of my boyhood heroes, Roy Rogers too.)

I have had a special fondness for horses from my kidhood. I never had a horse as a kid, but my friend Sam and I rode his dad's draft horses often. Sam also had a saddle horse at one time; I took a bad spill from her. The horse turned toward the barn and I didn't; I kept going down the blacktop, face and shoulder first. I had another friend or two who had horses, as well. I am told that once when I was very young I went over and asked Mrs. Crispe, well-off Plainwell resident, if I could rent her barn to keep a horse. I have no idea where I thought I was going to get a horse to board there. Shortly after we moved out to the farm on 104th Avenue, we got our horses. Trixie was my horse and I loved her. We have great family memories of riding horses together, going to shows, and other horse-related activities.

What is it about a horse and horses? They are magnificent  beasts. Doris and I still like to go through barns at the fair and just admire these awe-inspiring creatures. Horses are very trainable; they have excellent memories; albeit, I don't think they are highly intelligent animals. Good riding calls for something of becoming one with the horse. (Beginning riders usually come down when the horse goes up. LOL) But, the rider had better be the master. One time when I was shoveling the barn, Trixie came in and I told her to go back out. She didn't. I tried to push her out. I couldn't. Then I said to myself, “You don't out-talk a horse or overpower it; you outsmart that old equine.”  I took her by the halter, led her out of the barn, and tied her to the hitching rail.

Riding such a large, powerful animal, and making it do what I wanted (most of the time) reminded me of who and what I am--what it is to be human. In Genesis, God gave man (woman, too) dominion over the creatures. Psalm 8, addressing the Creator, asks “What are humans...?” and answers the question, “You have made them a little lower than God and crowned them with Glory and Honor....” The Psalm further answers the question with “You have put all things under their feet, all sheep and oxen….” Being up-saddle, even on a well trained horse, shouts all that and more to me in a still small voice. “Imager, this is who you are--so live.” And, I respond, “O Lord, [my] Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! And, how blessed I am to be your subject--my cup runneth over.”

And, yes, certainly, a horseback ride doesn’t have to be introspective--it can just be fun!

Thank you, Lord, for my daughter, for horses and for gorgeous fall days--all reminders of zoe--the life-dance You have taken me into; my cup runneth over.

Created in the image of God am I;

Endowed with dominion from on high.

Fallen with Firstman, I am too;

But in Second Adam, am I made new.

Into God’s Life-dance, He has invited me;

For now, and yes, for all eternity.