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I just went out into the night to check on the horses, especially our new addition, Sage. He hasn't been drinking as much as I would like today and I fed him a couple of big, sloppy bran mashes to help.

I am "sharing" him right now with my working student whose help is essential now to keep the stable going. She "leases" Sage with her work, although she will ride other horses and Sage will do a couple of other lessons... the two of them can bond all summer. I do "own" him, and that was what I was thinking about as I strolled around the stable yard, talking to the horses to keep from startling them in the semi-darkness between solar spot lights.

Ownership... different from "stewardship" which is how I actually view my relationship with all the animals, plants and land here. But technically, I own things. Technically, I own beings. And it is necessary to have it all on paper for society to accept the fact that we all belong here together.

But, I don't own these horses. I owe them! I owe them a safe place to live, water, food and shelter; love, compassion and relationship. I owe them a good life. I can share a relationship with one of my horses and a student or friend if it benefits the horse and I can give/place a horse into a better home (than I can provide at the time) when necessary. The special beings in my life (equine, canine or feline) have always been my family and not my possessions.

When we think of owning an animal, we often see that as giving us the right to use that animal. That being becomes objectified and quickly can be demoted to the status of disposable... or replaceable.

I ride the horses. I teach people how to ride the horses, but we use the most humane equipment; we teach compassionate attitudes; we stay alert to the horses' feelings and we never sacrifice the well being of anyone here.

The idea of ownership is running around in my head tonight. I think it might be directly connected to ego and that puts it into a realm of potential abuse by the unethical.

I want "ownership" of my horses because I do not want someone else to claim them. But, I have no problem sharing them with loving people and watching the deep relationships grow that sometimes don't include me.

The love is what matters.

Tonight, I rejoice in all the sweet spirits that call Dharmahorse home. I think about the competitive world (for horses and even for dogs) where it is a bit more rare to find the "steward" of the animal as opposed to the "owner". I hope that, as humans evolve, our species begins to see the sovereignty of every living being and the value of compassion - which returns itself to the compassionate one a hundred fold.

May love fill your life,
Katharine and the Dharmahorse tribe.
katharine
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