Our last workshop, in collaboration with Amorah Ross, was a remarkable experience. More to come on that in another post. What feels important here, is the shift in our relationship with the horses following the workshop.
Why a shift? The level of partnership they offered was unlike anything I have ever seen. It reminded me of the stories of the pod of orcas off the coast of Australia that would call for the human fishermen when the whales were coming through. They would then proceed to herd the whales into the cove where the fishermen could make the kill. The agreement between the two species was that the humans would always leave the whale overnight so that the orca could get the tongue - their favorite part. They would leave the rest for the humans. It was a remarkable example of inter-species communication, trust and collaboration. (until a new human took over the hunt and decided they would not leave the whale as agreed)
So, what does killing whales have to do with our workshop?! Great question. It doesn't.
However, inter-species collaboration is what we do! And, that is the part that was most amazing about this workshop. The expansion of our relationship has lasted beyond the workshop. Here is where it started:
In the daze of the following day, we let the horses into the middle pasture. It is one of their favorite places and had plenty of grass and wonderful napping spots. We walked them out (we don't use halters or lead ropes) and bid them a happy day. We then meandered back to the house for some breakfast and leisure. Sitting in the living room, I started hearing Rohan yelling (loud whinny). "Hm. That's strange. I'd better to see what's happening." Rohan was standing at the edge of the pasture, looking at the house, and yelling for me.
The first thing that came to mind, is there must be something wrong. So, I put on my shoes and went to investigate. As I approached the pasture, he then turned his entire body in the direction of the hose, turned his head to me, and then back to the hose.
"Ah, got it. Thanks!" I had left the hose on and the trough was overflowing!!
As always, once the message was delivered, he felt free to go back to calmly grazing with the herd as they slowly made their way over the hill into the morning sun.
Sierra did something similar the following day! My husband and I were in the pasture working when she came running from the back pasture, tail in the air, nostrils flared and screaming! She made her way into the side pasture where we were, and ran the length of it. Then, circled back and ran back to the back pasture, screaming the whole way! My husband and I looked at each other and asked, "Did Timmy fall into the well?!" We ran back to find that we had inadvertently left the far gate open, allowing Rohan and Grace to wander onto the other side of the fence. She ran away from the herd at the back of the land, all the way to the front of the 13 acres, to tell us that there was something wrong!
Thank you, to all of them, for their patience in our unfoldment! And, for their partnership.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
What's in it for you?
One of our passions here at Redtail Farm is our connection to the natural world. We find deep peace in the rhythms, sacredness in the wisdom, and certainty of our interdependence on every other piece of the eco-system.
Over the last 3 weeks, some interesting events have come to pass. Laying in bed last night, and then again this morning, I felt compelled to send some thoughts into cyberspace.
The first event was a cougar down in Yelm attaching horses. There were 2 different attacks, 2 different farms, 2 different horses. Horses tend to represent discovering freedom, travel, and new beginnings. The first attempt, the cat tried for the haunches. The second, for the neck. Both times, the horses got away. This is very strange behavior for a cat who seems to be practicing strategies. I have not heard of any more attacks since.
Last week, residents in a downtown Seattle neighborhood started reporting cougar sights near Discovery Park. That is a first... what the heck would draw a cougar into downtown Seattle? We know our city is beautiful, but wouldn't have expected a cougar to think so!
Yesterday, after treeing the cat with dogs and shooting him with a tranquilizer dart, they released him into the Cascade Foothills - a much more suitable location for such a magnificent soul. He was a 2 1/2 year male, 140 pounds, in his prime. The Wildlife agents that had the chance to see him in the tree, in all his glory, before he was drugged, were clearly moved by his majesty.
The next story on the news was the fact that a driver outside of Marymoor Park, near downtown Redmond, struck and killed another adult male cougar. Same question - what the heck is a cougar doing in downtown Redmond?
I have a general rule of thumb for life to help keep me balanced and curious: if I see something once, it is interesting. If I see something twice, I make note of it. If I see something three times, I take action. In this case, action for me meant connecting with Mother Nature, and with the cats in particular. My question, "What's up and what do you need us to know?" Afterwards, I took a visit to my Ted Andrew's Animal Speak book (always by my chair!)
As Ted puts it, "If cougar has shown up in your life, it is time to learn about power. Test your own. Most young cougars learn how to use their power through trial and error. It strengthens them and hones their skills. When cougar shows up as totem, much of the trial has been worked through. Now it is time to assert."
"People may not like your asserting. They may try and keep you in the category they have always kept you. You can choose to remain so, or you can stretch your muscles and show your capabilities."...
"The deer is the cougar's favorite prey. One of the qualities embodied by the deer is gentleness."... "remember that power can be asserted with gently." ...
"The cougar teaches decisiveness in the use of personal power."... "The cougar can teach you how to bring out your power and fill your heart with it in a manner that will enable you to take charge of your life."
Cougar seems to be inviting those of us who will listen, to to ask where does our power want to be asserted, with gentleness and conviction?
Over the last 3 weeks, some interesting events have come to pass. Laying in bed last night, and then again this morning, I felt compelled to send some thoughts into cyberspace.
The first event was a cougar down in Yelm attaching horses. There were 2 different attacks, 2 different farms, 2 different horses. Horses tend to represent discovering freedom, travel, and new beginnings. The first attempt, the cat tried for the haunches. The second, for the neck. Both times, the horses got away. This is very strange behavior for a cat who seems to be practicing strategies. I have not heard of any more attacks since.
Last week, residents in a downtown Seattle neighborhood started reporting cougar sights near Discovery Park. That is a first... what the heck would draw a cougar into downtown Seattle? We know our city is beautiful, but wouldn't have expected a cougar to think so!
Yesterday, after treeing the cat with dogs and shooting him with a tranquilizer dart, they released him into the Cascade Foothills - a much more suitable location for such a magnificent soul. He was a 2 1/2 year male, 140 pounds, in his prime. The Wildlife agents that had the chance to see him in the tree, in all his glory, before he was drugged, were clearly moved by his majesty.
The next story on the news was the fact that a driver outside of Marymoor Park, near downtown Redmond, struck and killed another adult male cougar. Same question - what the heck is a cougar doing in downtown Redmond?
I have a general rule of thumb for life to help keep me balanced and curious: if I see something once, it is interesting. If I see something twice, I make note of it. If I see something three times, I take action. In this case, action for me meant connecting with Mother Nature, and with the cats in particular. My question, "What's up and what do you need us to know?" Afterwards, I took a visit to my Ted Andrew's Animal Speak book (always by my chair!)
As Ted puts it, "If cougar has shown up in your life, it is time to learn about power. Test your own. Most young cougars learn how to use their power through trial and error. It strengthens them and hones their skills. When cougar shows up as totem, much of the trial has been worked through. Now it is time to assert."
"People may not like your asserting. They may try and keep you in the category they have always kept you. You can choose to remain so, or you can stretch your muscles and show your capabilities."...
"The deer is the cougar's favorite prey. One of the qualities embodied by the deer is gentleness."... "remember that power can be asserted with gently." ...
"The cougar teaches decisiveness in the use of personal power."... "The cougar can teach you how to bring out your power and fill your heart with it in a manner that will enable you to take charge of your life."
Cougar seems to be inviting those of us who will listen, to to ask where does our power want to be asserted, with gentleness and conviction?
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Horses Cry?
In all of the years I have spent with horses, and all of the conversations I have had with people about the undeniable fact that they are sentient beings with thoughts and feelings, I was stunned...
I was spending time with a very dear client and the herd and we were talking about companionship and loneliness. As things began to shift and the client really settled into her body, I noticed one of the horses walking very purposefully towards her from across the pasture. I backed away, understanding that there was a gift to be exchanged between the two of them. The horse walked directly to her, stopping a short distance away, cocking her head in a very strange sideways orientation next to the woman's left arm - close to her shoulder. I asked what the woman was noticing. After several long pauses, she shared that she wasn't sure. I could sense a heaviness and resistance. As I drew my attention back to the greater space, I turned to the horse and the larger environment to feel into what other information wanted to come forward.
I was stunned to see clear tears falling from the horses eye. Three, four, five, six... tears. There was no goop in her eye, and this was not discharge. These were clear, cathartic, beautiful tears of recognition. I stood there, unable to speak. I can't tell how much time passed until I shared with the client that I was noticing the tears from the horse and wondered what was significant about her left shoulder/arm. She welled up and and said that it wasn't her arm, it was her breast - she had had a mastectomy.
As she connected with that pain, the horse put her head down and licked and chewed. As I looked up at the rest of the herd, they had all paired up in a semi-circle and had turned in to face us. They were holding space for these two beings to come together in recognition and acknowledgement of pain, and create release.
As always, once the message is delivered, the horse disengaged and went back to her place in the herd. The client and I stood in silence, sharing the amazing power that exists beyond our verbal limitations.
So, yes, horses do cry. What does that mean about the rest of the animal nations?
I was spending time with a very dear client and the herd and we were talking about companionship and loneliness. As things began to shift and the client really settled into her body, I noticed one of the horses walking very purposefully towards her from across the pasture. I backed away, understanding that there was a gift to be exchanged between the two of them. The horse walked directly to her, stopping a short distance away, cocking her head in a very strange sideways orientation next to the woman's left arm - close to her shoulder. I asked what the woman was noticing. After several long pauses, she shared that she wasn't sure. I could sense a heaviness and resistance. As I drew my attention back to the greater space, I turned to the horse and the larger environment to feel into what other information wanted to come forward.
I was stunned to see clear tears falling from the horses eye. Three, four, five, six... tears. There was no goop in her eye, and this was not discharge. These were clear, cathartic, beautiful tears of recognition. I stood there, unable to speak. I can't tell how much time passed until I shared with the client that I was noticing the tears from the horse and wondered what was significant about her left shoulder/arm. She welled up and and said that it wasn't her arm, it was her breast - she had had a mastectomy.
As she connected with that pain, the horse put her head down and licked and chewed. As I looked up at the rest of the herd, they had all paired up in a semi-circle and had turned in to face us. They were holding space for these two beings to come together in recognition and acknowledgement of pain, and create release.
As always, once the message is delivered, the horse disengaged and went back to her place in the herd. The client and I stood in silence, sharing the amazing power that exists beyond our verbal limitations.
So, yes, horses do cry. What does that mean about the rest of the animal nations?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
"Soft, fuzzy part"
... My heart overflowed with gratitude for the honor of partnering with the horses and my clients. A perspective client came to the farm for a free consultation (we meet, they meet the horses, experience the space of the farm, and we all collectively decide as to whether we are a good fit).
The first thing that struck me was the horses that usually meet and greet visitors were remarkably absent. I looked for them, and they were busily occupied in the troughs, seeming to not notice our visitor. That gave us space to be able to move through the high-use area to what we call the "playground", where two horses were laying down. This woman had shared with me that she was a bit intimidated by horses, so I was particularly grateful for their wisdom in having not overwhelmed her with their size.
After exchanging some background information, I offered her to notice in her body what wanted to happen. She said that she would really like to go over towards one of the horses who was laying down, with his head up and quietly alert. I watched her ground and center herself, and then walk over to the horse. The energetic conversation between the two of them, and the other horse laying down a short distance away was quiet, respectful, tentative and joyfull. She stopped a distance away from the horse she was approaching and stayed there in the heart-based conversation for a brief time. She then moved out of her body and into her head and I could see the doubts coming in and the analysis of what she "should" do. Up to that point, the horse had been really connecting with her, inviting her into his vulnerable space. When she went into her head, he dis-engaged and turned his head away. She took that as a sign that they were done and made her way back over to me. She looked happy, and a bit confused.
We spent a few minutes talking about what she noticed, what made her stop, and what made her come back over to me. She shared that she doesn't tend to let people in, and then expanded that to herself - she longs to connect with the "soft, fuzzy part" of herself, but creates limitations and boundaries that keep, even her, out.
I offered a reflection that the boundaries she was describing is what I just watched her play out. The light bulb exploded over her heart and her eyes flew open! "Yes! That is what I just did! Can I try again?!" "Of course," I replied! This time her approach was fully grounded and centered and the horse again welcomed her into his space. She came to a stop near his head and he reached his nose up to nuzzle her. They exchanged a beautiful moment of connection. She exhaled, then he did as well. And then, the most remarkable thing, he layed himself all the way down and rested his head at her feet and sighed. She stayed for a few moments, marinating in the magic of the moment before coming back over to me with tears in her eyes. The sun could not have outshined her - she was simply luminescent.
She had not only recognized the pattern of this limitation in her life, she recognized how it feels in her body, and moved beyond it! She touched her sofy, fuzzy part!!! Einstein said something to the effect that, once your mind has been expanded to even consider an idea, it can never go back to the way it was. She not only imagined breaking through that limitation, she did it! And, her whole being now knows what it feels like to move through that barrier and how rewarding the connection is on the other side.
It was beautiful to watch and I am so grateful for the grace that brought her to us.
The first thing that struck me was the horses that usually meet and greet visitors were remarkably absent. I looked for them, and they were busily occupied in the troughs, seeming to not notice our visitor. That gave us space to be able to move through the high-use area to what we call the "playground", where two horses were laying down. This woman had shared with me that she was a bit intimidated by horses, so I was particularly grateful for their wisdom in having not overwhelmed her with their size.
After exchanging some background information, I offered her to notice in her body what wanted to happen. She said that she would really like to go over towards one of the horses who was laying down, with his head up and quietly alert. I watched her ground and center herself, and then walk over to the horse. The energetic conversation between the two of them, and the other horse laying down a short distance away was quiet, respectful, tentative and joyfull. She stopped a distance away from the horse she was approaching and stayed there in the heart-based conversation for a brief time. She then moved out of her body and into her head and I could see the doubts coming in and the analysis of what she "should" do. Up to that point, the horse had been really connecting with her, inviting her into his vulnerable space. When she went into her head, he dis-engaged and turned his head away. She took that as a sign that they were done and made her way back over to me. She looked happy, and a bit confused.
We spent a few minutes talking about what she noticed, what made her stop, and what made her come back over to me. She shared that she doesn't tend to let people in, and then expanded that to herself - she longs to connect with the "soft, fuzzy part" of herself, but creates limitations and boundaries that keep, even her, out.
I offered a reflection that the boundaries she was describing is what I just watched her play out. The light bulb exploded over her heart and her eyes flew open! "Yes! That is what I just did! Can I try again?!" "Of course," I replied! This time her approach was fully grounded and centered and the horse again welcomed her into his space. She came to a stop near his head and he reached his nose up to nuzzle her. They exchanged a beautiful moment of connection. She exhaled, then he did as well. And then, the most remarkable thing, he layed himself all the way down and rested his head at her feet and sighed. She stayed for a few moments, marinating in the magic of the moment before coming back over to me with tears in her eyes. The sun could not have outshined her - she was simply luminescent.
She had not only recognized the pattern of this limitation in her life, she recognized how it feels in her body, and moved beyond it! She touched her sofy, fuzzy part!!! Einstein said something to the effect that, once your mind has been expanded to even consider an idea, it can never go back to the way it was. She not only imagined breaking through that limitation, she did it! And, her whole being now knows what it feels like to move through that barrier and how rewarding the connection is on the other side.
It was beautiful to watch and I am so grateful for the grace that brought her to us.
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