INTRODUCTION:
Written by Liz

'One with the Herd ' is a book about my adventures in 'HORSE'. It is a revelation and a record of my discovery and spiritual evolution; secluded from the chatter of society, in the company of my horses, dogs and cats. Nestled in the hills in a solar house, without radio, television and by my choice newspapers, I have ample time to commune with my animals and the surrounding nature. I have time to be in their midst and to listen, to meditate, and to absorb the energy of my happy herd. I don't attempt to dominate or even to structure their comings and goings, but rather just enjoy their presence, and cultivate their wisdom.

It has been almost six years now, and like venturing in a foreign culture; I have, by way of osmosis, begun to appreciate the customs and communicate; to both understand and to be understood. I now send and receive messages in visual concepts and am beginning to know a whole new reality through the eyes of my herd.
Riding is, more often than not, an adventure and an exploration that we both enjoy.
As in all relationships, time together is an opportunity to improve our communication and solidify our bonds of trust. We are above all, equals.

I have always recognized an irrepressible calling to commune with horses, but for years it was buried beneath the more pressing issues of profession, marriage, and motherhood. When I finally heeded the ever-present call, a seeming indulgence proved to be the vehicle that would carry me to the crystallization of my life's path.

This book is bound by the threads of poetry, art and various entries from my journal, each a cornerstone in my place of worship, and offerings from the shining spirit of wisdom, truth, joy, freedom, abundance and love that is the essence of us all.

At the beginning of each chapter you will find entries from my journal, prose or poems written across the two page photographs or original paintings. I started the journal about a year before we moved to our ranch, so it spans approximately six years of self-exploration and expression. I have placed the entries in a time line as they happened in connection with chapters in the book. The art is as well, in order as it developed from immersion in my new environment.

As I moved further into my horse immersion and understanding, I found that as my level of involvement and excitement with the developing book grew, the horses interest and excitement grew as well. They knew what was unfolding, not from anything I told them but from the pictures and concepts we shared in our minds. I would walk out to tell Prima about an idea that was developing, and before I could get the words out, I could see she was already there. It was like she was envisioning and co-creating with me; our minds were joined; our ideas together, part of a larger vision.

The understanding that was given was that the first book was setting the stage for a second one that would be written entirely from the horses perspective and channeled by me. They were also excited about interacting with people through informal interactive workshops and questions directed to the horses via email. The questions would be material for future books.

(pg. 2)

Here I am with these wonderful equines, living my dream. It has been a long time developing and refining itself, but after 54 years of looking for the perfect fit, I have left the latest fashion, the silk suits and uncomfortable footwear for something more flattering, albeit maybe only in my own mind.

My glowing youth, my energetic ambition has evaporated in the dry air of the interior grasslands leaving a somewhat older and wiser countenance.

I have lived in the larger world of business and busyness, for a period running a successful fine art publishing company and commuting from our family home and studio via ferry to a downtown office in Vancouver, employing a manager and distributors for the limited edition prints that I produced from my original art. I was comfortable at printing houses with 24ft board room tables, complete with four phones and bar sink.
A valued customer, I would be wined and dined by the executives. I was always very popular as the conversation veered towards the elusive and ethereal spiritual quest , rather than the nuts and bolts of the publishing business. I also always maintained my sense of humility, usually by committing a seriously funny right brained act.
I remember holding a contract, outlining a hefty loan from a financial backer, over a candle on the dining table to get a closer look in the dimness, and watching it go up in smoke. I suppose in reflection that was a clear sign, but my life in business complete with its comic relief was overall a valuable indicator of what I could happily live without.

So here I am at the moment an almost kept woman as our decision to abandon our busy former lives, as notables on the who's who list of our small community, has worked for me but somehow backfired for Kevin. Architects were in hot demand in the area, including the surrounding areas of Kamloops, Vernon and Kelowna, so Kevin now has three offices and spends a large portion of his day on the phone, and one or two days a week commuting.

I interface between the worlds, but very much like Leo, what I refuse to see doesn't exist in my world. I sit at the kitchen table reading or writing, semi permeable only to the goings on in Kevin's busy day. He reads the Guardian weekly, while I meditate or reflect on my horses. Kevin also takes the time to meditate, walk and commune daily ,and is therefore supportive of my escape.

Over the six years we have been living, what at the moment is mostly my dream, like minded friends have materialized from the many folks that live a short drive away on millionaires row, which spans the lake shore below, segmented into 2 to 10 acre estates with mostly, architecturally diverse and impressive homes courtesy of my busy husband.

These friends have come and communed on our larger estate, one of several 160 -640 acre parcels subdivided from the original Stump Lake Ranch. Ten minutes from the highway it nestles amidst miles of natural grassland. One of the oldest ranches in the area borders three sides of the property and the fourth side touches another 320 acre parcel bought by a busy lawyer who visits infrequently.

(pg. 3)

Here I paint and breed horses and Kevin practices some of his architecture from a small home office. Over the years visitors have been witness to my strange ideas and behaviors, born of my increasing isolation and alienation from the real world which they for the most part inhabit. Each visit usually finds me expounding on some new inspiration or discovery, birthed of my increasing connection to my secluded world of nature and horses, and my oblivion to what is really happening to the rest of the globe (as far as material or physical reality is concerned).

I need very little. The silk suits are covered in dust and I am hard pressed to find a pair of jeans and a T shirt that are unmarred by teething horses. It is a humble existence with the few frills that our solar house will support. We however eat well and entertain in style, sharing the mysteries of our existence with many.

Several friends have bought horses and paintings and joined in my excitement for natural horsemanship, leaving their bits and crops for halters and carrot sticks. They are also exposed to my colourful beliefs and over time have learned to not bat an eyelash when I suggest they talk to their horses or use energy work instead of vets or doctors. Not that I don't use the medical profession, I just know when not to. Friends come here and find a solace and a secret, that offers an immeasurable sense of joy and well being; it seems to flow from the earth and the happy natural state of the land and animals. We are all in our truth and want nothing but truth from others. This definitely separates the invisible from the imaginary, and those who invest heavily in masquerade fall quickly away, ashamed of their exposed nakedness.

This is the greatest gift of the horses. They bring the invisible and truly meaningful realms to light. This interface with spirit is natural for all animals, and continued exposure brings perspective and a meditative clarity and connection; a stillness and a knowingness, that refines our ambition, and homes it to a shining finish.

I am living a dream that continues to expand beyond the boundaries of my physical self to the greater soul of all life, where what I dream for myself is a gift for all to enjoy, and what I give to all life, I give to myself. Life is discovering itself through us.

Kevin came up with a wonderful name for it the other day -EQUINISITY: the gift of finding the unexpected and truly important perspective, through the clear and almost 360 degree vision of the equine.

We are all on a journey to discover our dreams, or life's dream for us. The only way we can know if the fit is right is to try it on. How does it feel? - tight around the throat, uncomfortable in the stomach, or impossible to walk in. If you are like I was without enough time to shed the restrictions, and reflect on a more comfortable fit, join me on a short holiday on Gateway 2 Ranch and become one with the secrets of the herd.

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