Nostr notes by Julia de JP

Nostr event nevent1qqsd4jgpwj4saum4xwydsfuxuhw6nucjdf9ycp5r7sq0xvtp6veejkszyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxqkz4sd

2026-10-16T06:20:40Z

Nostr event nevent1qqsz7spakhkjl5el44s7nnql6cmyfenyjhe7zxk56wfmwam9mzxq9fqzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxx7xp6c

2026-10-15T07:45:04Z

Why are we so tired?

Why do our days feel rushed, yet somehow unfinished?

Why do we feel disconnected, distracted, restless?

Why despite having more convenience than any generation before us, do so many of us feel like we’re missing something?

Why do we spend more time staring at screens than sunsets?

More time chasing deadlines than chasing wonder?

Why do we wake up exhausted, even after a full night’s sleep?

Perhaps it is because we have been tricked into exisiting in a world that constantly asks for more.

More work. More speed. More consumption. More scrolling. More comparison.

We are exhausted because this isn’t how we were meant to live.

We were meant to feel the earth beneath our feet.

To notice the changing seasons.
To gather around fires, not notifications.
To experience life, not just document it.

To gather with people, share stories, create, explore, and belong.

Somewhere along the way, we’ve been taught that busy means successful.
That productivity is worth more than presence.
That there will always be time later.

But you don’t have to listen.

You can step outside.

You can watch the sky change colors.

What if the life you’re longing for is happening right now, in the quiet moments you keep rushing past?

The wind in your hair.
The warmth of the sun on your skin.
The laughter of people you love.

The stillness that reminds you who you are.

There is more to life than surviving it.

More to life than schedules, stress, and endless scrolling.

The world is still beautiful.
Adventure is still waiting.
You are still allowed to slow down.

So step outside.
Take the long way home.
Watch the sunset.
Hold your camera, not because you need content, but because you found something worth feeling.

Remember: you were made for more than simply getting through the day.

And maybe in remembering that’s where it starts.

Not with changing the whole world.

But with changing the way we live in it.

There is more to life.
More beauty.
More connection.
More adventure.
More wonder.

The question is: are we brave enough to choose it?

Happy family! ...

2026-10-14T21:07:00Z

Happy family!

Nostr event nevent1qqsy0lrappkfsf9wrgpxc43ttp68a3jq9e3y865vqcmetka8z5fxleczyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wx8pc3f5

2026-10-14T10:55:20Z

Useful!

Not very active here atm, but here you go. With love. ...

2026-10-11T20:47:47Z

Not very active here atm, but here you go.
With love.

Nostr event nevent1qqsgrxsqkusn6nj6v9xhn6yca2m3rkkgzt0vpxljjt8e3mqcxg5nvsqzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wx79309m

2026-10-09T08:36:41Z

The name of this beauty? Naked Lady, because she doesn't ...

2026-10-07T07:19:16Z

The name of this beauty?
Naked Lady, because she doesn't bother with leaves

GM

Nostr event nevent1qqswlpg5sa6527x688953wfm8t5uvpx0tk8uxh2eu45vh62p79a0clczyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxwx8lea

2026-10-06T20:39:28Z

It's Kardamom, I think it's the same family as ginger.

2026-10-06T20:38:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…xqld
_________________________

It's Kardamom, I think it's the same family as ginger.

Tree frog living on my terrace ...

2026-10-06T08:35:24Z

Tree frog living on my terrace

Nostr event nevent1qqs80x7x33mttqm8wr0hlaupem7jza2a9fq7ulzrvxu62sk37cuqacszyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxhuawqg

2026-10-01T19:38:43Z

#catstr

“October had tremendous possibility. The summer's ...

2026-10-01T12:24:24Z

“October had tremendous possibility. The summer's oppressive heat was a distant memory, and the golden leaves promised a world full of beautiful adventures. They made me believe in miracles.”
Sarah Guillory - Reclaimed.

Stanislaus Soutten Longley - Autumn, 1894–1966.

Nostr event nevent1qqsd6gc2djjqpxhffq5cy8p2hjc0j3uj32mj6swp9rdph6tn0f485fqzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wx6a7vut

2026-09-29T20:17:31Z

Nostr event nevent1qqspqv83gejlzlzwhs07jhkv36u4m37thal23zzfj3dv0ptk5t7kkxgzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxgcgtl0

2026-09-29T08:02:53Z

Nostr event nevent1qqswzyf5886npw5x8qpdf72nyk6dj3pm0e8ch2ffedhs6cax3gwcvpszyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxtmcy7z

2026-09-28T11:45:21Z

My favourite way to end the day! Those steaks were delicious! ...

2026-09-27T20:40:09Z

My favourite way to end the day!
Those steaks were delicious!

GN

Nostr event nevent1qqszj47a8xxhzcfg9zjf7vjtemuy2ns6ls7vz77hhyjjp2dhlmjt9ygzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxt3dlxn

2026-09-27T06:14:46Z

Nostr event nevent1qqsykp60hhyuh5rrw53j70svjegkyn8z44jnc98ed7cl8n7arvnndegzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wx65wt8x

2026-09-26T19:20:41Z

Nostr event nevent1qqsy8khxma4mqyq9l5f65ln0f88s4wf4n9a3t96djme6hx28yxu0c8qzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxrymq07

2026-09-25T20:51:04Z

Nostr event nevent1qqsxkaequsj98hxx42en5mm2d43amdavnqnww39dsparxnnm8z0s0gqzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxtkdsaz

2026-09-24T20:06:18Z

Nostr event nevent1qqspyjtc2a82rdcn5x0krch5v8sdpd70s9nkxqnx32tc2ad4hjsdfvczyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxta6y88

2026-09-23T20:54:13Z

Nostr event nevent1qqstmenr09ytzprer0sl8drdvc4sggderlgmmvnpcamk8nvyz70m4qczyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxr5lk2v

2026-09-23T13:21:44Z

Nostr event nevent1qqswgulcaqdwhz3w4csscwhuteyss6fn7tsrhxfy8xh4szxlfknawrszyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wx5qj47a

2026-09-23T07:15:12Z

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's ...

2026-09-21T18:16:30Z

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”
John Muir - The Mountains of California, 1882.

Franklin Carmichael - October Gold, 1922.

Nostr event nevent1qqs97lv8wpk7mjes4lma56yr2g9rnleds7459p0xk5ys49p0vkuep8gzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxxhwuhg

2026-09-21T18:11:35Z

Not everything that watches over us needs a name.

Somewhere between fear and trust,
we find the ones who make the world feel less lonely.

And sometimes, the strangest souls
feel the most like home.

Nostr event nevent1qqswdlmluwpnmwn3m77dhl9a2xf4k7r4g0w28k3y6l6dt4f2ye22dlgzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxdclhp0

2026-09-20T20:01:48Z

Nostr event nevent1qqsxsrgcm37mru9wljrp5gc3llyyxg29rmf6psk7rah09slum5xaekczyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxxnt2x4

2026-09-19T20:30:21Z

As I looked at my naked body in the mirror today, I realised I ...

2026-09-19T19:15:53Z

As I looked at my naked body in the mirror today, I realised I was going to get kicked out of IKEA.

Nostr event nevent1qqs848jyp6tmhcjddh46jyytawtr94ae8dk2c6930l3ntefnwprkp8czyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wx8kklgf

2026-09-18T07:27:12Z

Nostr event nevent1qqswn4kxevfxs7g5a0ejyl7y292rlg4pd740zx509ajt8wag7up360gzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxhppkcf

2026-09-17T21:51:33Z

Nostr event nevent1qqsvlctx5d3eprqct89ma3yd0reyza0qyr4sdvr7g56a94e4ld9l7aqzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxg6wmyg

2026-09-17T11:12:06Z

Nostr event nevent1qqs9u0g2a3u0fc2hxmd06c0q4elwl2rz75ezrc9vjzzlj00p7lkpyzgzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxylcfnf

2026-09-16T13:06:05Z

Nostr event nevent1qqs2glyee3dzakcar5wjeep6jr26ugfarx23r24aa7e9vskndx2fagczyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxy5rqqu

2026-09-16T07:30:54Z

At the age of 65 my grandma started walking 10 miles a day. ...

2026-09-15T18:30:56Z

At the age of 65 my grandma started walking 10 miles a day.
She's 92 now, and we have no idea where she is.

Yesterday I had a date. It was perfect! Tomorrow I'll have a ...

2026-09-14T20:42:34Z

Yesterday I had a date.
It was perfect!

Tomorrow I'll have a dig.

Nostr event nevent1qqs8l3d5d62ysyngmjvckcjnx5t0jdklcxx34kvpxas2u8ysweqyjmczyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxqwgl9e

2026-09-14T20:37:58Z

My husband got so annoyed with me for always getting my ...

2026-09-14T12:05:01Z

My husband got so annoyed with me for always getting my directions mixed up...
So I packed my bags and right.

Nostr event nevent1qqsq2wjsgrlxfxhs0zujhjtlyc020w5kutg3lf63fwv6yxn0vmkx8zgzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxhkwwys

2026-09-14T07:10:26Z

Nostr event nevent1qqsw8qvyjrj3k34z4gyd858hcx4r2clzfnwma7xnx65ecdrge9dywggzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wx0v40y9

2026-09-13T13:01:08Z

#catstr

Morning, peeps! ...

2026-09-12T06:33:09Z

Morning, peeps!

Welcome to planet purple 🟣

2026-09-11T08:40:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…vq60
_________________________

Welcome to planet purple 🟣

Nostr event nevent1qqsqdcydnmhhtvsa3ypg56fjudeskafc8yv3394ys9k4rwehlqngzkczyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxctqlzr

2026-09-11T06:45:38Z

Nostr event nevent1qqsyat45anlcwq8cw6vcx8grf3m0q2ejgpgh2vfaemn5uh3ny09t8pszyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxzu5mdp

2026-09-10T12:23:04Z

Nostr event nevent1qqsyxg6sqgfp975c9re5n5gu6hah02rqdd6hmdk2zu83a6nm2a3rf5szyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxcun5y7

2026-09-09T20:05:20Z

“Do not be hardened by the pain
and cruelty of this world.
Be strong enough to be gentle,
to be soft and supple like running water,
gracefully bending around sudden turns,
lithely waving in strong winds,
freely flowing over sharp rocks,
all the while quietly sculpting
this hard world into ever deeper beauty,
gently eroding rigid rock into silken sand,
tenderly transforming human cruelty
into humankindness.
Remember, true strength is not found in the stone,
but in the water that shapes the stone.”
L.R. Knost

Kayla Janes - Echo, 2025.

Nostr event nevent1qqs0ulgduscg32kxf9fl9cvqe4z2xntqkza49nn5fzmg57kqf0slpeqzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wx7p0qwr

2026-09-09T19:56:21Z

#catstr

Nostr event nevent1qqsry9u54q2hysw08dy4qghxjh08e57mnf4sw2xs6gysmks7vuc547szyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wx0uzrrk

2026-09-09T19:54:50Z

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature—the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter."
Rachel Carson - Silent Spring, 1962.

Rockwell Kent - Sturrall, Donegal, Ireland, 1927

GM

2026-09-08T12:25:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…h3u8
_________________________

GM

Nostr event nevent1qqspw72sexsxxl02ydnx7kd5hfp0n8092jyqpm9qrvtem5grcppey0gzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxthlzzn

2026-09-08T07:24:06Z

That looks fab!

2026-09-07T14:30:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…acsm
_________________________

That looks fab!

Nostr event nevent1qqsdqcrnzpvzptgumhhf0qrleh5cethsyzhxa03swa54dtarpda2jpszyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wx59v7ux

2026-09-07T13:39:16Z

Nostr event nevent1qqsw9jsr4sqtrh3y9rv7467mpvy65hkqwt26fzwxa9dluxpjy424flqzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxyf9nrd

2026-09-07T07:10:35Z

GM
https://npub1x95l2dxqqz0szeanud0cvftkkzcj3zqxsl8x48y8dszql6k49r3s42tdv7.blossom.band/7b89459e5cc04782ce1d32602f774c0ca119396b7d7c5b8332965a6695689f97.jpg“
Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
Marcel Proust

Eric Bowman - Goodbye Summer, 2016

Nostr event nevent1qqs0p4652cuv5waur8durh29hm8qz3p738k7923mvx5ueqaz2v8r2pczyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxy7fv36

2026-09-06T20:06:55Z

Nostr event nevent1qqs8qdppuwam7zer53g64l427lnws9zskf8c9j5femez6r7vf5c7xpgzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxfvwmma

2026-09-06T20:03:36Z

Cleverness always knows. Bewilderment is willing to not.

The mind that has an explanation for everything has stopped receiving anything new. Cleverness protects itself by naming what it encounters, filing it, closing the file. It mistakes recognition for understanding. Bewilderment refuses to close the file. It stands in front of the mystery without reaching for a label, and in that unguarded state, something is actually allowed to enter.

Rumi wasn’t rejecting intelligence. He was pointing at its ceiling. Cleverness can navigate the world, but it cannot be transformed by it, because transformation requires the very uncertainty that cleverness is built to eliminate. To be bewildered is to admit the map has run out, and admitting that is the only way a larger map ever gets drawn.

This is why the deepest encounters in a life rarely announce themselves in language you already have. Love, loss, awe, the sudden collapse of an old belief, none of it arrives pre-explained. It arrives as disorientation first. Those who insist on understanding immediately often miss what the moment was actually offering.

Wonder is not the absence of intelligence. It’s intelligence that has stopped defending itself.

Nostr event nevent1qqsral758lyzsd83g7jslzp8x9h642dplflg39pas9q32w3dsfqucdqzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxnu5aja

2026-09-06T18:13:23Z

Nostr event nevent1qqszyl3cre5ca3zjx030r5rqz7yasuqqn9evacf5n2h9ucv6l8v4aagzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxalf7s8

2026-09-06T07:16:46Z

Street art ...

2026-09-04T19:31:59Z

Street art

#dogstr

Nostr event nevent1qqsxxd8r9v7kjntdzchpt0j5j80vdcvfz8k4nmpwv44taqs09dq2n8gzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wx6jn3um

2026-09-04T08:58:55Z

Nostr event nevent1qqs09u6v62unp448pkahjzyzppdukw8h36symhj5twqfzzxss0769zszyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wx5v9afp

2026-09-03T13:17:07Z

RIP Wendell Berry ...

2026-09-02T18:14:48Z

RIP Wendell Berry

Yes! 😃

2026-09-02T14:28:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…h4x4
_________________________

Yes! 😃

Who knows this film? ...

2026-09-02T09:34:42Z

Who knows this film?

The sun is setting over the first half of my life... ...

2026-09-01T19:03:19Z

The sun is setting over the first half of my life...

Nostr event nevent1qqsgg6nlg4wv2atj6z2v0f0kqjxa0x8h3d7dusu4k3vhjafd9xw4qqgzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxr3uqyq

2026-09-01T18:09:53Z

#catstr

Nostr event nevent1qqspf6538ut929tjkuu58vh20006dqpy8tc4cxu9na8sda0xfd2ww5gzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxnl94sf

2026-09-01T07:28:11Z

GM, September! Summer is slowly coming to an end... ...

2026-09-01T07:08:16Z

GM, September!
Summer is slowly coming to an end...

Insane!

2026-09-01T06:56:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…6z0d
_________________________

Insane!

Nostr event nevent1qqspdx5er0vpx0v3vfzet2g62e3xhndvn4p6eeldtk7867s7v6q82nczyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxepkq9c

2026-08-31T19:15:17Z

My friend had a modern hire car that wouldn't let her evade ...

2026-08-31T19:13:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…nz8h
_________________________

My friend had a modern hire car that wouldn't let her evade holes in the road (by blocking the steering), because she tried to veer to the wrong side (of the empty road).

I like it!

2026-08-31T07:28:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…4dld
_________________________

I like it!

Nostr event nevent1qqs83pdmfhr00hte4m9vwfkqh30pqyp9kusp97pan0fhctd5gr4a2nczyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxfexvcz

2026-08-30T07:29:37Z

Predator pressure is the worst! Every farmer knows this...

2026-08-29T18:40:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…48qc
_________________________

Predator pressure is the worst!
Every farmer knows this...

Nostr event nevent1qqsg6n7ytqtkgapt5akgvx3sdsvhg2pltlgwdzw69mxvqx3qf4t8z8czyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxqexhf4

2026-08-28T20:38:01Z

Just a picture of my beautiful mate... ...

2026-08-28T16:55:02Z

Just a picture of my beautiful mate...

Bazuca

Nostr event nevent1qqsdg2v5d20fhjx0w8xwtcs3kg0n9w2graxz5cv3r4hp7p58yjattlqzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxtgtp6l

2026-08-28T07:11:19Z

Nostr event nevent1qqswppkt72zvl07ye543hsl9890486q62skgt5y6ezlepan622u556czyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wx5l6vfr

2026-08-27T14:45:58Z

Nostr event nevent1qqsx9jrq8ngkpgrvv7wh488wyph7uzg08m09vkupuffa0qtammvme2qzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wxu80q9j

2026-08-27T07:11:33Z

That's not the Benagil caves in the Algarve.

2026-08-27T07:04:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…zaxm
_________________________

That's not the Benagil caves in the Algarve.

Guess what type of restaurant I'm in? ...

2026-08-26T18:34:42Z

Guess what type of restaurant I'm in?

Nostr event nevent1qqs8xqpwqcaaqjualdepdu9ak7nfuqsmls8thgw6kjym43n8hjglsuqzyqcknaf5cqqf7qt8k034lp39w6ctz2ygq6ruu65usakqgrl2655wx6cgnjg

2026-08-26T08:05:23Z

Wow! I'm amazed to get a feedback here... Thank you!

2026-08-25T20:55:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…enjd
_________________________

Wow! I'm amazed to get a feedback here... Thank you!

From sacred sacrifice to the modern equestrian arena I've ...

2026-08-25T20:29:01Z

From sacred sacrifice to the modern equestrian arena
I've been thinking about the ancient practice of animal sacrifice.
In many ancient cultures, the animal chosen for sacrifice wasn't treated as worthless. Quite the opposite. It was selected because it was valuable. It was purified, decorated, led in procession, and placed at the centre of a solemn ritual.
Does that sound familiar?
Look at modern equestrian sport.
We don't sacrifice horses to the gods. We enter them into arenas, under lights, in front of judges and audiences. We speak of partnership, connection , harmony, lightness, communication and the beauty of the horse.
And yet, sometimes, what is happening in front of all those people is profoundly difficult to watch.
Particularly in dressage — a discipline that presents itself as the highest expression of harmony between horse and rider — we can see bodies held in tension, faces expressing silent pain, and riders using increasingly coarse aids to produce increasingly artificial movements.
The contradiction is uncomfortable.
The horse is supposedly the partner.
The horse is supposedly the athlete.
The horse is supposedly the star.
And yet the horse is also the one who pays the physical price.
What troubles me most isn't simply that cruelty exists. It is that we have normalised the spectacle of it.
Judges see it.
Stewards see it.
Trainers see it.
Veterinarians see it.
Spectators see it.
And still, the performance can receive applause, ribbons, medals and breeding value.
Then there is the strange pattern of the modern sport horse: an intense career, often beginning surprisingly young, followed by early retirement because the body can no longer withstand the demands — or by a sudden and unexpected death that is discussed briefly and then absorbed into the next competition cycle.
Of course, not every retired horse is broken, and not every sudden death is caused by sport. That would be an unfair simplification.
But perhaps we should be asking a more uncomfortable question:
What does it say about a system when the pursuit of performance repeatedly seems to come at the expense of the very animal whose beauty and movement we claim to celebrate?
The ancient sacrificer at least understood that something valuable was being given.
Perhaps modern equestrian sport has forgotten something equally important:
A horse's willingness, soundness and dignity are not obstacles to the performance - They are the performance.
And perhaps the most important question we can ask when watching any equestrian performance is not:
"How impressive was that?"
but:
How did the horse experience it?
"But these horses are incredibly well cared for."
Perhaps they do.
But, excellent care and good welfare are not necessarily the same thing.
The horses may have the finest stables, carefully calculated diets, regular veterinary examinations, physiotherapy, dentistry, specialised farriery, massage, supplements and every technological advantage money can buy — and still be subjected to training or competition that causes pain, fear or excessive physical strain.
But this raises an important question:
Is excellent care the same thing as excellent welfare?
We can repair, medicate, rehabilitate and optimise a body — but that doesn't automatically mean we should keep asking that body to endure what damaged it in the first place.
In fact, perhaps the sophistication of modern equine care sometimes allows us to push the horse further than we otherwise could, because increasingly sophisticated medicine can keep an increasingly compromised animal in the system.
The question shouldn't only be:
"How well is this horse cared for?"
It should also be:
"What are we asking this horse to endure?"
And ultimately:
"Would the horse choose this life if it had a choice?"

Would the sacrificial animal have chosen to die in glory?

The meaning of glory belongs to the humans.
The cost of it belongs to the animal.

Thanks for reading!

GM From the top of the world It's a bit cloudy, but ...

2026-08-25T07:15:09Z

GM
From the top of the world
It's a bit cloudy, but that's the Atlantic in the distance!

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2026-08-24T11:36:32Z

The internet is in full swing... ...

2026-08-24T09:06:10Z

The internet is in full swing...

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2026-08-24T06:34:41Z

GM

Notice that we don't see the world as it is; we see it as we are.

And who you are is completely up to you to explore, define, re-define.

As you move forward in this new phase of your growth, allow yourself to paint your reality with a vision that empowers you.

This doesn't mean put on rose-tinted lenses pretend everything is great and dandy. Positivity has its limits and nobody grows by lying to themselves.

This means accept the degree to which you are responsible for the world around you; the relationships you nurture, the habits you uphold and the way you meet yourself in success and especially in failure.

Notice that where you place your intention, that's where your energy goes. And what you water with your intentions, grows.

Your intentions—the willful deployment of your attention—is the most powerful currency you hold. Deploy it mindfully.

—Jovanny Varela, a note to self for the period of growth ahead

Painting by Viktor Vasnetsov, "Flying Carpet," 1880

The only medals I'm ever going to win are made from paper and ...

2026-08-22T20:22:45Z

The only medals I'm ever going to win are made from paper and love,
Because the only competition I'm entering is with myself. May I be a better trainer and teacher today than I was yesterday!

The equestrian world championship has come to an end and I also ...

2026-08-22T20:18:48Z

The equestrian world championship has come to an end and I also won a medal!
Today I received a medal for Best Riding Teacher in the World, from the Best Riding Students in the World.

I'm very proud!

Please note that no horses had to suffer distorted necks and blue tongues in the achievement of this medal!

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2026-08-22T18:59:31Z

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2026-08-22T18:55:44Z

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2026-08-22T16:46:04Z

Do not love half lovers
Do not entertain half friends
Do not indulge in works of the half talented
Do not live half a life
and do not die a half death
If you choose silence, then be silent
When you speak, do so until you are finished
Do not silence yourself to say something
And do not speak to be silent
If you accept, then express it bluntly
Do not mask it
If you refuse then be clear about it
for an ambiguous refusal is but a weak acceptance
Do not accept half a solution
Do not believe half truths
Do not dream half a dream
Do not fantasize about half hopes
Half a drink will not quench your thirst
Half a meal will not satiate your hunger
Half the way will get you no where
Half an idea will bear you no results
Your other half is not the one you love
It is you in another time yet in the same space
It is you when you are not
Half a life is a life you didn't live,
A word you have not said
A smile you postponed
A love you have not had
A friendship you did not know
To reach and not arrive
Work and not work
Attend only to be absent
What makes you a stranger to them closest to you
and they strangers to you
The half is a mere moment of inability
but you are able for you are not half a being
You are a whole that exists to live a life
not half a life
-Kahlil Gibran-

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2026-08-22T06:37:33Z

Welcome to Planet Purple!

2026-08-21T21:00:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…wa8n
_________________________

Welcome to Planet Purple!

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2026-08-21T19:40:06Z

Ending another beautiful summer day with my favourite, surf and ...

2026-08-20T19:49:17Z

Ending another beautiful summer day with my favourite, surf and turf from the real fire BBQ.
Portuguese sardines, Italian and German sausages.

GN

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2026-08-20T12:07:37Z

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2026-08-20T07:12:26Z

GM

Wild mango harvest at the homestead.

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2026-08-19T09:25:11Z

Love the name Satlantis

2025-11-10T21:25:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…mhmc
_________________________

Love the name
Satlantis