08/07/2026
Reflections from Day 1 & 2 at the Wild Horse Summit at The Wild Horse Refuge ...
It's such a common trope today: "Start from a place of connection..." but connection isn't a starting point. The act of BUILDING connection is the foundation of relationships. ConnectING is an action and a choice that you make within every moment of every interaction with another being. But you don't *start* with a connection.
Connection...bond...trust...relationship are results of communication and attunement. You build a connection through conversation and developing a language with another individual (human, or animal).
The reason this is important for me to emphasize is because I see so many folks get stuck before even getting started because they don't feel like the horse is connected, so they are afraid to ask any questions.
This little horse I've drawn certainly is in that boat. She's not one that is actively seeking a conversation. She's confident in herself, easily bored, and could take or leave me at this stage. If I sat and waited for some magical connection before doing anything else, I very well could be waiting forever. So instead, I start asking her little questions... telling her a little about myself... seeing what kind of language we share, and what vocabulary we can each learn so that we can both communicate more effectively with one another.
Imagine sitting across the table from a stranger. How do you build a friendship? By starting a conversation. A proper two-way conversation where you listen as well as share.
So, start from a place of attunement... pay close mind to your partner's thoughts, concerns, and attention. And shape the conversation from there. Choose the action of *connectING*... and know that the strength of that connection in a functional relationship is as flexible, flowing, life of its own.
