Throughout this blog we have touched (quite frequently) on the relationship between man and horse. It is a special bond not easily broken and if it ever is, the result could be disastrous for both man and horse. Without horses, where would we be? Where would our dreams go roaming? Would there be any great pastures for us to see? Without horses, we lose a part of ourselves. It is our duty to take care of them because they bring out the best in us.
For some people, horses are an integral part at helping us transition to the next stage in life. Stephanie McManus is one such person. She is dying from blood cancer and her last wish was to see her horse again, a walking horse that has kept her alive, that has helped to keep her fighting the good fight, as reported in this CBC article.
In her words, “I’ve always really loved horses. Silly, stupid. People who love horses are just stupid about horses. It’s irrational…It’s a completely different relationship, an intuitive connection. I wanted to have a reason to live. I wanted to have a motivator to get me to the next step. I’m grateful she brought out the spirit in me and I brought out the spirit in her.”
Spirit is the key word there and that is what the relationship between man and horse is all about, the heart of the matter. They are able to connect us to the bigger picture; to calm our nerves when we feel scared, to bring us comfort in our time of pain. McManus’s story is a heartbreaking one, but it is important to find the silver lining in a tragedy and in this case, it would be the healing powers of horses, how they can be our soulmates if we just open ourselves up. From everyone at Deer Creek Structures, our prayers go out to Stephanie’s friends and family.