Our Tribute To Scooter: New Found Clarity

Dear Melisa,
With the upcoming Core 4 weekend of your certification program, here is my tribute to Scooter -your beloved friend, partner and co-facilitator of "Touched By A Horse" - who so generously healed and transformed the lives of many wounded souls by providing them with the lighted torch and glimmer of hope and strength to carry on and find new beginnings and meaning in their lives.

With an agility to know when to perform, Scooter possessed the impish energy of the class clown with the ability to get down to the serious business of healing his clients

Scooter was a shining multi-faceted diamond who knew, like a sparkling prism, how to disperse, shower, and share the many colors of his light. He easily dialed into the frequency he needed and watching him do his work was certainly a miracle to behold. His passion for life was exemplary.

In my heart I know and feel there is a greater good, while not readily apparent at this time, that will bring new light into our world.

Thank you for the opportunity to photograph your horses - Scooter, QT, and Shadow. As I struggled to put words to relatively new creations of horse portraits, it was through your horses that clarity finally came to me. These are soul essence creations of our equine friends and partners and my new series Equi-esse has been born.

Yours in the dance,
Susan

About the Work

Several weeks ago I photographed three of Melisa's equine co-facilitators. With no real deadline, I was granted the grace to create Scooter, QT, and Shadow when I was inspired. It was my desire to portray them as I intuited how they would fit with Melisa's holistic approach to her therapy and also be of benefit to her clients. I sensed the magnitude of the task while knowing the right time would graciously present itself to me. I started easing into the "work" two weeks ago, the magical mystical treasure hunt began and I created my 1st portrait of a horse named QT. A new palette of rainbow colors offered themselves to the work fitting of the nature for the work of a healer.

The weekend came and I had been driven lately, with a sense of urgency, to reorganize my office/studio space. Like the tendrils of a vine in a weed infested garden I had been feeling claustrophobic and overwhelmed by piles of clutter and unfinished business. Of course with my perfectionist manner that meant all closets and files need rummaging through and reorganizing.

Later in the evening I thought I would go to bed but the calling to create leaked into my consciousness. Miffed, I sat at my photographic files wondering why and what I should work on when all I really wanted to do was climb into bed with the chilly fresh mountain breeze cleansing my body and thoughts as I drifted off into sleep. But no....there I was sitting in the dark at my computer and I revisited the file called "Melisa".

Back and forth, on cruise control, I culled through the image files. I had left Scooter for last, starting first with a head portrait of QT and the another head portrait of Shadow. I had erroneously felt that Scooter, with his roany chestnut coat would be more challenging for me. Back and forth I went through his pictures, warmly remembering the events of that day. Occasionally thoughts penetrated my mind wondering which one might appeal to Melisa; they were quickly overridden by the freedom she was allowing me to choose what called to me.

There was a beautiful head shot that reflected the soul essence of Scooter. Perfect I thought. This will complete a trilogy of head shots and then I would move into full body and or action shots of all the horses. I sensed the body shots would require a deeper level of connection that I was not feeling in that moment. But then I heard "Do something different". You have a mastery with the head shots. By now I had come to life as I often do during the process of creating. Never mind that it was already well past 11 pm for I was in my essence and I loved it.

Back on my treasure hunt I went and I instantly knew what I was guided to work on. With a heavy sigh I assessed the image in front of me. Much work needed to be done to bring Scooter into the magical space where so many of my horses exist; a landscape privileged to the horses and Shamans. Sensing again the residual denseness of my busy day I wondered if I was up for the task at this hour. The heaviness of my hand soon lightened and I was transported with Scooter into the realm of the unknown.

I was right there with him as I unknowingly created his new home at the time he was leaving his earthly home. There was a sense of joy and elation as I finished up the piece.

Sunday morning dawned and as coffee was brewing, I opened my email to read the header "Scooter has died". In shock and sadness, with the encouragement of Brad, I shared my creation with Melisa, realizing the universal connectedness of all species we all share. A short time later I pulled the "Sorrow" card from the "Whispers From A Horse's Heart " inspirational card deck. Ugh, how inspirational I said to myself.

It was only later in that day, upon reflection, that I realized that to be fully alive and human we must experience all the polarities of our emotions and in creating Scooter's crossing I did indeed feel both joy and sorrow in a twelve hour span.

I have drawn much insipration and clarity from the loss of Scooter and I am unsure how it will feel to go to the barn but I know a piece of Scooter lives on in all of those who were blessed to be touched by this horse.