As I reflect on many valuable lessons, I am reminded that horses are just one of my many teachers in my life. While I am fortunate to have many spiritual human teachers and mentors, lately I have been thinking about how horses teach me about love. Do they really teach me how to love myself; to love others; to love life? When I was a little girl all I wanted to do was ride my horses and be with them.  My first memory is still so clear — I was dressed in snug jean overalls with my hair in a loose braid when my father took my 3 year-old hand and walked with me to the neighbor’s pasture.  It was a sunny Sunday, and I was so excited to finally see this “thing” called a horse! Dad firmly held my hand as I gently poked a huge carrot through the fence for the orange (chestnut) horse with eyes like big black marbles. In that moment, my best description is to say I was absolutely “love-struck” — I felt a distinct sense of inner peace, my heart-opened and without consciously knowing it, in those moments  I invited horses to be one of my teachers about life. To this day I am grateful for such a clear, vivid memory. Many of my childhood memories have faded with time, but this memory remains etched in my heart.