The Arabian and the Apache Way
I am originally from New Mexico We are Chiricahua Apache, I am born to the Chihene for the Chokonen, to translate what that means, I am born into my mother’s people and born for my father’s people. It is how we formally introduce ourselves to others of our people; identifying which clans we belong to. My partner/husband of 33 years, Andrew, is a member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of the Ojibwe Nation in Wisconsin.
I started late in my riding, age 57, and I am now 71 years old. What I know about riding horses has been self-taught, through trial and error. Lots of mistakes, but for my horses who have stuck it through with me, I ask their forgiveness for those early years. Miraz, especially, has been my partner and mentor in this journey. What I’ve learned, from basic riding to competing, has been accelerated by Miraz’s input. We’re a mix of cultures, he and I.
At the age of three months, one early morning, Andy and I found Miraz hanging from a panel gate, suspended by his foot at the fetlock upside down on his back. There was no heart beat, no movement and his eyes had glazed over and were open. He appeared quite dead. As I contemplated his loss and what extreme measures it took to bring him into this world I said to him, “Some other day you will pass away, but it will not be today.” I am a traditional Apache healer and I put great faith in that power. I laid my hands on his face. Suddenly he took a huge, loud gasp of air and he awoke from that nether place he had been. He laid there and looked into my eyes with calmness.
“WHAT I KNOW ABOUT RIDING HORSES HAS BEEN SELF-TAUGHT, THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR. LOTS OF MISTAKES, BUT FOR MY HORSES WHO HAVE STUCK IT THROUGH WITH ME, I ASK THEIR FORGIVENESS FOR THOSE EARLY YEARS.”
Just stayed there without struggling. We got the panels apart and released his foot. He got up but his foot dangled and flopped about. He mended up, but there were many months of healing treatments and therapy to repair the damage of his foot. He had stretched those tendons and ligaments two inches longer than his other front leg. He eventually ended up with only a half inch
