In my early teen years, my parents owned a buckskin quarter horse (named Buck) who had lived a traumatic life before arriving at our barn. He had been starved one winter, receiving too little hay to survive. In response, he ate his hay from the ground by standing over it and working backward, prepared to kick any horse who came up behind him. He propelled to a gallop the moment one put a foot in the stirrup, a neat trick for a cowboy who wanted to make a fancy exit but not ideal for recreational horsemen. He had frequently been caught by a cowboy who threw a lariat to capture him from a herd of running horses. In turn, we built a small side corral to trap Buck for our rides and slowly haltered him, despite his constant threats of bolting. We had a mental list that was referred to as the ‘Rules of Buck.’ Every month or so we added a new entry. For example, while on a trail ride, my Dad attempted to put on a raincoat when the weather turned. Buck bolted and only settled when the slicker was dropped. We later learned Buck had been used at hunting camp to pack out harvested and quartered elk, which were secured to him on a pack saddle and covered with a tarp that resembled a raincoat. The joys of riding Buck outweighted the numerous rules but he required empathy and a compassioante approach.

We are all a bit like Buck. Past events inform our current mindset and perspective. What rules have helped you succeed, and which do individuals unknowingly violate? Where has empathy and compassion allowed you to progress in arenas that might have been unimaginable in a just proceed forward approach?