survival of the fittest

This is the energy I saw emanating from Jin. The others basking in her restorative glow.

---

I moved to a  picturesque piece of property near the clear, winding Slocan River this past fall with my old gelding Prowler. Jin, sleeping in the photo above, was Prow's herd mate for the first 4 months and the two of them got on quite well. Jin is a very sweet but mentally and physically tense little mare. I think she's what the Parelli's would classify as a right brain introvert as her movements are quite stilted and choppy. She's very confident with horses and on her own, but with humans it's a very different story. I love her little nickers of hello and I came to love her quickly.

In November, two of Jin's herd mates came home from pasture. Goldie (standing with nose over Jin) is a highly sensitive, overly hormonal, very athletic, clever and gorgeous little mare. She's been problematic for Prow since their first encounter and often goes after him. Sadly, she doesn't seem to want to give him a break. It's normal to see her keeping him at least 50 ft away when the three girls are napping together. So the picture above was a rare and precious scene this morning. 

Spirit is the little old mare on the far right. At about 20-22 years old she's not a happy girl. Her eyes are very hard, (this often indicates pain), and her patience is VERY short. So short in fact that I got a wallop of a kick from her one morning while feeding mash and not paying enough attention to my position (more on this in an upcoming blog entry).

click to visit site

“Ms. Gilbert has turned out the most ambitious and purely imagined work of her twenty-year career: a deeply researched and vividly rendered historical novel about a 19th century female botanist.”   


WALL ST. JOURNAL

I just finished listening to the audio book version of Elizabeth Gilbert's newest novel  "The Signature of all Things," in which one of the main characters is pondering and studying natural selection. It made me think about Prowler and his current challenges in this new herd. Yesterday I noticed a chunk of hide missing from the back of his hock. I'm guessing that this is the result of one of her recent attacks. Goldie has skinned him of his dignity and I admit I find it challenging to witness my very sweet horse being battered.

I know that these are pretty natural herd dynamics, and I also know that when I'm around I can, and do, ask for much distance and respect from her and respect when I'm walking around them (please yield my path). Elizabeth Gilbert's book made me realize that Prowler's struggles, if not life threatening, will keep him strong and healthy by challenging him to adapt and navigate the tenacious and violent tendencies of this young mare.

In my own life, which has been full of upheaval and way too much moving of house and home, I can also see where these struggles have continued to crack me open - to  grow, soften, and mature me. This feels like an important realization as I have tended towards feeling victimized by circumstances at times. This new way of thinking about life reveals divine intelligence and grace.

Thank you horses, and thank you Elizabeth Gilbert for your exquisitely rendered stories.

Until next time...
may YOUR horse be your GURU.
Jai