10 Comments
Feb 27Liked by Linda Castronovo

Linda, I am/was so allergic to horses growing up that I couldn't get closer than 20 yards to a horse barn without sneezing and wheezing with asthma. I did once ride my friend's horse bareback--it was unforgettable-- but I broke out in hives all over my body after. As an adult, I went to healer who used horses to heal people of various conditions, and managed to get close and stroke a horse's neck without getting sick. I sat next to Buck Brannaman on the ferry over to the Nantucket Film Festival some years ago when his documentary was featured. I was too shy to talk to him, but saw the film. I enjoyed reading your poems.

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Thanks for reading my work, Marie! Amazing that you were so close to Buck! And so sorry for your allergies. Horses are incredible creatures. Hope your writing is going well!

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Feb 27Liked by Linda Castronovo

Linda, what a fantastic image through words and photos of your care of and for horses last summer. You write as if you were talking to me. And you understand those gentle giants on an individual basis. I loved reading this!

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Thanks for reading my work, Sally! You must remember gentle Cinnamon on Legate Hill Road! Looking forward to seeing you soon. When do you head east?

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Feb 27Liked by Linda Castronovo

I love these lines from Lessons from a Horse --

"Move slowly, Speak softly

Be unhurried

Know where you are going

Watch her eye, watching you..."

I am a NYC girl, but when I was 12, my parents moved our family to California. I remember feeling so excited, but also very unsettled and kinda lost. Very soon after our move, my mother enrolled me in a two week horse back riding camp and I just.... felt so soothed by the presence of the horses and riding through the low lying hills outside of Palo Alto.

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Thanks, Corie!

I can imagine that being around the horses in California made the move a bit easier. They provide a wonderful calming energy as long as they feel safe and seen.

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I love your summer in Wyoming poems!

When I was a little girl my dad would pick me up every Saturday and take me horseback riding in Griffith Park. I loved that hour on horseback every Saturday so much. Your musings capture what I love most about the privilege of working with and being near big animals. More, please!

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Thanks, Dana. I agree. Working with horses is a privilege and a pleasure. They bring something out in me that nothing else does. Thank you for your kind words. More to come!

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This is beautiful! I love the pictures and poems!

My grandparents owned a horse farm and I loved being there. Even the thought of hay tickles my nose and brings me joy. It was an enormous honor each time a horse would come to the fence and let me pet their head - so soft and grand!

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They are incredible creatures. One of the biggest joys is learning to communicate with them in nonverbal ways—in their body language.

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