When I was in Hawaii at the first of this year, I got to swim in the sea where thousands of various, brightly colored fish lived just off the beach within the clumps of lava stones. After smashing my toes against the rocks several times, I was taught by my cousin just how to get deeper into the water and regain control of my body.    After an incredible encounter with a large turtle who looked right into my eyes and I swear, he smiled - I ended the morning's adventure by briefly body surfing across the waves to the beach. That feeling was unique for me and so freely forward that I had wished it would not end. Much of what we are doing in life is a lot like that surfing on top of the waves. We so often are not aware of what exists just beneath the surface; like the thousands of fish, the turtle and the stones. I have not written a newsletter in a longer amount of time than I had intended. My Mum's passing and the stress of a hard winter without lessons to support us took its toll on me. But Hawaii healed me. Things here at Dharmahorse are getting back on track and weather is improving exponentially, day by day. |
 Our feelings often do lie just beneath the surface. For horses, this is a fact from our perspective because we need to make some effort to connect and understand them. And that "well of experiences" is always filling with either positive or negative drops... We had an experience here with one of our horses last month. He was tied at the tie rail and started scratching his head on the post. The lead rope got caught over his neck just behind his ears and he could not move his head - he PANICED! We always tie with "quick release" slip knots and tie short enough that this should not happen - but it did. At 17 hands high and at least 1,400 pounds, this gelding had the strength to pull the whole tie rail down before I could jerk the knot in his rope undone. That is what happened... but, I got him loose before it all went "after" him in a great pile of splintered, twisted rails. His neck hurt but was not harmed. He ran back to his pen and we have spent the past few weeks working to add the positive "drops" of patient, easy experiences to his "well". It will take time. Yesterday, we were soaking our mare, Penny's hooves in apple cider vinegar in warm water to kill bacteria and soften her rock hard hooves. She sometimes worries, so we tie her to a string at the tie rail that will break if she panics (we now are doing the same for the gelding who caught his head under his rope). She was great with her left front hoof for the soaking. When we put her right front hoof in the tub of water/vinegar, she tensed up then zoomed backwards, breaking the string. We tried again before we realized that she had a bloody little cut on her leg just above the hoof. Crikey, the vinegar burned in that injury. Of course she wanted to get away from the tub of liquid! So, we had to understand WHY Penny was upset with the soaking experience. We will now understand WHY our big gelding is nervous when tied... in time, his confidence will return. His experience requires the time and the compassion to heal him slowly. Penny was over her vinegar episode by the next day! Each being is unique in their ability to absorb or overcome something traumatic or dramatic. Penny is learning to "ground drive" and today she pulled a log! We have gradually brought a log close to her with me pulling it. Patience always creates good outcomes.   Penny has great courage. |
| | "On Horseback" by Mike Oldfield |
Well Being of HorsesLearn More » Courage & things beneath the surface |
|
|
|
 Our thoughts can support our dreams, our joys, our fears or our phobias. They lie always under the surface of our actions and conversations (as they should). Thinking creates the wave that carries us - the thoughts are always the fish, the turtle, the stones under the water of our consciousness - We can delight in the multitude of beautiful, dynamic shapes and colors of the fish; stab our toes against the stones; look the turtle right in the eyes and follow him... or just nod to him and thank him for his well wishes. It is entirely up to us.  Learn More >> small animal perspectives Learn More » Dharmahorse Store |
|
|
|
|
We wish you well. We hold this planet and all who fly with her in love & light.
Katharine and the Dharmahorse Tribe,
 Mahalo
|
