By: Nita Jo Rush

Horses, Parelli, and the winter holidays - what could they possibly have in common? I've come to the idea that they share one particular "thing," and that is joy. It is joy - that spontaneous experience of delight and awe, that unself-conscious openness to, and expression of, happy emotion - which weaves those three into a connected fabric.  Like a good belly-laugh, joy comes from being in the moment and living wide-open and out-loud. Think fun, think laughter, think play, think horseplay.

For us Parelli students it's a truism that horses live "in the moment." We've very familiar with the idea of playing games with our horses. We're conversant with the idea (the ideal, really) of thinking outside the box, of lateral (non-direct line) approaches to solving puzzles.  For whom do we attempt to do this? If you're familiar with the Parelli-ism "work on yourself when you play with your horse" then the answer seems obvious: it's for our horses. And it truly is.

Yet, happily, joyfully, it's also very much for us. Play - mental or physical activity for the sheer fun, pure joy, of it - is good for us human beings: good for children, good for adults, good for our brains.  Play is an attitude, yet more than that. Play is an activity, yet more than that. Play is for the sheer fun of it! And that helps the brains of us adults stay limber and healthy. If you put the phrase "the power of play" into Google, you'll find a universe of ideas you probably didn't know existed. I certainly didn't.

When you play with your horse and "work on yourself" you may feel many things, anything but full of play. Learning can be self-conscious, difficult work. To have learned, to have mastered something is what seems the most fun. Even so, when you truly play with your horse (and you may need to be in your comfort zone for this, especially at first), you'll lose track of time, you'll laugh out loud, you'll not tire, you'll grin wide-open. A lot! Play comes at you sideways and connects you with nearly infinite possibility.

Sound familiar? So, when it's tough to get going, to get inspired and motivated, remember how good it feels - and how good it is - to play with your horse. Remember, play is first an attitude (and so much more) - as is the first Key to Success! Horses love to play! They initiate it, pursue it, engage in it, enjoy it. My LBI/E five year-old mare, Smart Sail Kali, shows her playfulness often. She starts the games - and as you can see in this series of photos - and is persistent and creative!

The "power of play" is, I think, food for life from which we humans all too often become divorced. Among the many gifts horses offer us, horseplay is, I believe, one of the most fundamental and powerful. And that brings us back to horses, Parelli, and the holidays. Joy accompanies play - whether it's an outcome or prerequisite - or both. And the holiday space between Thanksgiving and the New Year - that frosty, cold, wet, lacey space - is meant for joy.