During the civil War an outnumbered cavalry commander found his men surrounded and subjected to fierce mounted charges from both sides. Instead of surrendering he promptly ordered his men to split into two formations and charge in both directions.
He routed his opponents and saved his men.
Preservationists of Colonial Spanish horses, especially the rarer strains, like the Corollas, are being assaulted by constant bad news, pessimism and a poor horse economy caused by the policies of the established horse world.
I have to admit that surrender seems prudent and I cast no stones at those that do.
We are not surrendering.
We are splitting in two and charging both ways. We are going to breed more Corollas and work to preserve the Baca's, Choctaws, and the occasional Marsh Tacky. We are going to have more horses, not fewer. We are going to have more programs not fewer. We are going to draw more people into this effort, not fewer.
And I am going to work harder and longer hours, not fewer.
And the best news is that what you have just read above does not represent a dream, a hope, a wish, or even a plan.
It is a description of what is going on right now.
Mountains that cannot be climbed will be circumnavigated. Those that cannot be circumnavigated with be tunneled.
Those that cannot be tunneled will be strip mined.
A common expression from my previous life is: "There is no problem great or small which cannot be solved by a suitable application of ordnance." While that may be be very true as the penultimate expression of political disagreemant, taken in a less literal fashion, it applies equally well to this program and our horses, simply substitute "people and horses" for ordnance. The very key to the survival of these magnificent creatures is to get them together with people..closely together..I know of no other place in the world that does this as well as we do..
ReplyDeleteI have heard many people state that they are afraid of horses, and although I don't really get that concept viscerally, I understand..fear of the unknown, the perceptions fueled by media, etc...whereas I know in my heart that many of those people when stood up by Wind in His Hair with a brush would overcome their fears to some extent..or Wind would.
The trick is...getting them together..and keeping them that way. A not so easy task in the face of the great American Rat Race.
Baseball movie quote.."If you Build it, they will come." Well, they are coming, and we are building...they will keep coming.
Last week we saw a reluctance turn around, and become enthusiasm, one which I believe will blossom and remain.
Hmmf...it is cliche Thursday, apparently, what we are doing here is turning the Great American Rat Race into the Great American Horse Race..one person, and one horse at a time.
Snow on Her and I will wait for y'all at the starting gate...
-Lloyd
Well said Steve and Lloyd! I am a big fan of your program and what you do with the horses and the people. I am also a huge fan of how you strive towards your goal with an unwavering courage. One day Brooke and I would love to make a trip up that way and meet everyone. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDelete~Alicia