Untamed: The Spirit of the Horse | Teen Ink

Untamed: The Spirit of the Horse

October 5, 2009
By xxthiskidxx BRONZE, Oakville, Other
xxthiskidxx BRONZE, Oakville, Other
4 articles 0 photos 1 comment

We consider them our playthings. Our servants. We think that we can control them. Never have we ever considered how the world works behind their eyes. We treat them like pets, wanting them to do whatever we want them to. We expect them to respect us by compressing their wild soul.

Boy, are we mistaken.

They were once free, untamed by humans, uncontaminated by modern trash. Over the hills they raced, running as one, flying over the rough ground. They worked as one. Never did they have to listen to the reprimands of a human; never did they hear the sound of a car, or a voice other than their own. Never did they smell the scent of a trapped life. Never did they have to act on command, do fancy movements. They never had anything to fear other than natural predators. They lived, ate, slept, bred, found shelter, and protected themselves on their own, without human help. They could find food and water by instinct. Their natural, wild instinct took care of them.
Not anymore.

Humans have interfered with their lifestyle. We have destroyed their homeland. We turned it into housing and shops and roads. All for the sake of money. People kill these proud creatures for money. For them, it’s like being taken from their homes and abandoned in a place where none of them can fight to survive. Their instincts cannot help them in the fight against humans. They are made helpless in human hands.

Some, however, welcome human company. They form a partnership with us. They let us be their leader, letting us take on the role of leader. Nothing can stop you when you have that feeling. The feeling of being one with the animal. Two spirits blending into one. Blurred together. Don’t ever let it go. It’s too strong to let go, too powerful to ignore. They help you through tough times. They always are there for extra support no matter what. They always offer a shoulder to lean on. They can tell when something is wrong.

They can become upset themselves. If they are left for long, they can become bored and depressed. Standing all alone, not bothering to interact with others. Watching the world go by. Waiting, hoping that maybe, just maybe they will be remembered or that their owner will come back. Watching others come and go, reminded of the old days. Slowly the hope fades from their eyes and they become withdrawn, the spark gone. Until they are reunited once again. The joy that will be felt and shared between them, as they have a bond that can never be broken. It can never be lost.

How people could treat these creatures so poorly is beyond me. Never should something that gives so much to us be rewarded with cruelty. Some of them spend a life just giving and giving, and what are THEY given in return? Neglect, pain and no love. People think they are just tools, use once or whenever they were in style then just toss them away. Well it’s not like that.

Some however, are taken in from the places where they suffer. Rescues will take them in and give them back the life that they lost when they were cast away. They are then given all the love and care that they should have gotten in the first place. But sometimes love and determination is not enough. Not all of these poor creatures survive being so carelessly discarded. Their time on earth is shortened, as their life torn from them before they can experience what life should be like.

Tricks, fancy manuovers, collection, extention, lateral, what are these? are they natural? We ask them to do these things to look good, to win, and juts because we can. These are not natural for them. you wouldnt see a sidepass in the wild.everything we do with them is unnatural. we dont listen to them. we charge ahead with all our ideas and plans for OUR success. What can we get them to do so we look good and get famous? some of the things we ask for are natural; we ask them to perform their own way. but we never seem to listen. Running them in a circle, or making them jump barrels or obstacles, thats not natural. i dont care what you say. its unnatural.

We need to listen to them. We try to understand them. We need to stop shouting nonsense that they dont understand and start speaking to them in a langauge they can understand. They dont know what we say. We have to talk to them, not in our language but in theirs. The silent language.

I care for these creatures and they should never be thrown away. They provide companionship, love, a shoulder to lean on, a listener for all your problems, and the greatest friendship you could ask for. They should be treated with the respect they deserve. They need to be spoken to as an equal, not a lesser being. For they are so much more than we are. They can run with the wind. They can speak without words. They can surivive on their own. They can fly wihtout winds. But above all, they can see the world as it should be. Not as we have created it. But as it should be. Free of death, destruction, the scent of the earth filling our senses, light shining on our backs, clean pure air, crystal waters and untamed spirit.

They will never be broken. Never be fully tamed. And we should respect them. respect them for their wildness, for their spirit. And cherish every moment spent with these awesome animals. For each and every touch, ride, sound and second spent with them is precious. We need to treat them as the beings they are.

This is my story for I am a human that cares.

The author's comments:
These creatures are my life. It hurts to see how people can be so ignorant to their beauty and to their spirit. i want people to see what it means to be a horse lover, i want people to realize how horribly some people treat these amazing animals and use them like disposible toys. they are the gateway to our freedom.

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This article has 13 comments.


on Sep. 20 2011 at 10:20 am
Rocinante SILVER, Wexford, Pennsylvania
7 articles 1 photo 386 comments
This is good, but I agree with just.be.me, I'm not really sure whether you mean not to ride horses or just not to abuse them, the latter I agree totally, I mean we should treat them with respect and kindness; they depend on us for food, drink, safety, shelter, etc. I also agree we should listen to them and try to understand instead of assuming they're stupid and paying no attention to what they try to tell us. 

on Jun. 15 2010 at 8:08 pm
just.be.me BRONZE, Dedham, Maine
4 articles 3 photos 10 comments
ha, ok I totally get what you're talking about! 

RideTheWind said...
on Jun. 15 2010 at 11:47 am
also i never said jumping was bad, just that the way some people jump and train their horse to jumpo is absolutly horrible, i jump and my horse loves it, he will be in the arena and if there is a jump he will just go over it withiut any encouragement.

RideTheWind said...
on Jun. 15 2010 at 11:45 am
personally i ride and i agree that the bond is strengthed by riding, but im talking about all the people who use horses to make themselves look good. that has nothing to do with the bond formed, it destroys it. my horses love to be ridden but i have to make sure i listen tio them when they say the cannot do something. i dont force my horses, i cooperate with them. my article (which is really really old) is mainly to say that there are people who use horses for status and do not give themt he respect they deserve

on Jun. 13 2010 at 6:11 pm
just.be.me BRONZE, Dedham, Maine
4 articles 3 photos 10 comments

I think the article is well-written, but I left it confused.  Do you ride horses or are you opposed to riding them? 

Personally, I know the bond your talking about, but I think that that connection can be formed while riding.  Adding to that, I think that horses enjoy to be ridden as much as we enjoy riding them.  It can also be great for them!  I have ridden horse who absolutely adored jumping, their ears would prick and they would be very happy and excited.  I have also seen horses who have gained weight and become healthier due to having been ridden.  Yes, I do agree that some people are cruel, and it's horrible.  However I think that the bond between horse and human is reinforced through riding. 


VarsityRider said...
on Feb. 21 2010 at 2:54 pm
VarsityRider, Milledgeville, Georgia
0 articles 2 photos 81 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice." - W. Shakespeare.
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do." - Confucius

I like your intro. I can understand how you feel about certain things in ur article. I dont care for any horsemen, i just do more of a zen approach. btw, nice article.

on Jan. 12 2010 at 2:49 pm
WriterFanatic PLATINUM, DesMoines, Iowa
24 articles 0 photos 184 comments

Favorite Quote:
A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.
By Gandhi.

Oh sorry. Well in any case it was a great paper.

on Jan. 12 2010 at 11:28 am
xxthiskidxx BRONZE, Oakville, Other
4 articles 0 photos 1 comment
i own two horses and have been invloved with many, i know they are not all unhappy, its the opposite. its not meant to sound angry now however, this is actually an old piece that was the prologue to a horse abuse paper, so yeah it was meant to get to the point i was bringing across. its only an opinion now. lol. i wrote it ages ago

on Jan. 11 2010 at 8:20 pm
WriterFanatic PLATINUM, DesMoines, Iowa
24 articles 0 photos 184 comments

Favorite Quote:
A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.
By Gandhi.

Don't you relize that we have done that to the majority of the creatures of our planet? Still I agree with you, but dont sound so angry. Not all horses are unhappy.

RideTheWind said...
on Oct. 23 2009 at 7:27 pm
that is my opinion. ive seen pt parelli flip a horse over a picnic table and beat it with a carrot stick. i do not like his methods, i go by monty roberts.

yes i have no problem with playing a training and riding a horse as long as i am still being respectful to the horses natural wild side.

on Oct. 23 2009 at 6:49 pm
AquariusSunandMoon SILVER, Sublette, Illinois
8 articles 17 photos 69 comments
What is so horrible about jumping a picnic table? Don't you think a horse would jump something that size in the wild if they had to? And what if YOU want to play with them? Are you saying that once a human is added to the picture it becomes unnatural?

How is Parelli bad?

RideTheWind said...
on Oct. 23 2009 at 4:37 pm
Yes i know it is a bunch of topics put together, that was the point of the article. i know that the horses do play and do all that, but that they should do it on their own, not when we ask them to with rough commands and force. humans do alot of things with horses that shouldnt not be done, like making them jump over picnic tables. i want to help the horses in my so i use monty roberts. i find parelli to be more unnatural than anything else, thats just my option.

on Oct. 23 2009 at 4:04 pm
AquariusSunandMoon SILVER, Sublette, Illinois
8 articles 17 photos 69 comments
Well I'm glad to see that you realize what horses are (for the most part) forced into every day.

Your writing however felt angry and reckless. My suggestion would be to pick a single topic and focus on it instead of mashing everything together.

I also feel that I should point out that horses do a surprising number of things at liberty that, if they weren't able to, we humans wouldn't have attempted otherwise. When my horses play they do flying lead changes, extended trots and collected ones. Not all of it is forced or unnatural.

If you really want to help the horses in your life I would suggest checking out Parelli Natural Horsemanship. I love it. :)