A Circle Approach ~ A Different Perspective on Understanding Herd Dynamics

Note: I offer this as a different way to observe horses. I say "different" because there are many, many schools of thought on herd dynamics, how horses interact with each other and us, and what the relationships mean to us as appreciators of wild horses and our own domestic companions. I don’t know if one approach is right or wrong. Maybe just different. I have a somewhat unusual world view which lends itself to what I call a Circle Approach.

I’ll begin with a story:

Late in February, 2007, I arrived at the barn for the afternoon feeding. I felt distracted, running on auto-pilot. Absently, I stepped through the gate, re-locked it, saw the horses gathering in the pasture for their dinner. But I wasn’t really paying attention to them.

I was in my head, a place where I often retreat, working out details for an upcoming workshop ~ “Women & Horses.” Over the years, I’d prepared for dozens of workshops, gatherings, circles and various groups for both men and women. But this was the first one I’d done with women and horses. Granted, it was a small group ~ just two women ~ which took some of the pressure off. Still, I wanted it to be a positive experience and I put my heart into the planning.

The women who registered are my friends, both horse women, both spiritual beings, though on different Paths. Both supported my new life/career journey. They wouldn’t be a difficult audience. Still, the Insecurities started voicing their opinions in my head. What could I share with these women? What could I offer them in this workshop that they wouldn’t already know? What do I know anyway?

I closed my eyes for a few seconds and stood still. What do I know? What- do- I- know?

The answer gave itself to me in a strand of thought: I know the Circle of Life. I understand my place in the Circle, how energy moves, Earth teachings, how each of us bring our own gifts to existence and that we are all equal, inter-connected in the Great Circle, embraced by Mystery.

I opened my eyes and celebrated a quiet, inner sigh …“ahh.” It was then that I realized the horses had moved around me, and I was standing in a perfect Circle of Horses.

I am the Keeper of my own Answers.


All of us trace our lineage to people with a closer relationship with the Earth than we have in today’s world. Our tribal Ancestors understood natural cycles intimately, relied on the natural world for sustenance, and discovered ways to connect with other beings. Everything ~ whether plant, animal, stone, elemental ~ was considered alive and infused with Spirit. Nothing is dead, only different in its place and purpose.

Traditionally, this world view takes form in a Circle and is expressed in all Earth-based belief systems as an understanding of connectedness. In a Circle, nothing is greater or less than anything else. Call it the Circle of Life, the Sacred Hoop, the Wheel, the Web of Existence. All of these descriptions resonate with shared meaning: We are all here together, with individual gifts and equal importance. Not just humans, but all things, living with the potential for balance and harmony. Within this way of being there are incredible opportunities to work in partnership with all life.

I’ve practiced Earth-based spirituality for almost 20 years. The Journey to this Path and on it has re-shaped my way of being in the world. Everything I ever learned about hierarchy, about a “top-down” structure in nature, and even in society itself, was released as I learned to embrace and be embraced by the Circle.

So, as I moved into a stewardship role with horses, it was natural for me to apply an Earth-based approach to my understanding of and relationship with these animals.

Of course, this is not how most people in the horse world relate to horses. It’s common, for instance, to hear words and phrases that reflect a domination perspective: “Alpha mare,” “pecking order,” “low horse in the herd” and so on. These descriptions of animals in a group, I believe, reflect the typical modern human understanding of the world, which takes shape in the mind as a pyramid. This thought structure is the domination approach. In other words, there will always be something higher in the food chain than something else. Humans like to think of ourselves as the pinnacle, with every other thing spread out beneath us.

We may sugar coat horse training methods by talking about relationship, leadership and partnership. But, in truth, what most people are talking about isn’t creating an equal partnership. It’s about domination. I have to ask myself: Do I dominate my partner or do I work with my partner? Hmmm …

What happens if we explore herd dynamics with the Circle in mind? Suppose we stop imposing our perceptions of human dominance structure onto them. Suppose, instead of a hierarchy, the herd is a family or a tribe with each horse having an equally important role.

The “alpha mare” isn’t in charge of the herd. Instead, she’s an elder or clan mother, with her own style of caring for the group. The older gelding isn’t second in command. He’s the uncle who often babysits the younger horses, teaching them how to be part of the herd. Foals are the promise of future generations, who remind the rest of the herd that silliness and passionate release of energy is vital to our well being. Their exuberance and comic relief is felt as a ripple of joy through their family.

I feel a huge difference between the two models of understanding. The hierarchy diminishes, assigns importance and stresses control. The Circle is about acceptance. It allows for growth, shifting responsibility and flow.

What happens when we choose to embrace life on different terms, when we accept that we are truly only part of Creation ~ not its pinnacle? What happens when we integrate the shift into all of our relationships? What do we manifest?

There will always be challenges. It’s challenging to get out of the way of our own egos. I’m not saying that I always get it right or that I don’t struggle or have to re-learn lessons that I thought I was past or that I don’t fall horribly out of balance sometimes. Living in awareness of Connection sometimes calls for us to fall out of balance in order to appreciate the nature of re-alignment. Exploring our shadows is also a Journey into understanding the light that casts them.

My Heart instructs me to connect in Partnership in a Circle of Horses, who remind me always …

We live in a world of possibilities.