“He who does not trust enough will not be trusted.” Lao Tzu

Most of us have struggled at some point, or even at many points, with trusting in others. That can be in relationships, in family, in business, in the care of our animals, and much more. I came across an interesting article from Scientific American on the importance of relying on others in overcoming tragedies such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

I feel as though I was brought up to believe that I should take care of myself, that if I wanted ‘stuff’, then I needed to work hard and earn it. I should take care of others as well, of course, but it was up to me to make of my life what I wanted to. This article hit hard, saying that we need to be able to rely on a wider circle than our family, friends, and contacts. We have to be able to rely on our community, our village, our town, our country, our nation, in times of need. The countries that have fared the best, in that they have the lowest number of Covid-19 deaths, are New Zealand and Taiwan, where the governments looked after the people as a priority.

Trusting in the larger team is something I’ve always found difficult. I’m an ‘If you want a job done properly, do it yourself’ kind of gal. I’ve always asked for other people’s thoughts and advice, and often acted on it, but that’s not necessarily the same as trust. As I get older, more experienced, and hopefully wiser, I’m learning to trust in my team more. Maybe I just haven’t got the energy to do so much myself. Possibly, I’ve got a better team around me. Perhaps I’m learning whose advice I can rely on.

Whatever the reason, I’m a great believer that developing your knowledge and experience is the best step towards choosing the appropriate support team for you and your horse. And so, I keep reading, I keep listening, and every day I learn something new.

© Sue Palmer, The Horse Physio, 2021

Treating your horse with care, connection, curiosity and compassion