Divine Timing is Perfect Timing

Corazon de la Montana, a 7 year-old mustang, deemed un-trainable and un-rideable by BLM (Bureau of Land Management), was branded with the numbers 5298 on his hip and placed in a holding facility to live the rest of his life, along with thousands of other mustangs that will never see freedom again. The holding facility might be called a ‘reservation’ for mustangs.

One year ago I adopted Corazon from Ginger Kathrens who has been filming the Pryor Mountain Herd for the past 15 years. She was able to get Corazon out of the holding facility. Corazon (also called Romeo) has earned his keep. He deserves to be honored for not only his intelligence but also his willingness to learn the human ways and to partner with humans. He has demonstrated an amazing level of effort to learn and accept where life is taking him.

Corazon and I have made significant strides in our relationship after one full year of working together. This last month I started to ride Corazon. It has been heart warming, thrilling, and has put the biggest smile on my face that I have had in a long time.

I have spent a lot of time fretting about his path, doubting my abilities, and wondering how long it would take to get some of the wildness out of him. Now those worries seem like a waste of time. This little black horse has had me in wonder, frustration, anger, confusion, despair, and low self-confidence. There were moments during this winter that I contemplated finding him a new home, wondering if it was ever going to come together and if I would have the skills to ride him.

When I reflect on our last year together; the different trainers who have helped me at different times, the times he got a break from work because of my life circumstances or finances, where we were, have moved to and are now all seemed to work out just perfectly. I could not have created better timing, and it was not my job to do so. It seems to me that when it comes to building relationships and teaching others, regardless if it is teaching humans or horses, that the timing of the unfolding of the being, the flowering of possibility can not be determined by the human ego, it can only bloom on its own accord when all of the right elements have come together and when the time is right for all who are involved.

The timing of life can be a hard thing for humans to accept and embrace: to allow the natural flow, to live with trust, to take one step at a time and be on the path, to be on the adventure. Instead we search for the ending, want instant gratification, seek the happiness at the end of the rainbow and forget that all along the path are brilliant colors wanting to be noticed. We want to push the river.

Everything has its divine timing. To ask of anything less would be to separate ourselves from the natural connection we have with the greater world or the universe, the force that is bigger than us. The unfolding of one’s growth, of the development of a relationship only finds richness when humbled by divine timing.

Buddies Heading to the Barn - Hugh Coleby, Corazon's trainer, leads him back to the barn after our ride. Hugh has made a tremendous impact on Corazon's path and taught him to accept the saddle (which proved to be an interesting job).

Corazon has taught me so much about life. This week he teaches me the sweet rewards of riding the waves of challenge and frustration on the way to new levels of partnership. Corazon has given me the gift of patience. He has taught me that his path is enhanced and/or diminished by my or my trainer’s determination or abilities; however there is also a timing to respect in order for him to bloom in the human world.

Thank you Corazon de la Montana (Heart of the Mountain), you are a little black horse that is filling my Heart and putting a huge smile on my face.