My girls and I are planning to volunteer at an animal rescue about a half-hour away from home. We went to orientation, and today I went for my first day of volunteering.

The first thing we do is feed and water the fowl (chickens, ducks and geese--and we get to gather and keep any eggs), feed and water the dogs, and then walk the dogs. Then we move on to work with the many horses.

In preparation for working with horses regularly again, I've been reading Monty Robert's book The Man Who Listens to Horses. This ingenius young man spent weeks studying wild mustangs on the range, and ended up studying and learning how horses communicate to each other. He dubbed their silent language "Equus", and has since learned to use it to saddle-break a horse in less than an hour, using no violence whatsoever.

I'm only a little ways into rereading the book, but I experienced some of this language today with a horse. My friend and I had haltered two young horses, Princess and Fling, and had led them to the round pen to brush and groom them. Princess was perfect, quiet and easy. Fling, though was being a little feisty, and would sometimes nip at Princess, or demand attention. When my friend was away for a moment and I was alone with the two, Fling didn't seem to like the attention Princess was getting, and was starting to cause trouble. So I decided to try Equus, and I squared off to Fling and looked her straight in the eyes, effectively saying "You are being bad, get away from me, you are not welcome here." I didn't hold this posture for too long, just a little while. But the most amazing thing happened--Fling responded to me in Equus. Very quickly she put her head to the ground and started moving her mouth in chewing motions--what Monty Roberts says means "I'm sorry, please let me back in." I responded by looking at her neck instead of into her eyes, and petting her neck, and showing her my flank, so to speak (standing at a 45-degree angle to her, instead of straight on). Then she did what Monty calls "join-up"--she joined up to me! Then I could just walk all around the pen, and she followed me wherever I went, her head right at my shoulder. It was all just like in the book! The most amazing thing!

This was only my first time at the ranch, but I think a horse may have chosen me for a friend. I might see if I can spend time with Fling, and bond with her, eventually riding her. And I'm going to keep reading Monty's wonderful book, so I can learn more!