Zak - Heart of a lion - Spirit of an Eagle
At the time of this blog post, Zak is 35 years old :: All Photos on this page by Christine Tomlin
Zak came to us when he was 17 years of age.
Me & Zak
He is a registered Egyptian Arabian. I never really liked Arabs as I thought all of them to be hyper and crazy, but Zak has made me appreciate and adore this breed!
Before his life with us, he was a polo horse. He was so full of knots and carried his head so high and inverted with a hollow back he was constantly in an uncomfortable frame. When he would trot his head would fly so far back he could bang his head into the riders head.
We put Zak in the 130-acre field with the herd and he paced the fence line and stood at the gate absolutely beside himself for weeks.
The spirit, energy and presence of this horse are so huge - I was unable to ignore his desire to have me listen to him.
After about 3 weeks I went to him as he frantically paced and I put my hand on his kitten soft neck and asked “Zak! My dear friend, what do you need!?!” As plain as having someone standing beside me, I heard “Let me Go!”
I did what most horses owners only dream of, and opened the gate. With the energy of an army, Zak ran out of the fence and ran around the farm as a dog checking his territory and that was the last time he was ever confined to a paddock, stall or pasture.
Let Freedom Rein and Healing Begin.
Zak has taught me more about the true nature of the Horse than any other.
He has seen the arrival of three of our foals being born - standing quietly on guard with the expecting Dams
He has walked the green mile with the horse and has been there to support them safely as they took their last breath - allowing their spirits safe passage to the safety of the underworld.
He has enjoyed ecstatic little children as they painted his white hair with colourful tiny hand-prints and carried them around for their birthday as if he was carrying his warrior.
He has taught children to become brave and showed them their inner strength when no one else believed in them.
He calms the energy in the barn with his cool presence - greets and stands by new horse arrivals.
He has seen the scared look in the newly weaned foals and stood by them slowly moving farther away each day until they found their own courage.
He has supported many a broken heart - nuzzling those needing a hug, and then, pushing fearlessly with his strong head telling us to "get on with it." He fearlessly protects the weak and old.
He shows us how to appreciate the morning sun and setting moons.
He makes us laugh always and rejoice in the confirmation that less is more.
“He lives with gratitude.
He enjoys the company of all creatures.
He has made friends with humans and animals.”
It is not without several brushes with death that he pushed us to always fight - as long as he would we should. Many a Vet has advised us to “Just put him down he has lived a good life. He is old and not in use.” But Zak looked into my eyes and said, “we will discuss this later!”
He has made me look outside of the box for answers so many times, and kept me always asking “What Else? How can I make your life more comfortable?”
He is the White Ghost of our farm. He appears out of nowhere and walks beside you - with a grounding presence as a constant reminder of how life for all horses should be. “But not many horses are as sensible as Me”, he adds!
“He lives life Large
He lives life Free
He lives life on his terms
He lives his life to teach us”
He expects us to pay attention and tune into the Now! The ability to be totally connected. He is open and willing and relentless with his strong constitution and powerful life force.
Many of the greatest healers and equine practitioners have met and bathed in the aura of this Supernatural Horse:
Robin Hood (Telling Touch Equine Awareness Method)
Chris Irwin - clinician
Peggy Cummings - Centers Riding
Sue Falkner-March - Success Centered Riding
Britt Mills - DVM Holistic Vet Med
Many Vets have seen the fall and rise of Zak and are amazed and humoured by his nature though sadly never asking what it is that keeps him going.
We have come a long way with Zak. He is the most valuable teacher I have ever met in my life! Within his lifetime, he has carried me to meet people who would all have a part in healing his compromised body and brought him back to life. Our journey with Zak educated us so we can heal thousands of other horses who also need help.
Zak - you are the true Healer.
And our Best Friend.
I am on bended knee to you to be your Steward in this Life! I owe you my life! Thank you for your endearing support!
Follow us on facebook and this blog for more Zak stories.
~Christine
UPDATE
My beloved Zak finally left this world on May 17, 2022 surrounded by his beloved herd and my dogs. You’ve been an amazing friend and teacher.
Love you to Saturn and back Zak! 💋❤️💋❤️
