Working with horses taught me how to see and hear. Training as an aromatherapist, have to help me to develop a very strong sense of smell and a sensitive nose. Usually, a good sense of smell affects also the sense of taste and we become more sensitive to tastes and textures in our mouth — as you can see, already we have three of the senses interlaced together — 

It doesn’t matter how beautiful the cake looks if it smells bad, you will not touch it, or. If the cake is really tasty but looks like a pile of unrecognised something, again, you just won’t touch it.

In these 2 examples, you can see how the sense of sight affects our senses of taste and smell and how the sense of smell affects our taste.

In the last few days, I have learned from a very old and sick mare how to use all my senses at once.

Thinking back on that day, I know now, that the mare knew her time is up, and having no owner to care for her, she chose me to walk her last walk with her.

A few days ago when I came to check on her, I could see that she is not well. Soon after, I could smell her illness on her breath and I could hear her diseased lungs when she was gasping for breath.  All this time she was craving for touch and when I brushed her, I could feel how her body lost tension and relaxes to my touch.

Yesterday, her condition got worse, I could see it in her eyes and her stressed body.  I could hear her tight breath and her chesty cough. I could smell her infected lungs, but she was still craving for touch…

Today I took one look at her and I just knew her time is up. My senses were so clear, it felt like I could ‘taste’ her infection.

I took her out of the stable, thinking the fresh air will ease her pains, she seemed happy enough so I left her and went back to get something from the stable. About 10 minutes later I could hear her calling for me.  There was no sound, I just knew. I rushed back to see her wobbling on her 4 legs, collapsing. I could smell and taste death all around her, waiting by her side. I could see death vibrating all around her. She gave a real fight for her few last breaths, but it was her time to go. 

Just before she died I held her head in my arms, it was very strange to feel her body changing vibration from being alive, and then, death. At that moment, I could feel all my senses becoming one: I could see what I hear, what I smell, taste and feel, It was an explosion of life and death.

Thank you old mare,

May you ride forever in the green tall grass of the Autumn skies.