WHAT DOES LOVE really HAVE TO DO WITH HORSE TRAINING part 1

LOVE has everything to do with horse training but why does it work in training, really?? In horse training we want to have a horse overcome its instincts, overcome fear. The Bible says perfect love casts out all fear. Thus if we want to remove fear from the equation we must aim for perfect love. But what is love really? Again the one most perfect at love gave us the standard and the manual on how to love perfectly. Lets look at 1 Corinthians 13 and see if it truly is the most magnificent way.

1 Cor. 13 says:

If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poorand give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Today lets focus on what Love is and see how it applies to horsemanship.

Love is patient - to work with horses we must build patience. They do not wear watches, they don't think of the future, they don't care about timetable other than if its interrupting their need to eat. They live moment by moment. Horse training takes great patience. We must wait for the right answers and give rewards. We must reward the slightest tries. We must take the time it takes so it takes less time in the long run.

Love is kind - Kindness is the heart of love and good horsemanship. We must always act with kindness and built trust with our horses. A harsh, unkind, unfair hand or request will break trust. We must remain kind at all times, even when being firm.

Love protects - As the leader of my horse its my responsibility to protect them and always do what is best for the horse, not being selfish and doing what I want. I must protect from danger and harm. Must protect for disease and sickness. I must bandage and heal. I must protect their strength, grace, stamina and heart.

Love always trusts - I must always build trust with my horse but also trust my horse. I must trust he is trying his or her best with what they know and understand. I must trust their abilities of sight, hearing and smell for they may detect danger before I can. I must trust my horses strength and abilities and honor them.

Love always hopes - I must always hope for the best out of my horse and our future. I know today may be a struggle but I have hope that the time invested will pay off. I will place my hope in the fact that the Lord can give me wisdom and insight on what is best for the horse and me.

Love always perseveres - If I am going to love my horse I will not give up. I will work to do better in my training. I will not give up on my horse and their ability to love. I will persevere to gain knowledge and physical strength so that I can be the best horse trainer and rider I can be.

So love is patient, kind, protective, trusting, hopeful and persistent. These all apply to good horsemanship. Thus love is very necessary in horse training. God feels this way about us too. He is always patient, kind, protective, trustworthy, hopeful and he perseveres even when we may not. He can enable us to LOVE like He loves. He can change us to love horses and people so that all fear may be cast out.

Once again the bible shows us how to live, how to learn, how to even train horses. Stay tuned for part 2 to see what love isn't and doesn't do.