For all you experienced horse women and men, you’re going to laugh when I make this confession.

Yesterday was the first time I’d ever ridden a horse for any length of time. As our guide took us into the woods, and eventually on a side hill where the path sloped steeply down to Lake Louise on the left, I started to worry about the footing of my horse.

Many times, Moslin, my ride, walked on the very edge of the path which was very muddy and slick and seemed like a dangerous place to be.

My imagination went momentarily a bit wild. With one little slip, kapooey, I could see the two of us tumbling off the brink, head over heels down into the cold lake.

Now logic and reason said horses were experienced and knew about these things. I had nothing to worry about. And that fact did bring comfort. But when I looked down to the ground to see where Moslin was putting his feet, I couldn’t see a thing. His tummy was too wide and got in the way of my line of sight. Plus, horses have eyes in their head, which happen to be at the front of their body—way up front. How they could see where they placed their hind feet was becoming a significant worry for me.

I tried looking around Moslin’s bulging middle a couple of times, but it was useless. There was no way I could check on Moslin’s feet to see if he knew what he was doing. I was totally at his mercy! Hmmmm….

I decided I had to trust more.

I didn’t have to see his feet. I didn’t have to know all the what’s, whys and wherefores of how horses plodded on a tricky trail. God is All. God expresses intelligence. Therefore, everything in God’s kingdom, including His horses, expresses intelligence–including Moslin. I reasoned. This truth brought me great comfort.

Every footprint, every footstep, was guided by the all-seeing divine Mind that manifested itself through all of God’s creation. I felt reassured.

In my prayers, I saw that I needed to drop the belief that my horse could err, misstep or be ignorant of how to trek safely without slipping over the edge. Fear of accident was a false view of God’s creation, and I didn’t want to be fallible to it.

I quickly gained a greater appreciation for the seamless relationship that exists between God, horse and man. I didn’t have to know everything. God knew, and my horse reflected what God was doing for the benefit of both of us.

The all-knowing Mind planted Moslin’s every hoof firmly in a safe place on that trail, and I didn’t have a single thing to be worried about. I enjoyed the ride very much.

And I’m happy to report that we did not slip off the edge of the trail and go wildly tumbling into the lake.

Looking back, I doubt Moslin was worried one little bit.

I’ve heard that animals often appear to be very close to God… We can probably all learn from them.

Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada