Here is a special tribute to a special friend – Mosswood Dawn. She is a treasure to me beyond words, so I wrote a music piece that goes deep into the heart of relationship… and added some video on a summer’s day. I dedicate this piece to Jennifer Sims and all the horses at Mosswood Morgans and everyone else who lightly holds the beauty and the light of creation.
This video was removed from youtube — but I did not edit the music into the video. The music was live in the background while the student merely performed this dance with Gypsie. It was a first-take real take — there was no practicing of this performance. The student had taken a 4-level series workshop on energy and body language with horses, and then decided to do this dance in real time. No preparation for the horse. And no editing. Just live and in real time.
On Saturday the Horses at Alderlore presented a workshop for the cohorts of the Graduate Insititute’s Master’s Program in Conscious Evolution. We had begun the day by reflecting on the notion of “consciousness going all the way down” — and what that means not only intellectually, but experientially. The class created some really interesting energy field drawings that demonstrated deep intuitive awareness between them and the horses. In the afternoon, we sat down together with Remington in the horse classroom (aka the barn) where Remington stole the show, and wove himself into the hearts and imaginations of the students, as we watched a wearied old thoroughbred tell us about happiness, silliness, the limitless joys of life and relationship with others.
I will never tire of learning from my horses– at the wonder of seeing them delight others in a way that seems so extraordinarily generous, but comes so naturally from them.
Special thanks to Amy Mielke for sharing the photos.
… and in the end
coon must ‘ve won
for o’er a while
the duck is gon’
hooray yon coon
be full and done
wit’ gimpy the duck
who fed y’r youn’
A video of Gimpy and Company when they were here just one week.
Take time out to smootch with your horse.
Third Illustration : Stallion Rising
My friend took this photo from overlooking the horse pasture. It shows my two mares , ‘Jhana (the chestnut) and Gypsie (the bay) and the two babies, ‘Merra (the chestnut filly) and Rio (the bay gelding). ‘Jhana and ChoCho are the dam and sire of both babies, but as this picture illustrates, Rio looks just as much as his aunt Gypsie, as ‘Merra looks like her mom, ‘Jhana. They are all real good movers — and love this game I play of moving them around the pasture/ paddock area.
Second Illustration: Getting to No
Many people have horses that will “do their job.” Some people have horses that are “willing to perform”. Rare are the partnerships that engender true natural enthusiasm in the horse — a relationship built solely on the natural joy and enthusiasm that the horse brings to the relationship. Words do not do justice to what it feels like to work/ play/ engage horses on this level. Here are three videos that try to do better. Caveat– so much of communication with horses depends upon body language. In these videos, ChoCho is wondering why my body is so stiff, holding up this camera-thing– so I am trying to bridge with verbal cues. The result is FAR FAR less than perfect… but I hope you glean some sense of the joy!
Here is the first illustration for the second Waterhole Ritual “Saying Hello”
First Illustration: Leading from Behind
The Horses at Alderlore Present 