A couple of years ago, a woman had us watch a video of "Cloud" the wild stallion where another stallion (a bay Iberian looking fellow) comes across a tiny, sick and weak foal lying in the grass, her little face watching the breeze in the grasses - the stallion grabs the foal and tears her to pieces! "It's nature"; "It's how wild things are"; our friend explained why she wanted us to see it. The foal was too weak to survive. The stallion did her a favor... that was the "message".
I'm sorry. The violence I saw reminded me of another scene I had witnessed with a totally domestic stallion that sent shivers down my spine. This kind of violence is about killing another stallion's offspring. I'm convinced of it. I saw a stallion I was training in Dressage go out on the pasture after the mares had come in - he found a miscarried fetus, pretty well developed that we had not seen... he tore it up, grabbing great bites from it. This "foal to be" was sired by a different stallion (as was the foal in the video, an offspring of a stallion other than the bay). My entire sense was of "territory" - of testosterone and posturing.
The woman who brought us the video was trying to make a point that our 2 horses with disabilities would be better off dead. She said so. Our little Sunshine should have been left to the "coyotes in Nature" to "dispose" of him as naturally as possible. She felt that Susie deserved the same fate - and to her, it would have been a service to our dear horses. I knew she would not harm our horses, she was not evil - but she did not understand our feelings and I did not understand hers. She had her perspective - I have mine.
I watched my sweet geldings stand over Susie to protect her while she lay sleeping in the 15 acre pasture after her injuries. They stayed at her side day & night as she grazed. When she partnered with Majic, he became her guard and her friend. Now Hank gallops with her when they are turned out together here... as long as her life is pain free and she can have days with her "herd", peaceful nights under the stars and lots of good treats, she has a life worth living. If that changes, we will honor her with a non-violent passing!
Sunshine (who had to drag his hindlegs!) now can gallop full tilt across his pen, leap in the air, do an extended trot and a sliding stop with no sign of lameness. His life was worth saving.
I use the word "Natural" a lot. I base my feeding program & my healing medicines upon "Nature". My Nature is one of nurturing. It is a state of compassion and support. I do not need to see how "survival of the fittest" runs its course through the feral population of any species. I do not base my experiences or decisions upon what would be needed to benefit the masses. I am concerned with the individuals in my care... those that I cherish. And I share what I have learned (and keep learning) because other people also cherish, adore and care in similar ways.
A student told another trainer that "Katharine can hop up and get aggressive with a horse when she needs to - I saw her go after my horse after he tried to attack me." Of course I can. Savage actions require immediate reactions from the human to shut down any tendency to push past the boundaries of safety and respect. We respond in the moment to stay clear and consistent. But we must encourage the gentleness that brings true relationship with horses. What each of us craves in such a relationship may be varied, yet our horses have basically one need in the process - they need to understand!
I have thought a lot about changing my use of the term Natural - it is used so often for so many things that its meaning is quite diluted and scattered, yet I can find no better word to express my own foundation & teachings. I was using it in articles in the '70's to explain how horses need rations based upon roughage and herbs; how horses respond to us when "burdened" by our weight and how horses relate to us as humans (we are not horses - we can learn how they relate to each other, but we cannot mimic them expecting to "fool" them) seeking mutual respect.
I suppose there are no better words. We will all use "natural" & "Nature" in our own ways and if we confuse each other it's okay. The main thing is to not confuse our horses.
