Going for a snow walk with my horse Ollie creates a special connection all its own. There’s something magical about walking through leafless trees and rolling glacier carved landscapes covered in frost and a pure white glistening snow.
It’s a wonderful opportunity to share some time with Ollie taking in the expansive breathtaking views and breathing in the clear crisp winter air.
And the beautiful wildlife – white-tailed deer, wild-turkeys, cottontail rabbits, great-horned owls, and coyotes to name a few are much easier to see in the stillness of a winter wonderland.
It’s also a delight to see all the different foot tracks they leave behind as they travel through the snowy hills. Sometimes we like to follow them and see where they go.
Going for walks with Ollie is an adventure into exploring nature and building trust. It’s braving the cold with a beautiful friend and being rewarded with getting closer to a majestic creature, my horse.
And then Ollie is surprise by a cow.
As we enjoy walking in each others company back to the herd, Ollie sees motion, something out of the ordinary, what could it be? His subtle snorting and change in breathing signals something new. Then he sees it, a big cow, and his curiosity builds with the cow staring back at him, as if to say who are you?
I don’t know if Ollie was more surprised or the cow. Both eyes are locked on each other as if they are two ships passing in a sea. They encountered each other, acknowledged the other’s presence as if talking to one another in a distant voice, and then went their own merry ways.
It was an unexpected encounter both for Ollie and for me. Something that can happen often with people. When we least expect it, like:
- Losing a job
- Husband or wife wants a divorce
- Getting hurt by a family member, co-worker, friend
- Sitting in an airplane next to an Oprah Winfrey show producer
So, what happens is life doesn’t always turn out the way we want it too. And how you handle these unexpected situations will determine your outcome.
One of the most effective ways is in how you respond, process the situation, your beliefs, and go from there. And who knows, maybe the unexpected leads you to something you really were looking for.
Where we get caught up is in resistance to what is happening and feel out of control. To the point we create turmoil in our mind and hold onto things that need to be released instead.
To move on we need to snort, blow out our breath like Ollie did, (try it you may be surprised, but make sure you have a tissue🤧 ) to release any built-up energy that is being felt inside. And with that comes that sense of freedom, feeling better. And with me by Ollie’s side, supporting him in getting back to his normal state of being – and rejoining his horse herd.
It’s being resourceful with what is, learning from the experience, and how to relate to life in a different way.
Thank you for joining me and the horses, supporting people and each other on this beautiful journey we call life.
I’d love to hear any of your unexpected encounters, things you did not expect. Just leave a reply below.
Love 💕 and horse 🐎 hugs,
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