What happens if you get a few wild horses but you don’t even try to tame them? No round pens or arenas… and you let the wild horses stay in their family herd, on 30 acres of land so they don’t even need to come near humans ever again. You don’t segregate them, or try to halter them, or even care if they ever let a human touch them…
Given real freedom of choice, what do wild or feral horses CHOOSE to do? Do they desire any relationship at all with humans? Do they ever want to be touched? This video gives you a glimpse of where the wildies are at, and what they’ve each chosen to do, or not do, after 2 years of captivity with me:
When I got my first batch of semi-feral horses, I still thought it was necessary to at least train them to wear a halter and be lead around. What if they escaped the fence – how would I ever get them back home if I couldn’t lead them? And so, even though we did halter-play and co-learning (rather than training) I had a clear agenda that we needed to get fluent in this.
Not that it was difficult as they quickly realized (from watching my domestic Andalusian, Zorra) that wearing a halter and lead rope meant you got to eat grass on the lawn! And go for adventures down the road! At that time, they were in just a 5 acre field so definitely enjoyed getting out to explore.
But by the time I got the next batch of 4 wild mustangs (from a cull near Vernon, BC), I had 30 acres of field, forest and creek. My sheltered areas were set up with slow feeders, rain water collection troughs and a gravel footing (which helps them to self-trim hooves). The rescue owner – who had the kill buyer drop them off to her rather than the slaughter facility – was happy to not ‘work’ with them and allow them to be wild until I could move them to my place.
All these elements, along with my own increased confidence from working with my 3 semi-feral horses for a couple of years, conspired to produce a novel idea: What if I never tried to touch them, and allowed them to be completely wild, WHAT would happen?
If I set aside all fear of being able to manage/care for them effectively without touching them, and surrendered all fears of them getting out of the fence… And simply opened to trusting the horses’ wisdom and opened to a completely new experience… what might happen? And what might the horses teach me?
It is now almost 2 years after their arrival and, not surprisingly, these horses have taken me even deeper into the magic and possibilities of energy and telepathy.
Don’t touch me
Makah-Mahpee has been a particularly gorgeous teacher, as he insists that I do not touch him anywhere, other than a hand-to-nose greeting. But yet he is totally content to graze with me only 1-inch away from him, or to squeeze through an opening with me, with only 1/8-inch distance between our bodies.
He has shown me that he will come in and out of “catch pens”, on and off trailers, and leave the herd and follow me to the field or forest to play or hang out – just the two of us. He has shown me how much is possible without me, or an implement, ever touching his body.
And then just today, Makah told me that I have been so focused on this physical world exploration with him that I have ignored his other giftings. He flashed me pictures of me just sitting still with him, but with focused intent to join our energies and enter his world.
When he first arrived and I asked him what his name was, or what name he wanted, and he said, “I want a name that represents my ability to cross dimensions.” Which made me immediately think of his two eyes; one blue, one brown. Then he said, “But I’d like to keep Mac in there” and he flashed me a picture of the woman who owned the rescue calling out, “Mac-attack!” and how happy that made him as he received her exuberance and appreciation. Honestly, these horses… talk about setting me a challenge!
Well it took me a couple of weeks of searching, but when I found Makah-Mahpee (which can be shortened to Mak!) I felt the “click” – the “yes”. His name means Earth-Sky in Sioux. Interestingly, just a few weeks ago, I was reading a book about the Lenape tribe and learned that when a child was born who had one blue eye and one brown eye, they interpreted that to mean the child could cross dimensions; go back and forth between heaven/sky and earth. So there you go.
And the 3 Lads?
People have been asking how long the 3 lads (Montaro, Juno and Jax) are going to stay up North at Kesia’s place? The only answer I can give you is, “I don’t know.” It is entirely up to them and they will let me know when they wish to return. For now, they continue to have a wonderful time in their new playground. They’ve negotiated a truce with the goat people, they lie down to rest with the Dexter cattle, and things can still get a bit spicy with the pigs – which Jax particularly enjoys.
I can connect, dialogue, and share energy with them as easily as if they were here. Jax hooked me up to his mountain during a recent healing session – this mountain (which is very powerful):
And while I miss the sheer physical gorgeousness of Juno and Montaro, I can also connect with them directly through Audelina. Montaro has been working closely with Kesia and the crew during the Wet’suwet’un pipeline issue. And Kesia’s responsibilities and calls to leadership have doubled since they arrived.
Two weeks before they got on the trailer, Montaro had told me he needed to go and help Kesia. Of course, at the time, none of us had any idea what was going to ensue. And I hope when Kesia gets an afternoon to take a breath… perhaps she can write about it for us. Until then, know that everything is unfolding as it should. And of course, the lads also had to leave to allow the wildies to come forward. It’s all good.
Jini Patel Thompson is a natural health writer and Lazer Tapping instructor. She began riding at age 2 in Kenya, and got her first horse at age 8 in Alberta, and so continues a life-long journey and love affair with these amazing creatures.
I love this.
Good to hear from you Adam xo
and p.s. Love the new site! Looks great 🙂
I read somewhere that a horses body is wired, nerve wise, like my tongue, or lips, or fingertips….their entire skin. It made me ask forgiveness for all I’ve done with bits, whips, halters,etc. when I forced a horse to my will as a child mimicking adults . And it’s all so unnecessary. I don’t remember which horse jumps as you brushed against him, but that really brought the point across, again.
Knowing this also made me more responsive and respectful to my dog.
Your gift of being with horses has blessed me in many ways. I’m watching the fish I rescued from a fish store and now listen to them. Their relationships, how they rest, how some greet me and others hide. I watch the birds and am enjoying their joy, their songs, their relationship building. The frogs are beginning to croak…noisy buggers! Everywhere nature is speaking. Even in the form of the virus.
I have so much to learn. So, thank you for sharing with us. I look forward to your blog. I look forward to the when one of the herd visits me. But, mostly I am getting used to how I receive identical messaging in the form of thoughts or images from the Devine, from the herd, from all that is around me, from within me. That makes me smile. It is a comfort in these challenging times. As always, Jini, be peace. C
I love this Claudia – the herd keeps impressing upon me, over and over, that we don’t realize how *connected* we all are. But this here, in your comment, is the perfect living example of that connectivity. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences. You make my heart glad.
And yes, even the microbes are connected! Like journeys we’ve written on here about lice and fleas… what if we opened to the wisdom of viruses in the same way? Where would that take us…?