I have always believed that life with horses brings so sharply into focus the “Circle of Life” as so beautifully composed by Elton John. Life with horses is a “wheel of fortune,” “leap of faith,” and “band of hope.” Life with horses is about beginnings and endings, about extreme highs and sinking lows.
This past month at Shepherd Farm has been the most intense month of our decade-long operation. This month brought the birth of three beautiful healthy fillies, bookended by the tragic and untimely loss of two magnificent mares. This past week began with the birth of a stunning leggy Hanoverian filly. The excitement, joy and adrenaline rush of seeing that little head in a white sac poking out of the back of our mare cannot be described but only experienced.
By contrast, a mere 48 hours later, we stood in the dark of night under a tree with our beautiful Percheron mare. We stood there after spending the day trying to save her life by dislodging her displacement. Exhausted and sorrowful, we made the decision to end her life. We felt a sinking low – the kind that overtakes you completely and ends in tears and a sense of blankness.
That living beings are born and die is a fact that we know. Birth and mortality are stages of life that we celebrate and then mourn at different times with our families and in our lives. Life with horses can routinely bring miracles and tragedies close together – separated by hours. It is true that in life with horses you can “soar to the stars” and also have to “live with the scars.”
After this week and many stolen moments of reflection, I can say that I still choose life with horses and I still have yet untapped reserves of “faith” and “hope.”
Below is Elton John’s “Circle of Life” on which this blog entry is based:
From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There’s more to be seen than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
Some say eat or be eaten
Some say live and let live
But all are agreed as they join the stampede
You should never take more than you give
In the circle of life
It’s the wheel of fortune
It’s the leap of faith
It’s the band of hope
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle of life, the circle of life
Some of us fall by the wayside
And some of us soar to the stars
And some of us sail through our troubles
And some have to live with the scars
There’s far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found
But the sun rolling high through the sapphire sky
Keeps great and small on the endless round
Shepherd Farm 
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