Lakota
Be The Horse
After being asked to share concepts of American Indian horsemanship, I thought I’d start at the beginning. In our culture it’s the mother that starts the child riding. Once the child can sit independently and has started to gain leg control by standing while holding on to something, they are placed on a horse. Parents are never far, and all work is done on a lead line. It’s made into a game, where walk and trot are rewarded. After the child has gained a seat, reins are added. It is then when they can start to play be the horse.
Be the horse is a game older Indian children play everywhere. In an enclosed space like a round pen we sit bareback on the horse and close our eyes. Once the eyes are closed, the rider focuses on nothing but the horse. The first thing is to slow down the breathing until the rider and horse are breathing simultaneously. Once this happens the rider tries to somehow get their heart to beat the same rate as the
horse’s rate. This never happens because a child’s heart beats much faster, but yoga practitioners will agree that they can get close. Then try to think that you are a horse. Along this path something magical happens. The horse and rider start to receive signals from each other telepathically. I really can’t describe the feeling, but you know when it’s there. All I can say is that it is like being in another world
where the rider is half horse, the horse is half rider, and they fuse into one. Some riders, and some horses take longer, and it’s rare that they arrive at the goal at the same moment. The hardest part is getting the child to have enough patience and concentration to get there the first time. After that, the feeling is almost addictive, and the child does it on their own.
Be the horse carries over into adult life. My horse and I have spent so much time together that we can hit nirvana when he’s fully tacked up after about 20 to 30 seconds. This does create a problem. I feel that time spent on other horses is less desirable, because I’m so used to “hitting it” so well with my horse. After a many year layoff, I discovered that I couldn’t ice skate without a hockey stick in my hands. The signals weren’t there. That’s why it’s so frustrating riding other horses, because I’m so spoiled by mine and we know how to get the signals going. Everyone has their favorite horse, because they work well together. Try playing be the horse and see how the relationship gets even better. Given the demands of life today, this different type of meditation may even be beneficial after you dismount.
Tahka Pui
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This is so true…I remember doing this as a child. I still do it with my mare. We communicate and talk with each other this way all the time. It is a reciprocal relationship where we become one and yet are independently free at the same time. Rewarding for both of us. I am spoiled by my horse too. Thank you for writing about Native traditional Horsemanship .