Coyote

This was the first clinic I taught at The Center for America's First Horse. I learned a great deal. I learned about people, about horses and about the spirit of these amazing horses I have. I feel so blessed to be able to be their stewards and caretakers. I do not own them, they own me.

My eyes began to get misty this morning when I witnessed our crafty fellow, Coyote, display some bonding moments with us. He's been a bit of a thorn in my side lately with my inability to keep him fenced in. I finally gave in and don't even put him in the pasture anymore. He now roams freely, coming and going into and out of pastures as he pleases. This will be short lived...I will be putting up more fencing this week to secure him, or attempt to. Anyhow...

As the clinic participants and I were watching herd dynamics, Eliza was holding Coyote and he laid down next to where she was standing. He rolled onto his side and relaxed. She sat down with him. They stayed like that for a while. We are used to this sort of thing from some of the other horses, especially her own Adelantado. But never expected this from Coyote who tends to be skeptical of new people around, but there we all stood around him. People were curious about him and remarked how they'd never seen a horse lay down like that while being held. After some sunning, he calmly got up.

Eliza unhaltered him and set him free to graze. The clinic students and I walked around to the other side of the barn for more discussion and as I stood talking with them Coyote wanders over and stood between me and my students. It is rare for him to ask for attention. So I petted his face and said hello. He then folded his knees and laid down right at my feet! We all stood there pretty amazed at this. It really touches me when they do this. I felt honored.

He laid like this long enough that we went back to our lesson. He looked like a big golden retriever laying under the tree at his free will. Something has changed in him since he's been running free on the property. Or more likely---something has changed in ME. I stopped being frustrated at his cleverness with the fences a few days ago. I guess he knows that because he was at a level of peace today that I haven't seen him at before.

I could write a short book about Coyote on how he acquired us and the connection he is to a woman who deeply inspired me in my early days of collecting my first Colonial Spanish horses. Carol Stone passed away about three years ago but I know Coyote carries her spirit. I think she was with us today at the first clinic at The Center. I miss her.