joy

This story will not be about lungs or health!

One of the joys of my life is photographing the world around me.

Last weekend I was able to return to the delight of capturing horses and their humans.

This particular event was called an Obstacle Clinic.

In a safe, controlled environment, the horses and their people are exposed to unfamiliar paraphernalia.

The objective is to deepen the bond of trust between horse and human. As a prey-animal, a horse is acutely attuned to its environment, especially anything that could kill it – i.e., a predator. Therefore, any unfamiliar object could be, to a horse’s sensibility, a predator.

From a rattlesnake, below their line of sight, to a puma, behind their sight line, all are dangerous. Domesticated equines retain the instinct to flee, even if it’s a plastic grocery bag being carried on a gust of wind.

One of the (many) jobs of a horse owner is to establish a relationship of trust with their horse. The horse must see the human as the ‘alpha mare’, the protector of its safety.

So, the goal of the facilitator for this clinic is to teach the participants to ‘walk with’ their horse as it faces these potentially terrifying objects.

I give a copious amount of background so the images will make sense and show the challenges that were faced on this Saturday morning.

It’s not all totally serious. If your horse won’t step up, you can demonstrate.

……and sometimes, it’s just easier to chomp on the pool noodle!

This was the view that took my breath as I followed my friends and horses to the clinic.

As my great aunt, Evelyn used to say, “This is the moment of the Morning.”

I was celebrating each breath and each moment that morning.

After my intense healing journey, it is such a relief to feel joy again.