Dolphins

[Sheila]

OMG. Dolphins make circular bubbles and play with them! This a beautiful video, except you may want to skip the hydrogen bomb mushroom cloud (3:00 – 3:46) --





From Evasius, the Youtube poster -- Extraordinary and beautiful examples of toroidal vortices produced by dolphins, beluga whales, humpback whales, volcanoes, hydrogen bombs, and man.

A toroidal vortex, also called a vortex ring, is a region of rotating fluid moving through the same or different fluid where the flow pattern takes on a toroidal (doughnut) shape. The movement of the fluid is about the poloidal or circular axis of the doughnut, in a twisting vortex motion. Examples of this phenomenon are a smoke ring or a microburst. Vortex rings were first mathematically analysed by the German physicist Hermann von Helmholtz, in his paper of 1867 On Integrals of the Hydrodynamical Equations which Express Vortex-motion. Smoke rings have probably been observed since antiquity since they can easily be blown from the mouth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vortex_ring

[Luc]

[BabblingBrooke]

Amazing - powerful - mesmerizing -
I could immediately feel the music throughout my body - I've never experienced anything like that -

I was very fortunate to work with dolphins one summer in college - they were in captivity in an amusement park in Ohio - controversial I realize but it was a gift to get to know such incredible creatures - their personalities are so evident and unique -
I have occasional dreams that my horses are swimming and playing with dolphins …a dolphin nose surfaces and then a horse …it is my springtime dream

[Sheila]

That sounds like a great annual dream. Very powerful image.

Are you well enough to take care of your horses? Do you feel better after you’ve been around them? I’m very interested in the therapeutic work being done *for* horses and utilizing horses to help humans.

I’ve never been around dolphins. Can you tell us about anything that you particularly remember or enjoyed about them? They seem so present, aware, and relational.

[BabblingBrooke]

Dolphins and horses are both amazing in their intuitive nature. I believe all animals are 'tuned in' and some within each breed are more so, of course. I've referred to my horses as biofeedback machines because they respond immediately to stress in rider or handler.

I worked as an usher in the amusement park dolphin show one summer when i was in college. I wasn't aware of their healing or therapeutic capabilities at the time, but have many good and funny memories. They have a great sense of humor! There were 4 dolphins - Striker (the only boy) Cocoa, Misty and Breeze. They did several behaviors (tricks) as a team and then each had a specialty with their time at centerstage. Striker was the biggest and strongest physically and Cocoa did not like when he was 'on'! She tried to steal the show any way she could. Her best antic is vivid in my mind. While the trainer/announcer was setting up and telling the audience what
Striker was going to do, the other dolphins were to be quietly swimming around out of sight. Cocoa did anything to draw attention. The most successful was floating around in between the audience and stage, upside down -white belly up - making farting sounds (with her blowhole). It worked every time and she had the audience (and us) laughing hysterically! The trainers had to lock her in another part of the tank when Striker was up. I loved that girl! I hesitate to anthropomorphize, but she seemed to love stealing the show from the only boy. I think she loved to make people laugh, too.
I've used laughter with the horses. It's easy to become alarmed when when riding and the horse spooks. The rider body tenses and legs tighten (reinforcing the cue to GO). I've been fortunate to have calm horses. I like to think I had some role in that ;) My Tango was unusually brave and curious. As herd animals, they take cues from other horses: if one senses danger and flees, the rest follow and ask questions later. One day, Tango and I were walking peacefully down a neighborhood street. Then, he saw a bright blue trash bin and stopped dead in his tracks. I laughed so hard at the brave boy being frozen by a blue trash bin as semi tractor trailers flew by without bothering him.. Laughter sends a message that everything is ok, especially when it's genuinely funny. He was alot like Cocoa, the dolphin- full of antics. I could write a book of Tango stories.

The dolphins loved to play. Part of my job was to clean the plexiglass surrounding the saltwater tank in preparation for the day's shows. The dolphins had other ideas. They continually grabbed their frisbees, footballs, etc. and tossed them at us to play. It's hard to say no to a dolphin when they flash that smile and chatter away.

I'm sure I have many other memories stored away. I loved the job at the time and the memories have become more special over the years. I swam with dolphins in a more natural setting in the Caribbean since then. Still in captivity, but a fenced off portion of the sea rather than a tank.

Thanks for 'listening' as I reminisce

[Sheila]

OMG. What fun stories. They make me happy!

It sounds like you’re really onto something with the use of humor to defuse fear. Somehow, there must be a way for you to transfer your natural gift for calming horses to calming yourself….and the rest of us!…..in w/d. I think we should adopt “It’s only a bright blue trash bin” as an IAWP meme for “It’s just w/d paranoia”!

That’s so cute about sassy Cocoa. I sounds like she’s a role model for you! ;)

Please tell us more dolphin and horse anecdotes. I think they’re very healing for us to read. Feel free to continue posting them here in this thread, but also consider starting a “Horse” thread in “Start-ups” subforum. This sounds like an ongoing passion of yours, and, as such, is something we want to really encourage, because it will help your healing and help all of us heal. Anyone following their true passion is a relief to everyone.

Did you ever feel like you had telepathy, clairvoyance, ESP with a dolphin or horse? Something beyond expectable emotional empathy?

[BabblingBrooke]

Thank you, Sheila. I will start a thread in Start-ups as you suggested.
Your question triggered a horse story that feels parallel to a human relationship and lessons in boundaries.

Tango, the horse I mentioned, was very intuitive and able to anticipate my wishes, which is a desirable trait in a horse - to a point. A good riding horse *should* respond to the lightest cues. Some trainers say that if rider simply thinks or envisions the general direction she wants to go, the horse should pick up on that. Tango was exceptional in this way. One theory is that there is a split second that the rider looks in direction they want to go which causes a slight shift in body balance that horse feels. That became my logic because I didn't buy into anything I couldn't explain 'scientifically' at the time. I tested it many times, to the point of keeping my head still and moving only my eyes or only thinking of the direction I wanted to take. When it was just the two of us with no distractions, he/we were consistently 'on'. In all fairness, I never thought to try 'turn around and go in opposite direction.'
While this connection was extremely beneficial when riding, it became a liability 'on the ground' when I hand walked him from Point A to Point B. He sensed the instant I let my guard or focus down, pulled away and went 'visiting'. I was in public boarding facilities where a loose horse is very dangerous. He generally ran away from me and TO any group of people standing around talking, stopping short of running them over, as if saying 'ok, I'm here now, what's the gossip?!' I lived in a bridle path community of townhouses and a central stable (like some developments have swimming pools). I was walking him by hand one summer evening when he pulled away and ran down the street to a group of people sitting on their porch ('Hi. I'm here! where's MY beer?'). This became a regular event. He was never mean and always 'took care of me' when I was riding, but he learned he could take advantage of me on the ground. Once a handler loses control, it is very hard to regain. After years of this and thousands of dollars in 'training', I had to part with him. A trainer friend took him and i understand he has a good home now. It's still hard to think about. We were so connected but it became too much of a good thing when I had to keep my mental and physical guard up and on full alert every second. It was extremely stressful. It's a universal rule that if a horse is out of control on the ground, he should never be ridden. People who witnessed his behavior on the ground thought I was crazy for getting on his back. But I knew and trusted him. He was my 'guest horse' for people who weren't regular riders because I knew he could be trusted to not spook or 'act stupid' when under saddle. If I had the horses at home as I do now, it could have been very different.
I met someone just prior to beginning my Pristiq taper who is extremely intuitive and seemed to immediately *know* me better than anyone I've known my entire life. It was fascinating and wonderfully comforting but extremely disconcerting when my boundaries have been disrespected or bashed. That's a whole different chapter! Thinking of the wonderful horse who was so in tune with me but took advantage of the connection forced me to think of the similarities in the human relationship. I'm not accustomed to being understood on an intuitive level or knowing how to protect my emotional space and energy. I've attributed the intuitive ability to the horse and other human but am realizing that it is a 2 way street in which I also have 'power'.
This is all very new to me!

I will start a thread as you suggested, Sheila. Thank you!

[stan]

i never ride a horse, i had even fear, they were so big and seem dangerous, i meet nobody who could make me approach these animals, alone we cannot

but i like read your nice histories

[BabblingBrooke]

Stan ~
That is a very appropriate fear and one that - when absent - has resulted in serious injury and loss of life -
To be on the back of a 1000lb animal in flight mode is incredibly scary -
A healthy respect for animals and their instincts is wise - even dolphins can be dangerous if feeling threatened -
Thank you for reading :)

[Barbara]

Babbling Brooke,


I'm actually thrilled to here your horse stories. As a teenager I spent all of my spare time riding my horse. It was definitely a passionate love affair. I was a particularly tall teenager, and I was able to really fit into the horse community. My friends parents had a lot more money than mine and had private trainers for their horses and themselves. However, I paid attention to how my friends schooled their horses and I followed through with how I worked with my horse. Eventually, after having several horses I was able to purchase an older horse owned by a trainer and I ended up winning awards riding in the local horse shows.

The downside to this amazing joy in my life, is that I ended up being thrown off a couple of times and ended up unconscious both times. I was in the hospital each time with a mild concussion. Once when I was about 15 years old and the second time I was in my late 20's. I have some side effects with attention and how I learn.

I have to say, if I had a choice to do it differently, I still wouldn't have given up those horses. Very special creatures with both their wild and spiritual nature.

I look forward to hearing more about your horse encounters.