Calm in the middle of a firestorm

Who would believe it possible – that’s two of Narel and Ian’s horses scratching each other calmly in the middle of a fast approaching fire storm.  That’s flames right there at the edge of their paddock.

I’ve watched with deep gratitude, students and staff members using what was their horse skills – as life skills – in harrowing and dangerous circumstances in this last couple of weeks.  I’ve watched and heard of empowered horses calmly dealing with fire and even finding their best path to survival.

The roar of the fire front coming through like a freight train – the herd just dealt with it calmly.   The unfamiliar sight and sound of helicopters hovering close by – they just dealt with it, calmly.   Water bombing into their paddocks, they just dealt with it calmly.

Who would have thought that it was even possible for horses to have such confidence in their humans that they just dealt with such outrageously scarey stuff with calmness and presence of mind?

The same Feel for our horses in the Present moment, that enables us to listen to our own fear and theirs – is the same Feel and the same being Present that enables US to find guidance and peacefulness no matter what is going on in our lives – even in the midst of bushfires.

The same Feel for our horses that gives us our own inner guidance – is the same Feel and the same being Present that enables us to know what best action to take in even dangerous circumstances.

The same Feel for our horses in the Present moment that enables us to communicate with them for lovely results with things like learning to pick up difficult feet for trimming, float loading, beautiful riding with One-ness – it’s the same Feel that made it possible to communicate with them in the middle of a bushfire, the same Feel that made it possible for the horses too, to have the presence of mind  about HOW to protect themselves when the fire literally rained from the sky all over their paddocks and a fireball jumped over 200 metres and exploded on the other side of the road, it’s the same Feel and communication and Being Present that produced genuine calmness in the middle of mayhem.

And it’s the same communication that made it possible for Narel’s horses to not have one single burn mark from one single ember when it was literally raining fire from the sky. Even as I wrote this I was crying with overwhelming gratitude.

In fact, I am FILLED with gratitude for the gifts horses bring us and I’m so freaking proud of everyone I could just about burst.

Today’s photos taken by Ian Wilson moments before the fire front hit them.  Ian and his son Zane are the absolute heroes that saved their house and sheds as the fire rolled over the top of them, running non stop for hours putting out live embers as they rained from the sky.  I must get Narel to tell more of the story here.