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People tell me that I already have joined up with Zum. Monty Roberts says that horse trainers make horses mean by causing the horses pain. Horses take flight out of fear. So I have to become Zum’s friend and comfort zone.

My broken arm is slowly getting better. I am ready to do more with Zum. I have not ridden him since my accident with him which was over two months ago now. My sister wants me to keep Zum as a pet. Friends want me to sell Zum. I am watching old videos by Monty Roberts, the original natural horseman. I want to join up with Zum.

Rabbits were sacred to many ancient deities. Rabbits were fleet-footed messengers for God Hermes. Rabbits were dedicated to Goddess Aphrodite and God Cupid as symbols of love, fertility and good fortune. The Saxon goddess of spring, Goddess Eostre, is the origin of the Easter bunny which symbolizes life renewal. Rabbits were the emblem of the Norse moon goddess, Goddess Holda, as symbols of the moon. The white rabbit signifies divinity. The red rabbit signifies prosperity. How lucky I am to have rabbits in my daily life!

I am so happy that my sister gave me three baby rabbits. I love my pet rabbits! Sadly, three of my pet rabbits died this year. So my new baby rabbits make my heart sing. I make fresh wheat grass for Kamar, my oldest horse. I give the baby rabbits the grass after it has been cut and they love to nibble on it for hours.

I have been trying to think of a reason why my accident with Zum happened. I believe everything happens for a reason. Maybe it was an initiation rite that I had to experience to learn how to survive huge obstacles put in front of me. There is a beautiful saying: ‘What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.’

The secret to my happiness is to care for beautiful things in this world. To me, Zum is pure beauty.

I was riding Huszar on National Forest land yesterday. Huszar snorted loudly on a cliff and an Indian heard Huszar’s snorts and ran after me with his barking dog. This Indian drags huge logs and rocks to all the horse trails on the National Forest land to prevent horses from riding them. He has no right to do this but no one stops him. Everyone is afraid of this Indian including me. I had to get Huszar to leap over the logs and bypass the rocks to flee the angry Indian. Many horse owners have moved away because of this Indian. It has been a battle for years.

In a culture that seems to be all about money and control, horses remind me that it is not. A farrier in a hurry because he was late getting to my house and had clients waiting after me couldn’t wait the 45 minutes necessary for oral sedation to take effect on Zum. He grabbed Zum’s legs with impatience and Zum kicked back. The farrier said he needed to inject Zum with drugs that work faster and then tie up Zum’s back legs with help from another guy. He insisted on charging me too much without waiting to do the job. He left angrily, calling Zum a jerk. He left, leaving Zum sedated and going into a hot sweat. I am fully aware that Zum is a challenge. My humble farrier in Phoenix waited the full 45 minutes and was able to gently and calmly shoe Zum for the first time easily last March. I broke my arm two months ago. I need to heal my arm so I can trim Zum’s feet again. Zum teaches me again the importance of being dedicated to the well-being of the horse.

Giving a horse a good life is for me a very good life.

I am so happy to be able to finally put on Huszar’s saddle with my right elbow and left hand! Where there is a will, there is a way! I was also able to jump in the saddle without help. I rode Huszar for two and a half hours in an area I have been riding in since I was nine years old. Since last summer when I rode there, all the lots that have had For Sale signs up for many years have been sold. Horse trails now were construction sites or huge piles of dirt. I guess my neighborhood has become prime real estate. Horses are a thing of the past. Thankfully, not my past. I have to figure out how to ride around human destruction of the horse trails.