For Everything, A Purpose

Standing, elbows resting on the corral fence, I looked at my pen of horses. Through their movements and my memories, their personalities all began to emerge. I thought of how this one was an exceptional athlete but didn’t have as much confidence as that one. I thought about how another one loved to run to and rope a cow but didn’t care a lick about cutting. I saw my daughter’s horse and marveled at how one of the most intense horses I’ve ever ridden had become mellow enough in his old age to take care of her.

I also thought of their value. How this one would sell for so much more than that one—in some instances based purely on their bloodlines. But the thought that struck me hardest was the fact that all have some value. In my personal string, I need each one of them and know what each brings to the table. Across the horse world, it’s obvious that there’s a place for all but the proven, unrepentant outlaws. Whether it be ranching, rodeoing, cutting, trail riding, a host of other competitions and recreations, or even companionship, there’s a place for most of the horses in this world.*

And if there is a purpose for horses, how much more so for people? I think about what I do every day and if it’s what I should be doing. Am I fulfilling my purpose? It takes some honest self-reflection to answer that. I think about my children and the impact they’ll have on this world and I both marvel and fret as I watch them begin to explore what they’re meant to do on this planet.

But I also grieve for those in this world who feel no purpose or are marginalized in their society. Our American culture worships youth and pays little reverence to the wisdom of the aged. Around the world, certain groups try to snuff other groups out of existence based solely on religion, skin color, nationality—or even personal convenience.

From what I’ve learned in this life, every human has value. And we need to stand up for those who cannot protect themselves when their lives are devalued.

Horses are capable of so much, and they never cease to amaze me. They serve man in so many ways, from practical work to entertainment to recreation to filling an indescribable void in our humanity. But when they show us our own value, their meaning in this world transcends the ordinary.

*(As an aside, I recognize that there are hotly-raging debates about mustangs, unwanted horses, and horse slaughter that many in the horse world are hard at work to resolve. For now, I’m consciously side-stepping that debate to focus on another theme.)

Photo: Neil Cooper