A couple of days ago, I had a most interesting happening when riding my mare, Bella. After months of lameness and then surgery in late May on what would be the equivalent of our ankle, she and I are now in the riding phase of her therapy—just walking, no trotting, no steep hills. We’ve been in this phase for about three weeks now, and she’s been doing very well. She may never be able to do a lot, but if she’s okay, I’m okay.
But on this ride she was very hesitant, even on a familiar route. She had had a fly mask on for several days, which I had taken off for the ride, and I suddenly realized she wasn’t seeing properly, especially where there were shadows. At one spot, she spooked so badly that both front legs buckled and she almost went down. Bella is NOT a spooky horse, and YES, that was scary—I thought we were going down for sure!
When I got home and checked my email, there was a blog my friend Susan Smith had just put up, about something called “morphic resonance,” and it seemed uncannily related to what had just happened.
Morphic resonance is a term coined by Rupert Sheldrake that he uses to identify how we transfer information and energy from one to another based on shared cellular memory, especially among members of the same species. It’s not intentional. It’s automatic. (To find out who Rupert Sheldrake is and to see his presentation on this topic, go HERE for more details—it’s fascinating!)
“Aha,” thought I! THAT is why Sombrero came to Bella’s rescue this morning!
So who is “Sombrero?”
Sombrero is a 17-hand, 25-year-old, chestnut Throughbred gelding from South America, where he was a champion steeple chaser. Some of us at the barn refer to him as the “War Horse” because he is such a big, strong, brave fellow—but one with many battle scars. Because of that, along with the to-be-expected frailties of his advanced age, he is currently allowed to be “at large” on the 15-acre property where he and Bella are boarded.
Like every other gelding who has ever met her, Sombrero ADORES Bella. So I decided to leave him at liberty during our ride. This is not always safe—having a loose horse tag along on a ride—but in this case it was the best decision I could possibly have made.
As we rode, Sombrero casually trailed us, grazing happily and occasionally thumbing his nose at the geldings we passed in other paddock areas. But within moments of Bella’s near fall, Sombrero ran up, forged into the lead, and then confidently, but quietly, led Bella and I around the rest of the loop we were on. Her relief at having her friend in front of her to guide her was palpable.
Was Sombrero’s action due to “morphic resonance?” Whatever you want to call it, Sombrero obviously experienced an immediate awareness that his paramour was in trouble and needed his leadership and support.
I don’t think this is the same thing as “telepathy,” which we use in animal communication in order to have conversations with the subject animal. Telepathy is a more conscious and purposeful projection of energy, and one can learn to use it mindfully. But “morphic resonance” is on a deeper, organic, cellular level, and is present whether one chooses to acknowledge it or not. Perhaps it could also be called “empathic” response or knowledge, but it is definitley something experienced beyond conscious choice.
So… if you’ve ever known who is calling you before you answer the phone, or that your horse is about to spook before it happens, you are no doubt plugged into this mystical, magical, but very elementary connection that exists between beings.
Sombrero certainly was when he rushed to Bella’s aid. And whatever you want to call it, this idea of shared cellular memory bears out the concept that we are all ONE.
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