For my Danny...
There are three strands of hair on the pillow
That nestled your head as you slept.
Tresses that no longer lay mellow,
Along the smooth line of your neck.
Each one a remembrance of airy, sparkling days,
And of warm, cherished moments as we sat and we gazed,
At the boats as they sailed to and from austral docks.
No worries for season schedule or clocks
Now I stare at the pillow, so cold and so bare
A slate of bone-white except for the hair
I dare not disturb ‘cept to whisper this prayer
Into the night…
In this dream - these strands - live my heart, soul and thought.
Clutching your promise, eyes tight, I fancy you'll be wrought,
So once more, I might brush that sweet curl from your brow.
Overlook. Through tears, a sweet pledge – avowed.
Into the light…
Now each day you're gone, my world comes apart.
Each day I collect the bits of my heart,
Begin to patch the wraith that dwells in recall
With three strands, to plat, intertwine – never pall.
~ By E.M. McKay
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
A Mountain in My Mind
Fall is my favorite season. Very dear to me are the rich and beautiful fall colors I see this time of year; resembling the changing leaves I remember from my youth in Vermont. For the most part, Florida remains in its evergreen state through the fall and still, this time of year always makes me sentimental. I daydream of being a girl and kicking my way through the mountain, it seemed to me then, of leaves piled high on the front lawn. All it takes is a crisp dry day or the sight of a lovely fall wreath to send me back.
In kind, the stories and poems I remember as a child are as magical for me today as they were then. The writers are immortalized forever in my mind. Robert Frost, Hans Christian Andersen, Walt Whitman…. As I sit here forming a philosophy about my desire to teach; I think it may, at least in part, be my childhood admiration for the stories that makes me devote myself to sharing this love for literature and writing with others.
I sit designing pedagogical outcomes for the upcoming semester, knowing that my methods will change and most definitely my interpretation of why I began in the first place. Many wonderful teachers along the way inspired in me the desire to dig, dissect, internalize, and to recapitulate how literature made me feel and what it meant.
My hope, as I embark on this journey, is that I encounter in my colleagues many more of those magical people who make me re-evaluate who I am and why I do what I do.
~ Cheers!
Eve McKay
Nothing Gold Can Stay
Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
-- Robert Frost
Pasted from
Friday, April 30, 2010
Morality and Mysticism in "Rime"
Eve Bell
30 April 2010
"The Ancient Mariner" is emblematic of ancient texts in both moral hypothesis and versification. That is not to imply the meter of the poem resembles ancient forms, but that the Romantic language used is intended to represent the theoretical, fundamental "truths" ancient texts were believed to contain. Examination of Coleridge's "Rime," suggests that the parable and semantics therein are intended to pursue a genuine imaginative human ideology. In keeping with primitive philosophy, the ambiguous dialect of the "Rime" reinforces the conclusion that moral (truth), is a perpetual undertaking acquired by a penitent mind.
The albatross in "Rime" depicts the polarization in human deportment that is prevalent in many of the Gothic works of the era. At once, the albatross is a simile of goodness and light leading the ship through the tumultuous seascape "as if it had been a Christian soul," and a burden or penance to be requited "instead of the cross, the Albatross about my neck was hung" (Coleridge 240-2). The impassivity of the Mariner toward a fundamentally good omen illustrates the principles supporting antiquarian views of nature and spirituality. Coleridge conveys the mystic connection of man with nature as a pure and hallowed proviso, a relationship that must be in balance or suffer consequences. The Albatross represents virtue in nature and simplicity and upon being killed, upends that balance, and plunges humanity into indefinite purgatory.
The mystic qualities in "Rime" leave the reader room for many inferences; perhaps intentionally, as multiple interpretations of ethical meaning challenge the belief that humanity can calculate the supernatural. Theorist Frances Ferguson states, "Most critical readings of The Mariner reflect "a craving for causes," which Coleridge may not have intended the poem to satisfy (
The argument may be established, that rationalist thought perpetuated the theory of original genius; and the proclivity for folk inspired literary style to encompassing moral principle as inherent or proverbial in nature, does not exist without deliberation of the divine. Humanity's quest for universal truth lies in the symbiotic relationship between nature and God.
Works Cited
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. "Rime of the Ancient Mariner." Ed. Bloom, Harold and Lionel Trilling. The
Webster's
Sunday, April 25, 2010
An Eternal Slumber
Baked, dry earth crunched beneath her feet,
her life?
Wandering a barren wasteland of empty speak,
fleshy lips spew forth a comely lie.
Fallen into dreaming, she just goes on living, never sleep for caring … taking what their handing.
If for living or for dying – Pretending; yet, this dream is still but a dream.
Changing, rending, tearing, shredding! More and more the dream.
Awaken to the terrible nightmare again.
Barely breathing, worn and after,
retreating from her listless form; above she hears the laughter:
“Only in dreaming, dear. Never shall you regain those wasted tears.”
Eyes starkly contrast the black and white,
A cold and fetid response erupts from pale lips; "I will slumber in this shimmering lapis-cloaked illusion for all eternity! For it is here my spirit lives, my blood quickens –
Your world forever sleeps."
~ Written by E.M. Bell for ReVision Rendered, April 26, 2010
her life?
Wandering a barren wasteland of empty speak,
fleshy lips spew forth a comely lie.
Fallen into dreaming, she just goes on living, never sleep for caring … taking what their handing.
If for living or for dying – Pretending; yet, this dream is still but a dream.
Changing, rending, tearing, shredding! More and more the dream.
Awaken to the terrible nightmare again.
Barely breathing, worn and after,
retreating from her listless form; above she hears the laughter:
“Only in dreaming, dear. Never shall you regain those wasted tears.”
Eyes starkly contrast the black and white,
A cold and fetid response erupts from pale lips; "I will slumber in this shimmering lapis-cloaked illusion for all eternity! For it is here my spirit lives, my blood quickens –
Your world forever sleeps."
~ Written by E.M. Bell for ReVision Rendered, April 26, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
National Poetry Month Celebration - Ocala Public Library
OCALA – April 17, 2010. Headquarters - Ocala Public Library. 2:00 pm. For more information, ask a librarian or call: (352) 671-8551. Share, Experience, and Enjoy, National Poetry Month with poet Lena Lewin and Poetry Ocala.
Contribution: Akhenaten’s “Hymn to the Sun”
Akhenaten’s “Hymn to the Sun”
I
When in splendor you first took your throne
high in the precinct of heaven,
O living God,
life truly began!
Now from eastern horizon risen and streaming,
you have flooded the world with your beauty.
You are majestic, awesome, bedazzling, exalted,
overlord over all earth,
Yet your rays, they tough lightly, compass the lands
to the limits of all your creation.
There in the Sun, you reach to the farthest of those
you would gather in for your Son,
whom you love;
Though you are far, your light is wide upon the earth;
and you shine in the faces of all
who turn to follow your journeying.
II
When you sink to rest below western horizon
earth likes in darkness like death,
Sleepers are still in bedchambers, heads veiled,
eye cannot spy a companion;
All their goods could be stolen away,
heads heavy there, and they never knowing!
Lions come out from the deeps of their caves,
snakes bite and sting;
Darkness muffles, and earth is silent:
he who created all things now lies in his tomb.
III
Earth-dawning mounts the horizon,
glows in the sun-disc as day:
You drive away darkness, offer your arrows of shining,
and the Two Lands are lively with morningsong.
Sun’s children awaken and stand,
for you, golden light have upraised the sleepers;
Bathed are their bodies, who dress in clean linen,
their arms held high to praise your Return.
Across the face of the earth
they go to their crafts and professions.
IV
The herds are at peace in their pastures,
trees and the vegetables grow green;
Birds start from their nests,
wings wide spread to worship your Person;
Small beasts frisk and gambol, and all
who mount into flight or settle to rest
live, once you have shone upon them;
Ships float downstream or sail for the south,
each path lies open because of your rising;
Fish in the River leap in your sight
and your rays strike deep in the Great Green Sea.
V
It is you who create the new creature in Woman,
shape the life giving drops into Man,
Foster the son in the womb of his mother,
soothe him, ending his tears;
Nurse through the long generations of women
to those given Air,
You ensure that your handiwork prosper.
When the new one descends from the womb
to draw breath the day of its birth,
You open his mouth,
make him aware of life newly given,
for you determine his destiny.
VI
Hark to the chick in the egg,
he who speaks in the shell!
You give him air within
to save and prosper him;
And you have allotted to him his set time
before the shell shall be broken;
Then out from the egg he comes,
from the egg to peep at his natal hour!
And up on his own two feet goes he
when at last he struts forth therefrom.
VII
How various is the world you have created,
each thing mysterious, sacred to sight,
O sole God,
beside whom is no other!
You fashioned earth to your hearts desire,
while you were still alone,
Filled it with man and the family of creatures,
each kind on the ground, those who go upon feet,
he on high, soaring on wings,
The far lands of Khor and Kush,
and the rich Black Land of Egypt.
VIII
And you place each one in his proper station,
where you minister to his needs;
Each has his portion of food,
and the years of life are reckoned him.
Tongues are divided by words,
natures made diverse as well,
Even mens skins are different
that you might distinguish the nations.
IX
You make Hapy, the Nile, stream through the underworld,
and bring him, with whatever fullness you will,
To preserve and nourish thepeople
in the same skilled way you fashion them.
You are lord of each one,
who wearies himself in their service,
Yet Lord of all earth, who shines for them all,
Sun-disk of day, Great Lightener!
All of the far foreign countries –
you are the cause they live,
For you have put a Nile in the sky
that he might descend upon them in rain-
He makes waves on the very mountains
like waves on the Great Green Sea
to water their fields and their villages.
X
How splendidly ordered are they,
your purposes for this world,
O Lord of eternity, Hapy in heaven!
Although you belong to the distant peoples,
to the small shy beasts
who travel the deserts and uplands,
Yet Hapy, he comes from below
for the dear Land of Egypt as well.
And your sunlight nurses each field and meadow:
when you shine, they live,
they grow sturdy and prosper through you.
You set seasons to let the world flower and flourish-
winter to rest and refresh it,
the hot blast of summer to ripen;
And you have made heaven far off
in order to shine down therefrom,
in order to watch over all your creation.
XI
You are the one God
shining forth from your possible incarnations
as Aten, the Living Sun,
Revealed like a king in glory, risen in light,
now distant, now bending nearby.
You create the numberless things of this world
from yourself, who are One alone-
cities, towns, fields, the roadway, the River;
And each eye looks back and beholds you
to learn from the day’s light perfection.
Oh God, you are in the Sun-disk of day,
Over-Seer of all creation
-your legacy
passed on to all who shall ever be;
For you fashioned their sight, who perceive your universe,
that they praise with one voice
all your labors.
XII
And you are in my heart;
there is no other who truly knows you
but for your son, Akhenaten.
May you make him wise with your inmost councils,
wise with your power,
that earth may aspire to your godhead,
its creatures fine as the day you made
them.
Once you rose into shining, they lived;
when you sink to rest, they shall die.
For it is you who are Time itself,
the span of the world;
life is by means of you.
Eyes are filled with Beauty
until you go to your rest;
All work is laid aside
as you sink down the western horizon.
Then, Shine reborn! Rise splendidly!
my Lord, let life thrive for the King!
For I have kept pace with your every footstep
since you first measured ground for the world.
Lift up the creatures of earth for your Son
who came forth from your Body of Fire!
Contribution: Akhenaten’s “Hymn to the Sun”
Akhenaten’s “Hymn to the Sun”
I
When in splendor you first took your throne
high in the precinct of heaven,
O living God,
life truly began!
Now from eastern horizon risen and streaming,
you have flooded the world with your beauty.
You are majestic, awesome, bedazzling, exalted,
overlord over all earth,
Yet your rays, they tough lightly, compass the lands
to the limits of all your creation.
There in the Sun, you reach to the farthest of those
you would gather in for your Son,
whom you love;
Though you are far, your light is wide upon the earth;
and you shine in the faces of all
who turn to follow your journeying.
II
When you sink to rest below western horizon
earth likes in darkness like death,
Sleepers are still in bedchambers, heads veiled,
eye cannot spy a companion;
All their goods could be stolen away,
heads heavy there, and they never knowing!
Lions come out from the deeps of their caves,
snakes bite and sting;
Darkness muffles, and earth is silent:
he who created all things now lies in his tomb.
III
Earth-dawning mounts the horizon,
glows in the sun-disc as day:
You drive away darkness, offer your arrows of shining,
and the Two Lands are lively with morningsong.
Sun’s children awaken and stand,
for you, golden light have upraised the sleepers;
Bathed are their bodies, who dress in clean linen,
their arms held high to praise your Return.
Across the face of the earth
they go to their crafts and professions.
IV
The herds are at peace in their pastures,
trees and the vegetables grow green;
Birds start from their nests,
wings wide spread to worship your Person;
Small beasts frisk and gambol, and all
who mount into flight or settle to rest
live, once you have shone upon them;
Ships float downstream or sail for the south,
each path lies open because of your rising;
Fish in the River leap in your sight
and your rays strike deep in the Great Green Sea.
V
It is you who create the new creature in Woman,
shape the life giving drops into Man,
Foster the son in the womb of his mother,
soothe him, ending his tears;
Nurse through the long generations of women
to those given Air,
You ensure that your handiwork prosper.
When the new one descends from the womb
to draw breath the day of its birth,
You open his mouth,
make him aware of life newly given,
for you determine his destiny.
VI
Hark to the chick in the egg,
he who speaks in the shell!
You give him air within
to save and prosper him;
And you have allotted to him his set time
before the shell shall be broken;
Then out from the egg he comes,
from the egg to peep at his natal hour!
And up on his own two feet goes he
when at last he struts forth therefrom.
VII
How various is the world you have created,
each thing mysterious, sacred to sight,
O sole God,
beside whom is no other!
You fashioned earth to your hearts desire,
while you were still alone,
Filled it with man and the family of creatures,
each kind on the ground, those who go upon feet,
he on high, soaring on wings,
The far lands of Khor and Kush,
and the rich Black Land of Egypt.
VIII
And you place each one in his proper station,
where you minister to his needs;
Each has his portion of food,
and the years of life are reckoned him.
Tongues are divided by words,
natures made diverse as well,
Even mens skins are different
that you might distinguish the nations.
IX
You make Hapy, the Nile, stream through the underworld,
and bring him, with whatever fullness you will,
To preserve and nourish thepeople
in the same skilled way you fashion them.
You are lord of each one,
who wearies himself in their service,
Yet Lord of all earth, who shines for them all,
Sun-disk of day, Great Lightener!
All of the far foreign countries –
you are the cause they live,
For you have put a Nile in the sky
that he might descend upon them in rain-
He makes waves on the very mountains
like waves on the Great Green Sea
to water their fields and their villages.
X
How splendidly ordered are they,
your purposes for this world,
O Lord of eternity, Hapy in heaven!
Although you belong to the distant peoples,
to the small shy beasts
who travel the deserts and uplands,
Yet Hapy, he comes from below
for the dear Land of Egypt as well.
And your sunlight nurses each field and meadow:
when you shine, they live,
they grow sturdy and prosper through you.
You set seasons to let the world flower and flourish-
winter to rest and refresh it,
the hot blast of summer to ripen;
And you have made heaven far off
in order to shine down therefrom,
in order to watch over all your creation.
XI
You are the one God
shining forth from your possible incarnations
as Aten, the Living Sun,
Revealed like a king in glory, risen in light,
now distant, now bending nearby.
You create the numberless things of this world
from yourself, who are One alone-
cities, towns, fields, the roadway, the River;
And each eye looks back and beholds you
to learn from the day’s light perfection.
Oh God, you are in the Sun-disk of day,
Over-Seer of all creation
-your legacy
passed on to all who shall ever be;
For you fashioned their sight, who perceive your universe,
that they praise with one voice
all your labors.
XII
And you are in my heart;
there is no other who truly knows you
but for your son, Akhenaten.
May you make him wise with your inmost councils,
wise with your power,
that earth may aspire to your godhead,
its creatures fine as the day you made
them.
Once you rose into shining, they lived;
when you sink to rest, they shall die.
For it is you who are Time itself,
the span of the world;
life is by means of you.
Eyes are filled with Beauty
until you go to your rest;
All work is laid aside
as you sink down the western horizon.
Then, Shine reborn! Rise splendidly!
my Lord, let life thrive for the King!
For I have kept pace with your every footstep
since you first measured ground for the world.
Lift up the creatures of earth for your Son
who came forth from your Body of Fire!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Dreams Come True at Gypsy Gold
By E.M. Bell for ReVision Rendered, April 11, 2010.
I can still feel the clear morning breeze brushing my face; standing motionless, watching those magical horses gallop in unison across the paddock, their hooves beating the earth with solid thudding, long manes and feather flying. Even with little prior knowledge of horses and breeding, I appreciated learning the sheer magical beauty of the Gypsy Vanner Horse. Visit Gypsy Gold Vanner Horse Farm online at www.gypsygold.com, or visit the farm and discover why, “Gypsy gold does not chink and glitter, it gleams in the sun, and neighs in the dark.”
Early April 3, 2010, I arrived to take a scheduled tour of the farm. I drove down the winding drive and through the entrance to the barn and parked in the end spot. When I opened the door to my SUV I received the warmest of greetings by four very friendly dogs; two of which were Irish Wolfhounds standing as tall as my chest. Shortly thereafter, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Dennis Thompson, owner of Gypsy Gold Vanner Horse Farm in Ocala, Florida. I soon understood that the Thompson’s are avid animal lovers. Dennis and Cindy Thompson have spent their lives in devotion to serving animals. Keeping and caring for all manner of beasts such as giraffe, camels, and many other exotic creatures eventually totaling over four hundred.
Mr. Thompson has worked many years in the animal industry and is an innovative thinker. His tour teaches you what they do there at Gypsy Gold; solve problems. And in listening to him tell the tale of the Gypsy Vanner Horse; you know he has tackled many obstacles through the years. He is always rethinking the marketing aspects of product availability for the public and says that, “If you remove the pain, you can streamline sales.” Having developed many leads, halters, leashes, and other animal training and racing equipment for Hamilton Products, he is also the initiator of “color blocking” in retail outlets for leads and halters. Since inception of this sales strategy, market sales of leads and halters have increased 40%. Quite the sales accomplishment; and I concur, because I have been drawn to and have purchased leashes for my dog on impulse because of the visual appeal and accessibility in retail stores.
After a hard day of caring for their animals, the Thompson’s down time is spent in the pursuit of knowledge to better care for the varied types of animals they owned. As their love for different types of animals grew, they became enchanted with Shire horses. They visited Europe in search of understanding about the Shire breed and began to weigh the pros and cons of owning the largest horse in the world. Originating from Northern Wales, the English Shire horse stands about seventeen hands high and can unintentionally crush a man in a stall just by leaning against them; an intimidating drawback to owning such large animals, to be sure.
One morning, while visiting Oswestry farms in Shropshire, England, they both agreed the Shire horse was a bit too much to handle and started back to the hotel. Admiring the farms and pastures as they drove, they spotted a beautiful, colorful little horse trotting across the paddock toward the fence as they slowed the car. Not recognizing the breed, they imagined this was a cross breed that just happened to be extremely beautiful. They stopped and spoke with the farmer who indicated that he did not own the horse, that he was merely keeping it for a friend. When they inquired further, he told them that his friend was a gypsy, and that he had many horses that looked just like this one. The Thompson’s thought they could not possibly look just like this horse, but the farmer quickly replied, “I assure you they do!” And the magic of this breed was born in the Thompson’s hearts.
I learned that there are many misconceptions about Gypsy Culture across Europe. The term “gypsy” is derived from the word Egypt, though the people themselves are descendants of India. The “Rom” or Romany Gypsies are the originators of the caravans of Great Britain. The “Rom” have a love for colorful things; mystical things. And so, they concerned themselves with the creation of a mystical and colorful caravan horse; or more correctly put, “Vanner Horses.”
The Caravan Sites Act of 1968 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and resulted in the provision of 400 caravan sites in the UK. These caravan sites are much like the Native American Indian reservations here in the United States. Mainstream society does not go in, and thus, the Gypsy Culture is maintained.
Mr. Thompson recounts that while cows are eaten here as a common food source, in India they are considered sacred. Having that knowledge helps us to understand that in many places in Europe, two out of ten Gypsy horses become part of a breed; eight out of ten, are food. The goal of the Thompson’s is to honor the breed with cultural sensitivity to the Gypsies that kept them a secret for so many years. Mr. Thompson became great friends with a Gypsy named Fred Walker; or more appropriately, “King of the Colored Horses.” They collaborated on the continuation of the Gypsy Vanner Horse and in carefully maintaining the breed standard and the social significance of the Gypsy Culture. Mr. Thompson maintains that in order to do this properly you must first, establish the look, provide DNA verification, maintain the status and pride of the heritage, and establish the breed in parallel values to the Gypsy culture.
With big plans in mind, Fred Walker and Dennis Thompson made the dream of bringing the beautiful Vanner Horse to North America, a reality. Fred would say to Dennis, “I don’t drink and I don’t smoke, I spend my money on you!” Tragically, in November 2008, Fred died in a caravan fire. And so, Dennis Thompson carries on the tradition in maintaining the Gypsy Vanner Horse breed standards, for love of the breed, the culture, and for the memory of his good friend.
Mule Moms
For over one hundred years the Grand Canyon has been using mules for transport and no one has been hurt. The reason for this is amazing fact is that they are extremely intelligent and self preserving. When you cross a donkey, having 62 chromosomes, and a horse with sixty-four, you get a mule with 63 chromosomes. There are many advantages to this hybrid; they are less affected by parasites, have better feet, and they eat much less. The drawback is that you must continue this crossbreeding because mules are sterile and cannot produce offspring, despite the fact that they are phenomenal mothers. Mules have even been known to “steal” babies for their own. This is a truly sad plight for an animal that makes such a wonderful mom.
The ingenious breeding process used at Gypsy Gold Vanner Horse farm, has been named by Mr. Thompson, “Mule Moms.” Carefully selected, fertilized eggs are taken from the Gypsy Vanner mares, and implanted in mules that then raise the babies as if they were their own. This is a fantastic solution for the continuation of and demand for the Gypsy Vanner breed, and a wonderful result for the mule hybrids to be mothers for these beautiful horses. Visit Facebook and you will find the “Mule Moms Kids Klub,” become a fan and you can track the kid’s progress and keep abreast of all the fun events all over the world! Mr. Thompson has been proactive with the Mule Moms focus so that the children who participate realize their dreams too.
The Lawry Park Zoo in Tampa will have a sponsorship for Mule Moms in just five more weeks, so you can get a close-up of the Mule Moms experience for the Gypsy Vanner Horses. Dennis Thompson takes great pride in the care and comfort of his animals and is in the process of designing a new saddle and breast collar for the ‘mule moms.’ They will market the products for Mule Moms with the slogan, “My dream came true at Lawry Park Zoo!” Over 30 million people worldwide will be able to experience the Mule Mom’s program through the Zoo’s participation.
Mr. Thompson strongly believes that, “names make a promise.” He states, “Whoever is the custodian of that name has an obligation to uphold all of the implications associated with it.” The Gypsy Vanner Horse is not just a name because of the care and devotion to honoring the heritage of the Vanner breed, but also due to the rich historical significance of the Gypsies who cherished them.
In closing, Mr. Thompson explains that in a “top-down democracy” like Europe, traditions are maintained and preserved. In America, we have a bottom-up democracy which leaves more room for creative influence, but also more room for dramatic change. He states, “When considering the continuance of a breed standard, it is very important to maintain top-down ideals to ensure the breed standards are held to the highest degree.” The Gypsy Vanner Horse Society has a new system for the protection of animals that is based on exacting commitments to integrity, similar to the ethical implications of the American Kennel Club and is so very important for the continuation of breed standards. For example, the Thoroughbred horse is a breed well over 400 years old, and yet they still look the same. That is the effect of a top-down standard. Mr. Thompson proposes three distinct sizes for the Vanner Horse; the Cart (mini) Vanner at 12-14 hands, the Classic Vanner standing at 14-15 hands, and the Grand Vanner standing 15.1 hands and above.
All of the wonderful developments in animal related products and marketing, the education provided for children through programs like Mule Moms Kids Klub, and the dedication to honoring history at Gypsy Gold Vanner Horse Farm, are achieved by owner Dennis Thompson. These elements come together beautifully and create a unique experience and the dream come true that is Gypsy Gold.
I can still feel the clear morning breeze brushing my face; standing motionless, watching those magical horses gallop in unison across the paddock, their hooves beating the earth with solid thudding, long manes and feather flying. Even with little prior knowledge of horses and breeding, I appreciated learning the sheer magical beauty of the Gypsy Vanner Horse. Visit Gypsy Gold Vanner Horse Farm online at www.gypsygold.com, or visit the farm and discover why, “Gypsy gold does not chink and glitter, it gleams in the sun, and neighs in the dark.”
Early April 3, 2010, I arrived to take a scheduled tour of the farm. I drove down the winding drive and through the entrance to the barn and parked in the end spot. When I opened the door to my SUV I received the warmest of greetings by four very friendly dogs; two of which were Irish Wolfhounds standing as tall as my chest. Shortly thereafter, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Dennis Thompson, owner of Gypsy Gold Vanner Horse Farm in Ocala, Florida. I soon understood that the Thompson’s are avid animal lovers. Dennis and Cindy Thompson have spent their lives in devotion to serving animals. Keeping and caring for all manner of beasts such as giraffe, camels, and many other exotic creatures eventually totaling over four hundred.
Mr. Thompson has worked many years in the animal industry and is an innovative thinker. His tour teaches you what they do there at Gypsy Gold; solve problems. And in listening to him tell the tale of the Gypsy Vanner Horse; you know he has tackled many obstacles through the years. He is always rethinking the marketing aspects of product availability for the public and says that, “If you remove the pain, you can streamline sales.” Having developed many leads, halters, leashes, and other animal training and racing equipment for Hamilton Products, he is also the initiator of “color blocking” in retail outlets for leads and halters. Since inception of this sales strategy, market sales of leads and halters have increased 40%. Quite the sales accomplishment; and I concur, because I have been drawn to and have purchased leashes for my dog on impulse because of the visual appeal and accessibility in retail stores.
After a hard day of caring for their animals, the Thompson’s down time is spent in the pursuit of knowledge to better care for the varied types of animals they owned. As their love for different types of animals grew, they became enchanted with Shire horses. They visited Europe in search of understanding about the Shire breed and began to weigh the pros and cons of owning the largest horse in the world. Originating from Northern Wales, the English Shire horse stands about seventeen hands high and can unintentionally crush a man in a stall just by leaning against them; an intimidating drawback to owning such large animals, to be sure.
One morning, while visiting Oswestry farms in Shropshire, England, they both agreed the Shire horse was a bit too much to handle and started back to the hotel. Admiring the farms and pastures as they drove, they spotted a beautiful, colorful little horse trotting across the paddock toward the fence as they slowed the car. Not recognizing the breed, they imagined this was a cross breed that just happened to be extremely beautiful. They stopped and spoke with the farmer who indicated that he did not own the horse, that he was merely keeping it for a friend. When they inquired further, he told them that his friend was a gypsy, and that he had many horses that looked just like this one. The Thompson’s thought they could not possibly look just like this horse, but the farmer quickly replied, “I assure you they do!” And the magic of this breed was born in the Thompson’s hearts.
I learned that there are many misconceptions about Gypsy Culture across Europe. The term “gypsy” is derived from the word Egypt, though the people themselves are descendants of India. The “Rom” or Romany Gypsies are the originators of the caravans of Great Britain. The “Rom” have a love for colorful things; mystical things. And so, they concerned themselves with the creation of a mystical and colorful caravan horse; or more correctly put, “Vanner Horses.”
The Caravan Sites Act of 1968 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and resulted in the provision of 400 caravan sites in the UK. These caravan sites are much like the Native American Indian reservations here in the United States. Mainstream society does not go in, and thus, the Gypsy Culture is maintained.
Mr. Thompson recounts that while cows are eaten here as a common food source, in India they are considered sacred. Having that knowledge helps us to understand that in many places in Europe, two out of ten Gypsy horses become part of a breed; eight out of ten, are food. The goal of the Thompson’s is to honor the breed with cultural sensitivity to the Gypsies that kept them a secret for so many years. Mr. Thompson became great friends with a Gypsy named Fred Walker; or more appropriately, “King of the Colored Horses.” They collaborated on the continuation of the Gypsy Vanner Horse and in carefully maintaining the breed standard and the social significance of the Gypsy Culture. Mr. Thompson maintains that in order to do this properly you must first, establish the look, provide DNA verification, maintain the status and pride of the heritage, and establish the breed in parallel values to the Gypsy culture.
With big plans in mind, Fred Walker and Dennis Thompson made the dream of bringing the beautiful Vanner Horse to North America, a reality. Fred would say to Dennis, “I don’t drink and I don’t smoke, I spend my money on you!” Tragically, in November 2008, Fred died in a caravan fire. And so, Dennis Thompson carries on the tradition in maintaining the Gypsy Vanner Horse breed standards, for love of the breed, the culture, and for the memory of his good friend.
Mule Moms
For over one hundred years the Grand Canyon has been using mules for transport and no one has been hurt. The reason for this is amazing fact is that they are extremely intelligent and self preserving. When you cross a donkey, having 62 chromosomes, and a horse with sixty-four, you get a mule with 63 chromosomes. There are many advantages to this hybrid; they are less affected by parasites, have better feet, and they eat much less. The drawback is that you must continue this crossbreeding because mules are sterile and cannot produce offspring, despite the fact that they are phenomenal mothers. Mules have even been known to “steal” babies for their own. This is a truly sad plight for an animal that makes such a wonderful mom.
The ingenious breeding process used at Gypsy Gold Vanner Horse farm, has been named by Mr. Thompson, “Mule Moms.” Carefully selected, fertilized eggs are taken from the Gypsy Vanner mares, and implanted in mules that then raise the babies as if they were their own. This is a fantastic solution for the continuation of and demand for the Gypsy Vanner breed, and a wonderful result for the mule hybrids to be mothers for these beautiful horses. Visit Facebook and you will find the “Mule Moms Kids Klub,” become a fan and you can track the kid’s progress and keep abreast of all the fun events all over the world! Mr. Thompson has been proactive with the Mule Moms focus so that the children who participate realize their dreams too.
The Lawry Park Zoo in Tampa will have a sponsorship for Mule Moms in just five more weeks, so you can get a close-up of the Mule Moms experience for the Gypsy Vanner Horses. Dennis Thompson takes great pride in the care and comfort of his animals and is in the process of designing a new saddle and breast collar for the ‘mule moms.’ They will market the products for Mule Moms with the slogan, “My dream came true at Lawry Park Zoo!” Over 30 million people worldwide will be able to experience the Mule Mom’s program through the Zoo’s participation.
Mr. Thompson strongly believes that, “names make a promise.” He states, “Whoever is the custodian of that name has an obligation to uphold all of the implications associated with it.” The Gypsy Vanner Horse is not just a name because of the care and devotion to honoring the heritage of the Vanner breed, but also due to the rich historical significance of the Gypsies who cherished them.
In closing, Mr. Thompson explains that in a “top-down democracy” like Europe, traditions are maintained and preserved. In America, we have a bottom-up democracy which leaves more room for creative influence, but also more room for dramatic change. He states, “When considering the continuance of a breed standard, it is very important to maintain top-down ideals to ensure the breed standards are held to the highest degree.” The Gypsy Vanner Horse Society has a new system for the protection of animals that is based on exacting commitments to integrity, similar to the ethical implications of the American Kennel Club and is so very important for the continuation of breed standards. For example, the Thoroughbred horse is a breed well over 400 years old, and yet they still look the same. That is the effect of a top-down standard. Mr. Thompson proposes three distinct sizes for the Vanner Horse; the Cart (mini) Vanner at 12-14 hands, the Classic Vanner standing at 14-15 hands, and the Grand Vanner standing 15.1 hands and above.
All of the wonderful developments in animal related products and marketing, the education provided for children through programs like Mule Moms Kids Klub, and the dedication to honoring history at Gypsy Gold Vanner Horse Farm, are achieved by owner Dennis Thompson. These elements come together beautifully and create a unique experience and the dream come true that is Gypsy Gold.
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