The Equine's Apprentice

He was known as Ranger and a more fitting name there never has been.   Unencumbered he ranged throughout the neighborhood but every night he came to me for shelter, and everyday he came for safety, but most of all I think he came for love. It was months after he fi rst started showing up at my place before he ever allowed the first tentative touch.   He came and observed and found shelter in the barn.   Any attempt though to connect other than just by being present and he would bolt.   I began by making a big to do of touching and petting Max, my dog, anytime Ranger was watching.   I made sure that he knew that it was pleasing to Max.   As the weeks past he began to reduce the physical distance and his personal safety zone began to diminish.   He felt safest when he could approach from behind so when he approached, I never turned to face him.   I always let him define his safety zone.   Then one day there was contact.   The faintest touch of his nose to the back of my c

Dolly had a bout of laminitis.   Because of the breakdown of the lamina, the hoof became vulnerable to fungicide invasion.   Before I realized the seriousness of the invasion, the white line disease had infected more than three quarters of the front of her hoof.    To cure the fungal infection she is being treated with Oxine AH.   Most likely the treatments will have to continue for at least six months until the affected area of the hoof has completely grown out.   The white line treatment video illustrates the application process.

Ever sense Dolly has come into my life she has possessed the keen ability to push all of my buttons.   I've lost track of the times I've completely lost it when working with her and thus responded to her in anger and frustration never to accomplish what I'd hoped.   Even though I do not like to admit it, she is a window into my soul as she provides the vehicle upon which to project many of the aspects of myself that I disown. I tend to under appreciate her and favor my other horses.   In truth though, she is a horse for which to be grateful.   While my other two horses, Trooper who is still with me and Mack who crossed over the rainbow path, are mostly very amiable and willing to comply with the least suggestion, Dolly has her own mind and prefers to have it her way.   Because of Mack's and Trooper's likeable personalities, being with them has been more pleasurable.   Yet, it is Dolly who has steadfastly been the mirror that reveals the parts of the self

In quiet contemplation I have discovered some of my most profound insights.   In these moments the infinite is encountered and the material becomes impermanent and insignificant.   Peace and harmony enter the wounded soul and bring peace and harmony. Our human world is cluttered with things to do.    As a human I am always finding something with which to engage my time and attention.   It is part of our human condition to keep busing planning and doing. Horses don't have this human need to be busy doing.   As long as they have a full belly, they are content to simply be.   They don't plan for tomorrow or despair over yesterday.   They find simple contentment in just being. Just being in the presence of horses brings me into a state of mindfulness contemplation.   The simple act of brushing the horses this morning was a time of peace, harmony, and restful joy.   It was a time of mutual sharing with both the horse and human entering into the bliss of the infini

I have the good fortune of having at least a few moments almost every day for mindfulness with horses.  At times it is just a few moments of intentional mindfulness while they finish their feed or it is moments of mindful task oriented intention while tending to hoof care or simply grooming.  Other times the mindfulness is reserved for periods of intentional meditation.  All of these times bring meaning in their own way. There are others times when I have the fortune to share these mindfulness experiences, not just with horses, but also with fellow human beings.  Each of these mindfulness moments bring their own variances colored by the personal histories and presence of the participants.  The horses bring an intuitive understanding of each individual present and their responses to the situation offer to enlighten our human understanding. The language of the horse is subtle and often silent but when we are attune, it is always enlightening.  Horses speak plainly but often w

Today I spent time with several of my psychology students engaged in mindfulness with horses.   I don't know exactly what the experience meant to the students but it was profoundly meaningful for me and the horses.   Coming together in mindfulness with these natural and powerful mediators is ineffable.   The connections the horses and students created were visceral.   The horses' responses to the mindfulness of the students were undeniable.   The horses went from curiously leery and apprehensive to being as peaceful and trusting as a new born baby.   The closest image of the experience that I can conjure, is that of watching a baby sleep. The students seemed moved by the experience as well.   That old saying of you can't give without receiving seems apropos.   The students gave gentle kindness and in returned received acceptance and trust. For a few hours today, the world expanded into a universe full of genuine unconditional acceptance and powerful peace.  

I've directly experienced the benefits of mindfulness and yet I've found myself in the last couple of weeks going days at a time without taking the time for mindfulness.   When I catch myself, I'm a bit shocked to find the high levels of anxiousness and depression.   Then I say to myself, duh.   Catching myself does not always bring me back to mindfulness.   There have been several times when trying to go to mindfulness, there has been just too much resistance.   Other times catching myself and saying, "There is no better time than the present", opened the door to mindfulness. Even just a few moments of present moment awareness can bring down my anxiety and lift the depression.   The mindfulness in the presences of the horses remains the strongest.  I don't know why. It just is.   Some how, it  gives me a deep empathy with the ethereal timelessness of being through a strong connection with the natural world.   I am grateful for my horse companio

A couple of years ago I made the decision that I would not ride until I could ride with the horse at complete liberty.  I wanted to ride only a horse that was a willing and ready partner. If I was going to ride, I wanted my horse to get as much from the experience as I was getting.  Riding horses brings me immense pleasure but I just could not get over the fact that while I was enjoying the experience my horses were allowing it merely out of compliance from subjugation.  Put another way, I was getting pleasure from the coerced subjection and submission of another being.  The more I allowed that realization to sink into my consciousness, the more determined I became to ride only with the consent and willing cooperation of my horse. I began looking for liberty trainers and found a number who were doing amazing things.  They were riding without any tack.  No bridle or saddle and they had what appeared to be a willing and cooperative partner taking as much pleasure from