THE HIDDEN COST OF DOMESTICATION

Animal trainer REN HURST lost everything when she discovered a new way of being with animals. What she gained made the loss worthwhile.

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IMAGINE THAT YOU’RE TRAINING A DOG. You’re replacing its own inner guidance on when to bark, when to eat, and how and where to sleep with a new set of instructions that better suit you. The dog gives up some of its essential being in exchange for praise, comfort, food, and belonging.

Undomesticating unwinds that same conditioning process that occurred in you. For decades external forces have shaped you so that your behavior is convenient. What happens when you break away from this domestication and return to your essential self?

Fifteen years ago, no one could have convinced me that domestication was ruining my life. I was making a very comfortable living as a professional

hoof-care provider and horse trainer. If anyone had asked, I would have said that I had created a life full of satisfaction, adventure, and success. I was more or less achieving what I wanted and had no desire to make any huge changes. The inner turmoil of my life was easy to mask. I couldn’t recognize my dependency on all the unearned privilege that was sustaining my so-called wellbeing. I was riding high on the power of others. In the case of the horses, it was often quite literal.