One thing that really interests me currently is this idea of
how oppressive the settlers were to horses, but not just horses, it stretches
out to other animals, the land and the Indians. They tried to own and control
it all and destroyed the harmony between man and nature. Today I found a quote
from an Indian chief that sits very comfortably with how I feel about the
current problems of the world and problems from the past involving settlers.
“Man's heart away from Nature becomes hard.”
Luther
Standing Bear - Link to source
I feel like this is so true and I feel like the distance
between us and nature and the distance settlers had was all man made. Even to the extent that man is taking
away the spirit from the horse, breaking it, putting tack on a mustang, we’re
distancing the animal itself from what it is born and made to do; be a horse.
Often in the racing industries these baby thoroughbreds are backed and raced,
pushed to their limit and bred to run. The only thing they ever know is to run
straight as fast as they can on a track. Once they come off the track, all used
up and broken they often don’t know how to be a horse again. They will be boxed
in a stable the early years of its life, fed top energy packed food, kept in
immaculate condition and muscle trained, health checked, they even have them
swimming now to train them! How is this anything like what a horse is supposed
to be?
It’s no wonder when they’re taken off the track they’re no good
to anyone but a butcher. They lose themselves; man takes away what it is they
have to be a horse and what they essentially are.
There is no respect for the animal like there is in the
Native Indian culture, the animal is just a means to an end and to be used. Indians
have a beautiful natural harmony and connection with nature and this is what I
would like to show in my piece. I want my piece to be natural, connected to
nature, be a true representation of the animal and I want some of me to be in
it, my relationship to the animal, my connection. This is why I think using Rocky
as a source for the materials I will be using will really work and bring my
piece together. He is my most personal relationship to the animal and a lot of
my horse experiences come from him so it only feels right to have some of his
hair, poo and bedding in my work.
