“Who will you be when you are living your dreams?” LeAura Aderson
As 2024 draws to a close, I have had to say a sorrowful goodbye to my wild born brumby mare and companion of 20 years, Sophie. Rescue as an orphaned filly from a drought stricken station in the Australian outback, Sophie both inspired and fulfilled many of my life long dreams.
The word “brumby” is thought to be a derivative of the aboriginal word baroomby meaning “wild” in the language of the Pitjara people on the Warrego and Nogoa Rivers in southern Queensland. Thanks to the poetry of Australian Banjo Patterson and films like the Man From Snowy River, the brumby, much like the American mustang, has become a symbol of national identity and freedom.
Growing up I was besotted with horses, even though my family were non-horsey city dwellers. As I child I collected, read, and re-read the iconic Silver Brumby book series written by Elynne Mitchell. These stories planted the seeds in me of both awareness and desire. I became aware of the sentient capacity of animals, and I dreamed of one day owning my very own “silver brumby”.
Although not technically silver in horse terms, Sophie fulfilled this dreamed. She greyed out as she aged, turning into what muggles would call “white” (technically grey even though she looked white). Sophie was the bringer of dreams, a unicorn of sorts. She inspired me to fulfil another childhood dream, to write and publish my own book Horses, Heartache and Healing which tells the story of Sophie’s rescue as a four month old filly, and how working with wild born horses let me to explore equine-human interactions. I am now a qualified professional in the field of equine experiential learning, offering clients the opportunity to heal and grow through interactions with horses.
Sophie, with a small herd of mostly wild born horses lived out her days at Rainbow Ridge Farm, the property I dreamed of owning and even drew pictures of as a child. Saying goodbye to Sophie, no longer seeing her each morning from my bedroom window… well there are no words. I find myself in stillness. For the first time in my life a new year beckons as a blank canvas. There is still much life to be lived but there is no ambition or striving no sense of urgency. Perhaps it is because I am adjusting to being “a woman of a certain age”. Perhaps it is Sophie’s last precious gift to me. My only dream is to simply be. To be me. To be with those I love. To be in the place I love.
I think back to the me of younger years, grateful for her dreams that have led me to become the me of today. I consider the me of future years and a soft smile forms on my lips, anticipating she will be a calmer, gentler, more relaxed version of today’s me.
The world around us judges our worth, value and success on how many goals we have achieved and the things we possess. With a New Year looming, we will continue to set goals, resolutions and focus on getting them achieved. But what if the purpose of a dream isn’t what we get on from achieving the goal as much as who become in the pursuit it? Then, I suspect, the journey would indeed be the reward, and the world might just be filled with more happiness, peace, and contentment.
Sometimes, to truly hear the authentic longings of our own heart we need to cultivate stillness. If you would like explore this I would love to help you cultivate external stillness so you can experience internal quietness to explore your present and your future. You can contact me on 0456728961 or at elizabethdenniss@bigond.com to arrange an online coaching or an in person equine informed awareness session. Curious about what an equine informed awareness session might look like? Check out my session snapshot video, alternatively grab a free e-book covering equine informed awareness topics!