The wisdom of the mountains

If you have ever watched a horsefight in the boondocks, you will know how violent the stallions can become just to mount a mare

In the mountains, where I used to frequent in the decade before we created a digitally engaged newsroom (and thus allowed me to go traipsing in the boondocks instead of being hooked on my mobile phone), the mountain folks had this rule on arranging your horses in a line on your way to your destination: Put the mare (female horse) in front.

“Putting the mare behind the stallion (male horse) will slow down our progress,” they told us. The reason is that, “Magsige og lingi ang laki (The stallion will always look back).”

Since the mare is ahead of him, then the stallion will try to catch up. Thus, the second rule, which is...

The one on the stallion will be instructed to keep a safe distance, meaning a minimum of five meters from the mare in front otherwise the stallion will try to mount the mare and that will be big trouble on the horse trail and the riders.

If you have ever watched a horsefight in the boondocks, you will know how violent the stallions can become just to mount a mare; he will throw you off as one tried to do to me some time ago when a clueless mare unfortunately came down from the slope where our convoy was passing through.

But, it’s best for everybody that the stallion-rider does not ride too far away from the mare, otherwise, the stallion will no longer be interested to try to keep pace, the enticement of the mare will no longer work, and like the mare, the stallion would prefer to graze on the grass along the road. The five-meter distance is just right.

The speed of the trip is thus determined by the speed and steady advance of the mare and the distance the stallion-rider keeps from the mare in front.

When you allow your mare to graze on the grass along the trail (as horses would prefer to do), then you will be slowing down the whole convoy since the stallion rider will have to slow down as well and wait for the mare to continue walking. What wisdom can we derive from all these?

1. Nature has a way of arranging itself.

2. Working with nature brings the best results.

3. Distance is always a first line of defense.

4. Violence can erupt when basal instincts are stimulated.

5. Stallions can be coaxed to action by a mare. (You derive your own conclusions because I won’t).