Horses and Nature

One of the most wonderful experiences of owning a farm and raising horses is the connection to both nature and animals. It is an environment which draws your attention to how things grow and the requirements for growth and performance in a symbiotic relationship between plants and animals.

Living on the farm has taught me to appreciate the natural forces: wind, elements, wildlife (turkeys, fox, geese, deer, screech owls, opossums, mice, bees, flies, snakes, turtles, butterflies), movement of rocks through the ground (arenas), etc. It has allowed me the opportunity to better understand how the seasons effect expressions of living things: peepers in March-June, dogwood tree blossoms in April, pasture growth in May, the pungency of the cat briar flowers in June, fireflies falling from the sky in June-July, bucking flies in August, the first snows of winter and how the horses all make snow angels in the ground!

Prior to living on the farm I was only attentive to the weather when I wanted to do something outside. After 9 years on the farm, I live in harmony with the weather and how to best take care of the horses and animals and grounds! I value the hard physical work which farmers have been doing for centuries. Most important, I value the beauty the land gives back to you as a result of you taking care of nature. I value the tenacity of weeds, the growth of the flowerbeds, the blossoming of the trees, and the return of the red-wing blackbirds. Now I could not live without the neigh of my esteemed friends who are continuously teaching me new things which I find invaluable as lessons in living within our cultures: acceptance, understanding, the importance of touch, of feeling the horse’s attitude, of having that incredible response back, of the openness of the animals and nature. There are never hidden agendas. There are always many surprises. I encourage everyone to reach out, touch, and engage in that giving-back which nature, animals, and horses are so good at in all our lives!

–Ann del Campo-

5/2006