Herd
Published by Cari Zancanelli under on 4:29 AM
http://www.herdfilm.com/
Herd is a short movie that is coming out this year. I think it's only 30 minutes long. If you go to the website there is a ten minute short you can watch. Basically the film is about a place where you can go on a "spiritual horse retreat" in British Columbia. The couple who run it call it "Equinisity". I don't remember how I came across this, but when I first watched the movie I thought it was kinda silly.
It starts with Liz Mitten Ryan, the owner of the place, talking about moving to this property and living in tent while the house was being built. Her horses were there, too, so she ended up spending a lot of time hanging out with them and discovering their spirituality for herself. She decided to create a retreat out of the situation, which is rather brilliant in my mind. People pay a lot of money to come stay there and literally sit with the horses. There is some light ground work/liberty and leading that they do. Otherwise you see people sitting in the barn meditating while the horses sleep or hang out.
It's a bit uncomfortable to watch at first. If you are a traditional kind of horse person this is what we would call "wasting time". This is what I did as a child because I wasn't allowed to actually get into the pen with the horses, so I'd sit on the fence for hours, hoping they'd come close and hang out for awhile. Then there was sitting on the top fence rail, leaning over to grab the horses by the neck and try to pull them closer.
I couldn't stop watching the movie, though, and I began to realize that I'd lost that excitement I felt as a child. My husband tells me that I still show it, but I'm not mentally aware like I was as a child. I always come back happy from seeing my horses, but I have forgotten to enjoy being with them. Smelling them, listening to them breathe or just having some kind of contact is never anything I do anymore. It takes time to get to the barn, I have three horses to groom and work with. I can rarely do three in one day, so I feel this pressure to accomplish something.
I have become all about results and "what have I done today" that I've lost something else. How many trainers, all these people making youtube videos and CD's and everything else ever talk about connection? They do talk about it, but it's always gained through DOING: doing some kind of exercise. Yes, doing exercises is good don't get me wrong. I have forgotten to BE, however. To be present!
When I got my first horse Bella, every minute with her was exciting. Just going out there and seeing MY horse and doing whatever I wanted with her was pure joy. I spent time just stroking her, talking to her, brushing her beautiful mane. My training time had no limits, no certain goals. I had no real idea what to do, I just went out there and did. It was from the heart and pure. I made mistakes.
Once I began to learn about horse training (and not just riding as I had before), things changed. My thoughts changed, my attitude changed. I had to be dominant and take charge. I was "too nice". Yet here I am, finding kinship with Neil Davies because what he is doing is so much like what I did with Bella. It was just natural - when she was afraid I was tuned in and I knew her so well I could calm her quickly by letting her hug me. He pats on the head, Bella and I hugged. I really don't care if anyone thinks "that's not a good thing" or that you should never allow that. Bullshit. It was our connection. That's what made her a great partner. Once I began to use traditional techniques, the trust eroded.
All of these things passed through my thoughts after watching this short film. How the very thing I'd always craved and wanted I'd lost! I'd lost it in the practice of training. I felt immediately sad, and then hopeful. Suddenly the way forward with Luna was clear. I need to be there with her, as often as I can. I can also say, with all honesty, that my only reason to love horses and have them in my life was the connection. I never meant to win ribbons, or compete. I just wanted to be the best rider possible and to have my own horse(s). Those were my true goals, and they still are to this day.
Herd is a short movie that is coming out this year. I think it's only 30 minutes long. If you go to the website there is a ten minute short you can watch. Basically the film is about a place where you can go on a "spiritual horse retreat" in British Columbia. The couple who run it call it "Equinisity". I don't remember how I came across this, but when I first watched the movie I thought it was kinda silly.
It starts with Liz Mitten Ryan, the owner of the place, talking about moving to this property and living in tent while the house was being built. Her horses were there, too, so she ended up spending a lot of time hanging out with them and discovering their spirituality for herself. She decided to create a retreat out of the situation, which is rather brilliant in my mind. People pay a lot of money to come stay there and literally sit with the horses. There is some light ground work/liberty and leading that they do. Otherwise you see people sitting in the barn meditating while the horses sleep or hang out.
It's a bit uncomfortable to watch at first. If you are a traditional kind of horse person this is what we would call "wasting time". This is what I did as a child because I wasn't allowed to actually get into the pen with the horses, so I'd sit on the fence for hours, hoping they'd come close and hang out for awhile. Then there was sitting on the top fence rail, leaning over to grab the horses by the neck and try to pull them closer.
I couldn't stop watching the movie, though, and I began to realize that I'd lost that excitement I felt as a child. My husband tells me that I still show it, but I'm not mentally aware like I was as a child. I always come back happy from seeing my horses, but I have forgotten to enjoy being with them. Smelling them, listening to them breathe or just having some kind of contact is never anything I do anymore. It takes time to get to the barn, I have three horses to groom and work with. I can rarely do three in one day, so I feel this pressure to accomplish something.
I have become all about results and "what have I done today" that I've lost something else. How many trainers, all these people making youtube videos and CD's and everything else ever talk about connection? They do talk about it, but it's always gained through DOING: doing some kind of exercise. Yes, doing exercises is good don't get me wrong. I have forgotten to BE, however. To be present!
When I got my first horse Bella, every minute with her was exciting. Just going out there and seeing MY horse and doing whatever I wanted with her was pure joy. I spent time just stroking her, talking to her, brushing her beautiful mane. My training time had no limits, no certain goals. I had no real idea what to do, I just went out there and did. It was from the heart and pure. I made mistakes.
Once I began to learn about horse training (and not just riding as I had before), things changed. My thoughts changed, my attitude changed. I had to be dominant and take charge. I was "too nice". Yet here I am, finding kinship with Neil Davies because what he is doing is so much like what I did with Bella. It was just natural - when she was afraid I was tuned in and I knew her so well I could calm her quickly by letting her hug me. He pats on the head, Bella and I hugged. I really don't care if anyone thinks "that's not a good thing" or that you should never allow that. Bullshit. It was our connection. That's what made her a great partner. Once I began to use traditional techniques, the trust eroded.
All of these things passed through my thoughts after watching this short film. How the very thing I'd always craved and wanted I'd lost! I'd lost it in the practice of training. I felt immediately sad, and then hopeful. Suddenly the way forward with Luna was clear. I need to be there with her, as often as I can. I can also say, with all honesty, that my only reason to love horses and have them in my life was the connection. I never meant to win ribbons, or compete. I just wanted to be the best rider possible and to have my own horse(s). Those were my true goals, and they still are to this day.
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