THE INDOMITABLE SPIRIT

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.” (Helen Keller)

We all know those people - the ones who seem to face challenges and hardships on a daily basis, yet never losing their “Joie de vivre.” Whatever life throws at them, they continue to uplift everyone they meet with their humour and good spirits.

Joyful souls such as these are not limited to Humans. Throughout my life, I have frequently encountered horses who carry the same joyful essence in their spirit and character. Some of these horses are living far from ideal lives, yet they are overflowing with joy. It is these horses who have delivered so many lessons to me.

Sometimes the spirit of such a horse is captured forever in a book. Through such means, their enduring essence lives on, touching the imagination and wonder of the millions of people who read about them.

This is how I felt when I read “Warrior: The amazing story of a real war horse.” This horse, without a shadow of a doubt was nothing short of extraordinary. Not only did he serve throughout the whole of the First World War, but he survived and went on to win the Point to point in the Isle of Wight, four years after the war ended. And he was ridden by his owner, Captain John Seely for 26 years.

I struggle to face up to what horses had to endure throughout the war. My daughter insisted that I accompany her to “War Horse” when it first appeared on the big screen, and I have to confess that I cried so much that I had to take pain relief tablets to ease my resulting headache.

So, I picked up the book, which was bought for me as a Christmas present (the year War Horse was released as a film), with a little reluctance to say the least.

But, I was actually pleasantly surprised. For yes, although a very grim picture is portrayed, there is an overwhelming feeling of hope that runs throughout the book; one that makes you feel optimistic and uplifted.

For this is a story of a horse with an undeniably indomitable spirit. There is no escaping the horror that these horses had to endure. Thrown into the pits of hell, it is hard to imagine how they managed to keep going. Denied the luxuries we take for granted these days, such as rugs, saddle fitters, physios, dentists, good and plentiful food etc, they were ridden and worked hard, in the harshest of conditions, with food in short supply. Whether they lived or died was a lottery, dependent on whether they were lucky enough to dodge the bombs which were cascading around them. And even if they avoided being bombed into oblivion, were they strong enough not to succumb to disease or the harsh elements?

Warrior proved to have incredible luck on his side, and he was one of few horses who made it out alive. But he didn’t just survive. He thrived. His beautiful, joyful spirit, which is in such strong evidence throughout the book, remained intact, and he remained untainted by the horrors he had to face. No helpless or shutdown horse here!

I salute the indomitable souls that live and have lived amongst us. They are great examples to the rest of us of how we can live our life, demonstrating clearly that we don’t have to live in Utopia to thrive and find joy. On the contrary, joy can be found in the darkest of places. As the story of Warrior reveals, it is always there for the taking. The choice is ours!