11/22/2024
💕
I’ve been putting together my thoughts about the incredible opportunity I had last week to attend an equine dissection guided by “Jersey,” and facilitated by Dr.Sharon May-Davis, Pamela Eckelbarger, and Diane Dzingle.
Part of me wants to write about all the intricacies of the body, the biomechanics, the interweaving of muscles, organs and fascia, the injuries, there is so much to be told there…but my voice is being guided to speak to the spirituality of the process.
I am sad for horses born into an entitled and abusive industry and I am sad for horses who are deeply loved with bodies who cannot keep up with the intensity of their spirit. I am also deeply in awe of the horse. Until you are fortunate enough to intimately see the details woven into the body of who they are and were, you might never truly understand. I know I didn’t.
There will never be another experience like this one, because there will never be another Jersey. There will never be another horse with his exact genetic make up, his exact mannerisms, his exact body, mind, and soul. He was one of a kind, once in a life time, they all are. We all are. How amazing is that? There is not a single body on this earth quite like the one we each live in, Jersey reminded me of that, and I will not take the gift of insight into his for granted.
He reminds us to be grateful for the body that carries us through this lifetime. There will never be another quite like it. He didn’t reject his, he lived in it, played in it, loved in it, until his soul outgrew its limitations.
I was reminded of the power of the horse in spirit. For those of you who don’t know, my horse Bro gained his wings a little over a year ago, and my heart has never been the same since. While his spirit was clearly outgrowing his body, my mind was left with questions that never got answered.
Jersey gave me the gift of allowing Bro to visit me through him. The story Katie told us about Jersey’s life with her could have been written by me about Bro. Wildly similar radiographs, mannerisms, and compensation patterns brought tears to my eyes and healing I thought I’d never receive. I was originally signed up for the second dissection, no coincidence that I ended up in the first one. I’m deeply grateful.
He reminds us that everything is connected, and a horse never just speaks for themselves, they speak for all horses.
The last day was different for me. Bones. I had no idea how much life force energy is in bones.
I told Katie, I understand now why elephants go back for the bones of their loved ones. I understand why bones are used in ceremony, why we bury them, why we are drawn to them. Without the bones, there’d be nothing for the body to create around. We could feel it, I almost can’t explain it. I guess there’s a reason bones last so long… it makes me wonder if they’re the souls way of leaving their unique mark on the earth.
As if to say: I was here, I lived.
I believe our souls choose our bodies and our experiences with the beings around us. I believe our souls are rooted in love, and they are extremely powerful.
I questioned what was in it for him, why he chose this path, why he was ok with a body broken at the hands of humans before five years old. What’s in it for him? What’s in it for any horse?
“Because choosing this body meant that I could one day choose Katie.”
This is why I believe our horses come to earth WITH us. Katie is on a path to help as many horses as possible, had Jersey came with a healthy body, would she still be on this path? Maybe… but he made sure of it, and she was sure to listen. Call it what you want but every horse speaks for all horses, that I’m certain, they must know how to choose the humans who will listen.
What a gift our horses are.
Thanks to Jersey, I will forever see the bodies of my horses differently. Because they chose them…and that means we got to choose each other, and what an honor that is.
Thank you Jersey, for everything. See you in the sky.
I want to add that Katie was so incredibly strong during this entire process, and I am in awe of her strength in honoring her beloved horse.
Sharon, Diane, and Pam have such reverence for the horse as well as everyone else who attended and assisted in this process. It is truly inspiring to be associated with such forward thinking, compassionate humans.
