About this Blog

Meet my very 1st horse, Lazarus.
I couldn't wait for Santa anymore or ask one more time for a pony for my bday (after age 30 it got embarrassing). I took matters in my own hands and I finally decided to pick a pony that needed a new home. Laz found me as I contemplated with this idea. He was sweet yet very sassy, fresh off the track, Thoroughbred (OTTB).
Join us for our re-training, rehabbing from laminitis and testing all parts of mixed up horsemanship and partnership, and luck...

Monday, October 10, 2011

To love an animal

I am an animal lover

Growing up, I galloped my imaginary horse down the staircase, around the hallway into the kitchen, to dinner.
I howled in my seat while watching "101 Dalmatians" at my local library
I was literally drawn to any animal near me to pet.
I mastered any sound an animal made
Meow. Bark. Howl. Whinny. Chirp. Roar. Purr. Growl. 

I could hear the silent cries of random hurt animals because I mastered listening for it
Any I found in my neighborhood I attempted to nurse back to health
Sometimes I was successful, other times I was not.
Yet I kept searching because I had so much love to give.
Reserved only for the animals.

I wished to own dogs, cats, horses, pigs, otters, parakeets, chameleons, leopards, zebras, monkeys, ducks, chicks, kangaroos and hedgehogs.  
Some I did, others I did not.
When I have my animals, I love them.
Deeply.
I take the role as their caregiver seriously and to not be messed with.
I loyally and fiercely love and protect my animals.

To be an animal lover you must;
Be humble and proud.
Strong to be able to guide weakness.
Gentle to be able to properly guide strength.
Quiet can be loud at times-Loud isn't always heard.
Listen for cues that are in a language you may just be learning
Study their eyes, their stance, their breathing.
Watch and wait
 Patience can expose the largest of the smallest cues
Speak for your animals when they need a voice the most
Even when you can't find your voice.

I've been told "Oh your heart must be so big to love all those animals"
But as an animal lover I know it's not true
My heart is the same size as anyone's.
The secret really is,
What I give of my heart, is exchanged right back

To call an animal 'yours' is to know that the animals wants to be called 'yours'
It can be a struggle and other times, its instant
There is no 'claim' to own another life
It's about respect, nurture, learning, devotion and loving.
Communicating without spoken language
Actively living, playing and testing goals while balancing happiness for both

There are times where the success is great
Loud joyous cries of  "Good Boy! Good Girl!"
There are times where the love shown is simple.
 A purring snuggle, a head tucked into your chest, a tail thumping with happy wags, a nickering recognition or a soft, content blow of breath.
"It's you. 
You care for me.  
I trust you."

When you rescue, purchase or meet your animal the love is electric
Electricity that lights up your everyday life. 
Makes your heart beat faster.
Sparks your passions.
Surges your goals.

Some of your animal's lives will flicker on long and low until the light softly fades
Others will blow out bright, quickly and unfairly.
It burns us, severely.
We all know this.
We signed up for this.
We ignore it until the day we are shocked with it again as an unfair reminder.
It never gets easier to loose what we love.
What we fight to protect.
We will love another, but it's never a replacement for our lost light.
It's a new shade, a new color, a new vibrancy.

And we chase this challenge every time.
Gasping for breath, soothing our wounds, crying our losses into furred necks.
Until we hear another silent voice,
Feel another surge of connection.
For that is what we do.

I am an animal lover.










14 comments:

  1. This is beautiful and so true! I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. You wrote what I wish I could, so I could show it to everyone that knows me, and say, "Here! This is me.". How gorgeous. You are absolutely right-yes, I guess our hearts are big, but my heart is ultimately selfish, because I always get so much more than I could give to these beasts. And horses...my god, when a horse gives you their heart, it's like nothing else. We really need to meet over drinks someday:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautiful - thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. *Sniffs* This is exactly how I feel.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I just went over to her blog and I see she is having to say goodbye to her horse; and I immediately lost it; ever since saying goodbye to my 4 year old OTTB (colic) I just don't deal well with goodbyes and it breaks my heart that she (or anyone) has to go through it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. That is absolutely beautiful and it puts into words exactly how I feel too. Pure Poetry!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Beautiful post! I'm all teary eyed again.

    ReplyDelete