dharmahorse

Happy Year of the Water Dragon!

2012-01-23T06:45:00.001-08:00

I remember New Year's Day as a child - on New Year's Eve my parents would go to the Coronado Country Club for a big party. My brother and I would fall asleep with my Grandmother caring for us. I would wake up, so excited before dawn and there would always be at least a half dozen helium balloons of various colors hovering at the ceiling in my bedroom. My brother had the same and we would run around the house with our balloons squealing and playing until one would get away and drift up to the 16 foot peak of the living room ceiling. No one would retrieve the ones that got away; we had to wait for the gas to weaken and they would drop slowly down to within our reach.
I know my parents worked hard to get our Christmas presents (always Breyer type horses for me!), and we loved them, but there was just something about the floating balloon tradition that kept us enthralled each year!

Some Days

2012-01-16T17:27:00.000-08:00

I find myself hoping for some days to end... for the numbness of sleep and the relative quiet. Days when the dogs are worried and clingy; when Jer is concerned for their unusual behavior and asking me why; when my Mom is crying, missing her tiny dog who passed over and my brother is exhausted from work... days when Jer has a cough that won't quit; when Jimmie (the horse) is anxious in the wind, Hank is bored, Susie is stiff and Sunshine has diarrhea... days when lessons cancelled because of weather and no money came in; when the realtor calls with an offer of half the asking price (which is barely over the amount paid 30 years ago to start with); when gasoline, postage and hay are all going way up in cost; when there is only one roll of toilet paper left and two days to go before grocery day... days when the wind howls; when the propane is low, I'm running on the bottom end of the gas tank and my jeans are wearing out - days like today.

Today is all those things rolled up in one... yet, I comforted the dogs with lavender oil, soft music and treated their ears, gave the elderly ones a low dose aspirin; I made a large photo of my Mom's sweet dog and she was cheered and fell asleep holding it; I hugged my brother and helped him with dinner; I found homeopathics in the herb cabinet that seem to be helping Jer; I gave Jimmie lavender and valerian; I turned Hank out; I rubbed Susie's back; I gave Sunshine probiotics; I rescheduled the lessons; I emailed the realtor and we will stand by our price; I started an envelope for any extra money to go for hay; I resign myself to gasoline and postage rates; I took a bath and I am going to patch some jeans... and I think that, just maybe, there is some emergency toilet paper in the trunk of my car.

Here's hoping :)

2012-01-10T12:27:00.000-08:00

Confusion

I received an Email from a young girl and cannot get my reply to send, which frustrated me, but then I realized that I'm probably supposed to put the information out to a broader audience. She has a young horse that she is re-training and her concern for his wellbeing and awareness of his confusion really touched me. Confusion is a big factor with horses. When it happens, no progress is made, we even go backwards, undoing the good stuff we thought was confirmed! And it happens more often with the youngster and when we are exploring an assortment of schooling philosophies. The only answer really is to "start over" by finding one thing that makes sense to the horse and returning to it each time he becomes confused. It will be the foundation that you use to start, restart and establish communication. It can be to groom him, or to lead him over poles on the ground, or massage his neck, etc. Just find one thing and stick to it. I had a student whose horse freaked out every time she went out her gait and she really wanted to trail ride. We started walking serpentines around cones in her pasture. Then I put the cones just outside her gait, she walked serpentines through them, slowly I moved one cone at a time further out until we had her riding down the road. BE CREATIVE.

Raised by Horses

2012-01-04T18:54:00.000-08:00

My Mother wrapped her big, bare arms around me and dragged me down the hall to the kitchen as blood poured, warm and sticky from my left arm. I was thirteen years old and my life had changed in an instant. I had fallen through a window and severed everything important at my wrist.

Mamma handed me a small towel. “Wrap it up”, she commanded as she fought her demons of fear and unconsciousness she knew would mean my death. I looked at my arm as I wrapped it, so deeply in shock I wasn’t even aware that I was seeing bones and mangled arteries. Instinctively, I held pressure by squeezing the wrist now wrapped in a dish towel.

That was 43 years ago. I sit tonight by the window, a hot cup of tea in my right hand. The steam from it makes fog on the glass that gathers and runs down the pane just like the rain outside. We haven’t had any rain for so many months that the high desert was scorched and just ready to ignite. This water is welcomed. This cold night quenches the red earth, the now bare trees and the fuzzy backs of my horses. They stand outside their shelters to celebrate. The Chaparral breathes the scent of the rain onto the wind. I squiggle my fingers on the glass, remembering, for some unknown reason, the day I fell through that window.

I got my first horse because of it. The accident, that is. After it was pretty certain that I was going to live. After transfusions, vomiting and aspirating during surgery and seeing my tiny, pale, numb fingers sticking out from a cast – my Mother convinced my Father to buy me a horse. They had provided riding lessons all my short life. They had leased horses for me during summers. They had never promised me a horse of my own. So, it seemed that they were hoping this new promise of my own great beastie when I had healed would be the motivation to live and to heal. It was.

We had been living at my Grandfather Hodel’s estate in West Virginia. It was his home’s entry that had a large glass door with a huge glass panel on each side. “Don’t run toward the glass!” my Mother had always said… I ran around the lawns; galloping as if I were a horse, jumping bushes and the concrete edging of the driveway and the swimming pool. And I would jump (like a horse) onto the slate front landing, over the steps and “trot” to the front door; except for that one day.

My thoughts and my dreams were filled with horses. While most young girls found ponies adorable, I was drawn to wild Mustangs, dancing Lippizaners and giant Draft horses. I had a herd of at least 200 plastic horses. I ordered free samples of hoof dressing and fly repellent that I used on my tiny herd members, much to my Mother’s dismay as the oily substances rubbed off on the sofa (a desert mesa) or carpets (pastures). My personal “scent” was “ode de Equus”, it still is.

So, tonight I watch the last glow of sunset die and the dark wetness hug the land. I have fed the horses their fluffed up hay and bran mashes. I treat myself to the tea and some store bought Christmas cookies – no time now to bake for the holidays. My brother and I are taking care of my Mother. This must be the catalyst for so many memories these days. My Mother recently had congestive heart failure. She is doing very well. It became my turn to help save her life. It became time for me to really understand how she must have felt when I fell through that glass.

I was healing pretty well back then. I remember sitting in the hospital and becoming terrified when my injured fingers started moving on their own. The nurses assured me this was a good thing. It meant that the tendons that had been reattached were trying to work. They also told me that the surgeons had had to retrieve those tendons from past by my elbow. This, I did not need to know. At night the hand would “burn”, a strange pain and cramping overtook it. I had no feeling actually in the hand or fingers, but pain was real and deep within them. It is hard to explain. But, the idea of riding again; of riding my own horse was all the motivation I needed to decide to heal and just make that hand work again!

My first horse was a Morgan gelding – a castrated male of a breed known for its unusual strength and small size. His name was “Mink” and he had come from the Gypsies in Princeton who could heal horses with plants and magic. I had spent the summer after the cast was removed from my arm in the pool doing “therapy” that I hoped would strengthen the shriveled, pale thing that used to be my left hand. As the use of the hand improved, I started riding again. Mink realized I had little strength and almost no feeling in that hand, so he would run away with me, always on a big circle to the right. I would stay on. He didn’t buck or try to throw me. He just ran when he wanted to and I couldn’t shut him down. But, he was my very own horse! I adored him. I persevered.

Lines

2011-12-18T19:41:00.000-08:00

There is a fine line drawn in pencil that exists in most of our lives - one that we will cross (eating a biscuit left untouched at a cafe'; toting our own sewage; cleaning up vomit or helping a stranger) - it all depends upon how hungry, helpful, compassionate or destitute we are in a moment... moments change. Who we deeply are remains a constant.

Aware

2011-12-13T20:10:00.000-08:00

My orphaned colt, Dharma Gita was more aware than most humans! I had him boarded one time at a stable where they let the water tanks turn to green sludge - so, of Course, I would dump, scrub and refill my colt's water!! (This was the reason sited for asking me to leave!) - One day, I dumped his water and was bent over scrubbing the tank when Gita kept nudging my bottom. I would "shoo" him away but he kept coming back, each time being more forceful. Finally I stood up and said, "WHAT!". He walked to the water on the sand, looked at it, at me, at it, at me until I went over to see. There were tiny fish flopping on the sand!! I grabbed them all up and ran them to another horse's slimy water tank and plopped them in. Gita walked back over to his hay. It turns out, the owners had started putting the fish in the water troughs to eat mosquito larvae... while I was amazed that they did all sorts of things BESIDES clean the water tubs, I was much more amazed that my colt saw the little lives struggling on the ground and needed to let me know. And he wouldn't rest until they were all safely back in water.

Essence of Mind, a quote

2011-12-11T07:59:00.000-08:00

Whatever problems come to us from beings or inanimate objects, if our mind gets used to perceiving only the suffering or negative aspects of them, then even from a small negative incident great mental pain will ensue. For it is the nature of indulgence in any concept, whether suffering or happiness that the experience (will be intensified by that indulgence. As) negative experience gradually becomes stronger, a time will come when most of what appears before us will become the cause of bringing us unhappiness, and happiness will never have the chance to arise. If we do not realise that the fault lies with our own mind's way of gaining experience, and if we blame all our problems on the external conditions alone, then the ceaseless flame of habitual negative deeds such as hatred and suffering will increase in us. That is called: "All appearances arising in the form of enemies". --Dodrupchen

Tea Time

2011-12-11T07:56:00.000-08:00

Back on Furnace Street, when I lived on the side of a mountain, Winter could get really brutal! We had some ice storms and cutting, frozen winds. I used to fix hot (very warm) herbal tea by the bucket full for my horses and they drank it gratefully each evening before I went to bed. It made us all feel wonderful. I made Chammomile for calming my colt; Echinacea for everyone to boost immune systems; Meadowsweet for older equines with soreness or swellings; Rosehip tea for the Vitamin C to prevent or heal respiratory problems; Hawthorn and Linden to strengthen the heart; Nettle tea to add minerals and cleanse and/or Fennel to relieve gassy-ness! Brewing tea for horses is a special, healing thing to do any time of year.

Opinions

2011-12-07T16:43:00.001-08:00

When it comes to horses, ask 100 people a question and you will likely get 99 different answers - it is possible that a couple of people will be in agreement. That may be an exaggeration, but it is true that there are hundreds of methods, philosophies and opinions about horses and there is a good reason for this. Horses are such individuals. They may have their genetic programing as a species, but each horse comes with his own set of circumstances, training and experiences that shape his view of humanity and his reactions to us. A horse person is "trained" and influenced by the horses she works with. This also creates a vast pool of useful information we can all tap into by listening to each other. A rider who has mastered flying lead changes without a bridle will have valuable insight for a trainer just starting lead changes (like the use of subtle weight and balance and using the rider's chest and focus, etc.) because working without reins has heightened other aids and influences. Some trainers develop elaborate systems to help their students break tasks down into incremental steps to foster clarity and consistency - the most important keys to communication. But no matter what "language" we choose for equine training, we have to use the same language each day, all the time. Confusion is every one's enemy.

2011-12-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

I hand drew a group of charts (posters) filled with information about horses, dogs and healing modalities. We sell them at the Dharmahorse Store and at workshops. From crystal properties to Homeopathic remedies to equine alternative therapies, these 11" X 17" full color, laminated charts offer reference guides for home, stable and kennel!

Spiral Exercises

2011-12-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

Spiral Exercises – support balance & suppleness in the horse

The Spiral Exercise, done correctly on the longe line or under saddle, has the potential to teach softness and create better balance in the horse. It must be built up in intensity over a gradual period since the movement itself requires strength and lateral stepping that is both tiring and stretches the musculature deeply.

On the longe, your horse needs to have the basic discipline of circling you at even paces, remaining at a set distance from you on a consistently round circle. To spiral in, you drive for a bit more energy by stepping slightly toward his haunches as you shorten the line just a bit – asking him to make a smaller, concentric circle just inside the base circle by stepping half his energy forward, half his energy sideways.

Do this in stages at first, maintaining the next size circle once around, then ask for a bit smaller bend – until you have brought the horse to a smaller, but not tight circle (the tighter the circle, the more stress there is on joints, especially the stifle – so build up gradually to condition the horse). Then spiral out by feeding a little line as you lean toward his middle to encourage the horse’s whole body to step outward, creating the next concentric circle, and so on…

For the longe work, you can place cones to mark the circles (small, medium, large circles) that you direct the horse through by placing him between cones that establish the desired size circle.

These exercises (on the longe and when ridden) should be schooled well at the walk before trot and schooled well at the trot before canter.

To spiral under saddle, establish your base circle at the walk. Ask the horse to move in gradually with your weight on your inside sitting bone, active outside leg pressure just behind the girth (to maintain bend and keep the haunches from swinging) and an active, spongy inside rein; stretched, supporting outside rein. Your horse should “half-pass” in – maintaining the inside bend that increases as the circle becomes smaller. Driving aids are needed (encouragement!) because the tighter bends require more energy. Think of half his energy going forward, half his energy going sideways. Imagine that a man is standing at the center of your circle with a rope tied around your waist and is slowly pulling you and your horse inward from your center.

Spiral out by shifting your weight to the outside sitting bone, inside leg becomes active, inside rein actively maintains bend and the outside rein is stretched to regulate the horse’s forward motion. You do a “leg yield” out. Imagine the man in the center of your circle now has a pole and he is pushing you and the horse outward from your hip.

Do these exercises equally in each direction (to the left and to the right on the circle), even if your horse is stiff to one side. Doing them equally each way really will even him up over time because the exercise stretches the outside of his body, contracts the inside of his body and weights the “power leg” (the inside hind leg) and doing this evenly will help his stiff side. Working a stiff side “extra” to develop it can actually make the horse even more stiff in that direction.

A great spiral exercise to use after the horse is going well and he seems supple and content is to spiral in at the trot to a medium size circle (15 meters or about 45 feet diameter), ask for a canter depart and then spiral out at canter; return to trot on the large, base circle.

When you feel that your horse understands the spiraling and he is enjoying the process, you can move on to other lateral exercises and his balance will be really great!

We recommend longeing with a Boundary Halter – its ability to squeeze the horse’s head if he pulls or bolts; but release the moment he yields can help you stay at the center of the circle without being jerked or pulled around.

The death of one horse, one friend...

2011-12-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

This is Wee Pat, my brother's half Shire Dressage horse he had in the late 1970's - Pat had been going to the Killer's... we bought him before he went to auction.

This is Summer Wine and her filly, Misty. Summer was a 1/2 TB show pony I had bred and sold who ended up on her way, pregnant, to the sales - I heard about it and ran across the state to get her.

This is Price Love, off of the track TB I bought at a horse dealer's before he went to auction. He was frightened, hot and had some neurological problems. I retrained him and found him an understanding home.

This is Big Red and Dusty, both were headed to the Clovis sale/processing plant - we bought them and they became school horses at our Fox Fire stable in Tucumcari.

This is Mink, my first horse who was a misunderstood and rather unpredictable gelding that had been on his way to the auction:

My first horse to actually own had been on his way to the "Killer" when the Gypsy's saved him and healed him. I bought him (well, my Mom did) from a stable where we boarded him until my parents got a stable built at our home. Through my life I have owned over 170 horses and worked with many hundreds more. Easily, half of the horses I've owned have been "saved" by me from the Killer sales or from bad situations of neglect or abuse.

The photos with this post are of some horses that were headed for slaughter (these are from my past, over a few decades). Some became school horses, some became personal horses, some went on to careers and a couple of horses returned to me (one pregnant) when I found out they were heading for the auction...

My personal story about a horse that was slaughtered is so hard to talk about, but in case it might help people understand why we feel so strongly about this issue, I will try to tell it now...

Nestle was a lovely dark brown mare raised by a young woman who became a student of mine. She boarded her at my Briarwood Dressage barn back in the 1980's. In time, her owner moved her to a boarding barn closer to where she lived. This barn also offered "Horse Motel" overnight boarding for travelers. One of the things we had worked on was Nestle's loading into a trailer - she hated trailers and we had patiently helped her gain confidence.

Nestle was stolen one night from the stable that boarded "overnighters" and the stable and her owner immediately got the police, sheriff and livestock inspector out. Details are not important here except for this one fact - the authorities called the "packing plant" / slaughterhouse that killed horses back then in Clovis and asked if a mare fitting her description had come through there - the Killer plant said, "oh yes, she did, we just processed her"...

I went berserk. I was involved because of my friendship with the owner, my student, and my fondness for the mare. I couldn't believe that the authorities called the packing plant instead of the Clovis police and livestock inspector. I have no proof, but I sure suspect that the mare might have still been alive when that call went through. On a personal note, had it been me, I would have been at the Killer's as soon as my speeding car could have gotten me there. I would have been there for this mare, too, had I been privy to the facts at the beginning. I still shake thinking about it.

For people who think Nestle was just a horse - I tell you she was my friend. I had smelled her sweat, touched her chocolate colored coat, taught her and cared for her and loved her even though she was not "mine". Can you imagine how her owner who loved her even more was crushed by this brutal, unconscionable act?!

The two cowboy assholes who stole her were caught. They went to trial and were found guilty. I was at the trial, I testified as to the value of the sweet mare, now rendered. I cried and held my own mental health together as we all tried to make sense out of it - of course there was no sense. The cowboys had been very drunk (I was scared shitless they were going to get off because they were incapacitated), but the judge was just as offended by that fact on top of their crime. It all worked out to get them imprisoned. I got a byline in the Las Cruces sun News (then it was a real, local newspaper) to tell this mare's story. I spoke of the dewormers and the Bute, etc. all the things we are now discussing about the slaughtered horses intended for human consumption.

It can all seem so overwhelming and it can even be held at arm's length unless you have known an equine friend taken in the darkness from her safe stall, loaded into a trailer after being taught (by you - dear God... by me!) to trust a trailer and driven into the night far away to be callously killed for the few dollars considered her value by the pound.

I will never forget her. I will never think about Nestle nor write about her without sobbing. I shouldn't ever become so insensitive that her memory would not hit me in the chest and remind my heart of her dignity. I have more stories to tell. I cannot face them tonight. I want to just remember that little mare and hope she forgives me for teaching her to load in a horse trailer...

These are the names of some horses I/we have saved from slaughter and owned and loved:
Mink
Summer Wine
Misty
Wee Pat
Big Red
Dusty
Lonesome
Goldie
Sam
Punkin
Jake
Midnight
Gray Scale
Meihle
Halftone
Cockleburr
Ginger
Smokey
Pica
... and more

Please forgive my profanity above. There is no other way I could have said what I needed to say.

The Elder Equestrian

2011-11-27T18:48:00.000-08:00

From The Elderquestrian Guide
For all Elderquestrians:
Use a mounting block. It is easier on the horse’s back. And if you can, mount from the right side as often as the left. It helps you and the horse (but if you’re like me, having ridden for almost 50 years, mostly mounting from the left even though I knew better, right side mounting is as challenging as learning this computer was!).
If it is difficult for you to mount, or assistance is not available – you can teach your horse to “park out” or stretch his front and hind legs apart (as Saddle Seat horses
do) to make mounting easier. I even have a student whose horse was trained to lie down for her to mount and dismount after her knees were replaced surgically.
Dismount with both feet out of the stirrups – no one should drop down with one foot still in a stirrup (and, OH YES, you should dismount from both sides equally if you can). If the weather is cold, slide down easily after a ride. Your feet will be grateful. Always bend your knees as you land.
SAFETY ALERT – be sure your horse knows how to be mounted and to have you dismount from both sides!
Remember that horses only know what they are used to, have experienced or have been taught. If you surprise him (even a sweet 30 year old gelding) with something he has never known before, without some introductions, he may freak out.
DO NOT YELL AT OR CHASE HIM if a horse DOES freak out. Speak and move calmly. Keep yourself in line with his shoulder, even at a distance. This makes you less threatening and most visible as well as in the safest position for you. If a horse becomes caught in something (the fence, a rope, the clothesline, etc.), you must use caution in any attempt to extricate him. Keep your body on whichever side he is likely to jump away from and if you have several people working on his behalf, try to keep everyone on the same side so he doesn’t have to decide who to run over when he is released. Now, he most likely will just stand there gratefully waiting for you to disconnect all the wire or rope or whatever, BUT, if he does get scared, it can escalate. Horses cannot stand to be trapped. In the wild, it means death.
Whenever you do introduce something new to a horse, do it in stages. If he has never been hosed off with the water hose, just do his forelegs the first few days, gradually moving up and on to his whole body. If you are introducing something, don’t tie him. Have a helper hold him or put the lead rope through the fence (sturdy post) and hold it in your hand without tying. Help him understand.
This is where Elderquestrians have a real advantage. We have learned that THINGS TAKE TIME. Impatience makes you go backwards and you have to start
over. Most of us have learned to take and teach things in stages.

Map Your Journey

2011-11-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

Map the Journey

In your heart and in your mind you hold images of all the circumstances, places, objects, animals and people that you hope for in your life. The more you can envision them, the more you will resonate with them. As you become focused and can believe in the reality of your vision, it will unfold before you. You have to get the other stuff out of the way - The distractions and disappointments and the belief in lack and limitation. If you concentrate on these unwanted aspects, you map the journey to them. Surround yourself with images that remind you of your hopes and passions. Meditate on them by creating "vision boards" (cut pictures from magazines of scenes and things that you want to manifest in your life and glue them on a poster board to look at every day), notebooks full of affirmations (and journal to get in touch with your life) and watching videos of the things you love.

See yourself in desired situations no matter what you are experiencing right now. Find time throughout each day and each night to close your eyes and concentrate upon one sensation of your passion - the smells of that horse farm, new car, new house, ocean visit, etc.; the sounds of children, puppies, concerts, you singing and so on. As you connect with the sensations of your dream, your mind believes that the dream is real and, when your mind believes in it, the dream becomes real.

Enjoy every step along the path. So often, we tend to look down the road for its end and miss all the splendor that surrounds us. Staying focused on your passion does not mean that you negate all else. You just become selective and choose your experiences to move you along with the flow. It is sad to waste a day trying to get on to the "next thing"...what next thing? Isn't this moment enough?

Align Yourself

2011-11-21T20:00:00.000-08:00

Those of us who spend time with horses know that they bring out the best in us! Horses work in many types of therapy programs for this very reason. If you want to become physically stronger, take care of a horse (or 2, or 3...). The daily moving of hay bales, mucking (cleaning) stalls and pastures, unrolling and rerolling water hoses, grooming, riding, repairing fences, etc. will burn lots of calories and build muscle. An old friend (an herbalist in Las Cruces who now works with Dr. Weil) once advised me to "park the car as far away from the store as you can and walk to the entrance". It's good advice.

If you spend time with horses, you walk a lot! When others advise you to "make it easier on yourself" and "use the tractor" for something you can easily do yourself - thank them for their concern, but do tell them that The Path of Equus brings opportunity to move more and be more...truly healthy.

Do you ride? One way to expand your equestrian path is to "ALIGN YOURSELF" with mounted exercises that help to train your body to be in balance with your horse's body and have relationship with gravity and movement.

Do the exercises first at a stand still, then at a walk, then trot and finally at a canter (if you ride a laterally gaited horse - substitute your intermediate lateral gait for trot!). Use a round pen or have someone longe you on your horse, or do the movements while riding up an arroyo or through a meadow.

Arms out from the shoulders (like an airplane) will show your shoulders where to be - open and relaxed. Reaching straight up with your arms shows your spine how to stretch and center. Lifting your thigh (one side at a time) away from the saddle/horse will show your hips how to align and holding your ankle with the hand (on the same side), knee bent will show your knee and thigh how to stay back under your body.

Therapies

2011-11-11T18:58:00.000-08:00

Caring about horses and people comes easily to me. For 2 and a half years my horses and I worked for an Equine Assisted Therapy program and we all lived on site. I moved my 4 horses there and my friend, Dave built the now "famous" roof with diagonal walls to cover 4 horses with corral panel pens attached. It was quick to do; then we made a round pen for sessions and "turn out"... it was very small.
Another friend loaned me his camping trailer to live in and my horses and I set up to keep the program going while the owners had a shed barn built beside the temporary pens. I had no television (only PBS now - not a fan of regular TV); the trailer was too small for my dogs to live with me (they lived at my Mom's those first few months); I had to get the propane bottles filled in town; hauled my own "black water" across the (large) property to the septic tank to dump it (at least once a week - but it's amazing how conservative you get!) using a special blue container made for the purpose that hooked onto my Jeep! and, I kept feed and tack in my one horse trailer - hay on pallets under a tarp.
My "Dharma horses" were amazing - Gita was the Arab gelding that had been orphaned at birth. Darjeeling was his young cousin. Dorje was an Anglo Arab of maturity who was rock solid emotionally and Sandalwood was a foundered TWH mare that had belonged to a friend and I was working to help and heal her. We all worked in the program with youth "at risk", women's programs, foster care systems, etc. The horses touched my soul daily with how perceptive and appropriate they were in situations from one end of the spectrum to the other!
I thought of it all as a great experience for a Buddhist. I would meditate every night, was super aware of my own impact on the Earth, found simple solutions to problems and helped others constantly every day (and often into the nights!). Even though the horses and I "burned out" eventually; we were strong and proud of what we were doing.
Sandy finally needed to be released (euthanized) and I stood beside her proudly honoring the great mare as she passed. Dalai came to us, another TWH mare! And she stood stock still one night, in the dark with portable flood lights, in the cold while a dozen women took turns mounting her to walk a circle with me leading her... giving a new experience and courage/accomplishment to some precious humans. Horses are amazing!

I lived in the tiny travel trailer while working for the therapy program and all seemed secure. I slept over the "5th wheel" part that was a funky bed with no head room! Things had gone okay... I did actually break 3 ribs when Darjeeling was spooked in the slant load trailer and the partition hit me (just as we loaded to move!), so I was healing from that & still working when the first rain came one night. I was half asleep, listening to the patter of drops directly overhead, smelling that wonderful suppressed dust smell from the first rains when I realized I was wet. Sh*t. The trailer leaked! And - right over the bed.

The next morning my brother bought a huge tarp and tied it properly over the trailer. I took bedding to the laundromat and used my blow dryer to dry the foam mattresses. There were still clients to see, horses to feed, pens to muck, etc., so I stayed really busy!

Showers were interesting - the shower/toilet/sink were all one in the "bathroom" and the shower water line was a tube from the sink. Friends had gotten the water heater working a few days after I moved in... the water pump pulsed, so my showers were quite rhythmic! And, the hot water and cold kinda alternated... I would gasp when it went to cold and sort of scream softly when it went to hot.

I felt like what I was doing was important. A friend said that she would never put up with such a life. I sometimes felt really lonely and sometimes felt like I was loved and appreciated deeply. Each day was unique. I took total care and financial responsibility for my horses and myself. I fell asleep exhausted most nights, woke up hopeful most mornings. I LIVED with my horses. I knew how they felt and what they faced and we could all always see each other across the yard and they KNEW that I lived the same life they did. We all loved and understood each other.

The wild horse, "Dawn"

2011-11-11T18:51:00.000-08:00

So, back in Tucumcari (New Mexico) in the '70's, I had the three wild 3 year old horses that had never seen a human being until being herded into a stock trailer and delivered into the aisle of my barn! Leon, Billy and I worked with them slowly and with clear, consistent methods that we developed as we went along.
Dawn was a very timid mare, lovely and curious but quick to react and to flee. We were blessed with a huge aisle in the barn (I could ride in it - the ride-able ones among the other 15 horses we had at that time) and there was a translucent garage type door at each end. Leon was preparing to work with Dawn one morning, teaching her to lead. He would start with her in the 14 x 14 stall and patiently take her into the aisle, then back to the security of her stall, a little farther out into the aisle, then back... he'd been working with her like this for around 10 days.
This particular day I reminded him to wear a helmet (we called them hard hats back then!). I was in a stall, mucking while it's occupant was turned out and I saw Leon taking Dawn pretty far down the aisle with all going quite well. Our barn was situated so that vehicles coming down Highway 19 from the south would look right at the end of the building. In a flash, something triggered the filly and she bolted - Leon had her head pulled toward his body trying to stop her and she was zooming toward the closed door at the end of the aisle. Her "binocular" vision was non-functioning, her peripheral vision couldn't see what was ahead of them and the two of them exploded out through the door, pieces flying in all directions! Leon still had hold of her! She was momentarily stunned and he was able to turn her and lead her back to the barn quickly. AND, neither of them were harmed! The door was totaled - but I figured, if it had been sturdier, they might have even been killed.
Later, I wondered; if anyone was driving casually down the highway, around the turn to face the barn, watching the scenery, just as the door exploded into a thousand pieces and a horse dragging a man burst forth from the opening - what must they have thought!

Deliveries of oddness

2011-10-31T13:54:00.000-07:00

One Halloween stands out in my memory... I had ordered a water bed (the kind that sloshes and has waves) hoping to help my back and hips (it did!). They set up to deliver it on Halloween. They ended up arriving at 9:00 PM! I had moved everything out of my bedroom and was moving things back in when the truck and three young men arrived. I made room again and sat in the dining room... they brought in all kinds of boards and whispered to each other, thoroughly unnerving me! Finally the oldest fellow told me they would have to return in the morning - they had to cut the lumber to fit! Oh, no, I told them - we would cut it in my garage, I had saws and saw horses...

I ended up measuring the boards and cutting them. After an hour and a half, the frame was set up and we brought the water hose through my back door and started filling the "mattress". Another 30 minutes later I was facing a frosty cold bag of water with a pitiful heater just barely starting to take the chill off. It took 2 days to get that water warmed!

So, the guys left by midnight. I slept that night and the next on a weird, short sofa I had in the living room. That night I got maybe 2 hours of sleep - I woke up at every sound outside, totally weirded out by the delivery and wonky set up of my bed. After the water got nice and warm and I got used to the motion every time I moved, that water bed became the best thing I've ever done for my aching body. Alas, it died many years later and I miss it!!

Peanuts

2011-10-27T07:55:00.001-07:00

When we had the school and livery in Tucumcari, we would drive a big truck to Amarillo every two weeks to get bagged shavings for the box stalls. We would have the 200 bags loaded onto the truck, then we had to unload and stack them at home. It seemed like a lot of work and money for bedding. The father of a student who would come up from Portales told me all about the massive amounts of peanut hulls that were available free for the taking and that the horse people there used them successfully for bedding. He said that horses did not eat them. It seemed worth a try. So, before we were out of pine shavings (I do think ahead most of the time), Leon, Bill and I took the white truck with the box bed and huge garage type door... plus snow shovels, goggles and bandanas at my friend's suggestion.
In Portales, we found the processing company and backed up to a loading dock area where there were mountains of peanut hulls. We started shovelling them into the truck. We took turns being inside the box to push them to the front... the dust was unfathomable. My thought was that, after all this handling, by the time we put the hulls into the stalls, the dust would be minimal. Besides, I could dampen them down for the horses if need be.
We stopped at a cafe with a truck filled to its limits with the peanut hulls and us looking like we had been mining brown coal. We had white patches where the goggles had been, lips crusted shut with the dust mud of saliva, nostrils caked and clothes that made clouds when we moved. I was beginning to doubt the advantages of this idea... but we ate and felt stronger and drove home to Tucumcari.
The next day we mucked; pushed the saved shavings against the stall walls; filled the stalls with the peanut hulls and pulled the saved shavings over them to make the beds. The wheelbarrowing of hulls from the truck parked just inside the barn aisle raised another massive dust cloud. We sprayed everything lightly with the water hose and filled hay feeders. We brought the horses in from the field. Some just went to their hay. Others pawed the strange, fluffy beds and rolled before eating. A couple of ponies munched some bedding first, then went to their hay.
The next morning I just stood aghast in the aisle when I realized that all the horses had eaten every peanut hull!! I quickly dosed everyone with mineral oil and then fed wet, sloppy bran mashes and that was ALL they got to eat until noon when I fed a small bucket feed. They pooped 4 times as much manure during the night and that morning. We mucked for several hours. The peanut hulls cost us a lot of time and work, they made tons of manure we didn't need, could have coliced all our horses, left them with essentially no bedding in their stalls (we did bed lightly with shavings that night) and left us with a needed trip to Amarillo and the 3 of us with sinus irritation and coughs to deal with. Lesson learned.

Horse Stories

2011-10-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

ONYX:
Onyx was the black and white pinto gelding from the 3 wild 3 year olds we took on at Fox Fire Stable. This was in the early '70's. There were no books or methods available (that I could find) about humane techniques to gentle the horse who had never seen a human being until the age of 2, 3 or 4. I was young but had a lot of experience riding and training horses and ponies who had seen people, so I figured the main task at hand was to get these youngsters accustomed to seeing, hearing, smelling and being touched by people. Then, I could use my skills like usual. (It did work, by the way - but it is much like the instructions for replacing a kitchen faucet, they say, "first - remove old faucet...") The hard work was the first part!
Onyx was lovely. He moved with anti-gravity, had suspension of stride and his own version of airs-above-the-ground. His sensitivity made him reactive to all the normal goings on in a stable yard and I was wondering if we should just turn him out on the forty acres, provide food and water and simply admire him. Leon claimed him and my brother and I supported him in his quest to tame the black and white colt.
He was wearing a halter, was gelded now, had a tolerance of us in his boxstall for mucking or feeding, could be loose in the barn aisle and could be "herded" to the large round pen to have a run.
We had built a stout round pen instinctively after the wild ones arrived. I found that corners in the stalls gave them places to get stuck and panic, so we decided to have a large space without corners. We could gently get hold of the short cotton fob we left on Onyx's halter, then attach a lead or longe line. In the round pen, I started him on the longe without a whip (I do call them wands because it is only a noun and whip can be a verb - that I do not do). I used my body position to explain to him how I wanted him to move. This was instinctive for both of us - I had been around horses all my life and he had, too. I would then leave him in the pen with water and some grass hay and each day I would toss something new in with him. At first it was a feedtub, then a tire, then a stuffed toy dog, then a bright red ball, then a small canvas tarp - and we left each object so they collected in there. A couple of times I fell over things while longeing him, but even that was good for him to experience.
One thing I never did with any horse was to act like a preditor; to sneak up to them or push them aggressively. The only times any of us had to be loud or make ourselves big and forboding were when a horse tested the boundaries by being aggressive with one of us.
Onyx needed slow, consistent, clear experiences with humans. He got plenty of exercise, but was not in race or endurance training, so he received no grain feed. Only grass hay, alfalfa hay, wheat bran mashes a few times a week with herbs and the trace nutrient supplement "Source" that had recently come out. I will be honest with everyone right now - his first and second hoof trimmings were done tranquilized. I fed it to him well before our farrier and friend (Mr. Jim Keith) arrived. I reasoned that, since it HAD to be done, why let it be scary for the colt?
Leon was grooming him finally with no over reactions to being touched. Leon apprenticed with Mr. Keith and eventually was trimming all the wild ones' hooves. They were starting to accept us within their own time frames and that was just fine with me! We were all learning so much.

SAM:
We had neighbors in Tucumcari who raised Appaloosas. Times were tough for them and they talked me into buying 3 horses, one gelding and 2 colts not yet castrated. Now these horses had grown up with people, so they had a different perspective than the 3 wild ones, but they had their own issues as well. They had not received the best of nutrition, but they had been handled a lot. I seemed to be doing things in 3's! Goldie was a lovely 4 year old gelding with only halter training (!) who took to the longe like a gentleman and I was riding him after 3 weeks. Punkin was only 8 months old, Sam was 2 years and cryptorchid (he only had one testicle descended), so I knew I was looking at a more complex surgery to geld him. Punkin was a solid palomino (who later got some mottling and spots) and Sam was huge, totally the look of an old Nez Perce Appy - mostly white/gray with lots of spots and mottling on the face, sclera showing on the eyes and very striped hooves. His tail and mane were sparse, his bone dense and hooves properly large.
Sam became my project because I just really liked his personality, strength and energy. He seemed so focused and kind. I had a veterinarian friend come out and we set up for the surgery in the aisle of the barn. Against my better judgement, the Vet immediately removed the testicle that had dropped (I made major notes on everything which side had been done - how would we know later if the retained one wasn't found?) It must have been my worrying because he could not find the other testicle. Sam had been under long enough, so we sutured him (actually, I did, my hands were so agile back then) and set up a clean stall while he came to.
I don't remember how long we waited, but I took Sam to the clinic of another friend who was a Veterinarian. We worked for an hour and he found the retained one, removed it and I had a gelding. We started Sam's schooling right away as he needed light, supervised exercise.
A few months later, he was wearing a jumping saddle and longeing well. We put the western saddle on him a couple of times (bigger and heavier, preparing for the feel of a rider, too). One afternoon he was in the cross ties groomed and ready; Leon put a different western saddle on him - this one had a rear cinch attached - so Leon just buckled it without thinking. My brother was standing in the aisle 2 stalls down from the cross ties in front of Sam. I had just stepped out of the tackroom with the longe cavesson. Sam took a deep breath. Then came the explosion! Poor Sam reacted as most horses would - he took off to escape the unfamiliar thing grabbing his midsection/flanks. The 6X6 wooden posts that were the cross ties broke right at the ground. Safety snaps failed, no one of us could have grabbed a quick release in the storm that was horse, legs, ropes and posts flying in all directions. Out the aisle door he went onto 40 acres! As he passed my brother, a kicking hindleg punched through the stall door not 12 inches from his waist.
We ran out to see the not tightened up saddle now slide around and rest underneath poor Sam's belly. Still galloping, now bucking, still dragging the wooden posts, one on each side that were crashing against his legs at each stride - Sam looked like a horse doomed for sure. Sweating, gasping with his head now wrenched to the left as he finally stopped, Sam seemed to be ready for help. I caught up with him half way to the back fence. I was sure I would see broken legs, blood, horror. But Sam was standing there. I talked him into calming and allowing me to get close. The first task was to release the damn saddle. The rear cinch had broken (thank goodness, it was probably why he stopped). I got to the main cinch of the upside down saddle and, it being loose, was able to release the buckle on the latigo. The saddle fell to the ground. Sam jumped to the side. Then he stretched up, leaned toward me and let me disconnect the ropes at his halter. There were no wounds. I could tell he was really bruised, but no broken bones... he didn't even limp as we walked him back to the barn! That was one tough horse! And, with no rear cinch, he was fine for the next saddling a week later after lots of cold water therapy. I had to work hard to keep his accident out of my mind when I mounted him for the first time! He was an angel. I had him going well and sold him as a green prospect for a combined training rider in Santa Fe! Sam was a really great horse, bet he made a super eventer!

Mare & Son & TULL:
So much happened during those years in Tucumcari. Before the 3 wild youngsters, I had gone to Albuquerque to look at a mare and gelding who happened to be dam and offspring (I quickly realized that the gelding, at age 8, had never been emotionally weaned!). They were so sweet and just as calm as could be when riding, so I bought the two of them, then started trying to load them into my horse van. The 11 year old mare, Ginger, a small, pretty brown QH type went right up the ramp; turned around and backed into her stall. I put her in the cross ties, fastened her chest bar and hung her hay net. Two hours later, I was still trying to load the gelding, "Gunner". Ginger did not care where he was, but he frantically wanted to be with her yet just could not force himself up that ramp. The sellers had left, but returned to let me know that Gunner had never been off the property or in a trailer... I was starting to think better, knowing this. Poor guy, it was so stressful for him. I decided to push the ramp and sides back in the van, back it up to a hill and get the ramp more level. When he thought that the truck was leaving with "Mom", his eyes got huge (thought he was going to cry!) and as soon as I had things set up again at the hill, he closed his eyes (I'm serious) and just leaped into the van, barely touching the ramp. It was a peaceful trip back home for me with the 2 new horses munching their hay quietly, the headlights of the truck cutting through the dark and the desert air flowing through the tilt cab's vent windows.
Gunner and Ginger turned out to be great school horses and in time, he was able to bond with the other geldings and become an independent, middle aged, bay fellow with the cutest little ears and funny narrow chest!
This experience helped me later when I was in Las Cruces and had taken the horse van to Roswell to buy a gelding for my school. The big, bay Quarter Horse gelding did not want to go up that ramp (and let me say right here that these were the only two horses out of over a hundred that did not like the van - most horses just loved it and walked in and out with confidence). But "Tull" (I named him Jethro Tull) needed to get in - two friends had gone with me, we had mountains to cross to get home and it was getting cold and dark! I had to back the van right up against a steep hill; no ramp or sides, the friends stayed inside the cab as I led Tull up onto the hill, got to the end of the lead with myself in the van and asked the 2 cowboys to be super assertive and just send him forward at me. They didn't want to - I encouraged them... when they got after him, 1,400 pounds of Tull leaped right into the van and stopped 6 inches in front of me. "Good man!" I told him; turned him around, backed him into his stall, etc. and we were on the road!
Tull was a funny horse. He wasn't working out for the school. He was too sensitive to leg aids and needed one, consistent rider. I had sold a "babysitter" horse to a family a couple of years earlier who now wanted something a bit zippier for the father/husband. I needed a horse like "Halftone", the one I had sold them; so we arranged a trade - IF they liked Tull. They came to Briarwood with Halftone in their trailer. The husband led Tull around, tacked him up and I talked to him about how to relate to this new mount. He got on, dug his heels in (my heart jumped into my throat) and Tull literally "blasted off" across the arena and down through the turn out. The guy stayed on, steered him back up to the stable yard, still at a gallop. They slid to a stop and, smiling, he said this was the best horse he had ever known. WHEW!

The Bodhi Tree Principles

2011-10-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

Damaru, a drum with two heads, reminds us to choose our thoughts and our words wisely with kindness and commitment when we speak to our horses. For our horses to trust us, we must be trustworthy.

External Drala is all about recognizing the power and value of everything around us and to find calm, quiet time for "Earthing" - to connect to the presence of Nature and therefor, to the vibrations that our horses are tuned to.

Internal Drala is about recognizing the good in ourselves and cultivating it.

Secret Drala is about seeing ourselves as both a vessel and a conduit to blend the energies from the sky/stars and the vibration of the Earth while holding compassion for all living beings.

TThe Dralas are ENERGY WITHOUT AGGRESSION - Aggression desecrates everything it touches. Just as the Dralas shrink away from aggression, so will the horse try to escape it.

Some Herbs for Horses

2011-10-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

§ Arnica (externally only!) for bruises, strains and sprains

§ Bladderwrack (sea vegetable) for arthritis baths, fomentations for joints

§ Borage for fomentations on the chest for congestion

§ Calendula blossom for all skin complaints

§ Chamomile to draw out objects, to calm and reduce fevers

§ Chaparral for arthritis, to kill fungus

§ Comfrey for all injuries, especially bruises, bone trauma, head trauma

§ Eucalyptus for lungs, to move lymph

§ Eyebright for eye problems, sinus trouble

§ Fenugreek to use in poultices or soaks to fight infection

§ Lavender blossoms to calm, relax muscles and is antiseptic

§ Myrrh gum fights infections, irruptions

§ Witchhazel is an astringent

§ Yarrow in soaks and fomentations breaks fevers and cleanses the blood

Healthy Pets

2011-10-07T16:01:00.001-07:00

The Methods we use to support and balance the good health of our pets:

Clean, pure water is the most important nutrient an animal receives – in a safe container, available at all times.

Start with a truly healthy pet food made with human grade ingredients and of organic origin when possible. Look at labels – avoid products such as meat meals, meat by-products, chemical preservatives, all artificial colors, fiber products (the word product is used instead of describing the origin such as feathers or sawdust).

Offer only uncooked bones (soak in apple cider vinegar & rinse to kill bacteria) that are large and smooth. Cooked bones will splinter. Instead of bones, we feed raw carrots for chewing fun.

Provide daily exercise. Avoid chemical cleansers (especially on floor and carpets!) – instead, use vinegar, Dr. Bronners liquid soap, baking soda, salt water, etc. to clean surfaces. AVOID flea collars, spot on insecticides, tick dips and the like – use powdered rosemary/thyme/sage combination as a flea and tick repellent for dogs (sage and lavender powder for cats to avoid the phenol that is toxic to cats). Around the house, avoid pesticides! Use natural pyrethrin compounds for insect problems (still be cautious with its application), neem oil mixed with water as an ant/insect repellent (it is safe enough to brush your teeth with!), instead of moth balls use cedar pieces, rosemary and lavender to repel moths, scrub stains with lemon juice, remove blood with hydrogen peroxide, make safe and inexpensive air freshener with 40 drops of essential oil of lavender in 4 ounces of water to shake well and spray into the air (it will also calm everyone!).

Support a healthy immune system with supplementation of Colostrum, Co-enzymeQ 10 (ubiquinone, a Bcomplex that also supports heart health on a cellular level). Feed dogs a pinch of powdered Thyme daily to aid digestion and discourage worms (it contains Thymol which is anti-heartworm).

Never, ever feed animals artificial sweeteners – Aspartame will poison the muscles and harm the eyes; Sucralose damages the renal system; Xylatol is toxic to animals (but not to humans) – foods like yogurt (plain, real yogurt is super healthy) that have hidden chemicals are quite dangerous. Labels can be sneaky, read them carefully. Artificial colors are dangerous – they compromise the nervous system and brain function. Chemical preservatives have a cumulative effect and can be deadly (especially ethoxyquin).

We use Colloidal Silver as an antibiotic substitute orally and on wounds, etc. Then, if an infection strikes that needs an antibiotic, resistance is less likely.

We keep activated charcoal tablets handy for any digestive disturbances and possible poisoning (call the Veterinarian immediately if poisons are suspected – and she may tell you to dose charcoal).

We feed dogs Dolomite daily to support the bones and heart with calcium and magnesium in proper ratios. Brewer’s yeast provides B complex vitamins and, with garlic, repels fleas from the inside. Garlic should be fed in moderation and for 4 weeks on, 2 weeks off, etc. because it can be a liver stimulant/toxin in excess.

Anything in excess can be detrimental. Always use the herbalist’s wisdom ways by giving a new product in a small amount and watch for reactions. All animals are unique and can have individual sensitivities to foods, herbs, scents or chemicals.

Toxic foods to dogs are: Chocolate (can cause seizures and death), Onions (can cause liver damage), Grapes/raisins (can damage kidneys), Black licorice (causes blood sugar, pressure imbalances). Aspirin and all phenol containing products are toxic to cats. Acetaminophen is poisonous to all animals.

Use stainless steel containers for food and water – pottery must be lead free if used, plastics can have chemical structures and out gasses – soft, rubbery containers may have ethoxyquin in them to stabilize the rubber!

Some Herbs we use for pets as infusions (teas that are brewed) or decoctions (simmered):

Hawthorn berry for heart health – is an adaptogenic herb that balances heart functions

Red clover blossoms – are anti-cancer

Burdock root – is a liver cleanser and blood tonic (detoxes)

Dandelion leaf and root – support liver function

Fennel seed – aids digestion and relieves gassiness

Mullein – (well strained through muslin) for coughs orally as tea; infused in warm oil with garlic as an ear oil

Asparagus – steamed and fed to support and cleanse the renal system

Goldenseal leaf (root is too strong) and rose petals – as an infusion strained through muslin as an eye wash for irritation/infection

THE VIEW FROM ABOVE

2011-10-05T21:35:00.000-07:00

Large Animal Perspectives

By Katharine Lark Chrisley, NHC, RMT

Your horse is a prey animal. His eyes are set on the sides of his head to allow peripheral vision and depth perception – in front vision. This is how his ancestors detected the movement of predators even while grazing with heads down at ground level. To focus his eyes, the horse raises his head for distance and lowers his head for near objects. This explains why a Jumper needs to look straight at an obstacle with both eyes (depth perception) and without the head held high (looking past the jump). Because it takes time to focus (and that could turn him into a meal), the horse reacts to movement and checks out what was moving from a “safe” distance.

This pattern applies to most large prey animals – cattle, llamas, goats, sheep, etc. They may be totally safe in your barn, field or paddock, but their genetically coded responses can override their own life experiences. There is a common goal to NOT become a meal, even if it is totally not a possibility in this lifetime for that horse. Nature holds a power over all animals.

Your horse is a total herbivore. He should not be fed products that contain ingredients from animal sources. I am a vegetarian. I have total understanding of how ingestion of an unfamiliar animal flesh product can upset the digestive tract from one end to the other. Because I am a mammal and so is your horse, we can ingest things like yogurt without ill effect (of course, yogurt is very nourishing and health enhancing!) as long as it is free of things like artificial sweeteners, colors and the like.

Your horse cannot vomit, so everything he eats has to make it through a long and winding series of tubes that comprise the digestive tract. It really pays to be careful with everything that is fed to your horse.

The horse’s perspective is quite different than ours. We have eyes set at the front of our heads like predators and we do tend to move like predators. It can be unnerving to horses. To help him understand your intentions, move with steady, relaxed grace around your horse. Do not come up on him suddenly, unannounced (especially from behind!). Do not move crouched, slowly, stiffly as if you are “sneaking” up on him! Approach him as you do an old friend and talk to him.

The safest place for you to be positioned around a horse is at his shoulder (for your safety and his). He can see you (he has a blind spot directly in front of and below his nose and right behind his bottom) and he cannot strike, bite or kick you. Now, horses do not want to strike, bite or kick us unless they feel defensive and vulnerable (like when surprised from behind – for all they know, a tiger is about to leap onto them).

A horse can feel defensive because of past experiences (they have amazing memories) and you might trigger a response without realizing it. If you are having problems with your horse, try to figure out his perspective: does he feel confident that you are a kind and consistent leader? Horses look for a herd leader (or try to become one). Provide that leadership for him by CLEAR, CONSISTENT schooling. Make it easy for him to do the “right” things and difficult for him to do the “wrong” things. And be sure to consistently consider the same things “right” or “wrong”. You can drive a horse insane by rewarding him for doing something one day and punishing him for it the next.

You can develop your schooling program for your horse with a reward based system or a punishment based system. Either one will work. If you base your system on punishing each infraction, your horse will work to avoid punishment. He will only participate with you to keep from being corrected. If you use the reward based system, encouraging and praising and marking every “good” behavior, your horse will strive to find MORE good things to do for you and a RELATIONSHIP will form! It’s your choice.

Horses are mirrors for us. They truly do reflect our attitudes and emotions back to us. This is why they are such great teachers of patience, courage, compassion and self discipline. Horses excel in psychotherapy programs because of their pure, honest reactions to us. We cannot lie to horse, he will see right through us. A horse perceives much more than just the surface.

And horses are at our mercy. In the wild, without fences, a horse can find food and water. In the back paddock, he is totally dependent upon a human being for every life sustaining need. If you have the honor and responsibility of caring for a horse, always consider his viewpoint. His life is in your hands.

Your horse only knows what he is allowed or not allowed to do. He has no perception of Right or Wrong. If he comes from a life with other humans, he will have the imprint of their values in his data base. If you need to change him, do it GRADUALLY. You have to do things the way he knows at first, and then slowly teach him YOUR ways. I met a lady who came to this stable where I was training a stallion. She was to turn out and bring in the mares and foals. The horses were used to having their gates opened and they just ran out to the pasture! (This was not my barn, just a client’s) The lady, on her first day, decided she would catch each mare and lead her out. She nearly got killed … NOT because these were bad mares! It was because she tried to change their routine dramatically without any prior conditioning or interaction with the horses.

Read The Natural Horse Care Guide for more insight.

Be smart with horses. Think ahead. Be kind.

THE VIEW FROM BELOW

2011-10-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

Small Animal Perspectives

Your dogs and cats (and ferrets and iguanas and hamsters, etc.!) have a totally different view of the world around them than you and I do. We will concentrate on dogs here with most of our information also being applicable to cats.

Your dog is looking up most of the time when relating to you and other people. With his/her eyes set in the front of the face in predator position, it makes it possible to do this comfortably. A prey animal (like a horse or llama) would have to tilt its head to focus both eyes on us if looking up all the time (their eyes are set on the sides of their heads).

The dog is close to the Earth outdoors and uses information that comes to his nose (scent lingers near the ground and drops with cool air) to learn about a new place, to know who has been there and to make decisions moment by moment. If your dog has long floppy ears and big folds of skin around his face, he will gather scent more effectively than a smooth, short eared dog.

Indoors, he gets the same connection to smells from your floor/carpet. If you use strongly scented cleaning products, his senses can be overwhelmed. If he is the reason you use strongly scented cleaning products, try washing floors with vinegar instead; dusting carpets with baking soda before vacuuming; dusting his body with powdered lavender blossoms, parsley leaf powder or activated charcoal then brush him.

Your dog has acute hearing. He can detect a siren on the highway miles in the distance. He can hear a gopher deep underground (again, the long, floppy ears can channel sound, too) or the rustle of a bug in the closet. He may or may not appreciate Opera or Reggae or Rap.

You need to become aware of how your lifestyle can impact your pets’ lives. They certainly learn to adapt to us, but that can sometimes mean that they acquire strange (to us) behaviors as coping skills.

If your dog runs to the closet at 3:00 AM and starts digging in the corner (don’t yell “bad dog!” – I always say, “Good dog doing a bad thing”, really), try to understand why this is happening and give him something else to do.

Most predators re-act to stimulus. Their instincts are intact, even if the most hunting action they get is trying to locate the piece of popcorn that shot under the refrigerator last week. So the best trained dog and the sweetest cat in the world will both re-act without thinking when a bird flops down from the rafters to grab a grasshopper.

As you become aware of the instincts and qualities that your dog shares with his species, you can prepare his surroundings to enhance the things you want and to discourage the things you don’t want from him. Socializing him to people and other animals is of supreme importance because those very instincts that ensured his species’ survival in the past are the deep seated stimulus that could spark an attack under certain circumstances. Your dog will feel protective, even jealous of you to one degree or another. If you are unsure how to help him learn the important things, find a KIND, WISE, NON-AGGRESSIVE trainer to help you.

In the Natural Dog Care Guide you will find a list of things your dog needs to live a healthy life. An important ingredient is a “place of his own”. This just means that he needs a “den”, a bed in a corner of a room, a dog house, a whole room or a shed where he can be alone (or with his pack if he has other dog companions). To be blunt, he needs to be able to get away from people sometimes (know the feeling? I feel that way sometimes).

Because he is looking up at us most of the time, he will want to get on sofas and beds and chairs to be closer to our perspective. This may or may not agree with your desires, but if it is not acceptable, at least try to understand why he does it.

I have a friend whose dog was raised at a boarding and grooming facility where he was taught to jump up on the grooming table. He doesn’t understand the difference between a grooming table and my friend’s dining room table. She is patiently explaining to the good dog that this is a bad thing.

It goes without saying that a compassionate provider does not chain a dog to a tiny dog house out in the elements with not enough food and filthy water; with no companionship, no grooming and no love. This is not a life; this is Hell for a dog. If this is the only option, do not have a dog.

Your dog only knows what he is allowed to do. He does not innately know what is “right” or “wrong”. You have to teach him, because all people have their own sets of “rights” and “wrongs” for their animals.

Consider his viewpoint. Consider, ahead of time, what you want him to do and not to do and be CLEAR and CONSISTENT and especially COMPASSIONATE.

Consider his perspective. Try to not offend his highly developed senses and give him lots of attention (focused just on him) at least once a day.

Be Kind.

Need information on other animal species? “The Well-Being of Pets and Companions” is a book full of health care and communication techniques for most animal species. Go to Rose Dog Books and click on non-fiction, science and medicine, The Well-Being of Pets and Companions. For free articles on all kinds of animal subjects go to www.dharmahorse.org and click the articles page.

THE VIEW FROM WITHIN

2011-10-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

Meditate

Meditation has been practiced by cultures on every continent from ancient times to the present day. While much technology has been introduced to this meditative concept (from biofeedback to isolation tanks), the process of simply sitting in quiet silence remains the most effective way of contacting one’s inner world and emotions to release tension, activate the immune system and stabilize blood pressure.

I am a Soto Zen Buddhist, practicing since the 1970’s. I was the director of Master Peace Dharma Center for 4 years in the 1990’s and literally dozens of University students “sat” with us twice a week. I hosted Sesshin – multiple day and night sitting practices and found that the young students benefited from all meditation and brought much thoughtful conversation to our sittings.

To meditate we only require a quiet room (outside distractions can actually help to train the mind – dogs barking, traffic, etc.) and chairs and/or cushions. Participants should sit comfortably; I would give guidance for the Zen practice of “mindful breath” and we would sit quietly as a group. There is much direction to be given about how to find non-attachment to thoughts and “itches” and distractions. This deliberate focus helps train the mind for calm, compassionate observation of the world and awareness of all that surrounds us.

This has no religious basis. I do not do “guided meditation” unless specifically asked or if it is a part of a hosted conference, etc. There is the possibility of using simple tones (a chime or my bowl) to focus upon if it fits with a group’s needs.

We want simple, quiet, breath motivated meditation that calms and focuses the clients.

The walking meditation takes this state of calm clarity up from the cushion and helps us learn to bring our meditative state to all circumstances.

Non-aggression with a Tumor

2011-09-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

"Breath of Snow" (Snookie) was my Appaloosa Eventer given to me by my father in 1973 as the colt was weaned. I raised him, started him under saddle, competed him all over the Southwest and adored him for almost 30 years. In his early 20's he developed a raw tumor on his sheath that grew to the size of a softball. I had it surgically removed. It returned shortly after. Excised it again. It started growing back. My Veterinarian warned me that she could only remove it once more because the scar tissue beneath it was extensive...

I decided to work on a gentler way of addressing it before it got huge again (see first photo). I'm an herbalist. Trained by my grandmother and many other practitioners, I'm not certified, but I'm experienced. With guidance from Spirit, I took chamomile blossoms (they draw things to the surface), juniper berries (they cleanse the blood) and red wine (it preserves, suspends and amplifies properties) and created a skin tonic that actually drew out, reduced and finally eliminated the tumor. (see second photo)

A riding student's gelding who had a huge tumor inside his sheath used my remedy to save his life. I taught how to make it at my animal healing classes at the College and a lady in Mesilla actually started selling the ingredients with directions for making the tonic! A friend with a kennel was making it when I met her!! I have sold it to Veterinarians (the ones who knew the riding student's horse!) and taught hundreds of people how to make it.

This experience has a thread of compassion that runs through it. The remedy did not attack the tumors. The surgeries that were so aggressive did not solve the problems. Perhaps surgeries followed by use of the skin tonic prevented reoccurring tumors - but the drawing and detoxing affect of this simple little remedy brought real improvement in all the cases I'm familiar with to date.

I'm not saying this will cure cancers or even remove tumors. I'm saying I have seen it happen and I have lots of people who have seen it, too. Some humans like to see the ugliness disappear immediately. Some humans need a team of doctors to explore every allopathic avenue. Everyone must follow their own path. I offer my story here because of the non-aggressive, very effective outcome it produced (and continues to produce for others).

The recipe is: one big handful of chamomile, one big handful of juniper berries simmered for 20 minutes in a bottle of red wine (covered, non-metal pot), then left to sit overnight. Strain it well and apply to the area with cotton, a sponge or from a spray bottle. I applied it 4 times daily to Snookie's sheath.

Peace ~ Katharine

Spiral Exercises for Horses

2011-09-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

Spiral Exercises – support balance & suppleness in the horse

For the longe work, you can place cones to mark the circles (small, medium, large circles) that you direct the horse through by placing him between cones that establish the desired size circle.

These exercises (on the longe and when ridden) should be schooled well at the walk before trot and schooled well at the trot before canter.

When you feel that your horse understands the spiraling and he is enjoying the process, you can move on to other lateral exercises and his balance will be really great!

Finding Strength

2011-09-03T06:56:00.000-07:00

When I was 13 years old I fell through a plate glass window beside the glass doors at the entrance of my grandfather's home. This severed every nerve, tendon and blood vessel at my wrist and cracked the bones. They had to reach to my elbow to retrieve the tendons to reattach them and I lost so much blood I had to be transfused for hours before my surgery. Surgeons did an amazing job reconnecting things and, in time, my arm healed and my hand started working - little by little. But it was never totally strong or agile again. My other hand (the right one) had to do double duty and it stayed strained and often cramped just like the left hand.
I was a rider. Horses were my life. As a competitor, I struggled to keep horses even. They always knew one hand was very weak - but often, they worked to help me! As a trainer, I had much frustration trying to hold onto young horses that were simply fresh or got spooked. Chains were awkward and inappropriate; ordinary rope halters didn't work; longeing in a bridle put pressure on young mouths... I was desperate for a way to enhance my strength without hurting the horses. I started trying different techniques of using a smooth, soft rope like a "war bridle" but without anything in the mouth. I created a "Peace Bridle" and later, the "Boundary halter". It is simple (we like simple!) and it gave me the leverage I needed in many situations.
This halter helped many clients keep hold of their horses at times when a loose horse could have meant tragedy. It wasn't meant to be left on a loose horses nor for tying - but as a training tool for in-hand work, it finally helped me become "stronger" and no longer were my hands aching at night, swollen and twisted by a simple jerk from the horse on a line!
The photo is of a horse being longed in the simple Boundary Halter.

2011-08-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

My horse van was a big part of my life for years. We had it instead of trailers during my teens and after moving to New Mexico, the van itself attracted attention because it was not a common vehicle for hauling horses "out West". I drove it all over the country - 10 forward gears, 2 reverses... an engine that heated up in the southwestern summers, so I drove it to shows and clinics at night time (Mr. deKunffy always laughed about the horse "box" that only ran at night). I was taking it and had contracted a rig with tractor/double trailers to get 860 bales of (at the time, rare out here) grass hay. I led the trucker up north and left him at a fork in the road to check ahead if I was lost or not (I was). I started turning around and drove right into an irrigated field! I stopped immediately - ran to the ditch bank and broke off dozens of dry reeds and shoved them under the front tires and the dually tires - eventually, I got enough traction to wiggle out of the mud and went to the right road.
At the hay farm, there were only 2 men to help load - so the truck driver and I set up with them. It took 4 people to load the big rig with an escalator type thing to run the bales up. We filled my van, too and I was EXHAUSTED! Then we started back on the 4 hour drive home (at night). A ways out on the Interstate, my accelerator pinned to the floor! I pushed in the clutch and pulled over, engine roaring, then shut it off. With flashlight, I tilted the cab... there had been a spring regulating the gas pedal that was now missing... I got a new roll of paper towels and shoved them under the accelerator pedal, started her up and we drove home :)
One time, I took a couple of students' horses and my mare to El Paso to a Maj. Gen. Johnathan Burton clinic and just as we pulled in at Fort bliss, the van started making a hideous scraping sound. After unloading and securing the horses, I looked under the box where the sound had come from... then looked under other people's trucks. My driveshaft was missing a part all of their trucks had - a thing that held the shaft and it turned within it ( a "pillow block" I came to know). I got a huge leather strap, covered the inside of it with Mollimentum hoof dressing, strapped it around the shaft and a beam above, then used some baling wire in couple of other places... I rode in the clinic, after, tested the van on a drive around the parking lot. Then loaded the horses and drove the 60+ miles home! I loved that van.

Awareness

2011-08-27T10:09:00.000-07:00

My orphaned colt, Dharma Gita was more aware than most humans! I had him boarded one time at a stable where they let the water tanks turn to green sludge - so, of Course, I would dump, scrub and refill my colt's water!! (This was the reason sited for asking me to leave!) - One day, I dumped his water and was bent over scrubbing the tank when Gita kept nudging my bottom. I would "shoo" him awat but he kept coming back, each time being more forceful. Finally I stood up and said, "WHAT!". He walked to the water on the sand, looked at it, at me, at it, at me until I went over to see. There were tiny fish flopping on the sand!! I grabbed them all up and ran them to another horse's slimy water tank and plopped them in. Gita walked back over to his hay. It turns out, the owners had started putting the fish in the water troughs to eat mosquito larvae... while I was amazed that they did all sorts of things BESIDES clean the water tubs, I was much more amazed that my colt saw the little lives struggling on the ground and needed to let me know. And he wouldn't rest until they were all safely back in water.

2011-08-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

Sadness wrapped her big, heavy arms around me yesterday. While driving my Mom to a doctor's appointment (leaving the men installing her septic tank at my house and nervous horses there on my mind), we came across a tiny black dog on the side of a main road dragging her hind legs, desperately trying to get off the blazing hot sand of the roadside. I immediately pulled to the shoulder just past her. My soul was screaming for her - I felt the anguish and confusion she felt; my first feelings were how she was thinking "My body is ruined". I was crying uncontrollably as I got between her and the traffic that whizzed by oblivious... uncaring. A man was working (telephone company) at a corner not 100 feet from this sweet little dog. After I coaxed her to the shade beside a block wall and my Mom found two bottles of water that I poured into our insulated snack bag - I ran to that phone worker and asked him, "Do you know what happened to this dog?" - the man said that she was like that when he arrived about an hour earlier and no one had stopped until me. WHAT! I wanted to scream at HIM. What the $%*# was wrong with him! HE should have helped her. HE should have called the humane society. But he didn't matter. Only this precious canine mattered - and my Mom who was now sitting in the running Camry with the air conditioner on.
I ran back to my Mom and the car and my cell phone. The little dog had had several long drinks of water and was now curled around the wet beg in the shade. I dialed 911. Sobbing, I told the story to the dispatch. She was so kind and said that animal control would be right there. My Mom wanted to take the dog to the Vet. But, if I got her into the car... what if she would (understandably, in fear) bite my Mom? Mom is on coumadin (a blood thinner of some potency) and having had serious heart trouble four months earlier... I couldn't take a chance.
We waited. I called my Mom's doctor and told them we would likely be late. They are kind people and seemed to understand at least that we were being delayed (I wondered - would they have stopped for this tiny creature?).
The animal control truck arrived. Two men got out and moved slowly with me to the little girl. I was explaining what I knew of her condition and their voices became soft and reassuring for her. One officer repeated " We'll get you to the doctor, honey... easy girl". They didn't have a towel. I gave them an extra shirt from my car. They wrapped it around her to support her broken body and gently placed her into an air conditioned compartment in their truck.
This was all I could do. I had to get my Mom to her doctor. Crying, I thanked them, praised them and had to drive away. The day was difficult. I had taken this photo of the little girl to show my Mom because she couldn't see her from the car (thank goodness, the doggy's condition would have devastated my Mother) and all I could do was try to hide my sobbing. I don't know what happened to the dog. We tried calling the Humane Society where she was taken when I finally got home, but it was too late to find out anything. Today we will call again. No matter what, at least that little dear knew someone loved and cared about her. At least she didn't die on the side of the road, dragging her hind end, in the oppressive heat without water or concern. Even if she had to be euthanized, people cared.

2011-08-07T06:39:00.000-07:00

Emotions can send an "electrical charge" through the air that other beings connect to and react to. Years ago, my dog was barking violently in the stable yard outside of the dome house in the middle of the night. The porch light slightly illuminated him but not the weird form that was his focus in the shadows. I crept out with my flashlight as he jerked forward then back, hair all standing on end. My heart was pounding! The electric charge was all around me! Then my light hit the thing in the shadows. It was a bucket.
Excerpt from "The Wellbeing of Pets & Companions"

2011-07-13T07:21:00.000-07:00

Gita was my Arabian colt who had been orphaned at birth. One morning when he was 2 years old I went out to feed and found him with his head down, disoriented and wobbling - almost unable to stand. I ran to the cottage and grabbed the UAA (universal animal antidote charcoal & clay) gel and dosed him orally. Then I called my Veterinarians and they BOTH arrived in a matter of minutes. My first thought had been poisoning of some kind; then I thought something venomous - but I did not give anti-histamine since the Vet was coming and nothing was swelling on Gita (the Benadryl might have masked something for the exam). Both doctors agreed that he likely had EPM. We did blood work and he tested positive for Leptospirosa... they said he would never be ridden. I was devastated - we had worked so hard to save his life... then my Spirit said to remember who I am and what I do, so I started him on Ginseng, Choline, Folic Acid and got protozoa nosodes to dose him with daily. He went on Bio-Plasma cell salts combination and Diamond V live yeast. He received Reiki treatments twice a day and water therapy to stimulate the movement of the Chi. I used Moxabustion on the Triple Heater points and Meridian.In six months he was moving normally. At age 4 I started him under saddle. He is now a trail horse for a sweet family after working 2 and a half years with me in Equine Assisted Therapies.

Simple, Natural

2011-05-29T05:45:00.000-07:00

What we mean by "Simple, Natural" is how we use and teach methods that are real and basic. Such as, basing an equine ration upon a high quality grass hay or pasture and adding things like Himalayan crystal salt, flaxseed meal, alfalfa, herbs and fresh foods that all rotate according to seasons and needs. We offer simple reference charts that are easy to access yet packed with information. We have training aids and methods that explain our desires to the horse rather than using force or pain. We use water therapies and offer a booklet with detailed instructions. We host and travel to offer workshops and clinics based upon this principle of simplicity and lovingkindness. We are Reiki practitioners and teachers. We have always depended upon Nature for our philosophies and our medicines at dharmahorse.

Cauterizing

2011-03-12T20:26:00.000-08:00

A long time ago, I bought the sweetest horse in the world. A big Quarter Horse who was 15/16th's Thoroughbred. I called him Gray, he was gray. When I got him, he had come off of a ranch around Hillsboro in the mountains of New Mexico and he was SO sore on his bare hooves that had been worn away and deeply bruised on pure rock country. As abscesses began to appear, my friend and farrier, Pete, and I would pack the depressions of an each abscess with iodine crystals, wrap the outside of the hoof with towels, put on our gloves and squirt (very cautiously) pure turpentine with a syringe onto the iodine. It would sizzle, boil and puff a big purpley red cloud of toxic smoke.
Slowly, we got the emerging pockets of abscess cleared and cauterized over many months. Then, for almost 2 years, I kept his healing hooves packed with Webril Wipes (cotton pads we use when running printing presses) over tamed iodine, wrapped with Vetrap then placed into Easyboots. I only had to do this on the front hooves after the first few months.
It was important to exercise Gray to keep circulation in the hooves, so I started Dressaging him and we went to clinics, did light trail riding and schooling shows in the hoof boots. At first I had to do the treatments and reboot him every day, but after 6 months, I was doing it every 3rd or 4th day. I adored that horse. I could lie down beside him as he lay, sleeping in his stall and doze off myself.
The photo here is of Gray and me at a Charles deKunffy clinic in Albuquerque WAY back! Gray is wearing his easyboots! We were also in the Albuquerque Journal that time - nice photo of us in the indoor arena (I said, a "white" horse indoors makes the best picture!).
My point is - you can enjoy life with your horse even if things are not "perfect" - they actually rarely are. Just be in the moment and grateful for the good company!

Exploding Barn Doors

2011-03-08T13:49:00.000-08:00

So, back in Tucumcari (New Mexico) in the '70's, I had the three wild 3 year old horses that had never seen a human being until being herded into a stock trailer and delivered into the aisle of my barn! Leon, Billy and I worked with them slowly and with clear, consistent methods that we developed as we went along.
Dawn was a very timid mare, lovely and curious but quick to react and to flee. We were blessed with a huge aisle in the barn (I could ride in it - the ride-able ones among the other 15 horses we had at that time) and there was a translucent garage type door at each end. Leon was preparing to work with Dawn one morning, teaching her to lead. He would start with her in the 14 x 14 stall and patiently take her into the aisle, then back to the security of her stall, a little farther out into the aisle, then back... he'd been working with her like this for around 10 days.
This particular day I reminded him to wear a helmet (we called them hard hats back then!). I was in a stall, mucking while it's occupant was turned out and I saw Leon taking Dawn pretty far down the aisle with all going quite well. Our barn was situated so that vehicles coming down Hiway 19 from the south would look right at the end of the building. In a flash, something triggered the filly and she bolted - Leon had her head pulled toward his body trying to stop her and she was zooming toward the closed door at the end of the aisle. Her "binocular" vision was nonfunctioning, her peripheral vision couldn't see what was ahead of them and the two of them exploded out through the door, pieces flying in all directions! Leon still had hold of her! She was momentarily stunned and he was able to turn her and lead her back to the barn quickly. AND, neither of them were harmed! The door was totaled - but I figured, if it had been sturdier, they might have even been killed.
Later, I wondered; if anyone was driving casually down the hiway, around the turn to face the barn, watching the scenery, just as the door exploded into a thousand pieces and a horse dragging a man burst forth from the opening - what must they have thought!

2011-03-05T07:06:00.000-08:00

It has been quite a winter for us here at the new property! Our first winter on the mountain brought minus 13 degree temperatures! We had winds at 50 & 60 mph with 80 mph gusts one day! We had rolling black outs to maintain electrical service... carrying warm water to the horses in buckets for over a week... Workshops were not possible here, but I taught lots of private lessons and did two speaking engagements in the city. Now, we need to find a way to build a working and healing barn where we can also host the workshops. Dreaming - I hope for more land (it's possible) and (big dream) a modest indoor school. But things are possible now because we have our own place and, even though I am not usually drawn to join organizations, I am feeling connected to friends in the local Horseman's Association and we've had great fun volunteering for their Horse Trials competitions. I've been judging shows for them some, which helps add a bit of funds to our cause and keeps me meeting great people! A good friend used to say, "Onward into the fog!" Here we go - I feel like Dharmahorse is stepping forward, out of the fog!

Learning (think ahead)

2011-03-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

When I was 13 or 14 years old, I took 2 girl friends from school out to the stable where I boarded my new horse. It was "Blue Circle Stables" outside of Beckley, West Virginia. We spent the morning grooming horses, then walked a mile and a half out the country road to a vegetable stand where we bought juices... drank them and decided to buy a huge, lovely watermelon.
Planning to eat it at the stable and share it with the horses, we started hiking back, taking turns carrying the melon. About half way to the stable, we were worn out and hurting. We didn't have a knife to cut up the melon and lighten the load... we were certainly not going to abandon it on the road, so we sat with it every few minutes resting. Then we walked onward trying to carry it between two of us at a time. More than 2 hours from when we left the horses, we struggled the last hundred yards, sweating, groaning and getting kind of grumpy with each other, now rolling the melon up the driveway with our feet.
It tasted good, if a bit warm... the horses loved getting chunks of it! I remember how sticky we got and how my 2 friends sort of drifted away from me after that. We had chosen the biggest watermelon they had. I thought later about how we could have taken 2 or 3 little ones... we could have had it cut into pieces before we left... the adults at the stand could have advised us, but, truly, I would not have learned such a good lesson if I hadn't suffered through it myself.

2011-02-22T22:28:00.000-08:00

I used to ride a Harley... my friends were bikers, my companion was a biker. I had a little, kinda ratty chopper that actually won a "Rat Bike" contest in Cruces! I had ridden it in Boulder and pretty much frozen myself when I lived there running printing presses and teaching Dressage! Anyway, a few years back, I was at a convenience store paying for my petrol when a slightly drunk guy followed me out of the store. At that moment, two guys on Harleys rode up and one was a student's husband, the other a friend from my Vet's office. They dismounted and came over, each of them giving me a hug. The drunk guy stumbled over saying, "Where's my hug" and immediately the friend's husband shrugged his shoulders and said, 'Oh, alright", and hugged the guy!! Then John said, "Okay", and hugged him! I nearly wet my pants holding back the laughter. Quick thinking, good friends are absolutely priceless.

Land of Enchantment

2011-02-09T19:17:00.000-08:00

New Mexico is special. The land holds ancient secrets and human technologies with equal regard. We have high desert, mountains, lakes & rivers, spectacular dunes of gypsum pure & white, caves and crystals... cultures from all over the world living with respect for the indigenous peoples and ancient petroglyphs beside giant telescopes (quite fitting, actually!). Our horsemen and horsewomen ride Dressage, Saddle Seat, Western, Hunt Seat, Eventing, Trail or drive their horses in many disciplines. You can find most equine breeds here. We have state of the art Veterinary facilities, country doctors and open mindedness for alternative healing methods. We have hot springs and geothermal greenhouses. We have the Very Large Array listening to outer space. We have the vacuum tower solar telescope watching the sun. There are lots of solar powered homes and people that live in small mobile homes or rambling adobe mansions can sit over coffee at a cafe' talking about their common love of this land. I'm so glad that I live here. There are secrets under the ground here - human secrets and secrets held by the Earth. And sometimes I think that they are not so much secret but maybe more like sacred... like New Mexico is a sacred, enchanted place!

Good Lessons

2011-02-07T07:54:00.000-08:00

We've weathered a nasty storm at Dharmahorse and are cleaning up after a week of wind, ice, below zero temperatures and constant hauling of drinking water to horses in buckets... hot mashes, constant hay feeding, double blankets and leg wraps... keeping dogs safe inside, water faucets dripping to keep from freezing solid... trying to conserve propane with thermostat at 61... rolling blackouts by electric company so the power would not go off for days!

WOW, we made it through with flying colors and feel so grateful for so many things! Just before the storm we had visitors and Majic was our angel caretaker as he gave gentle rides. Then I judged a horse show and thought I was cold, HA! Everything is relative - and I think that was the lesson of the storm. Appreciation and awareness - good lessons.

Visitors

2011-01-28T21:00:00.001-08:00

Friends came to visit last week and get some "horse time" with Majic. He loves people and people love him.

Natural Horse

2011-01-24T18:15:00.000-08:00

The Healing Herbal Teas article and the Herbal Profile section are by Katharine in this issue of Natural Horse Magazine. She will have another article and profile in the upcoming issue. You can read these and other articles by Katharine on the Articles page of the Dharmahorse.com site.

We met a true, for real Angel

2011-01-09T13:08:00.000-08:00

Last night Jerry and I were returning home around 10:30 from supper and music with friends. It had been a long day - in the morning, the geldings had been turned out and Rafiki kept galloping up and into the pen Jer was mucking. I led him back down past the tack room and changed the electric fence tape to keep him (and Majic) at the lower part of the turn out. Rafiki took off around the yuccas and galloped full tilt at the fence that had not been across there 2 minutes earlier. I yelled "Whoa, Rafiki, FENCE!" and he dropped his head, saw it and JUMPED it (thank goodness), catching the tape with just the toe of a hind hoof which made it disconnect from the insulator... Whew!
Then, Jer and I were taking out the stall divider in the horse trailer so Sunshine would not get caught under it when Sunshine rolled under the fence on his turn out and ended up loose (but still within our perimeter fence) and galloping! I caught Rafiki and held him - he was very excited about the teeny weeny horse zooming all over the place. Jer got Sunshine's halter and tried to catch him as he ran from pen to pen, in front of Susie then Majic (who chased him), into the front yard and back to the pens. I finally got Rafiki put away, then Majic, we caught SShine and checked him for injuries. He was fine and proud of himself.
So we prepared for the trip to town taking Sunshine to the animal blessing (which went splendidly!) and when we returned, did all our chores in record time and left for the pub where we met our friends (I forgot to change boots - manure is a very organic kind of aromatherapy, right?).
As we drove home in the pitch dark on the long straight stretch of Holman Rd., I saw a truck with flashers on the left side of the road and just caught a glimpse of a woman squatting on the right side with a little flashlight. I turned the car around, drove back and asked her through the window if she was okay. "Yes" she said and I saw a tiny dog on the shoulder in front of her. She had seen the dog on the side of the road and stopped - the dog was breathing but bleeding from the mouth. She had called animal control and they were coming...
I brought the car around to her side of the road, put on my flashers as Jer ran to her side and starting doing Reiki treatment on the white dog. I joined them, put my hands on the dog and we kept telling the tiny being that he/she was loved. Over and over, the three of us told the dog how beloved it was. This young woman had stopped, by herself and sat with this dog she did not know in the cold dark on a relatively dangerous place in the road. I hugged her.
I got a sweater from my car and covered the dog. He/she raised up several times and looked right into our eyes. We kept telling her how much she was loved. The animal control truck arrived and a sheriff. The AC fellow was kind and grabbed a towel, we gently rolled the doggie onto the towel, I supported the head and brought the sweater... we put the dog into a safe compartment of the truck and the guy said he would call the Veterinarian to meet him at the shelter.
The 3 of stood, a bit stunned for a moment. I hugged the girl, told her how wonderful she was and we all drove off our separate ways. Today, Jer has left messages hoping to find out about the little dog. My heart tells me that, even if he/she died last night - she KNEW she was loved.
Jer and I met an angel last night. I could not even describe that young woman, it was so dark... but I "saw" the spirit of a real angel and will never forget her.

Continued....

2011-01-05T19:50:00.000-08:00

Aid and Comfort

2011-01-05T18:58:00.000-08:00

Years

2010-12-31T15:40:00.000-08:00

Wisdom...s

2010-12-25T17:02:00.000-08:00

I lived in Arizona during the '07 to '08 years... southern AZ. During monsoons and fire season (yes, there is a "fire season"!) and lots of political stuff. It was a time when gasoline cost $4.89 a gallon there. I drove an older Jeep Cherokee and had to drive into Tucson often. I did not have a job - Jer and I had sold & given away most everything we had to move there and help out at a stable... an exchange kind of thing that did not work out, but gave us the opportunity to meet some of the most wonderful friends in the world.
We lived several places with our horses after things didn't work out originally and that is when our Susie was injured so severely after being terrified by a train. But we became really flexible and stayed positive and eventually we lived at a place in the middle of the most gorgeous mountains on the whole planet! I had an art studio/gallery in Old Tubac (in a tower that was part of an ancient fort) and Jer established a woodwork studio in Amado that was like an old cattle station in Australia!
One place we lived (where Susie got hurt) during fire season had a train track running through the property and the bosque there caught fire! We had to move our horses to a cattle pasture fenced in barbed wire and lead them over the tracks on a berm covered in huge, deep gravel - and Susie had the radial nerve paralysis! We got them safely away from the fire, but I was a nervous wreck about the barbed wire! Smart horses - they stayed safe, so did we, but I was out tying old Tshirts and wash rags on the fence to make it more visible.
At the gorgeous place (later, after we had all gotten our wits about us) - a huge fire broke out on the mountain range by our (rented) home. At night we watched the surreal flames spread and rise in sudden pillars of swirling sparks as a tree would be consumed...
The TV News stations from Tucson were all over the place - special fire fighters were everywhere; giant tanker planes dropping foam stuff on the mountain. I was getting really stressed. They talked evacuation... there was no rain in the forecast at all.
I got out my photograph of the Tibetan monks and their sand mandala that I had watched them make at NMSU. The sand from it had been poured into the Rio Grande and afterward it rained for a week! So, I put the photo on the Earth, placed a pointed Selenite crystal on the photo with the point aiming at the burning mountains. And then I prayed... and then the rain came. It poured rain. The fires were subdued in a matter of days. Our neighbor, who would become a dear friend, was a witness to the whole photo/crystal thing and she was most pleased that I had done it! Whether or not it started the rains - just doing something helped us feel a bit stronger.
Arizona was a roller coaster ride for me... more to tell than can be told, really. I faced whatever I had to face. I decided, finally, to return to my real home (New Mexico) and help my Mother and some friends with health things.
We loaded everything we could into and on top of my Jeep. That was all I would have to my name by that time (and a little bit of money to buy a laptop and pay to host a website) - and I was certain that my paintings were safely loaded into that Jeep! I gave my horses to the most wonderful home in the world where they are cherished and live in huge pastures (this is what inspired this story tonight - I just heard about how well they are doing, thank God) and, because the daytime temperatures were over 100 degrees; the A/C did not work in the Jeep and my little dog who was to travel with me is long haired - I had to leave after the sun went down. Storms were brewing all around. Jer and our neighbor and I went to our favorite restaurant, Wisdoms, for supper, to say goodbye. Jer was staying to continue woodworking.
The photo with this story is of one of the two rainbows that appeared over Wisdoms as I arrived that evening, full of apprehension about the drive to Las Cruces. When I saw the rainbows, it gave me peace about my future. The drive was to be a frightening one through hail, pouring rain, lightning and severe wind - but my dog, my Jeep and my paintings, crystals, beadwork, photos, etc. all made it!! That evening I had my green corn tamale and half of a hot, fried peach burrito with ice cream and coffee and I just knew that somehow, Jer and I would be together again.
Now, a few short months ago, when I found our new home to buy (with a lot of help from those who love us!!) - Jer and I took the drive up the mountain to see it for the first time and, behold - there were 2 rainbows in the dark grey/orangey sky right on top of the mountain. :) So, I had no doubt that this was to be our new home and the place where Dharmahorse would finally become established. sigh, what a long strange trip, well, you know!

Onyx

2010-12-22T18:56:00.000-08:00

Onyx was the black and white pinto gelding from the 3 wild 3 year olds we took on at Fox Fire Stable. This was in the early '70's. There were no books or methods available (that I could find) about humane techniques to gentle the horse who had never seen a human being until the age of 2, 3 or 4. I was young but had a lot of experience riding and training horses and ponies who had seen people, so I figured the main task at hand was to get these youngsters accustomed to seeing, hearing, smelling and being touched by people. Then, I could use my skills like usual. (It did work, by the way - but it is much like the instructions for replacing a kitchen faucet, they say, "first - remove old faucet...") The hard work was the first part!
Onyx was lovely. He moved with anti-gravity, had suspension of stride and his own version of airs-above-the-ground. His sensitivity made him reactive to all the normal goings on in a stable yard and I was wondering if we should just turn him out on the forty acres, provide food and water and simply admire him. Leon claimed him and my brother and I supported him in his quest to tame the black and white colt.
He was wearing a halter, was gelded now, had a tolerance of us in his boxstall for mucking or feeding, could be loose in the barn aisle and could be "herded" to the large round pen to have a run.
We had built a stout round pen instinctively after the wild ones arrived. I found that corners in the stalls gave them places to get stuck and panic, so we decided to have a large space without corners. We could gently get hold of the short cotton fob we left on Onyx's halter, then attach a lead or longe line. In the round pen, I started him on the longe without a whip (I do call them wands because it is only a noun and whip can be a verb - that I do not do). I used my body position to explain to him how I wanted him to move. This was instinctive for both of us - I had been around horses all my life and he had, too. I would then leave him in the pen with water and some grass hay and each day I would toss something new in with him. At first it was a feedtub, then a tire, then a stuffed toy dog, then a bright red ball, then a small canvas tarp - and we left each object so they collected in there. A couple of times I fell over things while longeing him, but even that was good for him to experience.
One thing I never did with any horse was to act like a preditor; to sneak up to them or push them aggressively. The only times any of us had to be loud or make ourselves big and forboding were when a horse tested the boundaries by being aggressive with one of us.
Onyx needed slow, consistent, clear experiences with humans. He got plenty of exercise, but was not in race or endurance training, so he received no grain feed. Only grass hay, alfalfa hay, wheat bran mashes a few times a week with herbs and the trace nutrient supplement "Source" that had recently come out. I will be honest with everyone right now - his first and second hoof trimmings were done tranquilized. I fed it to him well before our farrier and friend (Mr. Jim Keith) arrived. I reasoned that, since it HAD to be done, why let it be scary for the colt?
Leon was grooming him finally with no over reactions to being touched. Leon apprenticed with Mr. Keith and eventually was trimming all the wild ones' hooves. They were starting to accept us within their own time frames and that was just fine with me! We were all learning so much.

Prodding

2010-12-21T14:37:00.000-08:00

In Tucumcari we had a huge feed company/feed store and tack shop called Worley Mills. I was there a lot! It was kind of out of town and my Dad was friends with the owners - we had the newspaper there, the Tucumcari News. I had just established Fox Fire Stable and was getting known in the area. I had gone to Worley Mills with some brochures and cards, visited with the people at the counter and was at the back of the store looking at halters when a cowboy came in. He tipped his hat toward me and I nodded. I watched him move, slightly limping, to the cattle prods on one wall beside multi-colored plastic tags and odd metal clamps and chalk, etc. I watched because he was kinda cute - he brought one of the prods down from its hook, looked at the end of it carefully, then pushed on it with his hand. ZAP, I heard it shock him - he fell back and ended up on the floor on his, um, bottom! I looked away quickly, grabbed a halter to pretend to examine. THEN, he picked the prod up from the floor, looked at the end of it and pushed on it again! On the floor for a second time, he seemed dazed - the girl behind the counter came running to help him up. I got out of the store and to my truck quickly - it was just too humiliating to witness if he was gonna zap himself a third time! You know, "cute is as cute does", or something like that.

Ice Storm

2010-12-18T20:02:00.000-08:00

For several years I lived on the side of the mountain in the town of Organ. I rented a tiny cottage covered in vines, surrounded by trees and herb gardens. I also rented a cottage next door for Zen meditations, Reiki treatments and making soap and medicines. My retired eventer, Snookie (Breath of Snow) lived just below the house in a three sided shelter and pen that I had built. Snookie was in his 20's, had the beginnings of Uveitis (moonblindness) and was Cushinoid. I was managing his health and happiness, but he was fragile.
An ice storm hit one day in January. It came without warning (to the severity of it) and we lost power. My little wall unit gas heater worked without electricity... the dogs and I were safe, but Snookie was in a life or death situation. My landlady (the coolest person on the planet) said "take Snookie in the house!" Yet, that wasn't really possible - I did have a storage room in my little back yard. It was of block, but the ceiling was insulated and the door was thick and of metal. I pulled all my stuff out (I thought) and piled it on the downwind side then filled the building with hay and straw. The wind made the pores on my face bleed. The sleet stuck to my body in freaky ice sheets that made me unable to bend my arms and legs easily. I could barely breathe. By the grace of God and Goddess I led Snookie up the hill to the backyard. He was covered in layers (a mesh sheet, blanket and turn out rug on top) and still was shaking from the cold. I "stuffed" him into the room, crunchy ice sheets all stuck to his sides, neck and face. My gas stove worked (it was really old - they work best - simple) so I kept making him buckets of hot herb tea and sloppy hot (warm!) bran mashes and wet pellets. The dogs and I hunkered down in the cottage with warm rice and oatmeal for them, soups and lots of hot tea for me. We were like that for three days!! The roads and highway were closed. As the storm stopped and the sun peaked out onto our glistening ice world, I started pulling manure out of the storage/Snookie room and decided to let him walk around the back yard carefully (the ground was solid ice).
The sun thawed us out quickly. Life returned to normal. Snookie survived quite well and was glad to get back to his pen! After all was cleaned out from the shed he lived in over 5 days, I found a little television under the poop that I had completely forgotten I had. It was unharmed (just poopey), but more important, Snookie hadn't been hurt by it... amazing. I'll never know how he kept from stepping on it.

Wind Horses

2010-12-17T18:46:00.000-08:00

The school and boarding stable I had here in Las Cruces (started in 1982 at the Briarwood Dressage facility we built around the dome house I bought north of town) was at the back of a long field of alfalfa. My turn out for my own horses was the arena and boarders went out in the field that was fenced with black rubber fencing. The arena was made of 1 by 12 boards on 4x4 posts with one strand of electric fence on top that was only turned on when horses were loose inside.
I had all the school horses out one very windy day - 10 horses of varying ages, sizes and temperaments. I was mucking when the wind actually blew the top boards off of one line of fence, breaking the electric tape as well. One of my school horses was a retired open jumper named Smokie (Holy Smoke) who was the only equine that did not jump the lower boards and gallop off across the country side! He looked at me as if he knew he wasn't supposed to leave - I yelled at him to "stay" and took off after my disappearing herd of 9! One of those wildly galloping bay geldings was Halftone - the babysitter who could barely do a one mile an hour jog in a lesson... now leading the whole group down the road and through a large mobile home park set within an orchard. Zigzagging through trees and fenced yards, my herd stayed together and parents were grabbing their children from the swings and slides, holding tight to them. I was gasping for air, legs cramping as I tried to keep up (foolishly) with my horses.
They made their way around and turned back toward home. When I finally got to the barn - my neighbor (a young girl who took lessons from us and knew each of the horses) had put Smokie in his stall and was slowly catching the exhausted, sweating, just a bit too pleased with themselves school string. We pulled their water and started rubbing them down, offering small drinks until they had all cooled. The wind kept howling. I thanked my neighbor profusely and never charged her for a lesson after that day.
Companions in my life always seem a bit impatient with my double and triple checking gates; wiring boards onto posts in addition to screws or nails; becoming edgy when the wind blows... and explanations are just kind of useless. For most of the experiences with horses in my life, you just "had to be there".

Peanuts

2010-12-16T17:25:00.000-08:00

Balloons

2010-12-15T18:24:00.000-08:00

A friend and student was riding her three year old gaited gelding alone in the arroyos when they suddenly came upon a shiny helium balloon (from the grocery store!) just hovering about head high in the middle of their path! Obviously it had floated away from someone and its "lift" had diminished until it had found its way into the desert. It had a bug-eyed, startling face painted on it and was metallic and crinkley. Her horse was beside himself, but listened to her and she was finally able to calm him and even get a hold of the balloon and bring it home - where she tied it at various spots for her other horses to get accustomed to the sight of it. After hearing about the encounter, I began buying a weird balloon now and then at Albertson's and tying it to fences where my horses were turned out. It was the inspiration for the Dharmahorse Confidence Clinic balloon mazes.
Another student told me about a trail ride where she found a couple of nice plastic pots on the road, tied them at the cantle of her saddle and was riding home with them just fine until they picked up a trot...........

Ponies

2010-12-15T16:56:00.000-08:00

I bought a medium pony from a student who had out grown her in Roswell. A really pretty little bay mare, she was very well schooled and became a school horse for us. "Coquette" had the typical pony's inclination to jump the fences that horses twice her size jumped. Before I bought her, her little girl and my working student were schooling for a show. We knew the outside hunt course well - there was a 3'3" white rolltop with a 4'3" spread to it. It was off a kind of corner and weird looking to the horses (and us, to be honest!). My students and I had been jumping that heighth and width, but we all kept worrying about that rolltop. My brother's idea was to build and paint that jump for us. So, with a copy of it sitting in our jump arena, I set up a jumping lane down one long side. It was just a one stride, bounce, bounce and 2 stride, then a left turn to get to the rolltop going in the opposite direction. It rode brilliantly! The girls just flew over the rolltop after the gymnastic and we were in awe of little Coquette. After adding a little course and clearing the rolltop twice, the girls all wanted to go over it "one more time"... this is always risky. And I know better - when things go so well, STOP, reward the horse, pat yourself on the back... but we made the mistake and rode to it one more time. We taught all the horses to refuse that jump that day. And once the horses' confidence (and the girls') was shaken, they all had trouble at the show at that fence. I write about mistakes I've made and ones I have watched through these many years with the hope that someone reading about them won't make them, too.
Coquette was a favorite with young students. I had a meek young girl who adored her and rode her at shows some. This little girl was blonde, wore thick glasses and was so very, very quiet. We were loading horses one morning for a show and Coquette was the third one up the ramp (where the horses were turned around and backed into their stalls). I turned her around (she had done this dozens of times) and, being such a sly pony, she knew I was just expecting her cooperation. She bolted out of my hands with a squeal and galloped down the ramp! The little blonde girl just took hold of the lead shank as it flew by her and when Coquette felt the connection, she "doubled" at the constraint of the line. We all just stood blinking for a moment since it had happened so fast and the outcome was a pure shock! The girl led the pony up the ramp to me and Coquette never did that again.

TBird

2010-12-13T17:46:00.000-08:00

I had a school of Dressage and Combined Training in Roswell, New Mexico. We boarded and trained horses, had a nice group of school horses as well. A young girl became my apprentice and brought her palomino gelding with her to our stable. His name was TBird. He could trot and had a little running walk kind of lateral gait, too! He was an angel in a horse suit. His owner had the chance to buy a colt to start and get a cute, young Appaloosa from her grandparents, so I bought TBird. What fun he was. Beginners were safe on him, more experiences riders could be challenged riding him because he adjusted to the level of the person on board. He would jump anything you pointed him to - even with a halter, bareback. We used him as a lead horse when a green horse needed confidence over a fence. He went to shows and clinics, did trail rides and pretty much everything anyone asked of him.
He had come through a dealer's yard. In those days, there were a lot of horse dealers and I was often out looking through their offerings for horses to train or for school mounts. There were never any horses better and very few as good as our TBird. My favorite TBird story was when we took him to Albuquerque to a Dressage clinic with a famous instructor. This man was a good teacher and was working with my apprentice on TBird. A little hollow through his back, TBird was difficult to truly collect in the trot and this clinician was a little frustrated with my student. He asked her to dismount, adjusted the stirrups and mounted to show us all how to do it "right". Funny old TBird! He picked up his lateral gait (a kind of rack mixed with foxtrot like movement) and would not do anything else with this man on board! When my student got back on (this was a horse she had known for years, of course), TBird trotted without any sign of lateral leg moves. We held back laughter - not at the teacher, but chuckles that would simply acknowledged TBird's obvious sense of humor! This is a photo of him with a student from WAY back.

prayer wheels

2010-12-11T13:45:00.000-08:00

Sam

2010-12-08T18:42:00.000-08:00

We had neighbors in Tucumcari who raised Appaloosas. Times were tough for them and they talked me into buying 3 horses, one gelding and 2 colts not yet castrated. Now these horses had grown up with people, so they had a different perspective than the 3 wild ones, but they had their own issues as well. They had not received the best of nutrition, but they had been handled a lot. I seemed to be doing things in 3's! Goldie was a lovely 4 year old gelding with only halter training (!) who took to the longe like a gentleman and I was riding him after 3 weeks. Punkin was only 8 months old, Sam was 2 years and cryptorchid (he only had one testicle descended), so I knew I was looking at a more complex surgery to geld him. Punkin was a solid palomino (who later got some mottling and spots) and Sam was huge, totally the look of an old Nez Perce Appy - mostly white/gray with lots of spots and mottling on the face, sclera showing on the eyes and very striped hooves. His tail and mane were sparse, his bone dense and hooves properly large.
Sam became my project because I just really liked his personality, strength and energy. He seemed so focused and kind. I had a veterinarian friend come out and we set up for the surgery in the aisle of the barn. Against my better judgement, the Vet immediately removed the testicle that had dropped (I made major notes on everything which side had been done - how would we know later if the retained one wasn't found?) It must have been my worrying because he could not find the other testicle. Sam had been under long enough, so we sutured him (actually, I did, my hands were so agile back then) and set up a clean stall while he came to.
I don't remember how long we waited, but I took Sam to the clinic of another friend who was a Veterinarian. We worked for an hour and he found the retained one, removed it and I had a gelding. We started Sam's schooling right away as he needed light, supervised exercise.
A few months later, he was wearing a jumping saddle and longeing well. We put the western saddle on him a couple of times (bigger and heavier, preparing for the feel of a rider, too). One afternoon he was in the cross ties groomed and ready; Leon put a different western saddle on him - this one had a rear cinch attached - so Leon just buckled it without thinking. My brother was standing in the aisle 2 stalls down from the cross ties in front of Sam. I had just stepped out of the tackroom with the longe cavesson. Sam took a deep breath. Then came the explosion! Poor Sam reacted as most horses would - he took off to escape the unfamiliar thing grabbing his midsection/flanks. The 6X6 wooden posts that were the cross ties broke right at the ground. Safety snaps failed, no one of us could have grabbed a quick release in the storm that was horse, legs, ropes and posts flying in all directions. Out the aisle door he went onto 40 acres! As he passed my brother, a kicking hindleg punched through the stall door not 12 inches from his waist.
We ran out to see the not tightened up saddle now slide around and rest underneath poor Sam's belly. Still galloping, now bucking, still dragging the wooden posts, one on each side that were crashing against his legs at each stride - Sam looked like a horse doomed for sure. Sweating, gasping with his head now wrenched to the left as he finally stopped, Sam seemed to be ready for help. I caught up with him half way to the back fence. I was sure I would see broken legs, blood, horror. But Sam was standing there. I talked him into calming and allowing me to get close. The first task was to release the damn saddle. The rear cinch had broken (thank goodness, it was probably why he stopped). I got to the main cinch of the upside down saddle and, it being loose, was able to release the buckle on the latigo. The saddle fell to the ground. Sam jumped to the side. Then he stretched up, leaned toward me and let me disconnect the ropes at his halter. There were no wounds. I could tell he was really bruised, but no broken bones... he didn't even limp as we walked him back to the barn! That was one tough horse! And, with no rear cinch, he was fine for the next saddling a week later after lots of cold water therapy. I had to work hard to keep his accident out of my mind when I mounted him for the first time! He was an angel. I had him going well and sold him as a green prospect for a combined training rider in Santa Fe! Sam was a really great horse, bet he made a super eventer!

Water

2010-12-07T21:46:00.000-08:00

We have a new way of using water therapy for horses detailed in the Rain in the Desert Water Therapy for Horses booklet by Katharine. We use flooding the water in sheets in specific patterns to prepare for wrapping and moving lymph, blood and chi circulation! It is only $7.95 (plus a bit of shipping cost), can be ordered through the dharmahorse site or the naturalpaths site.

Mother & son...

2010-12-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

So much happened during those years in Tucumcari. Before the 3 wild youngsters, I had gone to Albuquerque to look at a mare and gelding who happened to be dam and offspring (I quickly realized that the gelding, at age 8, had never been emotionally weaned!). They were so sweet and just as calm as could be when riding, so I bought the two of them, then started trying to load them into my horse van. The 11 year old mare, Ginger, a small, pretty brown QH type went right up the ramp; turned around and backed into her stall. I put her in the cross ties, fastened her chest bar and hung her hay net. Two hours later, I was still trying to load the gelding, "Gunner". Ginger did not care where he was, but he frantically wanted to be with her yet just could not force himself up that ramp. The sellers had left, but returned to let me know that Gunner had never been off the property or in a trailer... I was starting to think better, knowing this. Poor guy, it was so stressful for him. I decided to push the ramp and sides back in the van, back it up to a hill and get the ramp more level. When he thought that the truck was leaving with "Mom", his eyes got huge (thought he was going to cry!) and as soon as I had things set up again at the hill, he closed his eyes (I'm serious) and just leaped into the van, barely touching the ramp. It was a peaceful trip back home for me with the 2 new horses munching their hay quietly, the headlights of the truck cutting through the dark and the desert air flowing through the tilt cab's vent windows.
Gunner and Ginger turned out to be great school horses and in time, he was able to bond with the other geldings and become an independant, middle aged, bay fellow with the cutest little ears and funny narrow chest!
This experience helped me later when I was in Las Cruces and had taken the horse van to Roswell to buy a gelding for my school. The big, bay Quarter Horse gelding did not want to go up that ramp (and let me say right here that these were the only two horses out of over a hundred that did not like the van - most horses just loved it and walked in and out with confidence). But "Tull" (I named him Jethro Tull) needed to get in - two friends had gone with me, we had mountains to cross to get home and it was getting cold and dark! I had to back the van right up against a steep hill; no ramp or sides, they stayed inside as I led Tull up onto the hill, got to the end of the lead myself in the van and asked the 2 cowboys to be super assertive and just send him forward at me. They didn't want to - I encouraged them... when they got after him, 1,400 pounds of Tull leaped right into the van and stopped 6 inches in front of me. "Good man!" I told him; turned him around, backed him into his stall, etc. and we were on the road!
Tull was a funny horse. He wasn't working out for the school. He was too sensitive to leg aids and needed one, consistent rider. I had sold a "babysitter" horse to a family a couple of years earlier who now wanted something a bit zippier for the father/husband. I needed a horse like "Halftone", the one I had sold them; so we arranged a trade - IF they liked Tull. They came to Briarwood with Halftone in their trailer. The husband led Tull around, tacked him up and I talked to him about how to relate to this new mount. He got on, dug his heels in (my heart jumped into my throat) and Tull literally "blasted off" across the arena and down through the turn out. The guy stayed on, steered him back up to the stable yard, still at a gallop. They slid to a stop and, smiling, he said this was the best horse he had ever known. WHEW!

wild horses

2010-12-06T07:30:00.000-08:00

What I noticed most about the three wild horses was their confusion. Of course, it made sense. They had been born into a truly feral environment. What happened to them, after 3 years of living in a natural, wild state was the equivalent of being abducted by extraterrestrials! They began to see me as a source of food - maybe "not all that bad", but certainly still a very scary presence in the barn. They were eating from the feed tubs with the halters tied in them (and balancing their diet was a challenge - in those days, grass hays were hard to find in northern New Mexico, everyone fed alfalfa!), my tame horses were influencing them (I put a school horse in a stall beside each wild one); so I started standing in a stall with a bucket of pellets, bran and herbs quietly waiting for each youngster to approach. Being Buddhist really helps at these times. You have to be calm, relaxed, patient and still as you allow each horse the sovreignty of his own time frame to acceptance. I had a halter on Chinquapen in no time and was hand grooming him. Dawn had an affinity for my boyfriend/partner, Leon, who got her halter on next. Onyx was to become Leon's horse... Onyx was the most volatile. He hated seeing humans in the aisle (when students arrived for lessons or we took out another horse for turn out or training) so we made a dummy by stuffing clothes with newspapers (named it "Wally") and hung it just outside his stall. It did help.
But, we had 2 young stallions... I decided castration was a priority. I fed the two a strong dose of Ace granules the morning of the planned surgery. They actually ate it. The Vet helped and he and Leon quickly and carefully got a halter on the wobbly Onyx. Chinquapen was all smiles! They had standing castrations in the aisle of the barn. Onyx needed more drugs than Chinquapen, but the strange thing was that, after the gelding and now wearing a leather halter with a 12 inch cotton rope tied on it - Onyx became easier to approach right away. I felt like he had given in and given up... but even at that, Onyx was still wild as a whirlwind. He just acknowleged our existence now!

Stories continue...

2010-12-02T19:34:00.000-08:00

In Tucumcari, I bought 3 horses, all age 3 years, who had never seen a human being until they were "rounded up" and sent through a chute into a stock trailer, then delivered to my barn. They were unloaded into the aisle where they, paniced and in shock, found a box stall each to hide in. What they taught me cannot even be fully described. There were 2 colts and a filly. Thank goodness she wasn't in foal! But we didn't know until a full year had passed. They were 1/2 Thoroughbreds. The sire was a TB stallion, a son of Jack Straw, I believe, and one colt was a solid chestnut (named him Chinquapen); the other a black & white pinto (named him Onyx) and the filly was a bay/white pinto (named her Dawn..."Dance of the Dawn", actually). These young horses had been born on sections of land - huge desert and native grass land that included a mountain of its own. I had just turned 21. I had a relative of these youngsters, my Appaloosa, "Breath of Snow" who had come to me as a "wild" weanling almost four years earlier. I had him going under saddle... these three, I couldn't even imagine getting them to that point! At first, they had to live in the 14 X 14 foot box stalls because if I let them out on the 40 acres, I'd never catch them... couldn't "catch" them in a box stall!
So, using only my instincts (taught to me by the horses I'd known), I tied a halter in each feed tub so they would need to touch it to eat their bucket feeds... I had to do that through the feed doors because it wasn't safe those first couple of days to enter a stall with any of them. It turned out that Chinquapen was Snookie's full brother and they had a rapport, so I put them beside each other (the stall dividers were screened, not solid). Chinquapen watched me working with Snookie. In 2 days I could go in and muck his stall. I tried to always move with quiet confidence - never being sudden; never moving in a creepy, preditory way. Because our aisle between the stalls was wide enough and high enough to ride in, I could let one young wild thing at a time out into that aisle to move around and give me time to muck, etc.
In the months that followed, much happened, that I will relate here over time. The lessons were profound and serve me to this day. I will tell you that Chinquapen became a dependable sweet riding horse for a lady. Riding Onyx his first (and last for me) ride took more courage than anything I had done before! And Dawn was just too sensitive to be ridden. I still dream about them (over 30 years later!) and their brother, Snookie (Breath of Snow) my beloved companion until several years ago. Snookie's photo is on the right side of this blog - me jumping him, warming up at a Pecos Valley Horsemen Horse Trials in Roswell, way back! And Onyx is the horse trotting on this old ad for the stable I had in Tucumcari (the ad is from the '70's - Fox Fire started there in 1973). We had dozens and dozens of good horses we trained there and taught on and boarded (an herbal barn before it was popular), but the most memorable for me are the 4 from the wild hills!

Water Therapy

2010-12-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

The Water Therapy for Horses book will be available next week. Information will be on the Dharmahorse.com site, or email us at katharinechrisley@yahoo.com

Horse Stories

2010-11-30T16:15:00.000-08:00

After a whole life with horses; I have a lot of stories! I've owned over 160 horses, known & schooled hundreds more... the big dogs were playing just now, raising a huge cloud of dust. I thought about a time way back when a friend's mare was to be used in the shooting of a TV ad for our renissance fair at the park with huge sweeping, hilly lawns. I was asked to help and arrived early that morning with the mare, Candy. A young man in knight's costume was to ride her and his lady was on her own horse (she was an acomplished rider). He, however, had never ridden a horse. I got him mounted (Candy was a big, sweet quarter horse) and tied a knot on each rein, telling him to hold a knot in each hand. We did the "pull the right rein gently to turn right, left to turn left, both to stop... etc." Candy liked staying beside the other horse, so the couple rode around the filming area and it was looking fine. The film crew and director had them ride down a hill toward the cameras, stop and stand beside each other and kiss. It was working! I was just behind the scenes, talking to Candy and advising the rider. When they were ready to film, the director called out, "Start the fog machine." Fog Machine!! Suddenly, a hissing sound screeched from the bottom of the hill and great billows of white fog with a sickly sweet smell rolled across the hills. My knees buckled as I watched Candy and the fellow trot, then canter down the hill into the fog with the lady right beside him, her horse doing a pretty decent passage! The guy was smiling ear to ear. Candy stopped right on cue. The couple kissed... I finally took a breath. It worked! Bless Candy, incredible mare. I was exhausted. It had taken the entire day. I watched the next week for the ad on the TV - it aired with scenes from past fairs and all of 5 seconds of the horses appearing from the fog bank. But, man, did I appreciate those 5 seconds!

Ride for the joy of it.

2010-11-29T08:04:00.000-08:00

"Don't be distracted by criticism. Remember the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you" George Morris

Just for today, do not worry.

2010-11-25T18:38:00.000-08:00

Just for today, do not anger.

Technically...

2010-11-25T18:23:00.000-08:00

Especially in the United States (because this is my frame of reference), technology seems to have shifted the focus in humans to a world of service to the machines. With increasing "improvements" that create cravings for more and better machines, people have lost perspective. When I see people "texting" and driving a car, talking on a cell phone through an entire meal at a cafe or talking on that phone while riding down the trail on a sweet horse on a lovely day surrounded by trees and flowers that they never even see - well, I actually feel sorry for them; for all the parts of life and the real world that are never even noticed.

Gratitude

2010-11-25T17:46:00.000-08:00

There is a strange habit most humans have of just expecting animals, especially horses, to fulfil the needs of the human - as if the animal should just innately know what those needs and expectations are. My mentor in Dressage told me (decades ago) "When you mount your horse, linger and thank him for allowing you to sit on his back". It was an important lesson, one that is not often taught. Gratitude toward the horse (or dog, goat, cow, etc.) is imperative if one wishes to be in relationship; in rapport with the horse. Simple domination can look impressive to the uneducated eye - a human standing on the horse's back with a leaf blower/chain saw/roto tiller or such loud, scary object engaged - and the horse, still and stunned simply accepting these indignities... what it may have taken over a few hours, days or weeks to "instantly" break the horse will surely have meant over-riding his fight or flight to the point of resignation... impressive to many because their own fear of horses makes such a feat seem a miracle of "training". Skilled handlers really can refine their techniques to the point where almost every horse they get their hands on can have behavior modification to the point of robot-like submission. I may be wrong - perhaps every horse breaker thanks his or her mount for their cooperation, but I sort of doubt it. Some of what I have seen has been pure domination in an aggressive manner. What I love to watch are the horsemen and women who are in rapport and obviously have gratitude toward and love for their horses. My favorite definition of love is: "Love is the active promotion of the wellbeing of the love object", E. Fromm. Someone who loves in this fashion is grateful, too.

2010-11-22T18:57:00.000-08:00

"If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them you will not know them and what you do not know, you will fear. What one fears, one destroys." ---Chief Dan George

2010-11-21T22:46:00.000-08:00

‎"Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness." ~James Thurber

Healing

2010-11-21T13:30:00.000-08:00

There are many ways to stimulate the innate healing abilities of a body. Should we be surprised that there is not just one method that works across the board? Of course not! To limit oneself to any single ideology or methodology would be the true extreme - No method would be the constant answer in every circumstance, year after year, decade after decade. Bodies are dynamic. A system that is in movement like this must have dynamic care and assistence. The ideal (in our estimation at Dharmahorse) is to have a consistent plan of nourishment that supports the four main bodies (physical, emotional, mental and spirit) and also a "toolkit" of modalities for treatment when needed (since imbalances are inevitable in this world right now). To Bring the Balance Back is our focus. Compassion is our motivation; Nature is our teacher and provider. The Elements of Nature hold the form for deep and permanent healing.

Riding

2010-11-16T19:08:00.000-08:00

Align your own shoulders and hips in the way you want the horse's shoulders and hips to align. Keep shoulders parallel to the ground and look where you intend to go.

an important quote

2010-11-15T16:44:00.000-08:00

Whatever problems come to us from beings or inanimate objects, if our mind gets used to perceiving only the suffering or the negative aspects of them, then even from a small negative incident great mental pain will ensue. For it is the nature of indulgence in any concept, whether suffering or happiness, that the experience [will be intensified by that indulgence. As] negative experience gradually becomes stronger, a time will come when most of what appears before us will become the cause of bringing us unhappiness, and happiness will never have a chance to arise. If we do not realize that the fault lies with our own mind's way of gaining experience, and if we blame all our problems on the external conditions alone, then the ceaseless flame of habitual negative deeds such as hatred and suffering will increase in us. That is called: "All appearances arising in the form of enemies."
-- Dodrupchen

Upcoming Workshops at Dharmahorse

2010-11-15T13:49:00.000-08:00

12/18/2010 - Horsewomanship Workshop $40
1/15/2011 - Equine Phytotherapy Workshop $55
1/29/2011 - Water Therapy Workshop $55
2/5/2011 - Rain in the Desert; a fresh look at horse care $55
2/12/2011 - Holistic Dog Care Workshop $55
2/26/2011 - Reiki for Horses $55 / Reiki 1 attunement: $45

Contact: katharinechrisley@yahoo.com for flyers, details.
dharmahorse

Nasty Tasting Treats

2010-11-15T08:28:00.000-08:00

Years ago, I had an orphaned colt who constantly "mugged" us for treats and didn't understand that he was a horse and not a human. I had made some herbal treats with peppermint leaf, chamomile, calendula, garlic, slippery elm and rosemary. The horses did NOT like the taste of them... so, thinking about this, I decided to offer a nasty tasting treat to Dharma Gita every time he demanded a treat or tried to nip (I'd push the treat in his mouth). It worked. He would seem pleased at first; then he looked distressed (like saying YUCK) and would spit out the treat. Very quickly he quit the behavior!

Chamomile Herb

2010-11-14T18:48:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite herbs for horses - Chamomile supports emotional health by calming and relaxing when fed as the whole herb (fresh or dried blossoms) or infused into water as a tea for drinking and to pour over food. Chamomile helps heal mouth sores and relieve pain in the mouth. It is soothing to the stomach.

Connections

2010-11-14T18:38:00.000-08:00

The way we feel about our animals connects us to an energy that transcends the obvious - we become family. We can sense when a family member is in trouble or is suffering. Through our compassion we strive to relieve the suffering, to support our dear ones and truly love them. My favorite definition of love is E. Fromm's - "Love is the active promotion of the wellbeing of the love object".
This kind of love; this lovingkindness, also connects all of us who live this way and we become a family; a Tribe of the compassionate ones.

A Matter of Perspective

2010-11-12T18:16:00.000-08:00

My friend, Bert Gammill and I went painting a while back in the valley (I live on the mountain above, in the desert). We set up with the same view, after a rain storm. We painted very different pieces, as you can see! It's not just a difference in technique or medium or even of talent. We were each looking through different eyes. I saw the wet and the green predominantly because (I guess) I live in the desert and she saw the high clouds above sandy hills because the valley and the green-ness are always in her view. We painted the energy of the day. My painting is at Tatiana Maria Gallery in Silver City - where I had to explain that it really is a painting of New Mexico! I am profoundly drawn by this experience to see that others in my life have certainly seen things through different eyes as well. Maybe the negativity I perceived was actually just a different perspective, a different spirit...

the Journey

2010-11-10T17:51:00.000-08:00

Tonight I was feeding the horses as dusk came and I remembered a little over 5 years ago when I was trying to live in an unliveable situation: In a shack on a hill without heat, without propane, no stove at all, no fridge, no water heater, electricity to 2 outlets (and water, at least there was running water..), a tarp for most of the roof (and it was winter) where rain POURED in and would fill up 8 muck buckets in 2 hours.... Anyway, I would look at houses around in the evening as I fed my horses back then (their roofs did NOT leak) and watch the neighbor's lights glow from inside through windows. It felt so scary and I would sit on the floor and cry, holding my little dog. Then I would fix her supper, then mine (on a hot plate). I heated water in a bucket with a cylinder water heater (from the tack shop) and took "bucket baths"... So, tonight, I remembered that time that strengthened me and it weakened me. One night we had 92 mile per hour gusts that made it too dangerous to leave in a car and I had to stay put, praying. We survived. I learned just how much I loved my horses and my dogs. I had a neighbor call the sheriff on me (and on other neighbors) regularly; another neighbor call me "trash" in a comment to a friend.
Can you just imagine how grateful and grateful and grateful I am to have my precious little farm now with a man who really loves me and horses who need me and dogs that I adore! And, unbelievable as it may seem, after I left the shack on the hill, I ended up in Arizona to help at a horse rescue where the management hated me! So, I worked in the fields of an organic herb farm commune for room and board; came back to NM to help a friend with cancer caretake her horse farm, then ended up at a farm where the owner berated me one minute and was friendly the next... in total "melt down", I held on to my dream for Dharmahorse, found a business advisor and an incredible realtor who went above and beyond to get us into this (to me!) incredible place.
I have had $73 to my name; I left Arizona in an old (really old) Jeep with everything I had in the world stuffed into and top of it - during a hail storm! And got to NM to discover that my tires had been recalled because they would blow out for no reason! I was protected always, cherished by the Universe is what it feels like. My little dog has been through all of it with me. I'm sure that she held me together dozens of times! - So, I thank her and my friends and my family, because I'm just so glad I never gave up on my life (and I sure thought about it at more than one point). And to anyone who reads this - hang on! You never know what good may be right around the corner.

horse sense

2010-10-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

I have found horses to be as interesting and aware as any humans I have known. I watch a school horse figure out that the rider on him is a frightened beginner and he will handle his "cargo" with compassion and gentleness. A horse that becomes startled can go out of his way to avoid crushing his human handler... or, in indifference; step all over someone in the way. I truly believe that horses respond to situations involving humans with the same degree of awareness and consideration that is metered out to them by these humans... I've seen it demonstrated so often that it just must be fact.

Papples

2010-10-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

A friend brought me a piece of fruit the other day from his orchard that he said was a cross-pollination of a pear tree by an apple tree... it looked and tasted like a combination of the two. I called it a papple. Each day I went to work at the kennel, I would find a papple on my car! It was like a gift of wonder and cheer. I am down to my last papple now - a strange fruit that might never happen again. Then again, it might be something else, for all I know. BUT, to me it's a papple from a friend and I'll savor it for it's message of kindness (and possible weirdness) today.

Drinking water

2010-10-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

Decades ago, I watched a colic surgery where the intestine was exposed, unwound and resected after copious amounts of liquid were "hosed" in to soften the near-concrete mass within. I was shocked by how much dry material had impacted the gut. I also had a Veterinarian who always "prescribed" sloppy wet mashes, soaked hay and soaked pellets when the horses seemed "off" and he approved of the Milk of Magnesia doses by mouth when my horses seemed "colicy". I loved him! And I believe that moisture loss and very dry feed can complicate a simple constipation into something life threatening at times. How much easier it is to add the moisture when the food is ingested! Providing fresh water at an appealing temperature and good salt/minerals free choice will go a long way in sustaining good health in horses... A lifetime with them and a career of natural health counseling have made me totally pro-active, and proud of it! When you get used to thinking ahead and being a bit extra aware of your horse's happenings/needs, it gets to be second nature and way less trouble than the alternatives! So, I mention such things to others out of the sincere desire to help horses and their humans. Life is good.

Questions

2010-10-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

When our horses lean toward the patch of tall grass when we're leading or riding them - it is a question they are asking: "May I have a bite of this?" - Our answer can be "no" when we direct them promptly away and send them on. Or it can be "maybe" if we do nothing - or even "yes" when we give them the rein or the lead and let them stop to munch. But what we do is an answer to their question and if we allow something and then "change our minds" or realize that suddenly they're doing something (that we allowed) and discipline them for it; we are confusing them and likely frustrating them on many levels. Horses do not know what is right or is wrong - they know what we allow or do not allow. They know what we supply as answers to their many questions each day. It is our responsibility to be clear and consistent!

Or something better...

2010-10-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

So, I've applied for many jobs in our area - a consistent income would help right now while Dharmahorse is getting on its feet. Had a nice interview for a job I would have loved, but it went to someone else. Jer says to relax and watch; something better is on the horizon. It's the kind of thing I've always said (sincerely) to friends and clients... I used to be really wise. I knew how to listen and network and help others find their way or find their path. When it comes to me - my mind is jumbled and unsure. I know that Focus is essential to success and I know that Allowing is vital. I seem to be cancelling one out with the other lately! Truth is; I know what my passions are and have never lost sight of them. How do we ride these turbulent waves without getting a little scared or just uneasy? How do we use our innate wisdom for ourselves? All I can figure is that what I love, loves me (horses and nature) and I wouldn't be here if I wasn't supposed to be here. So I'll go feed, muck, water and pick hooves and just trust that something even better is on the horizon! Thanks, Jer.

SAGE

2010-09-29T18:44:00.000-07:00

The herb Sage - Salvia officinalis - is an important medicinal herb. It is used for all manner of throat, mouth, lung, sinus and ear problems. It is made into a strong infusion (tea) by steeping a tablespoon of dry leaves in 2 cups of water just off the boil. Drinking this (or dosing it orally for a horse) is tonic to the nerves; soothes the throat; helps with loose teeth/sore mouths and can ease fevers. The leaves can be added to bran mashes for horses with respiratory troubles. It can be taken daily for up to 2 weeks. The herb is used externally on injuries and on tumors.
Sage is planted all around the garden to help repel insects. I use it in powdered form with thyme and rosemary for a canine flea & tick repellent; with ground lavender only for a feline flea repellent.
The FDA has not approved the information on healing properties of herbs. We offer this as information only and do not diagnose or prescribe.

Turn and face the new...

2010-09-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

We have had so many changes in the past 3 years, it's become impossible to remember them all! But they have all led to this most benevolent outcome of a proper home for DHARMAHORSE. We also have collected a family of incredible animals needing good homes and their presence and appreciation blesses us to the core. I am personally reclaiming my mojo (I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul) and have discovered many new ways of looking at healing the whole self... We are embarking upon a journey through water as healer. When I found myself disconnected from water; I suffered. As I covered myself with water by soaking, showering, standing in the rain and in creeks - I became whole again. We are compiling our methods and observations to create a true system of Healing with Water. In the great Art of Homeopathy; remedies are created by the Memory of Water. Herbs disperse their properties into water. Cold hosing saves equine legs. Distillation with water unlocks essential oils. Flower essences are created in water by sunlight infusion... the list is endless. Because of the confusion of 2 names (dharmahorse & naturalpaths) - we are closing Naturalpaths and putting everything into Dharmahorse and its website. Join us on this journey of delight and wholeness.

Bunnies

2010-07-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

We have a new, young dog who found a baby bird the day she arrived here and she just handed it to Jerry unharmed! Last week she brought a baby bunny to me, its eyes not quite open. It was slobber-covered but unharmed! As I held it wondering what to do, she brought me another wet, confused baby... then another. She had found a rabbit "den" and the 4th bunny seemed to be the last. I thought it had suffocated, but it started breathing and I tried putting them all back in the dug out hole under a yucca. We called our friend who saved the BB-shot dove last month and her neighbor saves bunnies! Since the mother rabbit hovered around but never returned to the babies; we made them safe in a box with a towel and took them to the bunny saving lady. This dog is so sweet, we are blessed to have her join our family... I'm just not sure how to explain to her that babies are best left where found!!!

Light

2010-07-25T11:21:00.001-07:00

Years ago, when my brother hosted star parties at his home (before all the street lights/farm lights and people arrived around his place!), I walked right into a railroad tie post in the ground in the dark at a party. My Mother has been giving me flashlights ever since! Birthdays, Christmas, every chance for gifting means a new and unusual flashlight for me! I love them. I have one that you squeeze really fast to make it work (no batteries); one that you shake to power; one that clips onto a cap or visor, a tiny, bright keychain light, one with a "telescope" to look through; one with a soft cover that floats in water; one that is flexible like a snake; a huge one that is also a lantern; several red lights for astronomy; one that hangs around my neck; one that has 3 colors of lights... who knew that there were so many possibilities! The effort I know she goes to for finding all these flashlights makes them all the more precious to me. AND, when anyone asks for a flashlight; I reply, "what kind?"

Fear is useless

2010-06-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

I mean that. Fear has no useful purpose. Oh, some would say that fear teaches us not to stick our hands into the campfire - but it is AWARENESS that keeps us safe around dangerous things. Fear actually creates dangers... or it draws them to us. Last night a big thunderstorm rolled in. It was our first storm since Rafiki's arrival (our new gelding). The wind was blowing, so I left fly masks on until it started raining (settling the dust) when Jer said we should remove them. The horses were hopping around and playing as the cold rain hit them (they all have their own roofs - just often choose not to use them). And Rafiki bumped the electric fence, leaped in the air and ran to me, shaking. He's a big horse. He stopped right in front of me and I realized he was scared (I had a moment of "Yikes" and had to trust his kindness and agility). I pulled his mask and hugged him and he relaxed some. So did I. Since the rain was cold and he has no "fuzz" nor fat, I loaded some Timothy into his feed tub and the chewing calmed him; the digesting warmed him. I said a little prayer in my heart for gentle, soaking rain and for the lighning to remain in the distance. We had a good night. Rafiki is so happy this morning - the ground is damp, the air is clean and cool. When we get frightened (People or horses), we hold our breath and go into "fight or flight". To subdue the fear, we can BREATHE and replace that fear with awareness - this is how we can train ourselves to stay safe!

Horses are SO brave

2010-06-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

So, today I had another important lesson. We borrowed a very big enclosed truck to move all of our things from where they were stored. It was very much like my old horse van that was also a tilt cab; long, wide box; huge wheels/dually's, etc. Well, this truck was a bit higher from the ground and had a narrow, long metal ramp. My horse van had room for 6 horses, but usually hauled 3. I would lead them up the ramp, turn them around and back them into the stalls where I would cross tie them and hang hay nets (also used a breast bar). They "sat" on a big "butt bar" and rode really well like that. When unloading, each horse would kinda take a deep breath, then carefully step down the ramp... Today, I went up the ramp on the moving truck, set down my boxes, turned around and gasped at how high up I seemed; how narrow the ramp looked; how "slick" it appeared in the sunlight; how deeply I dreaded walking down it!! My goodness - I had SUCH brave horses!

My Dad

2010-06-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

My father was a gentle man who died quite young as a result of his alcoholism. He did not really "fit" into this world and he suffered physically (from severe injuries in a military plane crash) and emotionally all his adult life. I miss him. He understood my love of horses... he built barns for me with his own hands, then with his money when he couldn't do it himself, physically. We suffered watching him drink - not just for what it did to us as a family, but for how it harmed him. In the early 1970's, police would drive him home (drunk), thinking they were doing him a favor... doctors refused to help (until the VA hospital showed compassion). Society sort of condoned the use of excess alcohol... I guess. The world seems more aware now. I'm glad. It is hard to see a loved one "waste" his life. My father was a gentle man who did not know how to tame his demons. I love him and I miss him and I'm so glad I knew him. Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

Helping Horses Relax

2010-06-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

I practice and teach "invoking the Dralas"; energy beyond aggression. One of the things I have experienced in my very ecclectic life has been the outcome and emotional consequence of aggression. You see, I have ended up close to some very aggressive people over the last three years and I can tell you right now - it makes it next to impossible to relax! Our horses are often the "sponges" that absorb our emotional, energetic discharges and (having experienced such things in blatant ways), I can assure you it makes a being hypervigilant. Our horses either become anxiety riddled trying to avoid "setting us off" or shut down completely to hide within a cocoon... waiting for it all to end somehow. I am glad that I have "been there" because I am more aware now than I was three years ago just how deeply the toxin penetrates and how important it is to fill the well of experiences for our horses, our dogs and each other with pure, positive experiences. Eventually, the negative ones will be diluted, then replaced by the better ones. I'm working on it for myself. I know I was supposed to feel what I felt to increase my empathy, but it was sure annoying at the time (painful & confusing to be frank). So, relax your horse by showing him common courtesy, compassion and respect. Then he won't have to defend himself and become unable to relax! COMMUNICATE by also listening!

Discount for friends!

2010-06-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

To celebrate our relocation, we are offering 15% off everything in the Naturalpaths' Store! We want to share with all of our friends some of our inspiration and motivation through the Holistic Health guides and manual downloads (for horses, dogs and people!); how to make soap; Gentle training guides; halters; tiles; Tshirts and The Equine Herbal 1st Aid Kit (all non-toxic products created when ordered!). Just use the coupon code: summer10 at check out to receive your discount. Go to www.shop.naturalpaths.org

dharmahorse

Happy Year of the Water Dragon!

Some Days

Confusion

Raised by Horses

Lines

Aware

Essence of Mind, a quote

Tea Time

Opinions

Spiral Exercises

The death of one horse, one friend...

The Elder Equestrian

Map Your Journey

Align Yourself

Therapies

The wild horse, "Dawn"

Deliveries of oddness

Peanuts

Horse Stories

The Bodhi Tree Principles

Some Herbs for Horses

Healthy Pets

THE VIEW FROM ABOVE

THE VIEW FROM BELOW

THE VIEW FROM WITHIN

Non-aggression with a Tumor

Spiral Exercises for Horses

Finding Strength

Awareness

Simple, Natural

Cauterizing

Exploding Barn Doors

Learning (think ahead)

Land of Enchantment

Good Lessons

Visitors

Natural Horse

We met a true, for real Angel

Continued....

Aid and Comfort

Years

Wisdom...s

Onyx

Prodding

Ice Storm

Wind Horses

Peanuts

Balloons

Ponies

TBird

prayer wheels

Sam

Water

Mother & son...

wild horses

Stories continue...

Water Therapy

More Horse Stories...

Horse Stories

Ride for the joy of it.

Just for today, do not worry.

Technically...

Gratitude

Healing

Riding

an important quote

Upcoming Workshops at Dharmahorse

Nasty Tasting Treats

Chamomile Herb

Connections

A Matter of Perspective

the Journey

horse sense

Papples

Drinking water

Questions

Or something better...

SAGE

Turn and face the new...