What Price Freedom?
Horses have been around for about 56 million years. Fast forward 51 million and that makes we humans a spry and mere 5 million and counting. Throughout history, from the dawning of our relationship with equus, humans have found horses to be extremely valuable to our well being…in body, mind and spirit. Over millennia, a spirit of community between horses and humans began to unfold and soon we found our fleet footed equines essential to life itself.

From the earliest of times, if it wasn’t for horses transporting us, our belongings, food, hides, or homes, we’d still be walking. And not very far! If it wasn’t for horses, languages and dialects would not have evolved, most likely still consisting of hand signals and a modicum of monotone messages.If it wasn’t for horses, generals in 600 B.C. would not have been able to record that reuniting wounded warriors with their war horses as soon as possible expedited healing, giving them a sense of calm, safety and peaceful well being. If it wasn’t for horses, music might have been a dusty collection of tunes, melodies only to be heard and played by the composer.
If it wasn’t for horses, Churchill’s famous quote ‘the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man’ wouldn’t exist. If it weren’t for General George S. Patton, and the spirit of community that existed during World War ll, the Lipizzan Breed would probably not exist today. Childrens’ dreams all over the world of magic white stallions leading herds of prancing gray mares with their solid black foals would have been void of the beautiful and bold white horses most famous for their Airs Above the Ground at the Spanish Riding School.

And here we are today. In the 21st Century, horses continue to remain essential. For our entire well being, our body, mind and spirit rides on as their spirit inspires us to be courageous inside and out.
Today, wounded soldiers are united with horses to expedite healing and provide a sense of well being. Today we watch Lipizzan horses inspire and remind us that their spirit and beauty lives on. Today we still recite how good the outside of a horse is for the inside of a human.

And today, the Spirit of the Global Equestrian Community is bright, united and rallying to save and protect horses and humans alike, once again, from the ravages of war. In that spirit we find ourselves not divided by continents, seas or countries. We put aside differences and do what it takes to protect and preserve the animal
that binds us in one vibrant, spirit filled connection.

It is the horse that brings us together, binds and unites us. It is the horse that inspires us to act, to join together and persevere as individuals in community. For without the horse, our lives would seem empty, our well being less than peaceful and our souls starving for the connection.
It is in this spirit of our global equestrian community that we have one unifying purpose. Return the favor that horses remind us we are blessed with on a daily basis.
That blessing is Freedom.
That prize is worth every bit of effort. That prize is worth the price and the cost of freedom is dear.