We went to Blue Star Equiculture in Palmer Mass. yesterday, Maria wanted to personally deliver the logo quilt she designed for the draft horse rescue  and organic farming center. It was an emotional experience for all of us, more than I might have imagined, and Maria is still working it out. She is drawn to the big horses, she especially fond of Piper, who weights 2,200 pounds. Maria accepted an invitation to ride on Piper for a bit, it was an athletic feat just to get on the big and spirited horse, she did look great up there.

Maria is drawn to the horses, as I am, but perhaps in a different way. There is a spiritual connection there and she is very quiet today, and thoughtful. She is trying to work it all out. The Blue Star farm, founded by carriage horse drivers Pamela Rickenbach and Christina Hansen, is the subject of continuous attack and protest from some elements of the animal rights movement who believe that work for animals is abuse and exploitation. (That means Red, too, my border collie who herds sheep.)

Animal rights protesters have vandalized the farm’s gates, threatened the people who work there, hacked into their cell phones, vowed to come and disrupt the farm. The police had to be called several times. It is a sign of a sickness in our culture that a rescue farm for horses would attract this kind of hatred, but the farm itself is a very powerful and very spiritual place. I’m not sure I recall anything else that has affected Maria and her art this much.

The conflict over the carriage horses has revealed a great divide in our culture, two completely different ways of looking at animals and at the world, a conflict of values and a conflict over what spirituality means. It is important.