Gallop to Greatness!

The horse is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal.  Horses are adapted to run which allows them to quickly escape predators.  They possess an excellent sense of balance and a strong fight-or-flight response.  Horses are able to sleep standing up as well as lying down.  Younger horses tend to sleep more than adults.

Female horses are called mares and carry their young for about 11 months.  A young horse is called a foal and can stand and run shortly following birth.  Between the ages of two and four, most domesticated horses begin training under a saddle or in a harness. 

Here are some other interesting facts about horses.  Horses have lightning fast reflexes.  Horses can’t breathe through their mouths, they have ten different muscles in their ears, and they have a nearly 360 degree field of vision. 

While writing this post today, I have been watching TV and watching the final day of mourning for the late Queen Elizabeth II.  One of Her Majesty’s favourite animals was horses.

Her first riding lesson happened when Princess Elizabeth was three years old.  This took place at a private riding school at Buckingham Palace Mews. When she was four years old, her grandfather, King George V, gave her a Shetland pony called Peggy. 

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) gave eight of their horses as gifts to Queen Elizabeth.  The first horse given to her was Burmese a black mare bred in Canada that was the lead horse for the RCMP’s Musical Ride. The late Queen rode Burmese for 18 consecutive years, from 1969 to 1986, during the Trooping of the Colour held every June to celebrate her ‘official birthday’. The Queen did not ride another horse during the Trooping of the Colour after Burmese retired.  When asked which was her favourite horse, the late Queen replied ‘Burmese’.

Queen Consort Camilla is expected to take over from the late Queen as a royal figurehead for the sport of horseracing and to assume the oversight for the stable of over 100 horses.  

Here are the sayings found on the bookmark for advice from a Horse.

• Take Life’s Hurdles in Stride

• Loosen the Reins

• Be Free-Spirited

• Keep the Burrs from Under Your Saddle

• Carry Your Friends When They Need It

• Keep Stable

• Gallop to Greatness!

These are my thoughts about each of these sayings.

• Take Life’s Hurdles in Stride - This makes me think of horse jumping competitions or the steeplechase in the Olympics.  Riders want their horse to jump each hurdle in stride. The hurdles we face in life need to be taken in stride as well.  Look for the positive and what you can learn from each of life’s challenges.

• Loosen the Reins - I think of horseback rides I have taken and how important it is to loosen your hold on the reins from time to time.  As parents and those in positions of leadership, we need to loosen the reins and allow those that we lead to try new things and discover things for themselves.  

• Be Free-Spirited - A free-spirited person thinks and acts in an independent way without worrying about normal social rules.  

• Keep the Burrs from Under Your Saddle - A burr under your saddle is a persistent source of irritation.  Yes, it is important to not let things continue to irritate you.  Find a way to forgive and more on.

• Carry Your Friends When They Need It - Lend a helping hand to all you meet.

• Keep Stable - Keep a balanced life - time for work, rest and play.

• Gallop to Greatness! - Get moving - gallop - not crawl - towards reaching your potential.

Have a good day everyone!  Pick one of these sayings and apply it today.

# living life abundantly   # published author   # travelling tuesdays