Prepping for love

Probably for thousands of years people have been preparing for the end. What is the end? That is unclear. Some are prepping for the end of the financial system, others the end of accessible food, others the end of fossil fuels and for some, the end of civil society.

There is much uncertainty in the world. But for a horse, it is much ado about nothing. Horses have a different take on prepping (in this case, prepping means to get ready). They may prepare for a meal by standing at the gate. Or they may prepare for an unwelcomed horse who gets too close by pinning their ears. Or they may prepare for a standing nap by resting a hind leg that is slightly flexed with the hoof not fully on the ground.

You see the pattern? A horse prepares for the immediate future but not any further.

After a recent ride, as a reward, I took the saddle and bridle off Logan in the indoor arena. I listened to an interview with an Italian trainer not too long ago. He said that this is possibly the best reward you can give a horse after a ride — freedom to be. On this day, Logan decided to roll. As a dancer prepares by stretching or a baseball player kicks the plate before the pitch, Logan prepares himself for a roll. He smells the ground. He tests the softness of the ground with his front hoof.

Then as a ship breaks through ice, he collapses onto the ground, does his snow angel in the dirt and grunts with joy. Not just one roll, but two rolls. As my four-year-old student said after watching the video, “he was being silly.”

Logan was prepping for love. He rolled like there was no tomorrow. His retirement plan was bundled in a 401k of rolling in that arena. He prepared his whole life for this moment. And man, he was satisfied when he finished.

How are you prepping for love? If you are burying some soup cans in the backyard, make sure it is soup that you love, soup that you love today.