"We are all wanderers on this earth...our hearts are full of wonder, and our souls are deep with dreams." ~ Gypsy proverb

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Whispers to keep me awake

I was up way too late last night. Every one else was in bed and I just wasn't ready for sleep. I browsed Netflix's documentaries instead, not really expecting to find anything to stay awake to, and then I did.

Back in July, I linked "whispering for horses" to a trailer for a documentary called "Buck".  I have wanted to see the film ever since and waited for it to show up at the theaters, though it never did (around here). But I found the documentary last night on instant streaming, and though I am tired right now, I have no regrets about taking this little detour. Here is the trailer again, if you haven't seen it:



If you love horses, then of course you will love this film, but what I took away was a deeper understanding that a relationship with a horse is not unlike a relationship with another human being, except one thing. You can be guaranteed that a horse will always be honest with you from the very beginning.  If you have treated them unjustly, without compassion or respect, they will reflect that back to you as clear as any mirror. The parallels here to parenting a child were so striking to me, and Buck's ability to intuitively understand this, being an abused child himself, was moving.

Horse whispering, like peaceful parenting, is about the mutual love and respect between two souls. We are so connected that how we feel about ourselves will translate to how we treat those nearest to us. Buck talks about the "dance" that happens between him and the horse, how there is a balance between gentleness and firmness, and force never enters the equation. The language of love and dignity, pain or neglect, has no boundaries among humans and the amazing animals we love. This film is about understanding the souls and spirits of horses, and treating them with the kind of respect that every soul should treat another with, including ourselves.

I hope you get to see this film..
much love to you
xoxo

14 comments:

  1. my daughter in law would love this! she is the owner of seven horses and they are her babies!
    i was up late myself last night, we could have talked :)
    xx

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  2. I've been wanting to watch this on Netflix, now I definitely will!

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  3. I love netflix! Such an interesting perspective on the horse/human relationship and the parallels between parenting

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  4. I'll totally check this out! Love Netflix streaming...

    xo
    cortnie

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  5. We are getting netflix once the hbo/free deal is over in 2 1/2 months. My daughter loves horses I bet she would love this film.

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  6. Sounds interesting. I would be hard to catch here, though...

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  7. oh, thanks! i am always looking for engrossing documentaries - my favorite movie watching. is it kid friendly?

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  8. i'll have to check it out. we're a family of horse lovers and believers in being gentle with our animals as well as our children.

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  9. I watched the trailer a little while ago. Pretty amazing stuff. I was lucky to have had a few lessons from a 'horse whisper' so to speak, many years ago, before they were really heard of. Jack was such an amazing man in his 70's at the time and he and his horse moved as one. He had the kindest soul and the most gentle nature and it showed in how he worked with horses.

    I don't know much about Netflix, but it sounds like a great source of things to watch. Jacinta

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  10. i love the way you've described this mj, you are so right. i'm afraid of horses, but seen in this light, that feels like it may change.

    i did that too, stayed up late watching a movie, sometimes it's just fun, even if i was falling asleep at work today!

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  11. I'm going to have to check this out....I've only recently become fascinated with horses since we moved out to the country and are literally surrounded by them.

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  12. I love how you make the connection of people and animals. Too often people think they are just a "thing" with no feelings or emotions. Once you realize that they have a soul, and have feeling like people do - love, fear, happiness, sadness, all of it - magical things begin to happen, to both parties.

    Everyone, whether you have hair or fur, deserves to be treated with respect, dignity, and compassion.

    xoxo

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  13. Oh wow -- what a moving trailer. I've added it to the queue and am excited to watch this movie!

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“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
~ George Bernard Shaw