I have a horse!

On September 11, 2009, the anniversary of a profound and pivotal event in our collective consciousness, I have begun my own healing by inaugurating this day with something amazing and wonderful. I am the proud owner of a new horse! Her registered name is Peacocks Hottie, and I chose to not use that name! No offense to the wonderful breeder, Bill Warne, though I'm not sure who actually named her that. I don't go much in for registered names unless they happen to fit the horse. I believe each entity has its own name that represents its essential nature. The name that was coming to me for several months before I found this little filly was 'Cody.' I didn't feel much connection with it and find it to be an 'okay' name, but nothing special. After meeting my new best friend, I thought about it some more and thought that perhaps it was a nickname for something else. As soon as I had this thought, Dakota popped into my head! Dakota. A lovely name that means 'friend' or 'ally' in Lakota Sioux, according to online sources! Perfect. And what is the nickname for Dakota? Koti! So it wasn't Cody but Koti that I kept hearing. And this is her name. Dakota. Koti for short!

How I found her: I had heard from a friend about a fellow who needed to sell off some of his horses. I went out and found a collection of some of the most beautiful Quarter Horses I've seen in a very long while! All from ages 6 mos. to several years old. The horses he is selling are mostly young ones. He showed me 2 two-year-olds that were lovely. Then a group of yearlings (around 1.5 years old), two of whom I really liked. Liked, but didn't go 'yes, that's the one.' I stood there, unable to decide between them, liking qualities of both. Bill then said he had another yearling out with the 'wild ones,' meaning the herd that lived in a large pasture. They are not true wild horses, but they are largely left alone, which meant that, while she'd had some handling as a weanling, not much had been done with her. We went out for a long ride on his scooter and there she was, among a family of horses. She came right up, ate hay from my hand, and I watched her for a while. Then, I approached her and, while she was shy, she was very curious and willing. I was able to scratch her all around her head and neck and it was when she closed her eyes and leaned into my hand, which was scratching around her ears, that I felt the 'yes, this is the one!' She was so sweet and what I got from her was that she was totally ready to connect with a human, with me, but just needed the chance to do it.

I came back the next day and got a halter on her very easily, then we led her in. She did really great and went right into her pen. For the next three days, until today, I've been over working with her. She has come along so quickly I think it surprised everyone! She's beautiful and intelligent and curious. She learns very quickly and remembers everything I teach her. It sticks! Today I bought her and got her papers and she is all mine. With animals, I'm not sure what that means to say 'she is mine.' Nor with inanimate things. How can something that has its own integrity and, in her case, life be "mine." But still, she is mine to take, to play with, to love, to teach, to learn from. She has shown herself so far to be willing and highly interested in learning new things.

Tomorrow night is a huge test. I pack her up onto a trailer and move her to her new home, Ashland Hills Stables. It's about a half hour drive and will be traumatic for her in a way. So many new experiences for her. And a brand new place to be. The stables is five minutes from my house, so I'm ecstatic. Just have to get through the next 28 or so hours! She'll be moving Saturday evening, so by Sunday AM she'll be home.

I pause as I write this, absorbing the miracle of the past two months, being in Ashland, now owning this amazing horse. Dakota, friend, ally in the work, on my journey.

Here are a collection of pictures gleaned from the past four days of my encounter with Dakota and then my working with her. It's just the beginning of course of a hopefully very long and very amazing relationship.

Photos: http://gallery.me.com/pootiwriter#100099