Many of my generation were raised on the genre of TV westerns. One of the familiar pictures of the real cowboy was his ability to take a wild horse, put him in a corral, saddle him up, get on and then stay on. It was called “breaking” a horse. If the cowboy stayed on, eventually the horse would give up and submit to the authority and dominance of a new master.
Unfortunately, many of us have this image when it comes to the second trait of a certified disciple: sacrificial allegiance. As previously discussed in Blog 37, sacrificial allegiance requires submitting to the authority of Christ. We described it as lowering the flag of ego and replacing it with the flag of Christ and His kingdom. However, it is important we do not interpret the lordship (or authority) of Christ as God wanting to “break us” and dominate us into submission. This false idea was, regrettably, part of my early thinking and created within me a reluctance to follow Christ.
Fortunately, there has emerged another method for training horses that has gained traction in the horse world. Thanks to pioneers like Monty Roberts, John Lyons, and Buck Brannaman, “natural horsemanship” or “resistance-free training” has become widely accepted. Although this philosophy of horse training was popularized by Robert Redford in the movie “The Horse Whisperer”, it has actually been around for a long time.
This method of training builds on the understanding of how a horse is wired. A horse in the wild is controlled by fear. The only protection it has against predators is to flee. Since anything other than another horse is a potential predator, the range horse is cautious and suspicious of anything unfamiliar.
Another important trait is that horses are herd animals. They desire and seek out companionship. A horse in the wild that has lost its herd will seek out and attempt to join up with another herd.
Monte Roberts observed this as a young boy watching wild mustangs. He noticed that there was a process by which a horse would approach a new herd and seek to “join up”. Roberts noticed that when a horse approached a new herd, the dominant mare would come out to meet it. They would go through a series of gestures where the newcomer would acknowledge the leadership of the lead mare. Once they touched (“joined up”), the newcomer would be accepted as part of the herd. Using the same dynamics, Roberts turned this observation into a method for training horses.
Applying this method in a 50 foot diameter round pen, good horse trainers can take a wild horse and within a few hours, train the horse to trust and respond to the trainer without any kind of force or intimidation. The basic idea is to convince the horse that the trainer is not a threat and is safe to “join up” with.
The trainer begins with letting the horse run around the perimeter of the round pen. Once the horse concludes it can’t get out and that the person in the center of the round pen is not a threat, it will quit running and turn to face the trainer. The trainer will slowly approach the horse until they can touch: join u
p. Once that touch has been made, the trainer can walk away and the horse will willingly follow.
Once the horse willingly “joins up” with the trainer, the training process can begin. It involves desensitizing the horse to its natural fears (surprises, loud noises, fire) and sensitizing it to the desires of the trainer. A trained horse will learn to respond to even the slightest cues of the rider.
One of the most beautiful demonstrations of this training process is to watch horses performing dressage. This equestrian event made famous in Austria is almost like a dance between horse and rider. In the show arena the horse goes through a series of maneuvers and gaits much like a dance routine. To the casual eye, it looks like the horse is doing it all on its own, but in reality the rider is giving the horse subtle cues that come from leg and hand pressure as well as delicate weight shifts. The horse has become so sensitized to the desires of the rider that together they appear to work as one.
It seems to me that this form of training is what God is doing with us. Rather than trying to break us, He is trying to train us by teaching us to trust Him. Once we overcome our fear and “join up”, He begins the process of desensitizing us to the habits and lies we have grown accustomed to and sensitizing us to the cues He wants to use to develop our God given potential, “taking us from the range to the arena by way of the round pen”. I picture Christ standing in the center of the round pen and saying to us:
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke (the personal teaching principles of a rabbi) is easy and My burden is light” (Matt 11:28-30).
He does not use coercion, manipulation, or force. He simply seeks our trust in the goodness of His character.
A wild horse on the range can run, reproduce, and eat, but it is capable of so much more. With the right trainer, it can accomplish many useful tasks and even perform before royalty. When a horse gives up its “freedom” and learns to trust the trainer, it becomes truly free to be all it was created to be.
A broke horse does what it has to do, but a trained horse does what it can do to please its owner, responding to even the subtle cues.
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Ps. 19:14).
A trained disciple learns to focus on Him (Heb. 12:2), sensitive to the gentle touch, the quiet voice, and the tender gaze that comes from His Word and Spirit.
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you” (Ps. 32:8).
Trust is the foundation for God’s “natural horsemanship”. God is not out to break us but to develop us. Learning to trust overcomes the natural response to flee perceived danger. Through trust we learn that our greatest fears are unwarranted. We learn that life under His training is where we can experience our greatest fulfillment and freedom.
Questions for reflection:
- Describe a time when you responded to a gentle cue of God’s direction. How did it make you feel?
- Describe how you have been “sensitized” and/or “desensitized” along your journey of discipleship?
I liked this illustration of the horse. I can remember the scenes from the Horse Whisperer where Redford just stands in the ring and waits. I can picture that in my relationship to God. He’s with me but not forcing himself on me. As I grow to trust him, the more I want to be with him. Lots of great parallels to think about with the idea… thanks for sharing! B.
Just wanted to thank you for writing out your thoughts about Trust based training. We have used the movie “The Horse Whisperer” to help adoptive parents understand how to capture the heart of a traumatized child. Lots of similarities to how God captures ours as your article so accurately communicated. Thank you for taking the time to write it out. – David