An older mare living her best life.
“Just because you are soft doesn’t mean you are not a force. Honey and wildfire are both the color gold.”
–Victoria Erickson, Edge of Wonder: Notes from the Wildness of Being
The soft expression in his eye proves he is golden inside.
Or in this case black can be elegant or villainous. He gets along, nice and amiable, but he can shut you down when he needs to.
“We patronize the animals for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they are more finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings, they are other Nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.” –Henry Beston
“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted.
It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility.
All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently,
builds up our characters, purifies our hearts,
expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable,
more worthy … ”
– Orson F. Whitney
Stormy times for us all globally coincide with stormy days (weather-wise) for That Herd.
We are what we repeatedly do.
“Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort and intelligent execution;
it represents the wiser choice of many alternatives – choice, not chance, determines your destiny
– Aristotle
Protagonists are always loners, almost by definition.
–Pauline Kael
I’m adding another picture to honor this valiant mare for giving birth to such a sturdy foal. Large joints and pointy shoulders were no match for the grit of this Super Mare. Not to mention, it was probably raining at the time too.
He’s looks cute, but he’s a fighter. Shoving and biting, rearing and racing, the colts use their free time to practice techniques that may help them, in the future, win mares. Even the castrated colts engage with alarming intensity, securing social position or defending it.
The open, interested expressions on these horse’s faces end my day with validation. It is a boost, indeed, when these independent souls greet my presence with curiosity, and initiate inspection. The horses will gather near and around me, but cannot be touched. Our interaction is voluntary and the horses are often amiable and interested. They take turns inspecting and interpreting me, according to pecking order, and strength of disposition. One by one, if they are inspired, they will approach and sniff and stand near. Some are more willing and accepting of a person than others.
” … It still offers us this ability to imagine–and remember.” –Arthur Middleton, Ecologist
The “it” being the remarkableness of all things untamed.
This statement strikes me as appropriate for my attraction to That Herd.
“Shall I compare you to a summer’s day? … ” Let me just say this, you better be quite lovely to compare favorably to this summer’s day scene!
