The Sorraia stallion, AltamiroLong, long ago, during those years that I fumbled my misfit way through high school, I worked in a womens accessories shop in a mall. You wouldn't have recognized me then. I wore form fitting skirts, nude-toe hose and very high-heeled, strappy sandals and stood on my feet with perfectly styled girlie-hair and dangling earrings for six to eight hour shifts. It was tiring, even for a young body.
During the frenzy of holiday shopping, there were days when I would work back to back shifts, especially on weekends, while trying also to fit in various functions and gatherings among family I was expected to attend. I credit this commercialized hysterically stressful time in my life with creating a sort of repugnant sensation that arises in me when the Christmas ditties begin playing and festive lights start flashing (these days beginning in November!) I'm not a Scrooge--I don't begrudge anyone their traditions--I just felt it was important to my sanity to get off that ship.
"Waterfalls and sunsets give you energy, power, and increased capacity. Crowded airports and traffic jams put your whole system on alert, drain your life force, and leave you exhausted."--Roger Jahnke, O.M.D. (The Healing Promise of Qi)
Living now in the "highlands" of the area once referred to as "Scotland" on Manitoulin Island, it is very easy to enjoy the holidays in a completely non-traditional manner. Kevin selects for us a nice Bordeaux and along with our usual gourmet vegan fare we toast the Winter Solstice. Christmas Day and New Year's Day may or may not have meals that are accompanied by the better wine. This year we were frugal and kept with the "cheaper" boxed, dark red table wine. Kev's doing a great job making Ravenseyrie Stout with his home-grown hops, maybe next year we will do what we keep saying we are going to do--make our own wine, too.
ZoritaFor the first time since having opened my gallery in the village I decided to close not only for Christmas and New Year's Day, but also for the week in between, like so many other island businesses do. I have not taken a vacation at all during the four years I've been operating the studio/gallery...it felt like I'd earned the time off, so at Kevin's urging, I went back to town and put up an edited "closed for the holidays sign that included all the long, luxurious days in between.
As you might guess, this means I've been spending a lot more time with the horses than I typically get to do during the winter months when the daylight hours are so fleeting and precious.
Tocara and LevadaI took a lot of photos during my holiday break and of course I have uploaded more than a few to share here in the Journal of Ravenseyrie.
We'll begin with Christmas Day. "Family" for Kevin and me includes more than human beings, and we are fortunate to have such a large non-human family to share the holidays with. (We are also thankful to being able to connect with human family via the computer.)
"They are not my pets or my employees, they are my companions." --Kevin Richardson (Part of the Pride)
Tocara before and after:
Segura
Dee, the lovely draft mule, is browsing on branches of Red Osier Dogwood.
Pinoteia paws through the snow to graze on the grass underneath.
Pinoteia gets her rump itched and I get a great photo.
Pinoteia's mane is in a truly wild state of growth. Amazingly chaotic...
...and surprisingly artful all at the same time.
Herself, the youngest of the group, LevadaAltamiro has been quite relaxed this winter and even has allowed the youngsters in his family band to co-mingle from time to time with those in Mistral's group. (But never, NO NEVER the mares.) At times it has almost looked like one large group, though one familiar with the subtleties of herd dynamics would note the unseen boundaries were still in force for the mares.
On Christmas day, after several hours of this type of co-mingling, Altamiro stood for a time contemplating how to break the news to everyone that the "party is over". I kid you not! I stood near him while he thoughtfully looked over the scene and then went into quick action, running over to where Tocara was grazing with Animado and Interessado and swiftly cut her out with just a toss of his head, then rough-housed a bit with the boys. The mares, already aware that it was time to head back to their northerly grazing area were off and running and soon Altamiro left the scene to join back up with them. Hope you can follow along below:
"I believe that there was an ancient knowledge that was lost that we are slowly rediscovering again on our own. It seems to be a shadow of a memory within us. It seems to be a growing yearning for a more harmonious existence within the world." --Michael Bevilacqua (Beyond the Dream Horse)
Mistral and Zeus, our two domestic horses are always glad to see Altamiro leaving the vicinity. These older geldings would rather not get on the wrong side of the young stud.
After Christmas, the island experienced a bona fide "January thaw". On December 29th, I took the pups down for a walk to see how things looked on the Ravenseyrie beach. I thought you might like to see too:
It typically isn't until January when Lake Huron freezes over, and then sometimes the ice holds the water hostage until April.
By New Year's Day most of our snow was gone and we had rain, rain and more rain. This allows us to see that underneath all that terrific winter hair, the horses still have very elegant forms.
Looking very much like a Pleistocene horse form, we see here the feisty filly, Levada
Levada's older sister, Segura...looking good, too!
Tocara
"It is the unconditional respect for the inner and outer dignity of all beings, the recognition of a secret path in the existence of all creatures and the faith that these paths may intersect. Not following an order that appears absolutely stringent and logical to us humans, but following an order that teaches insight and wisdom." --Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling (It is Not I Who Seek the Horse, The Horse Seeks Me)
Tocara eating Red Osier Dogwood
Encantara, Fada and Interessado
Fada
Encantara enjoying a rollEncantara, and further down, Encantara and Fada:
Look at these mossy jewels! Can an emerald ring look as lovely as this?
The sun broke through the clouds as a cold front pushed into the region shortly before evening settled in. This March like weather experienced on January 1st, 2011 will be vastly different on January the 2nd.I told you so!
Remember the canal you saw Encantara and Fada crossing...here's what it looks like today:
Very carefully, in single file, Mistral's group crosses the ice. The Ravenseyrie horses learn to negotiate all manner of terrain, even ice, safely.
The change in the weather is taken in stride by all of us, but none more than Maeb, a.k.a. "All Weather Maeb". A bit of snow and blow simply means that a game of RedBall! is all the more exciting!
"Health, well-being, and long life can only be achieved by remaining centered with one's spirit, guarding against squandering one's Qi, using breath and movement to maintain the free flow of Qi and blood, aligning with the natural forces of the seasons, and cultivating the tranquil heart and mind." --The Yellow Emperor's Classic Book of Medicine, Han Dynasty, 200 B.C.E.--220 C.E.
It's a new year! Create for yourself a year of beauty and good health!
Happy Holidays everyone!
16 comments:
Love the photo of your dog playing with his ball! lol
I had a question, being that the Argentine Criollo influenced the Sorraia, I was wondering if you would ever put one in your herd? Then they would really be purebred Sorraias as the Portuguese Sorraia already has Argentine Criollo in them via Tata Dios Cardal (one of the founding sires of the Sorraia breed).
Isn't it odd that the Hardy wouldn't have just imported more grulla and dun Argentine Criollo mares to increase genetic diversity? You would think that that would have been the first thought was to get more Argentine Criollo back in the Sorraia breed without adding other different breeds to the mix in order to save them.
Just curious as to why this wasn't done in the first place.
Kim wrote:
I had a question, being that the Argentine Criollo influenced the Sorraia, I was wondering if you would ever put one in your herd? Then they would really be purebred Sorraias as the Portuguese Sorraia already has Argentine Criollo in them via Tata Dios Cardal (one of the founding sires of the Sorraia breed).
Those researchers who view the Sorraia as a living representative of Ebhardt's ancestral horse Type III would find your line of reasoning not without merit, but a little backward. The Criollo is considered to have descended from the same indigenous wild southwest Iberian horses as has the Sorraia. They share a common origin.
When trying to consolidate the primitive genetics that still exist in present day individuals (as evidenced by either phenotype or genotype) it was a worthwhile experiment for Dr. Ruy d'Andrade to import a criollo from Argentina to cross with a few of his Sorraia that he had already been breeding on his estate for ten years. It is my understanding (from communication with Dr. d'Andrade's great-granddaughter) that this experiment with the one criollo stallion did not produce the results d'Andrade had hoped for and so was no longer used for their conservation efforts. Tada Dios Cardal produced four foals in 1949 and two in 1950 and his influence has been considered minimal at best.
I cannot tell you why no further imports of Sorraia type horses were made, whether from those criollos who may have been good phenotypic candidates or from something similar among the North American Mustang horses. The Portuguese were then and are now well aware that there are Sorraia phenotypes in New World horses, as is Hardy, of course.
Would I include a criollo in our preservation efforts? Possibly, but it would have to be demonstrating all excellent characteristics of the Type III ancestral horse.
You have stated many times that you believe the Sorraia to be just a manmade breed. I'm sorry that you are unable to see that they represent present day representatives of a wild horse form and that the characteristics of their ancestors remain genetically and phenotypically present among certain New World horses. I find it especially telling how well this ancestral Type III horse form consolidated from crossing Altamiro (Sorraia) with four different strains of North American Mustang horses selected because they show many of the Type III characteristics. If they did not share common ancestors, I doubt the offspring would be the great homogenous representatives that they are.
Perhaps the genetic repository is stronger among the mustangs than it is with the criollos...but I don't think one could tell this from just one criollo stallion crossed on six mares all those years ago. It is more likely that Tada Dios Cardal just wasn't the best repository or producer of the ancestral Type III characteristics.
The acceptance of the Sorraia as being ancient (despite the variance in type and an equine anatomy expert dismissing their type as modern) without any history on them isn't sound in reasoning (imo). The fact of the matter is is that Spain/Portugal have been crossbreeding horses for centuries. How can you say that a horse that has varying type, with no history, and that according to an equine anatomy expert has modern type, and turn around and say that they are primitive? What? Based on some genetic studies? Again, use genetics with history! It is a must to put the pieces together!
I am more than willing to read about the Sorraia history that traces their heritage back through the ages and points them to being pure and ancient. However, that evidence hasn't popped up and until then, the Sorraia is a modern Iberian breed whose ancestors came over to America and also influenced the Spanish horses here. Is the Sorraia more ancient than a Spanish type Sulphur? Absolutely not! In fact, I have a historical background on my breed where I can trace their ancestors back 500 years to Spain. I also know how they ended up on the Mountain Home Range in South West Utah. I also have their genetic report that among having old Iberian genetics, they also only have the Iberian/Barb mtDNA pattern (a pattern more ancient than that of the Sorraia's). They also come in a fairly consistent type. I am not saying that the Spanish type Sulphur is "better" than that of the Sorraia. I am saying that if you want to proclaim a breed old Iberian then at least have the facts to back up your claims! It is also very interesting that this old Iberian breed (Spanish type Sulphurs) despite coming dominantly in the dun and grulla colors (hard to find one that doesn't have stripes!), I haven't seen one with the conformation type (or head style) of the Portuguese Sorraia. Did the Sorraia influence the Spanish type Sulphur? To me, the evidence points to no. Did the original ancestor that had the dun factor dilution look like a Sorraia? I don't think that they did. If they did, then the Spanish type Sulphur would actually have a strong resemblance to a Sorraia. Instead, the Spanish type Sulphur is very different than that of a Sorraia!
I am sorry to be so blunt or offend. Perhaps I should have said this in an email... I wouldn't be offended if you did delete this post. I just felt the need to explain my sound (imo) reasons as to why I do not believe the Sorraia to be what Hardy preaches it to be; being that you mentioned it.
At the same time, I do admire you for chasing your dreams and breeding your dream horses. Regardless of what I feel they truly are.
The acceptance of the Sorraia as being ancient (despite the variance in type and an equine anatomy expert dismissing their type as modern) without any history on them isn't sound in reasoning (imo). The fact of the matter is is that Spain/Portugal have been crossbreeding horses for centuries. How can you say that a horse that has varying type, with no history, and that according to an equine anatomy expert has modern type, and turn around and say that they are primitive? What? Based on some genetic studies? Again, use genetics with history! It is a must to put the pieces together!
I am more than willing to read about the Sorraia history that traces their heritage back through the ages and points them to being pure and ancient. However, that evidence hasn't popped up and until then, the Sorraia is a modern Iberian breed whose ancestors came over to America and also influenced the Spanish horses here. Is the Sorraia more ancient than a Spanish type Sulphur? Absolutely not! In fact, I have a historical background on my breed where I can trace their ancestors back 500 years to Spain. I also know how they ended up on the Mountain Home Range in South West Utah. I also have their genetic report that among having old Iberian genetics, they also only have the Iberian/Barb mtDNA pattern (a pattern more ancient than that of the Sorraia's). They also come in a fairly consistent type. I am not saying that the Spanish type Sulphur is "better" than that of the Sorraia. I am saying that if you want to proclaim a breed old Iberian then at least have the facts to back up your claims! It is also very interesting that this old Iberian breed (Spanish type Sulphurs) despite coming dominantly in the dun and grulla colors (hard to find one that doesn't have stripes!), I haven't seen one with the conformation type (or head style) of the Portuguese Sorraia. Did the Sorraia influence the Spanish type Sulphur? To me, the evidence points to no. Did the original ancestor that had the dun factor dilution look like a Sorraia? I don't think that they did. If they did, then the Spanish type Sulphur would actually have a strong resemblance to a Sorraia. Instead, the Spanish type Sulphur is very different than that of a Sorraia!
I am sorry to be so blunt or offend. Perhaps I should have said this in an email... I wouldn't be offended if you did delete this post. I just felt the need to explain my sound (imo) reasons as to why I do not believe the Sorraia to be what Hardy preaches it to be; being that you mentioned it.
At the same time, I do admire you for chasing your dreams and breeding your dream horses. Regardless of what I feel they truly are.
Perhaps I should have just sent that in an email... slightly painful to post as it said my comment was too large! lol
Crap! Apparently I didn't post my entire comment and then posted part of it twice... ughh I will just email you.
Kim wrote:
"How can you say that a horse that has varying type, with no history, and that according to an equine anatomy expert has modern type, and turn around and say that they are primitive? What? Based on some genetic studies? Again, use genetics with history! It is a must to put the pieces together! "
You have expressed this same view many times last year, Kim. Long time readers of the Journal of Ravenseyrie are well aware of why you feel the way you do, so it really wasn't necessary for you to expend so much energy to explain your "sound reasons", especially in an entry that was rather a picture postcard of the holidays at Ravenseyrie.
Once again, I will direct you to the article I posted in this journal on January 12, 2010 titled, Pleistocene Horses, the Zebro, the Tarpan and the Sorraia / A Shared Ancestry? where I provided no small amount of information to address many of your queries, as well as listed an extensive bibliography of sources. I will soon be updated this article with new information received from Ruy d'Andrade's great-granddaughter which give heightened illumination of the source of the foundation horses.
While my article may not be "sound" or convincing evidence, there is enough there to promote further study, rather than simply write the Sorraia off as a modern manmade breed. At the very least, it should dispel the opinion you hold that all the cave paintings of horses depict Przewalski's type horses.
Dear Lynne,
This post is such a wonderful start of the new year! All those terrific photo’s. Looking at them, I feel as if I am on a short vacation at Ravenseyrie . All your photo’s are wonderfull: the ones in the snow, but also the ones with the misty background (I can imagine the mysterious Scottish Highlands looking just like that). My favorite photo is the one of Pinoteia’s manes, I cannot believe all the colors she has. I am trying to imagine how those gorgeous manes would look with the sun shining on them. No jewelry can compete with that I am sure!
All the horses look so incredible healthy Lynne. You must be so proud of your (four legged) companions! Keep them coming those photo's, there is no such thing as to much beauty!
Miek
Lynne that is a beautiful post and one that resonated with me in a particular way. As usual you have found great quotes to accompany your photographs. To guard "against squandering one's Qi": this is a challenge for all of us who live in a busy world, trying to stay separate from the craziness of consumerism. Thank goodness we have horses to lead us back into connection with nature.
May 2011 bring ever more fulfillment with your beautiful equine companions.
Lynne, I do understand that not ALL horses would love the island as your horses so readily adapt to it... but perhaps it's not just the physical environment, but the spiritual one as well? Thank you for the book suggestions, I own all of them and they are exceedingly well worn.
As for this post, how absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I'm a little in love with Levada. They all seem exceptional, but I think I resonate a little more with the look in her eye.
Thank you for sharing these lovely pictures!
Annemiek wrote:
"Keep them coming those photo's, there is no such thing as to much beauty!"
Thank you for your comments, Miek. Imagine if everyone you know made a commitment to create something beautiful within their own lives every day...all the deleterious, ugly habits we humans have created would crumble away for lack of attention.
(One does not make beauty by watching the evening news...one contributes to ugliness by tuning into to all that negative press, for example.)
Maire wrote:
"As usual you have found great quotes to accompany your photographs."
I'm glad you like those quotes, Maire. I'm fortunate to have many wonderful books in my home library, which I love to go to (almost like they are oracles) and ask for the right quotes to help me convey additional meaning to something I may be writing--they never fail me.
Kathryn wrote:
"As for this post, how absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I'm a little in love with Levada."
She's got a presence about her all her own, that's for sure! As I move among our horses (and mules!), I fall in love over and over again with each new interaction. Actually, I find myself falling in love all the time, even with the wind...again and again. Living here has definitely made me even more an easy "swooner" over things than ever before. ;-)
I'm glad to know you are very familiar with the authors I mentioned in the other comment left for you in a different post. You have all the right ingredients for deeper connections with your formerly abused equines...they will enhance it on their own terms if you have the patience to wait for their perfect timing.
Kathryn, Miek and Maire, I'm glad you enjoyed all the photos. I thought I might have gone a bit overboard putting that many into one journal entry.
This has been the most interesting and informative blog I have read in quite some time. While I'm here let me say Howdy to Kim!!
Lynne we have never met or talked that I know of, But I am very impressed with your stock and would love to visit more. Would you be interested in emailing me at: s.catt@ymail.com ??
Susan,
Thank you for your kind comment and for enjoying the Journal of Ravenseyrie.
I'm always happy to converse about the horses and have sent you an email.
Checking in ! Happy belated New Year to you Lynne : Beauty and Good Health to all of you at Ravenseyrie !
Bordeaux is a good choice indeed !I tasted home made old Italian wine once and it was very particular. If you ever decide to go ahead and do this , I would be delighted to have the chance to tast it !
Closing your gallery/Shop for the holidays is a good way to get into the Christmas/New Year spirit. I had to work but did alot of baking exchange (mostly pizzels)
Happy Chinese Year of the Rabbit !
Monica wrote:
"Checking in ! Happy belated New Year to you Lynne : Beauty and Good Health to all of you at Ravenseyrie !
And the same for you and yours there in Quebec, Monica.
Thank you for your message!
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