The importance of Companionship!

Mark Mottershead of Horse Conscious Magazine called in from the U.K. on a teleconference with questions to Jonathan Ratner of Western Watersheds and Mara LeGrand: filmmaker of  Wild Horses In Winds of Change.

I was thrilled to be included in the conversation but I especially loved “listening and learning”. Be sure to scroll down to the link  posted below.   I found myself in a keen listening mode as I sat in front of my computer with my filmmaker head set on.    I want to include every voice and every bit of information I hear in my films ~but alas I only have 25 minutes to explain to the world why they want to care about america’s wild horses.

Now with an opportunity to perform some surgery on the film to ready it for National PBS, I have the chance to add and subtract, re-structure and tweak the tone, slightly.  So once again, I ponder what are the most important points to cover? What will motivate the viewers to get involved with dollars, hands and hearts? What should I be careful not to say? What numbers should I believe? How do I reach both the minds and hearts of viewers?  And how on earth do I cover such a complex topic in 25 minutes?   I can’t of course cover the topic – but National broadcast for this film is a  golden opportunity to bring  the crises facing america’s wild horses into the homes of millions.

Before I write any line of narration for my film I tend to pause and consider if this is the message the horses would like to convey.   It’s not hard for anyone to imagine that if a wild horse could speak our language -what they’d have to say.  I believe they wouldn’t pit one side of the fence against the other, instead they’d encourage an open range of dialogue and a sharing of resources. They’d chime in on the importance of bio-diversity and how necessary it is for the sustainability of all wild lands and wild life. They’d wonder how their very being as a free roaming survivor conjures up so much love and respect  from some yet sheer prejudice and hatred among others?  They’d question why people believe the myths that they aren’t native to this land even though bones of their ancestors are found with the most ancient mammoths of this continent. They wonder why humans require more than basics to be happy and fulfilled?  I imagine they’d want me to convey in the film – a statement about the beauty and benefits of living simply.   I have invited the voices of the horses into my psyche on this journey and I have requested with all sincerity that their energy fuels the progress for this film.   I’ve felt myself as the captive horse, separated from my family and free roaming life, subject to a prison of war camp, with no hope for a future beyond the fence and stale straw I’m thrown.  I’ve been the mare, guarding my foal, wanting to play with  her in the land of the free – but in the pen, there’s no where to go and nothing for me to teach her.  I wonder how anyone could turn their backs on these magnificent animals who by nature have simple goals and untroubled souls?

As I sit in front of my Mac gazing out the window into the quiet falling of Colorado snow, I feel a sense of warmth knowing that I’m among not only the energy of the horses who in every sense of the word, accompany  humans towards it’s next great frontier,  and that I am also in the carriage of courageous, educated, heart- centered companions. I am as always overwhelmed with the magnitude of the issue, yet  grateful my hand  is free to help. http://horseconscious.s3.amazonaws.com/MemberCalls/HC_Member_Calls/20120212-WildHorses.mp3

Be one with the healing energy of the horses. Feel the heartbeat of the earth next to yours. Surrender to nature’s gift of intuition. Transform your life in an enchanted land.

Liz Mitten Ryan, of Equinisty in B.C. Canada offers a week long retreat for the PBS fundraising drive for Wild Horses In Winds of Change.

100% of the retreat value goes to cover costs involved in meeting PBS National Broadcast Programming requirements.  Open this link and feel yourself in the healing energy of Liz and her horses.

http://www.equinisity.com/press_release_02_2012.html

This offer from Liz at Equinisity is called a  “reserve- donation” .  As much as it exemplifies graciousness it is an example of how by helping one another we help – big causes. 

My big cause for this campaign drive is to make the “cut” for National PBS Broadcast for Wild Horses In Winds of Change, in a timely  and effective manner.  I’ll be making some changes to the film not only to fit PBS specs but also to – edit the film to have “broad audience” appeal. 

It has always been my mission that this film made specifically to help the wild horses would bring awareness and a call to action to  the world.  This National PBS opportunity is a giant leap in that direction.

I welcome your offerings  to this campaign drive and/ or  contact me if you’d like to be an official underwriter that reaches PBS audiences of 20 Million plus.

I am forever grateful to Liz Mitten Ryan for helping kick off this campaign.

http://www.equinisity.com/press_release_02_2012.html

White Horse by Phyllis Stapler donation to silent auction in Durango on Feb. 19.

You’ll want to come with your checkbooks or cash to take part in our silent auction.  We do not accept Credit cards.

Phyllis Stapler’s “White Horse” is one of fine art pieces available at our  silent auction.  Joe Toledo – “First Snow Run,” a water color of 3 horses running in – - snow.

“White Horse:  A stylized paintings of animals and plants. Simplified forms silhouetted against monochromatic backgrounds with mysterious connotations and engaging formal …see more at www.phyllisstapler.com

In addition to the many books reviewed below we have others:  Carol Walker’s “Wild Hoofbeats” and Cloud Foundation 2012 Calendar. PaintedHillsPublishing.com

Off the topic of horses but on the topic of understanding ourselves in relation to the cosmos is “Venus Star Rising” a brilliant astrology book by Arielle Guttman, www.VenusStarRising.com.

“Essential Oils For Animals ” by Nayana Morag www.OffTheLeashPress.com

We have donations of DVDS, CDS from Templeton Thompason. templetonthompson.com
Silver Horse pendants from Durango’s own “Cowgirs” &  “Cowboy Trading.”  An Alabaster Howling Coyote from Lanka Blue, Diamond Elixers by Sharon Walker, and lodging stays you dream of in Santa Fe, Telluride and Durango’s own Rochester Hotel.  Four Leaves Winery who recently opened at 528 Main in Durango has offered a whole parties worth of Gift Certificate.  www.fourleaves.com   Appaloosa Trading Company offered a pocket knife with a horse carved into it.  We have a fun/ carpet bag worth $100.00 from Eureka Dan’s and Gift Cards to many of Durango’s great restaurants and lavish gift baskets from Nature’s Oasis, Natural Grocers, Telluride Gift Baskets, Pets and Paws, and a traveling Doggie bed from Creature Comforts.

Our silent auction includes many wonderful Gift Certificate Offerings from Natural Healing modalites: Massage, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Foto Facials, Beauty Care, and Animal Communication sessions.  Maria’s bookshop has offered a copy of Deanne Stillman’s book “Mustang”  adding to a collection of books about horses and pets you might otherwise never know about.  By just reading the book reviews below, you’ll get an education.

DENISE LEE BRANCO, Award-Winning Author
Silver Medal – 2011 Living Now Book Awards
(animals/pets/livestock category)
Please visit: http://www.HorseAtTheCornerPost.com

Horse at the Corner Post: Our Divine Journey

Available at www.horseatthecornerpost.com    Reviewed by Carol M. Upton

I have been blessed with many animal friends in my life, but you were unique. I had a connection with you since your wobbly foal legs held you up and until your aged arthritic legs no longer allowed you to stand. ~ Denise Lee Branco

In the award-winning Horse at the Corner Post, Denise Lee Branco writes straight from the heart about her deep, lifelong connection to her quarter horse, Freedom.

At an outsider’s first glance, there may have been nothing special about this particular foal. Yet, Branco and Freedom connected almost immediately, soul to soul. Sharing hugs, playing racing games alongside the fence, and winning 2^nd Place in a Kindergarten Western Pleasure Class, the two youngsters formed a powerful relationship. All that changed as Branco neared college age and her uncle took a fancy to the horse. Thinking Freedom would have a great temporary home, Branco let him go, only to discover some years later that he had been sold.

What ultimately takes place is an astonishing tribute, not only to the profound relationship between a girl and her horse, but also to the deep support of a family that understood this bond and cared enough to see it through.

The strength of this book lies in Branco’s skilled and honest storytelling.  The reader is there every step of the way, reminded of the animals that may have graced their own life.

Branco’s hope in writing about Freedom is that it will encourage animal adoption. This inspired family reading achieves all of that and more.

Denise Lee Branco spent her childhood on a California ranch, befriending all the furry and feathered residents there. From reading horse books to competing in western shows and gymkhanas, Denise has always felt horses are a part of her identity. She hopes Horses at the Corner Post will encourage animal adoption.

Ride from the Heart DVD,   The Art of Communication By Jenny Rolfe,

Cracking Media 50 minutes – $37.00

To purchase on-line, go to: http://www.spanishdressagehorses.com  Also available on Amazon Reviewed by Carol M. Upton

Training is about connection with our horse with love, harmony and respect. The more we understand the ways of the horse, the more we understand our own feelings. As a result we can live in more harmony – not only with our horse – but with ourselves. ~ Jenny Rolfe

U.K. riding instructor Jenny Rolfe teaches innovative techniques of core breathing to connect with the horse and help the rider to find harmony in body, mind and spirit. Now these techniques are available in progressive and well-organized detail on the DVD Ride from the Heart.

Rolfe’s principles are based in dressage, but applicable to all forms of riding.  She demonstrates with her Iberian stallions using liberty work, not only as a training aid, but also as a warm-up, re-establishing connection on the ground prior to riding. The object is calm, assertive leadership, and total empathy between horse and handler.

The DVD includes common training tips such as not pulling on a horse’s head when leading. There are also excellent demonstrations of Rolfe’s exercise system to improve the rider’s body awareness. Exercises, loosely based on Tai Chi, are done in standing positions. The rider is then soft and relaxed when mounted, and thus the horse is as well. Most athletes already use such techniques prior to competition, but not much has been offered on DVD for the equestrian.

Instructors will value this DVD as a teaching tool for all levels, but it additionally offers fresh perspectives on position and groundwork. It is really for anyone who wants to help their horse become a more confident athlete and simply create a better ride.

Jenny Rolfe’s clients come from all over the world and include those professionally involved with horses, among them BHS trainers, physiotherapists and natural horsemanship instructors. She is also an artist and author of the book Ride from the Heart and her upcoming 2012 release Breathe Life Into Your Riding.

NELL WALTON-The Bone Trail Review 

The Bone Trail

Nell Walton

Nell Walton, Soft Cover, 2010, $13.95 U.S.ISBN: 978-1-45649-90799
Available from Amazon

Reviewed by Carol M. Upton

On the afternoon of the last day of Lindy Abraham’s life, she stood leaning against an old Jeep Cherokee, once red, now faded to kind of a dusky umber, rapping her heel impatiently against a tire. She waited in the Nevada desert in the middle of June; it was hot, and her peach colored cotton tank top stuck unpleasantly in the hollow between her narrow shoulders. ~ Nell Walton

In The Bone Trail, Nell Walton hooks the reader from the very start.  We can feel the unrelenting heat and isolation of the desert, and the vulnerability of those who venture there. I was immediately drawn into this exciting story about the disappearance of two wild horse advocates – mystery, thriller and romance all rolled into one.

Walton’s book is inspired by the true-life events with which many horse lovers are familiar – the brutal helicopter roundups of wild mustangs off U.S. public lands, hearing of them being run to exhaustion into long-term warehousing facilities, where many face illness and death. But, there is more to this story, something far worse, and investigative journalist Kate Wyndham is determined to the discover the truth, even at great personal risk.

Every single character in this novel is lively and engaging – from the cold-blooded mining security staff to the Shoshone Reservation inhabitants to the stonewalling local police. Before we know it, we are following Kate’s terrifying trail, gripped with fear and sickened by the possible outcome.

This is one of those books the reader hopes will never end. Rumor has it that Walton is working on a sequel and there is no doubt readers will be lined up to get their hands on it.

Nell Walton is a journalist and the founder of the online equestrian news magazine, The AllHorses Post (www.allpetspost.org/allhorsespost). She lives with her husband and four horses (including two mustangs) in East Tennessee.

Tales of an Animal Communicator Master Teachers by Nancy A. Kaiser, Soft Cover, 2011, $16.95Also available as an e-book

ISBN: 9-781-61364-586-4, Available on Amazon or http://www.nancykaiseranimalcommunicator.com

Reviewed by Carol M. Upton

My hope for this book is that its characters and their tales will cause you to view your own animals with new eyes and with a new perspective about their significance to your life. Remember, they’ve answered your soul’s cries for help. So why not let them help?

~ Nancy A. Kaiser

In this first book of a series, Nancy A. Kaiser draws on her extensive experience to share her personal journey and anecdotes about the animals she has encountered along the way.  The result is a spiritually uplifting book that inspires all who truly care about animals or are drawn to the world of interspecies communication.

Kaiser had imaginary conversations with animals as a child. In her adult work as a veterinary assistant, the animals she treated helped her realize that telepathic communicating was possible. She was guided to experiences that would develop her abilities and lead her to embrace her destiny – to help heal the human-animal bond.

We are introduced to Love, an exceptional filly born with curvature of the spine. Although she couldn’t stay on earth for long, Love’s story is one of unlimited possibility. Ongoing paths to transformation are provided by the myriad of Kaiser’s dogs and cats. There are other horses – Squiggles and her first foal, Dash, who later needed two surgeries, and Stormy, who offers powerful lessons of his own during training. Each chapter leaves a lasting impact on the reader’s heart.

Kaiser’s writing style is clear and compassionate. She includes vivid descriptions of her communications with animals – conversations that reveal their love, their fears, and their preferences. There is a companion CD or MP3 download to the book, entitled Gifts From the Universe, which contains the two releasing processes that form the final chapter of the book. While the circumstances of Kaiser’s life form a fascinating backdrop for these tales, it is the animals themselves who are the real stars.  They provide perspective and true partnership, if their humans are willing to receive what they offer to teach. Reading this book is the place to start that exploration. It will definitely introduce fresh dimensions for animal lovers everywhere.

Ground Manners, A Novel

Cynthia-DErrico-Ground-Manner

By Cynthia D’Errico,Soft Cover, 2011, $19.99, Hard Cover, 2011, $24.99

ISBN: 978-1-4568-2394-8

Available at: www.groundmannersnovel.com or on Amazon

Reviewed by Carol M. Upton

Learning that horses were butchered for meat left many people feeling raw and lied to, like suddenly finding out that your neighbour had barbecued your retriever or microwaved your cat. Like so many others, Yanne was clearly unaware that, whether for meat or other reasons, horses were slaughtered at all. ~ Part Three, Chapter Four, p. 116

Ground Manners. A Novel is an innovative synthesis of adventure, romance and animal advocacy. Cynthia D’Errico has produced a compelling tale based on true stories about Canada’s horse slaughter industry, the dangers of continuing to ignore coastline erosion, and which features an especially intriguing thread on how le Canadien became both Quebec’s heritage breed and the National Horse of Canada.

Through the thoughts of Ausencia, a slaughter-bound polo horse, the opening pages introduce us to the horse refuge run by animal communicator Skye Spahro and her daughter on Isle-Saint-Jean- Baptiste. The Institute of Nature Communications, like many horse rescues across the country,  is dedicated to the care and rehoming of abused horses, including the rescue of those slated for slaughter.

The horses narrate a good part of the story as D’Errico performs skillful shifts from the human to the animal point of view. These shifts are reminiscent of those in other classics like Babe and Black Beauty, with that same brilliant seamlessness that keeps the reader fully engaged.  The character of each horse is carefully delineated so that when Ulric, the eternally calm Belgian draft says: “I don’t like the look of things, Tessa,” his ominous tone ushers the reader into the darkness of the book’s last half.The themes in this book require the reader to confront the moral dilemmas often present in horse ownership and attempt to expand the reader’s vision of horses.  Yet the darkness is never overdone.

The storyline is simultaneously about love, heroes and hope for lasting change in our treatment of animals and the planet – indeed of the very ground we walk on. D’Errico’s writing style intimately involves readers in the lives of her characters, human and animal, in such a way that their world becomes difficult to leave as the book nears its gripping finale.

Ground Manners is the tale that horse lovers have waited for, but also essential reading for anyone intent on creating a more harmonious relationship with our planet. It will definitely raise public consciousness and is sure to spark debate.  A former ESL teacher and business editor, Cynthia has always felt a special empathy toward horses with whom she was raised. She continues to promote animals’ rights to live in whatever is left of their natural environments free of cruelty and neglect. Visit Cynthia at www.groundmannersnovel.com or on her Blog at: www.cynthiaderrico.com

Ask Your Animal, Resolving Behavioral Issues, Through Intuitive Communication

Marta Williams, Foreword by Vanessa Williams, New World Library, 2008, Soft Cover, $14.95, ISBN: 978-1-57731-609-1   Available at www.martawilliams.com  or on Amazon

Reviewed by Carol M. Upton

Like almost everyone else in the world. I started out believing that being able to communicate intuitively with animals was pure science fiction.  ~ Marta Williams

Around the world, people are starting to see how communication with other species enhances all life. Whether you want to enrich your relationship with one pet or plan serious study of animal communication, Ask Your Animal will deeply inspire your direction.

Prior to becoming an animal communicator, Marta Williams worked as a wildlife biologist and environmental scientist. Intrigued by the idea of intuitive communication with animals, she set out to learn all that she could about the subject, a path which led her to become a full-time animal communicator.

Ask Your Animal outlines the author’s insightful approaches to more rewarding relationships with animals. Williams believes these are skills we can all cultivate. Woven throughout the book are heartfelt anecdotes of the myriad ways people have tapped into the information animals offer to us. Pet lovers will recognize these situations – from the horse that won’t trailer load to the rescue dog that attacks other animals to the cat that refuses food when her owner is away. Each section includes simple instructions designed to help resolve the challenge and nurture confidence in the apprentice animal communicator. Williams encourages readers to listen, gain fresh perspectives, and discover creative new paths to success. Included are tools to calm a distressed animal, resolve negative behavior, such as jumping up on people or digging, eliminate aggression, and teach a hypersensitive or fearful animal to accept and even enjoy being handled.

There is an entire chapter devoted to using intuition to find a lost animal and another on coping with death, two situations that owners find particularly distressing. One of the more unique features of the book is the final chapter, focused on new ways of relating to the wild creatures with which we share the planet.

Ask Your Animal is a vital resource deserving of a permanent spot on the bookshelf.  No animal lover will be the same after reading it.

Marta Williams, author of Learning Their Language and Beyond Words, lives in Northern California and travels internationally to lecture and teach. She consults by phone and email with people and their animals throughout the world. Visit Marta at: www.martawilliams.com.

Wild Horses In Winds of Change Film

 Screening Event  on Feb. 19, 2012

6 – 9 P.M at Durango Arts Center, Dur.CO.

This film artfully inspires new alternatives, while it calls on us to look at ourselves and our deeper values. It is designed to generate public interest and education for conservation of nature and wild life, it dispels myths that prevail about america’s wild horses and calls upon humanity to be guardians of the natural world as it makes clear the complex issues facing america’s wild horse population.

Clay Sullwold D.C. Cafe of Life

Lights, Action, Projector - and a real good time.

Tickets available at www.durangoarts.org on-line and at the ticket office.  Tickets can also be purchased during office hours at Cafe of Life, 925 Hwy 3 Durango.  $21.00 includes three hours of live music, dinner, film, speakers and cool stuff to bid on and learn about.  Limited seating so get your tickets SOON.

Enjoy the Reception from 6- 7 with Lisa Blue Trio http://www.lisabluesongs.com

Lisa Blue Trio Performs from 6- 7. for the reception at DAC, FE 19th.

The band will provide music for the reception and dinner of  vegetarian Paella cooked on site will be  provided by www.cafeoflifedurango.com/ Petra and Clay Sullwold, and Jay Komarak. Refreshments can be purchased at the cash bar at DAC. Visit sponsors tables and bid on many interesting items at our silent auction.

7PM – Introduction of the film by Master of Ceremonies, Tammy Sloan Smith,  followed by the film:

Wild Horses In Winds of Change

& a stimulating Q&A with filmmaker Mara LeGrand along with.

Key note speaker: Jonathan Ratner of

Western Watersheds project:

Jonathan Ratner: Western Watersheds Project: Key Note Speaker

” The Spider in the Web:  What’s really behind the situation for wild horses on America’s range land.”  www.westernwatersheds.org/

Join in what will be a lively and diverse discussion about sustainable solutions for wild horses and western resources.

    8:30 – 9:00  “Healing and Horses”

with guest presenters:

Dr’s. Clay & Petra Sullwold D.C’s

of Cafe of Life

As chiropractors for people and animals Dr.’s Clay and Petra Sullwold will share their hands on healing experiences and insights with horses. How horses heal us and how we can also heal horses.

Dr. Petra Sullwold Cafe of Life

http://www.cafeoflifedurango.com, www.equinenutrition.com, photonichealth.com,  thenaturalfeeder.com, mesacolorjobshop.com

Book your stay with one of our generous sponsors.

Mara LeGrand Director, Producer, Writer of Wild Horses in Winds of Change, interviews mustangs. She has lived in Durango Co for 20 years

Click on the  event flier and please SHARE it. 2012 Durango film event flier

For Press Information contact: Tami Graham.

http://tamigraham.com/presents.html

Would you like to donate to the silent auction?   We are looking for a broad range of items and services.  We’ll have fine art, photography, lithographs, books ( especially animal related books), jewelry, gift basket for people and humans , calendars, animal specialty items, antiques, and services.

Please send notification of your interest in sponsorship or silent auction donation to skydancerfilms@gmail.com. We will post your item and your link to give you more exposure.

www.skydancerpoductions.net

Contact skydancerfilms@gmail.com to donate, sponsor or for more information.

This film has been selected for National PBS broadcast distribution.  Closed captioning and other tweaks are required which requires additional funding.  What  a great opportunity to raise awareness, find sustainable solutions  and broaden horizons of hope for wild horses.  Contact Mara  if you’d like to be an underwriter for this finesse’ for PBS.  Your organization or business contact will be exposed to 20 million viewers nation wide for a two – four  year period of time.

We encourage you to support our sponsors.  They are generous and have great products to offer.  If you come to Durango make your reservation with The Rochester Hotel.  Tell them you’re here for the wild horse film.

http://www.durangotelegraph.com/index.cfm/second-section/breaking-the-herd-mentality/

 http://durangoherald.com/article/20120216/NEWS06/702169957/-1/News

Partnering for a better future for all.

Partnering for our collective future.

Good friends are like these horses, we may not always see them, but we know they are always there. Just up the road from my house live 2 horses……

Two Horses

From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing.  Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.  This alone is amazing.  Then stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell.  Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.  Attached to the horse’s halter is a small bell that lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow.

Heart felt connection

As you stand and watch these two friends, you’ll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.   When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn’t too far behind to hear the bell.    My wish for everyone this season is to practice kindness toward all animals – not just our pets.  Through this we will learn to be kinder to one another – and

Comfort & Joy

remember that solutions to problems are often simpler than we might think at first.  Ring in the holidays and the New Year  with acts of kindness and the story of two horses and a bell.

Souful presence

Once upon a time we lived in harmony with nature and it’s animals.  We were as much part of the food chain as the animals were. We ate them and they ate us. It was an era of seeking prey for food in order to survive.  As we developed weapons we gained the advantage and our population grew more than the animals.  We became top of the food chain, not because it was our “God” given right, but because of weapons. On our own, without weapons, many more humanoids would have been eaten by our natural predators.

Now who are our predators?  Except for the rare attack by a beast or a virus, our predation is within our own species.  In fact, of all the beasts capable of killing, humans are the most violent, vicious, calculating and pervasive. We kill the most variety of other species and don’t just kill to survive.  A small percentage hunt for the kill or raise animals to feed their family.  The routine killing of billions of animals a year is industrialized with absolutely no thought to the morality of taking a life. This greed based, abusive killing is justified on many levels, depending on who’s talking.  The list is exhausting even as excuses go. …

Ancestral people believed that killing resulted in eating along with a sacredness attached to absorbing the animal’s powers.   This sharing of flesh and blood was a profound building of mutual energy and a community of humans and animals living equally upon the planet. Each had a significant, respectful role in one anothers life. Then animals were killed because they were a key member of their community and culture. It was considered an honor if a human was killed by a bear for example because it meant the bear respected and wanted to join energies with that human.

But that was once upon a time thousands of years ago before humans decided to reign supremely over all beasts and nature.   It didn’t take much persuading from religious pulpits to convince most humans to put themselves on a pedestal above all else that exists because greed and the pursuit of power are among the human’s fatal flaws.  Human beings abandoned community and living in harmony with animals in exchange for increasing dominion and the pursuit of ultimate power.

Pigs are highly intelligent - yet are butchered by the billions.

With such an attitude is it a wonder that industrialized agriculture took over the world and animals began to be bred and harvested like grain?

The King James version of the Bible is where many people turn to justify their attitudes because it says the lord gave man dominion over all the firmament and the beasts therein.  However – this is taken out of context and syntax from the original Hebrew creation translation that said God looked around and saw that all he made was good, so he made “man” to take care of it all – He commanded man to be good stewards of nature.      It makes no sense to me that anyone in their right mind, God or not, would give full dominion to the likes of humans who throughout their creation or incarnations ( whatever you believe it to be) are always desirous of more of everything, including power.

Now as I see it, we as a species have taken upon ourselves the burden of bad karma we have inflicted upon animals.  The pain, suffering, lack of respect our species has  inflicted upon them along with our refusal to acknowledge their feelings has resulted in a human race brimming with anger, fear, malice, confusion, disease and  hearts weighted with an armor of excuses that our consciousness is in conflict with.  With the exception of a  relatively small population of pampered pets in relation to the billions of animals who are treated insufferably,  this is the dark ages for animals.  Do we expect our civilization to move forward along this path of  disabling disgrace?

This film, Wild Horses In Winds of Change is my second documentary made with the intention to raise a consciousness of compassion for animals. http://wildhorsesinwindsofchange.com  

Although I am a vegetarian, Heart & Soil ( my first documentary ) does include animal husbandry done by local farmers who care that their animals have a happy healthy life and painless death.  I went with the stories that unfolded, accepting  that people make a choice to eat meat or not and many will always choose to eat it.   However, in the film I highlight the ethically responsible side of animal husbandry so more people will chose that path and consequently more animals will be spared the hell of industrialized animal production and slaughter.

Wild Horses In Winds of Change began as a simple story about an adopted mustang but…. once I felt the energy of the mustangs, in captivity and at round ups, I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep until I did something significant to raise public awareness.  Now I have joined the ranks of many other advocates whose lives are profoundly changed by this crisis for the horses.  Although the focus of the film is about the wild horses of America, the message is really about raising human consciousness to embrace all animals as equals and use our human advantage to serve not destroy.  www.heartandsoilfilm.com , http://wildhorsesinwindsofchange.com/purchase/

Wild Horses In Winds of Change inspires people to rise above the urge to kill animals for profit. Simone Netherlands anti- horse slaughter advocate comments about jobs created by horses in Seattle Times article above.

Read  this Seattle Times article and view the comments.  Is killing for profit kind or necessary?   How low will the human race go?  What is the real motivation to kill horses?  Who among those in favor of horse slaughter plants have ever watched or participated in horse being slaughtered?  Most would change their minds.   I welcome your comments to this post and I will write more later.  Wild Horses In Winds of Change is not about horse slaughter, rather it’s about the need for new solutions.  As Simone Netherlands points out in her comments more jobs are created with live horses than the slaughter industry creates.  Send comments and this post will continue to develop.

Ameria's wild horse family watch over foal

Majesty in Motion-

The opening scenes of Wild Horses in Winds of Change take us on an unforgettable journey into the souls and majesty in motion of  mustangs.

While portraying their freedom, sensitivity and delightful family units, we are swept into  a trail interwoven with our own freedom and failures.

This award-winning documentary stimulates awareness, offers fresh understanding of the wild horse crisis, and is a film for all who care about our planet’s fate.

The Stunning Reality
The stunning photography cuts abruptly to the current reality of wild horse lives. These “dolphins of the land” are driven from their natural habitat by the Bureau of Land Management helicopters into holding pens to be held indefinitely in cramped conditions. Many die of untreated disease or turn up in slaughter pipelines. Their protection, enshrined by law in 1971, originally won by Wild Horse Annie and huge public outcry, has been lost.

Can we re-direct the path of wild horse injustice and extermination we are currently following?   Yes we can, according to LeGrand, “We should be able to find solutions for all the problems we’ve created for Nature and its inhabitants.”

Wild Horse experts and long-time advocates Mary Ann Simonds and Karen Sussman are the main storytellers of this film, observing that these horses are born, raised and survive in the wild and have always existed here. Yet based on outdated myths and attitudes, we don’t study them as we do other wild species.

Indigenous Equine
While there is a need for more unbiased studies, LeGrand meticulously illustrates that archeology, molecular biology and paleontology already  make a plausible claim that the horse is indigenous to North America. An animated map is woven into the film, along with footage of ice age, desert and plains horses, explaining exactly how they belong in our ecosystem like other wildlife.

More Than Just Horses
Viewers are skillfully shown what is being lost, what urgently needs to change and what can be done to help. This outstanding film reflects LeGrand’s mission of calling people to action for the health of the planet and its inhabitants. The next steps clearly belong to us.

Mara LeGrand, PhD. is an award winning photojournalist, screenwriter, and film director. She brings wisdom from her international career in holistic health to her films and offers compelling presentations to accompany screenings. More information, including the film trailer,  and a DVD for purchase are available on her website www.wildhorsesinwindsofchange.com.

Although it seems like the dark ages for America’s wild horses, it’s also a time of great enlightenment for the human race.  The Voices of the horses are being heard far and wide and many of us are called to represent what they want the world to understand about them and about the next frontier for the human race.

I’ve tried to steer clear of using this crises for Anerica’s wild horses as a statement for humanity because it’s heart breaking to see the horses turned into  martyrs for our growth.  Yet we  all know that our western civilizations has  been built on the back of the horse or burro, they have been our martyrs  and we owe them a great debt and honorable place of historical value for that service.   We have always had nature to draw resources from and now more than ever, I believe the natural world including and especially  wild horses  are a stabilizing conduit for  us to grow a more humane consciousness.   As many hear the voices of the horses calling us to help them, humanity as a whole will surely (be it ever so slowly )rise to the dawning of a new way of seeing, respecting, honoring and learning from these amazing animals.   A quote from the film:  ” Just to know they exist in this ever more confining age, is to know that we too can be free. “    The horses are once again leading our way into an era of becoming a more “civilized” society that values all of nature and raises our human status to pick up the torch of honorable stewardship that was  originally designed to be ours.  An open heart and mind knows the true meaning of freedom.

Confucious says “If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed, if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.”  Let the horses understanding of freedom and sacrifice lead our way to a better tomorrow. Share this film and keep planing seeds for our collectively humane future.