Phoenix Equine

20/07/2023

Every time a horse let you up onto its back, it’s giving you its life. Every time.

14/07/2023

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14/03/2023

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Under the influence of great fear, almost everybody becomes superstitious.
Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity towards those who are not regarded as members of the herd.
Fear generates impulses of cruelty, and therefore promotes such superstitious beliefs as seem to justify cruelty.
Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear. ~Bertrand Russell

(Book: Unpopular Essays https://amzn.to/3TjOeAP)

04/03/2023

22/02/2023

One from a trip a couple of seasons ago accompanying working Highland ponies (known as garrons) and their handlers (known as ghillies) to document them collecting red deer stags from the hill. This is a very traditional job, and it was very interesting to see the pony not only in its natural surroundings, but also doing a job it was bred for. The UK has no natural predators for Red deer, and as a result the deer numbers need to be managed to prevent overgrazing (and ecological damage) across the Scottish Highlands. One of the traditional roles the Highland pony developed was to carry deer back off the hill - even today, the terrain is so steep and uneven that machinery cannot always be used. Their job is to go out onto the hill where they are loaded up with the carcass, and they then bring it home for processing (where the venison goes into the food chain). These ponies can access places where modern ATVs cannot, and they still have a valuable role across Scotland carrying these deer. The ponies have to be highly trained to do this work, and the highland pony is perfect for the role - it is valued for its strength and courage, which allows them to physically do this very demanding job. Some stags can weigh over 20 stone and the pony has to keep its balance as it picks its way across the hill - when you seem them moving, you soon see that it is not like carrying a rider. It was quite something to witness, and very interesting to see first hand. Highland ponies are categorised as “At Risk” by Rare Breeds Survival Trust]] 🐴🌄 ___________________________________________ Rare Breeds Survival Trust]] Rare Breeds Survival Trust]]

10/02/2023

Have a nice day 🤩
credits: Pinterest

20/01/2023

💕🐎

A week ago today I swung my saddle onto the back of a five-year-old quarter horse under the watchful eye of Tom Curtin.

The horse took a few concerned steps as my stirrup swung over his back. I looked up to see Tom’s grin under the brim of his hat and he said,

“You were thinking about saddling that horse, weren’t you?
You need to think about that horse while you saddle him.“

Last week I spent the week with Tom and his wife, Trina. I noticed a reoccurring lesson throughout the week.

The everyday activities I have done my whole life with horses took on a new meaning. “You were thinking about brushing that c**t, you need to think about that c**t while you brush him.” And, “you were thinking about bridling that mare, you need to think about that mare while you bridle her.”

Tom said, “No matter what you do, never forget that horse”.

So there I was, playing cowboy for a week, learning about c**t starting, riding young horses, checking cattle, but deep inside it all, learning how to be with a horse in a very intentional way.

It’s a sort of contract, you see. You’re not demanding that your horse give you their attention without an even exchange. Asking a horse to bring their attention to me now feels more like saying, “Remember I’m right here, thinking about you… In exchange can you think about me?”

The gift of Tom’s c**ts was that they already knew the feeling of being kept in mind, and they were good at telling me when I’d lost track of them. The calm that came over these horses when I thought of them as I went about my daily routines was just wonderful.

All it took was being mindful of their existence and attentive to their needs. We typically have some sort of goal with our horses that can provide a wonderful sense of purpose, but the goal is meaningless if we lose track of our partner in the process.

I hope in reading this you can be as inspired as I am. When you go out this week and do whatever you do with your horses, whether it be jumping fences, working cows, dancing in a dressage arena, chasing hounds, etc, see if you can go about your business with purpose, but never forget your horse.

~ Justin

📸 Erin Gilmore // Erin Gilmore Photography

20/01/2023

I've never liked the term horse breaker... I'd rather be a builder...

23/12/2022

I had a book about these ponies when I was a kid... They're still on the island and protected 💕

A Chincoteague pony with its long mane obscuring its face, Assateague Island, US.

24/11/2022

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