Equestrian Network Magazine

In Request of Honor

by JaneLi

I recently accompanied a good friend of mine on a weekend excursion in Eastern Washington. He had purchased a piece of property there that he is planning to build on and wanted to do some exploring of the land. There are some absolutely breath-taking landscapes full of evergreens, alders and miles of green grass meadows.

It wasn't long before I could sense the spirit of the ancestors. The winds carried

the essence of these incredible beings that once inhabited these majestic lands. Among them was the horse. This realization brought with it the acute awareness of the honor that these noble beings deserve.

During the course of the weekend, we took some very long hikes. Saturday afternoon, as we were returning to our friend's home, along one of the trails I noticed a leg bone lying in the grass. At the end of the leg was a hoof. I was compelled to stop, pick it up and say "thank you." As I gently placed it back into the grass, I began to picture this horse running, playing, snorting, and swishing its tail in the tall grass, as I continued to walk.

Then within about seven feet from the leg was its mane. It was a beautiful color, almost strawberry blonde and very thick. Again I knelt down and gently picked it up. I had to feel it within my fingers. Memories came rushing back of pressing my face against my horse's mane and becoming enveloped in that intoxicating smell and strength within the massive neck of these creatures.

I wanted to take the mane with me, but I knew intuitively that it was to stay. It definitely would not have fit in the "look what I found" category. Honor. A five letter word that resounds throughout the universe when it is felt.

On April 17, 2005, I had to put my beloved horse "Prince" down. Those of you reading this know, if you have had this experience, that there is nothing like it, and horse lovers understand the significance of this event at a very deep level.

Even if we cannot put those feelings into words, we know. We know that they have carried mankind for centuries. They carried man in wars, pulled chariots, carried mail, drove banks on wheels, pulled plows, not to mention that for centuries they were the main form of transportation.

I believe that at that moment of our horse's departure from the earth , a light comes on in our awareness that gives us the insight of what this legacy is all about.

When I first acquired my horse, a good friend gave me some great words of wisdom I will never forget. She said, "Do not be there when they come to get your horse after he's gone." I now know why.

When I arrived at the barn that Sunday morning, there were lots of people in my horse's pasture, and I knew what was happening. My horse was down and had been trying to get up for awhile. When he saw me, he tried even harder to get up. This was not the first time this had occurred, but I also was keenly aware it was the last. I gently knelt down next to him and said "Prince, it's okay. You don't have to get up anymore." Honor.

The vet finally arrived and we agreed upon what needed to be done. We all know at some point we will have to face this moment of transition. I often thought I wanted to be alone with him when the time came. But the support of my friends and neighbors was most helpful-until the injection.

I made calls from a cell phone. One was to his former owner and the other was to one of his dear friends that I knew could not make it there in time, and I held the phone to his ear while she delivered a beautiful message to him. Honor.

At this point, he was so relaxed and I began to groom him, at least one side of him. He was lying in mud where he fell, and there was something so comforting about brushing him and cleaning his feet for what I knew would be the last time. The sun was extremely bright that day. I tried to close his eyes, but they would not close, so I placed a towel on his face so the sun would not be in his eyes. Honor.

When his former owner arrived, she said, "Can I take the towel off? I just have to see his face one last time." I said, "Of course." When she removed the towel, his eyes were closed. At that point I realized he had "left." But I still remained there for what seemed like forever, but it didn't really matter. I cleaned his tail and cleaned him up as when a soul departs, everything just lets go. Honor. So it was just Prince and me, as well as the unseen world helping to escort dear Prince on his journey homeward.

When I felt ready to leave, I went to the nearby store and bought a dozen red roses and a card and placed them in his pasture with the gate open. People came for quite some time and left gifts, mostly plants. One precious little girl spent $100 of her own money to buy Prince a white dogwood tree, which is growing beautifully there now. She had only known him about a month. Honor.

From time to time I still see cars pull up and stop and look, wanting to see Prince. He was a child magnet. He loved them, and they loved him. Honor.

All of life is about letting go. When we love truly, love unconditionally, we let go, because there is no more fear. Having said that, yes, we absolutely miss the physical forms. We miss the smells. We miss looking into each others eyes.

I recently saw a simple card in a bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that read, "If thank you was the only prayer you uttered your entire life, that would be enough." I would like to close with a writing I did in honor of the Horse.

"Across eternity, the sounds of thunder arise. Powerful images scatter the dust. The freedom is immeasurable that strikes the chords of freedom within the hearts that can visualize the images.

None are more noble. None are more majestic. None are more worthy. Nothing can compare to these forms of intuitive magi. They are the steeds of wonder. Horses of unfathomable beauty. They are to be honored. They are to be loved. They are to be cherished. They have carried you. They have supported you. They have brought you great wealth.

Never raise a whip to them. Never spur them in their sides. Within them lies knowledge you have longed to perceive. Cover them with roses as adorning a sacred space. They hold that space for you. Where eye to eye you both greet eternity..."

Blessings and thanks to Dolores Arste, who assists people in finding the relationship with the horse so you can speak the same language. You can find her at www.ZenGuidance.com or call her toll-free at 1-877-937-6248.

You can reach me, JaneLi, at 425-822-4786. I will have email at the end of September. My business is called Harmonic Dimensions. We also design and make transition blankets embellished with Angelic symbols for animals that are ready to leave, as well as healing blankets and well-being blankets with the Angelic symbol for unconditional love.

Do you have a wonderful story about a horse that has impacted your life for the better? Send us your story, along with a picture, and we might publish it. Stories must not have been previously published or copyrighted. All photographs must be taken and owned by you and you must have full rights to them. Each month we will select and publish a story from those submitted by our readers. Please send your story to info@equestmagazine.com and write "horse story" in the subject line. All stories must be less than 800 words and have no typographical or grammatical errors. Who knows, your story may get published just like Prince.