It is getting to be the time of year when thoughts of horses inspire many. Inspiration, beauty, and spirit can all be found in the equine athlete. Whether racehorse, hunter jumper, dressage, or western, horses impact us. This time of year my mind contemplates the Kentucky Derby and it’s major prep races. My book Zen and the Successful Horseplayer, How to Win and Find Calmness in Horse Wagering contains info certain to help some in getting ready for the big races. In the book I include numerous quotes related to Zen and/or horses. Let’s look at some of those quotes for inspiration.
“We gaze upon the horse’s quiet beauty, their natural elegance, and we are captivated.
They see us softly in gentle light…rewarding human companionship with strength, grace, and intelligence.
As they run through arenas and open fields, past mountains and seas, moving like wind toward heaven, we travel with them–
if only in our hearts.”
~~Anonymous
“Horse sense is the thing that a horse has which keeps him from betting on people.”
~~W.C. Fields
“Life is like a game of cards.
The hand that is dealt you represents determinism.
The way you play it is free will.”
~~Jawaharial Nehru
“With money in your pocket, you are wise,
and you are handsome and sing well too.”
~~Jewish Proverb
“As a warrior, you are willing to take a chance;
you are willing to expose yourself to the phenomenal world,
and you trust that it will give you a message,
either of success or failure…you trust not in success, but in reality.
You begin to realize that you usually fail when action and intellect are undisciplined or unsynchronized,
and that you usually succeed when intelligence and action are fully joined.”
~~Chogyam Trungpa
“A horse! My kingdom for a horse!”
~~William Shakespeare
(King Richard III)
I think I’ll leave horse lovers on that quote.
