Once a man, renowned for his arrogance, proudly rode into town on his fine horse and tethering it outside he swaggered into the local tavern to refresh himself. Meanwhile the townspeople, always happy to bring a proud man down, thought to play a trick on him. They hurriedly took his horse to the farrier and had him take the horse’s shoes off and put them back on the wrong way round. Then they returned the horse and left him tethered as if nothing had happened. Before too long the man came out, glanced disdainfully at the gathered crowd, mounted his horse and rode off.
Not many miles down the road the horse, feeling uncomfortable with the shoes on back to front, became very frisky and rearing up bucked the man onto the ground and galloped off. When the man got up he couldn’t see his horse anywhere so with great presence of mind sought out his horse’s hoof prints and followed them, certain that they would lead him to where his horse was. However because the shoes were on backwards the hoof prints led him back into town, right back to the same tavern where he had been drinking. Puzzled, the man enquired if anyone had seen his horse. The townspeople were laughing so much they could hardly speak until one old man pointed to the footprints and said, ‘Your horse’s shoes are on back to front so the footprints although appearing to go in the right direction are actually leading you backwards. It is a lesson in life that what may seem forward is actually backward. Indeed sometimes that for which we are looking is in a totally different direction!’
