Pardon me while I wax horsey and poetic.
I first met Gary Convery sometime in the mid 90s. I was visiting Pleasure Valley, where Gary lived with about 60 horses, miles and miles of trails and an outdoor education and activity centre. I was watching him with three horses in a round ring. He just stood there in the middle as the horses ran around him, suddenly changing direction: clockwise; counter-clockwise; clockwise again.. I asked him, “Why do they keep changing direction like that?”
“I want them to...” was his enigmatic answer, shared with a smile that I would later come to recognize was the essence of this man.
Gary truly was what you would call a “Horse Whisperer”.
Make no mistake, there was nothing “magic” about how he communicated with horses, but surely it was amazing. That first day, when the horses seemed to almost dance around him, he appeared to be doing nothing – there was no gesticulating, whistling, calling, stomping... to my naive eye, it seemed that he must have been physically ordering them about...
“Why do they keep changing direction like that?”
“I want them to...”
The want was significant. I would learn that it was Gary’s very subtle body language that the horses were reading, a shift of weight, the flexing of some muscles...and the horses trusted Gary and wanted to do what he wanted to do, so they responded.
I would learn over the next 3 or 4 years that the gentlest and most subtle of gestures did more to communicate with a horse than any wild noisy powerful carrying on, ever would.
I would learn that horses can be coerced, but are better when invited.
I would learn how to let go of my aggression and predator nature in preparation for time with horses... a time of real companionship, working, exploring and delighting together with the horse.
I remember one night sitting in field with Gary among about 30 horses... most of them were lying down under the stairs... a few standing around the perimeter... and we sat together two men and many horses for probably an hour (although it felt like something between forever and a moment) and I experienced a peace that was so profound that it takes my breath away even now 15 years later.
I invited Gary to preach at my church on Sunday: To talk about his love and respect for horses, the way that he communicated with them, listened to them; spoke to them and how we could learn to do the same with human beings, too. The people, especially the kids, were enthralled. Gary would opine with me while out riding in the forest that horses were so Christ like... they were not like us and yet wanted to be with us; their nature as prey animals was completely at odds with our predator nature and yet they could teach us so much. They live with us and then in the end, give up their lives for us and become food. I thought that it was incomplete Christology.... but he was right about something: there is something deeply spiritual about horses.
I think, however, that the analogy is not with Christ as much as it is with the Holy Spirit. The analogy is informative when I think of myself as the horse and the Spirit as the companion, rider or Gary. Approaching me, the Spirit lets go of so much of the aggression that can associated with the Divine (Old Testament stories are to be left at the door upon entering....) The Spirit is not like me, and yet bonds with me... leads me, not by coercion, but by subtle gesture (whisper, even) and invitation.
For my part, when I am aware of the Spirit and open to those subtle communications, I follow them and discover that I can do things beyond my perceived abilities and limitation; I adventure to places that I’d never have thought to go; see things that I’ve never seen before and experience a peace that I can only barely describe....
I discover in this Spirit, a respect and love for me and I often fail to have for myself...
I have found that every now and then, when I'm really attuned... I can change direction because the Spirit simply wants me to... and it's fun to dance with the Holy Spirit.
I appreciate that this is foolish rambling... and may not say anything to anybody... but when I think about my relationship to and with horses, I do recognize something about my relationship to the Holy Spirit and to God... and I just felt like writing it down.
As should note that over time Gary and I drifted apart. I got busy... a think we argued about something once and never got around to resolving it... and I wandered away from him. Gary had taught me that horses always travel in circles... you may have to stay put for a year, but eventually that horse will come back (unless he gets a better offer). Well, I never got a better offer, but I wandered so far away that by the time I started to circle back, Gary was gone. I ran into his daughter one day and discovered that Gary had died almost two years before... So, I guess that I’ll have to make the best of all that he taught me; cherish that night in the pasture and the insights that he inspired.
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