Vintage

There is a field, with two horses in it.

From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse.  But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.

This alone is amazing.

If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.

Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow.

As you stand and watch these two horses, you'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.

When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges.

He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives.

Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way....

Good  friends are like that... you may not always see them, but you know they are always there.

Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours.

And remember...be kinder than necessary-everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly....
Leave the rest to God

One of the most frustrating things that I see today is blatant disrespect by children of their elders.  While all of us have had the occasional disrespectful slip, sadly today we see far too many examples where disrespect is the norm.  

Nick is a very strong-willed, independent gelding that is by and large antisocial.  He is perfectly happy to be left alone with copious amounts of fresh hay and water, and has very little need or desire to be around other horses.  As a result, he stays in a pasture by himself, as we have found him far too aggressive to be around the other horses.  He would be very likely to corner one of them and hurt them before he stopped, so Shawn and I eliminate the problem by keeping him to himself.

Killer was the elder statesman of the herd, a big elegant Thoroughbred gelding that had been there, done that in the show ring and throughout his twenty-four years.  He developed laminitis in both front feet last fall and we did our best to keep him medicated and as comfortable as possible.  We knew that the end would eventually come, but we wanted to give him as much time with as much dignity as we could.

The last month of Killer’s life was a whirlwind of emotion for me and especially Shawn, who had owned him for eighteen years.  Some mornings, he looked fairly comfortable, while others told us that he was nearing his finish line.  Shawn’s attitude was that he would let us know when he had enough, and we would do everything we could for him in the meantime.  

Nick apparently sensed that the end was near as well.  For the last three days before Killer was euthanized, Nick spent the majority of his time standing just outside Killer’s stall, quietly watching and observing, as if to comfort him.  We noticed piles of hay in Nick’s pasture that were virtually untouched, and it was obvious that he had been right there for most of the day.  Nick showed a tremendous respect for his elder in that case. 1 Timothy 5:17 says “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine”.  We would be well suited to follow Nick’s example in our daily interactions today with our elders.  They deserve that much.
 

Dr. Tim Potter
www.ministryonhorseback.com

Sometimes we expect too much of ourselves, of others, and of our horses.  I believe that many times we fail to recognize small displays of progress with our horses.  Tucker can be, shall we say, focused on his will and his intended direction.  When I began working with him, it seemed that going through a gate was a challenge, as he would stiffen his neck and go wherever he wanted.  

Before I knew the Lord, my response probably would have resulted in a fight with him, which I would undoubtedly lose.  Instead, I chose to work with him, teaching him about responding positively to pressure as we navigated such things as gates.  Today he is much more responsive and will in fact tip his nose toward me when we negotiate the gate.  

I believe that this has been accomplished with Tucker through recognizing, early on, the small, albeit positive responses that he gave me in response to my requests, as well as the subsequent positive reinforcement that he received.  

Proverbs 3:6 says “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths”.   We cannot ask our children, our spouses, our co-workers or our horses to make dramatic changes overnight.  All of our relationships are a work in progress, and we should be cognizant of positive results as they occur.  

Recognize, reward, and encourage.  I believe you will be amazed at the outcome.

Dr. Tim Potter
Ministry on Horseback
www.ministryonhorseback.com