I was warned to not go near him at any cost. “He bites”, I was told. It was true. I witnessed him baring his teeth in a defensive gesture whenever someone would near him. If you did get close enough, he would snap at you. Yes, it scared me a little. I had never seen a horse act in an aggressive manner before. As a result, I stayed away from him and would never give him any attention.
One day, I was told to give him a bath and shampoo and condition his mane. I stepped forward in fear, afraid of what would happen. Would I be bitten, kicked aside. What would happen next? I looked at him and I saw him studying me with quiet resolution. I looked into his eyes and saw myself. I saw fear and uncertainty in his eyes. I decided then, that he was a being who had a soul just like I did. I had no reason to be afraid. I took a deep breath and picked up my hose, and proceeded to give him a bath. I was in awe of him. He was quiet, and remained perfectly still the entire time I was near him. In fact, being in his presence was quite peaceful. Whilst being with him, I realized my mistake. I judged him too quickly. I looked at him through the lens of fear because of what I was initially told.
It had been a week since this incident before I could visit the stables again. I didn’t see him in the barn and so I knew he must be outside grazing on the fields like he loved to do. However, when I passed his stall, an overwhelming feeling of sadness overtook my entire being. I sat on a bale of hay outside his stall and began to cry. Feelings of pain, anguish, and separation coursed through my mind. I couldn’t stay in there any longer and so I left. I didn’t understand what was happening to me and why I suddenly felt this way. I decided I would go and see him and talk to him of what came over me. Maybe he had an answer for me.
As I walked out, I ran into my stable manager. I inquired into his whereabouts, and I was told “He’s in a better place”. I didn’t understand. Did she mean he was transferred to a better stable than here? Did something happen to him? I frantically searched for his caretaker and asked him “Where is Pablo?”. He told me he had just passed away yesterday due to a severe bout of colic which he could not survive. I just stared at him in shock. How could he have left so suddenly? I was distraught and had to compose myself before getting back to work. All the while I was thinking of him and all the misconceptions I had of him.
Guilt woke me up that night and I knew I had to speak to him one more time. I needed to apologize and explain myself. For the first time, I tried contacting him- his spirit. When I spoke to him, I told him of how sorry I was and that I judged him too quickly. My mind was clouded because of fear. He told me how alone he felt in this world. He was misjudged and he only reacted the way he did because he was always approached in fear and so mirrored our emotions. He was never understood. He told me, “you felt my absence when you passed by my stall. You knew something was wrong before you could put it into words. Learn the art of Reiki. You already have it in you. Just dive down into the unknown and a whole new world will open up for you.”
I heeded his advice, and I’ve never looked back since. He was the awakening I needed on so many levels and I shall be forever grateful to him.
