WHAT ARE YOU
FEARFUL OF?
Horses are herd animals with prey instincts rooted in fear, and they can have lightning quick reactions when threatened.
God's Word Says...
"He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His trust shall be thy shield and buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."
(Psalm 91: 4 - 7)
FEAR CAN BE DECEPTIVE, DEBILITATING, AND EVEN DEADLY
Fear-based behavior in horses is one of the most complicated and dangerous prey instincts we deal with when working with our equine friends. It's also one of the most complicated and dangerous things a person can deal with concerning themselves. Why? Because fear, at its most fundamental level can be deceptive, debilitating, and even deadly if you do not understand it, and its source.
I am giving Samson the opportunity to explore the fearful plastic tarp, and use the thinking side of his brain instead of the reactive side.
Let's talk a little bit about fear in horses, and then we will talk about fear in people. When it comes to horses, they are prey animals whose most basic instinct is rooted in fear. Why? It's simple. Nature has hard-wired the horse for survival. And in the mind of an untrained horse, survival only offers them two choices - flight or fight. Most horses when frightened will choose flight. However, if there is no escape route, and the fear level is high enough, a horse may choose to fight. Whatever choice the horse makes, a fearful horse can react with lightning quick speed. Again, why? Prey instincts tell the horse that he has only one chance to make the correct decision, and his life may depend on him making the right choice the first time.
Why are shiny, plastic tarps so scary to horses? Horses do not have depth perception. To the horse, this innocent tarp looks particularly menacing, and resembles water or a hole.
Now, let's talk about people. Fear is something that many people, no matter how young or how old, struggle with. For some people, fear is an occasional thing they deal with, while for others, being fearful has become a way of life. Scientific studies have shown that the mind does not distinguish any difference between real or imagined fear. In other words, if we think it, then it's real to us. As Christians, what we do with the stimulus of fear and how much it affects us, depends a lot on how much we trust God, and how well we know His Word. And why is trusting God and knowing His Word so important when dealing with fear? It's important because knowledge of God and His Word is power. And why do we need power when dealing with fear? We need power because our enemy (the devil) is always hungry, and seeking whom he can devour!
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
(1 Peter 5: 8)
IS YOUR FEAR REAL?
One of the most amazing, and yet, disconcerting things about a horse, is his ability to "spook" at nothing at all! Anyone who has ever worked with horses, has probably had the opportunity to witness times when a horse spooks or bolts. Sometimes the reason for a "spook" is readily apparent, and sometimes it's not.
Unfamiliar things that move and make a noise can often produce fear in horses causing them to "spook". In this picture, my horse, Samson, is learning to use the thinking side of his brain, instead of just reacting to the crinkly sounding plastic raincoat.
Most of us that own or work with horses have experienced a frightened horse who suddenly bolts forward, or jumps sideways, often leaving us holding on to the saddle horn with a death grip, and a prayer on our lips. As we look around for the cause, we see absolutely nothing at all, as we exclaim, "Now, what was that all about?" Meanwhile, the horse snorts loudly, and then, just as suddenly, he goes back to acting normal again. Whether it's seen or unseen, with horses, or with people, - fear is real. And simply ignoring it won't make it go away. So, what will make it go away? The answer is - Perfect Love.
The Bible tells us that fear cannot co-exist with perfect love. And how do we find perfect love? There's only one place where perfect love can be found, and that's with our Master, Jesus Christ.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
(1 John 4: 18)
A REAL FEAR AT
GETTYSBURG BATTLEFIELD
I've ridden horses for most of my life, and I've experienced enough strange happenings while on horseback to fill a book, and then some. One such crazy experience happened to me years ago, while I was riding my horse at Gettysburg Civil War Battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Well known horse clinician, John Lyons, was holding a week-long clinic at Gettysburg. I decided it would be an opportunity of a lifetime to learn from this wonderful teacher, and also an awesome opportunity to ride the famous battlefield with my little trail horse mare named Charley-Horse. It turned out to be our last ride together. Shortly after we returned home to Tennessee, my little mare suffered from complications with laminitis as a result of Cushings disease, and had to be euthanized. But she didn't leave without sharing the adventure of a lifetime with me at Gettysburg.
Me and my little trail horse mare,
Charley-Horse, posing with
Horse Clincian, John Lyons, during
our week at Gettysburg Battlefield.
Charley-Horse was as bomb-proof a horse as there ever was. You could have lit a firecracker under her hiney, and she wouldn't have moved a muscle. Was she born that way? Nope, but she had always been a good and willing student, and I had done my best over the years to teach her to trust me, and be fear-less. One day, while riding our horses across the fields at Gettysburg, our horse-back guide mentioned that most horses spooked, for some strange reason, when riding across the field where Pickett's Charge had taken place during the Civil War. Then, matter of factly, she said, "Just wanted to give you a head's up 'cause we're entering that spooky area right now."
Me and Charley-Horse riding next to a bronze statue at Gettysburg Battlefield.
I quickly tried to make sense of what she had just said, then I filed back in line behind some other horses. I thought to myself, I've got no need to worry. I couldn't imagine a horse more laid-back and sensible than my little mare, Charley. And then, no sooner did the first horse's hoof touch the field of the infamous Pickett's Charge, when the agitation in all the horses could be strongly felt. It was an invisible fear that worked itself from the beginning of the line, all the way down to the end of the line, where I sat on my horse face to face with the litmus test of a lifetime. How much did my horse trust me, and how well had I trained my horse to face fear?
Me and Charley-Horse bringing up the rear of the trail just moments before our guide warned us of the invisible spooks that lay ahead at the field of Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg Battlefield.
Amazingly, within seconds, all of the horses were suddenly "spooked", as if on cue, and displaying varying degrees of fear. And yet, as I looked around, there wasn't a fearful thing in sight to the naked eye. Finally, as the horse directly in front of me began to rear, and then jig dangerously back and forth with its rider, I fought the strong urge to brace and tighten up on Charley's reins. But instead, I decided to sit deep in the saddle, rub my horse's neck with long, soothing strokes, and speak with a gentle, but very authoritative voice, "Walk on, Charley. Nothing is going to harm you. You're safe with me. Walk on."
What happened next was nothing short of amazing. Charley walked calmly and steadily straight across the middle of the field where Pickett's Charge had taken place, without ever lifting her head in fear. Meanwhile, all around us, horses were jigging and spooking, and the whites in their eyes told us clearly that they had seen or sensed something that we could not. I came away from my Gettysburg experience, not only a better rider, but with a new understanding of fear. Have you ever thought about the fact that fear is not tangible? We can't reach out and touch it, and yet, our mind treats it as though it were real. That fact begs the question. What is fear?
WHAT IS FEAR?
When I want to dispel fear in my small herd, I always connect with my lead horse first. His calm demeanor in my presence is a natural teaching lesson to my other horses who might otherwise choose to run. We can have that same affect on others when we believe in God, and are calm in the midst of fear.
#1 - Fear Is An Equal Opportunist
Fear is an equal opportunist and doesn't want anyone to feel left out. Children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly can all suffer from fear. A child might harbor fears of the dark. A teenager might fear being rejected by their peers or being bullied. An adult might fear the loss of their spouse, their job, or their income. And the elderly might fear sickness, and even death. Fear isn't willing to leave anyone out.
#2 - Fear Comes In A Variety Pack
Fear comes in a variety pack so that everyone can have a slice of the fear-pie. Each night, CNN and FOX NEWS offer up a smorgasbord of fear-related topics for us to think about such as threats of war, terrorism, and natural or man-made disasters. And just in case we're not fearful enough by all the bad news, the broadcasters provide us with "talking heads", all of whom are experts and whose job it is to tell us just how fearful we ought to be!
#3 - Fear Is Marketable $$$
Oftentimes, rapidly changing world news isn't strong enough for the true fear-junky. Always aiming to be user-friendly, you can depend on Hollywood to keep your adrenaline pumping endlessly. People are no longer limited to big screen horror flicks to get their fear-fix. They can now get it 24/7 on cable TV and social media.
#4 - Fear Is A Spirit
If we are to overcome our fears, then we have to understand what fear really is, according to God's Word. The Bible does not teach that fear is the opposite of faith as so many love to recite.
The Bible tells us that fear is a spirit.
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
(2 Timothy 1: 7)
LEARNING TO BE FEAR-LESS IN A FEARFUL WORLD
How well I teach my horse lessons of bravery and fearlessness during groundwork will always pay dividends in the saddle. Because my groundwork was good, and I gained my horse's trust and respect, I'm able to ride Samson bareback and confidently over the scary tarp with nothing but a halter and lead rope.
One of the most rewarding experiences of my life has been training my horses to be brave and fearless. Does that mean that we can get all of the fear out of a horse? The answer is no. Although he is an animal that has adapted well to domesticity over the centuries, the horse still retains his survival instincts which are prey-based in fear. So, how do we train a horse who is instinctually fearful to be brave and fear-less? We train a horse to be brave and fear-less by teaching him to use the "thinking side" of his brain, instead of the reactive side of his brain. And what do I want the thinking side of his brain to "think" about?
I want my horse to "think" about me and trust me (his Master). Secondly, I want my horse to think about what I have taught him. If he thinks only about me and the lessons I've taught him, he will use the thinking side of his brain each and every time he encounters something fearful. And as a result, his fears will have no power over him.
"The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul."
(Psalm 121: 7)
BEING FEAR-LESS IS A DECISION OF THE BRAIN AND ACTING ON WHAT YOU KNOW TO BE TRUE
It would be wonderful if you and I could simply determine "within our heart" to be fear-less in a world where all kinds of terrible fear abounds. But alas, it doesn't work that way. Although matters of the heart always carry a strong romantic appeal, the truth is that being fearless is a decision-making action on our part. And decisions must take place in the brain before they can become real actions of bravery.
CONSIDER THIS...
Science doesn't study the heart when trying to determine if a particular fear is real or not. It studies the brain and the thought-processes!
So, how can you and I be fear-less in a fearful world? The road to being fear-less starts with a decision; a decision to use the thinking side of our brain instead of the reactive side. The thinking side of our brain tells us that God is our protector, our provider, our rock, and our strength. The thinking side of our brain tells us that God will never leave us, nor forsake us. The thinking side of our brain tell us that God is our deliverer and our safe-place. The thinking side of our brain tells us that death has no sting, and the grave has no victory. The thinking side of our brain tells us that nothing - absolutely nothing - can separate us from the love of God, in Christ Jesus.
So, what are you fearful of?
Before you answer that question, decide right now that you are going to use the thinking side of your brain, and not the reactive side. Determine right now to "think" about all that God is, and then think about all that He has taught you in His Word.
Then, say it like you mean it,
"God is with me, and I am fearful of nothing -
absolutely nothing at all!"
