Lawrence and learning the language of horses

EVEN “horse whisperer” Monty Roberts, who learned the language of horses, whose horse-gentle “Join-up” trains through trust, not brutality, warns us horses are huge, powerful, unpredictable beasts. Monty’s taken many a tumble, with broken bones to prove it.

Fortunately, the frail body of fearless horseman D.H. Lawrence was never flung to the ground, despite several close shaves. Onlookers frequently feared for his safety, but he invariably instinctively clung on somehow.

Dorothy Brett’s memoir describes their ride back from the Arroyo Seco cave and waterfall, New Mexico, in spring 1924. With the sun setting, they encountered “long lanes of wild plum blossom,” shimmering luminously. Their “sharpened senses” savoured the delicious, delicate scent.

Lawrence remained “a little ahead” of Brett, his “slim body leaning slightly forward; riding lightly, easily,” turning his head to check Brett’s still following. They canter in silence. Brett’s “aching, tired, yet exalted.”

Lawrence suggests galloping the final stretch. “Suddenly” his horse Poppy “shies violently.” He swerves “dangerously in the saddle.” Brett fears he’ll fall. He doesn’t. Poppy’s bridle dangles at her knees. Brett yells. Lawrence dismounts, quickly “quieting” Poppy. Re-bridling her.

Then Brett’s Bessie takes flight. “Stop her! Pull her head hard!” Lawrence shouts “angrily.” To no avail. Flinging himself on Poppy he races in pursuit. The horses take flight for home.

Thankfully Lawrence avoided using extreme restraint. Brett felt he’d had “a very narrow escape.”

They reach Mabel’s exhausted, “eat a huge supper,” then retire. Brett cries “all night, from sheer fatigue.” Although her father, Viscount Esher, owned stables, Brett hadn’t ridden since she was eight. She learned to ride Lawrence’s “way” - “by creating as far as I can a relationship of trust between my horse and myself, a friendship of trust.” Monty Roberts’ way! However, Brett never achieved “the mastery” Lawrence did - “my horses always get the better of me.”

100 YEARS AGO,

The frail body of fearless horseman D.H. Lawrence was never flung to the ground, despite several close shaves.

2nd May 1924, Lawrence sends Thomas Seltzer Dorothy Brett’s book-jacket design for The Boy in the Bush [of a man bowing to a kangaroo], which he’s very effectively modified. He’s made some textual “alterations” to mollify Mollie Skinner. At Taos, Mabel’s “much changed - for the better.” Lawrence tells Martin Secker he likes the final chapter of The Boy, which Mollie objects to. Secker must decide. [Secker left it in!] They’ve had “cold weather and snow,” On Monday they go, with 2 Indians and a workman, 17 miles, to Frieda’s 120 acre mountainside ranch to be “pretty busy” fixing “some disrepair.” “It’s pretty wild.” Will Secker send The Boy to Lawrence’s sister-in-law, Dr Else Jaffe, for translation to German.