There is no denying that the bond between a man and a horse evokes a powerful emotion for people, but Budweiser’s recent Superbowl Commercial really hit a home run.

Intended to touch a chord with consumers, the ad features a young Clydesdale being raised and trained, only to be removed from his trainer, and then reuniting, powerfully, years later.

So just what is it about this particular experience that brings about a tearful response?

Is it that we are in awe of the power of the human-animal connection, or is it that the ad, and the connection it portrays rarely exists in human relationships?

After all, when was the last time someone came running up to you the way the horse in the ad runs up to his trainer? Or further, when was the last time someone actually remembered, and seemed appreciative of the time and devotion you might have given a relationship.

Sadly, it happens rather infrequently. And yet, it — the powerful unspoken connection that the Clydesdale and his trainer have — is something that we all long for.

Think about what happens between a man and a horse. First of all, there is an absence of judgement. But more than anything, there is an honesty that is simply inescapable. The horse, after all, being a herd animal, communicates on a feeling level, and receives and expresses information — important information — physiologically. He will tell you exactly how he feels, and he also will tell you exactly how you feel — even if you are not aware of it.

This is something that happens regularly in equine therapy. We come to the relationship with the horse with all of our hidden thoughts, feelings, and defenses, for the most part unaware that they are there, and the horses sees right through those defenses to the only thing that really matters, which is us, defenseless, vulnerable, scared, and finally, real.

It’s no wonder that is something we all long for.

References:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/04/budweiser-super-bowl-reactions-clydesdale_n_2613033.html

Clydesdale photo available from Shutterstock

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    Last reviewed: 7 Feb 2013