That's really cool Bets! Keep up the good works.
recoverer wrote on Nov 15th, 2007 at 7:43pm:That people wouldn't force horses to pull carriages around. I always feel so bad when I see a horse who has to pull around a heavy carriage with people aboard at some tourist trap day after day after day. How long will we keep mistreating them?
I guess i'm going to be a party pooper and inject a little more seriousness here. I've had similar feelings and thoughts to the above, but i've also thought this too: I think some horses, the ones treated well, loved, and appreciated actually enjoy being of service to us.
This is part of the reason of why i'm not a full vegan and don't believe in full veganism and that any and all use of animals is automatically "bad", cruel, or unkind (it depends on the individual intentions, motivations, treatment, whether there is gratitude involved or not, etc).
Soul energy, and the various aspects and levels of same, from a spiritual perspective, takes great joy in service...but it also likes and appreciates some gratitude and appreciation in kind, just like we do too.
A more personal example. I regularly work with a young boy who has a severe case of C.P., and his family, him, and i went to a fair type event where they had horse riding. Well, i got up on the horse with my little friend, and my little friend really enjoyed the ride...so much so that i decided to go again later on.
Darn if i didn't get the sense that the horse was happy giving us a ride, and bringing such joy to my buddy (doesn't take much with him, he is one bubbly, happy, and loving guy) and to me. Her Horse Soul, like our Human Soul, is a wiser, more patient, and service oriented part of her...
After the rides, i thanked her a lot, gave her some apple pieces, and rubbed her down a bit, and my buddy thanked her in his own beautiful way as well.
It felt right, the whole thing. Unfortunately though, there are probably many horses who are chronically over worked as well as under appreciated at the same time, and no doubt these ones are probably not really all that happy. But, like with us, all in all in service comes joy, peace, and love.