Heraclitis and Herd Dynamics

Kevin gives the Sorraia x Kiger Mustang studcolt, Interessado, a much appreciated itching on his chest

The sun is new every day.
You cannot step twice into the same rivers, for fresh waters are ever flowing in upon you.
--Heraclitis (1892 translation by John Burnet)

The sixth century Greek philosopher, Heraclitis, pointed out to us that continual change is the way of things. Here at the Ravenseyrie Sorraia Mustang Preserve, the concept of "all things are in flux" plays out before our eyes on a daily basis.

Explaining Heraclitis' fragments of thought, Bertrand Russell tells us, "...the real world consists in a balanced adjustment of opposing tendencies. Behind the strife between opposites, according to measures, there lies a hidden harmony or attunement which is the world...thus strife is the motive principle which keeps the world alive."

The wind speaks to me, as an elder speaks to one she is mentoring. One thing she blows into my listening ear, flows in front of my eyes and brushes over my awakened skin is that impermanence is a fundamental element of this plane of existence.

Somewhere between pondering change, impermanence and the harmony of opposites, an idea is forming of where I am to go next with my relationships with horses. When the summer days give way to the slower pace of autumn, I should have a good essay to post in this journal. For now, my dialogue must rely mostly on photos.

On Sunday, the 26th of July, Altamiro drove his second born son, Interessado out of the family band.

Morning found him grazing with Zeus, Mistral and Animado.

While most days, Altamiro forbids his group of mares and foals to come up for breakfast oats, he, himself, will slip out and disrupt breakfast for the others as we see in this next sequence of photos. Sometimes, he will chase one of the others, but most times everyone snatches oats from pan to pan and then each goes their separate ways.


One morning, while hanging out with Altamiro's band, Silvestre was in a fully prone nap and the mares, along with Fada and Encantara, all moved off quite a distance looking for better grazing. Altamiro thought that this was a precarious situation and went over to discuss the matter with Silvestre's mother, Ciente.
Apparently, Ciente wasn't taking the matter seriously enough, so Altamiro snaked his head low and drove her toward Silvestre at a speedy pace, then hastened the two of them in the direction of the rest of the herd. "No one should be left unattended!", was the very clear message delivered by this young stallion.

To close, I'm sharing a few photos taken over the past few weeks which I liked a lot, and also am treating readers to two video clips of the frolicking foals, Encantara and Silvestre.

The magnificent draft mule, Jerry!

Silvestre

Encantara