Ngala Nor’dzin

Montana, 2004

This picture shows Ngala Nor’dzin riding ‘Blackstar’. Blackstar did not enjoy working in the corral and was proving quite a handful for Ngala Nor’dzin at this time. Out on the trail however, Blackstar was a perfect lady – reliable, sensible and sure-footed.

Ngala Nor’dzin is an enthusiastic horsewoman, and recently she and Ngala ’ö-Dzin purchased a horse of their own. Ngala Nor’dzin says of their mare, Dee:
She finds everything interesting in the environment of the fields. Her ears are upright and alert and she flares her nostrils and snorts at the playful crows and unexpected branches on the ground. Riding in the fields is enjoyable for us and for her, though sometimes challenging when she suddenly jumps to one side for no apparent reason.

During one afternoon of the 2004 craft retreat Ngala Nor’dzin, Ngala ’ö-Dzin and their apprentices went riding at Ogmore beach, in South Wales. The experienced riders raced across the sands at full gallop. A few less experienced riders had a gentle – if unexpected – canter. They were exhilarated by the thrill of this experience. Ngala ’ö-Dzin says:
Transmission is an unexpected and thrilling experience for which we may feel unprepared. Preparation is not in fact possible, because our preparations would be grounded in referentiality. All we can do is create opportunities for realisation. It is useful to discover that we can be enriched by unexpected experiences – such as cantering on a horse when we only expected to walk or trot.