Sangre and serreta.

Over last weekend it got even hotter, 37ºC, so we did not do anything all day but stand as still as statues in the shade. Peter has picked the first new algarrobo pods; I am mad for them; even nicer then the white rocks. Thank you Peter.

When its not too hot, Helen sits in the manège and talks to us; she has been a bit upset because of a riding display she went to. She said some of it was good, particularly the Doma vaquera. Doma Vaquera is training a horse to herd cattle. The rider has a long pole [the garrocha] which the horse dances around. The horse doing this, Helen said, was very relaxed and understood his job, which always makes for a happy horse. I know what Doma Vaquera is because I am Spanish. But then we have to spend half an hour explaining it to Gretel and Tring. Gretel, because she is daft and Tring 'cos she is young. Tring said she would love to do that, herding being in her blood, and would like her own herd of goats. But sadly, one of the horses was not being treated so well and by the end of the demo-display his sides where bleeding from repeated use of the spurs and the front of his nose was bleeding from a much too tight serreta. Worst of all, at the end the girl rider whipped and whipped him 'til he laid down. Helen wanted to rush into the ring and whip her, but realized that the rider may well be just as abused as the horse and only doing what some controlling person is telling her. Just like Monty Roberts' childhood with his dad. We stood about quiet and thought about this. I was thinking of some of the horses I meet during my time at ARCH, they talked of having their spirit broken, but what does that really mean??? Is it a total loss of will because you are subjected to repeated painful or unpleasant circumstances? A nice old boy in Canada calls this ''learned helplessness'' which is basically like giving up, throwing in the towel before even trying and even if the chance to escape is presented, it is not taken. Is this true both for people and animals??? This young rider in her heart of hearts maybe knows what she is doing to this horse is not right and, like Monty, when she gets older, she will walk away and take the lovely horse with her. I believe part of the human spirit identifies with that of the horse. And when the human understands and realizes that, he becomes a better person. Neigh 4 now.