What is the height of the horizon?

The first Permaculture Design course at our center is finishing today. The participants are showing amazing creativity in designing gardens with natural fences, chicken coups, flowers, food trees and vegetable beds to the benefits of the villagers.

Students learn to measure the height of the horizon, number of sun hours, size of shades, distance between trees and estimate growth. During this ten-day intensive course with Professor Malan, students have got deeper in touch with their inner genius.

To become a good permaculture designer, you need to start out observing the villagers in their gardens and notice their movements and habits.

You don’t start creating beds, planting lettuce, pruning trees and building fences. You start doing nothing and just observe.

The horizon is the line at which the earth’s surface and the sky appear to meet, or the height of the horizon can also mean the limit of a person’s mental perception, experience, or interest.

Now what does this have to do with horses?

In my experience spending time being with and observing to understand horses is crucial to develop a good working relationship. It is also crucial to not put up any limits to your goals, put a lid on your creativity or limit your mental perception.

So adding creativity to the question What is the height of the horizon answers could vary from

infinite
unlimited
1000 km
endless
perfect
or…?

To acheive a good and close relationship with your horse, abilities such as creativity, presence and curiosity are crucial elements. We are all born with these skills but lose them as we enter the school system.

Here is an interesting article on creativity and a video by George Land, who found out that creativity decreases after entering school. He tested the creativity of 1,600 children ranging in ages from three-to-five years old in a program.

He tested and re-tested the same children at 10 years of age, and again at 15 years of age.

The results were astounding.

Test results amongst 5 year olds: 98% creativity
Test results amongst 10 year olds: 30% creativity
Test results amongst 15 year olds: 12% creativity
Same test given to 280,000 adults: 2% creativity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=183&v=ZfKMq-rYtnc

So returning to the garden, to nature, to the present and learn from the school of life can bring back creativity and curiosity for both humans and horses.

Last September, Ayiti and Kadoo came to live with us and they were in a quite bad condition. Enjoy a few recent photos of Kadoo who is lucky to be living in a herd outside where his curiosity is allowed to grow by the day. Ayiti’s curiosity is returning as well as she feels better in her body and gains trust in humans.

Have a wonderful week!

Kind regards Stina and the herd