Shamons and Horses

After listening to the first 3 discs of The Horse Boy while travelling by car in Western Queensland, I was keen to know more about it - and found the DVD on line to watch!  It is a very heartwarming story of a couple whose child was diagnosed as autistic and their struggle to break through to him (and survive!).

The only glimpses they had had of getting through to their son, Rowan, was from an interaction with Shamons from the indigineous people from around the world (they had come to a meeting in the US) and then from the horse next door - Betsy.  So the farther, Rupert,  put both together and, with his wife Kristin, headed off to Mongolia where Shamons and horses went together.  Having travelled in Mongolia, I was quite entranced by their journey.  The DVD was the documentary that they made to help fund their journey.  It was quite raw and apparently unscripted - a "fly on the wall" documentary.  It had its dramas and was suffused with honesty - and had a relatively positive ending (or rather beginning when we heard about the foundation that they established to help similar kids and connect them with horses too). 

The issue arose whether the drum pounding and other rituals (including the parents being whipped and the mother having to wash out her vagina!) actually helped.  The topic was dealt with well.  Rupert was a human rights campaigner for the bushmen in Africa and had experienced bush healings before - and he had seen how Rowen had reacted to the inital Shamen encounter - and he believed.  Although Kristen (a budhist) went along with all the rituals - for herself and Rowen - and had gone on this very difficult trip - she was less convinced about the Shamon influence - there was the break in routine, the overall experience for Rowen etc - but neither was she dismissive.  It was part of the expereience whether it was "magical or not". 

All in all it was compelling from so many angles - and left a challenge I thought.  That was to extend yourself and not to limit your experience by your own prejudices and bias.  Read, listen or watch "The Horse Boy"!