Crazy Horse Races
If you have ever been to Nebraska you know there are stretches of prairie that are endlessly flat. But there are also large stretches of prairie that are undulating. The prairie will slowly rise up in a hill and then descend into a little valley and then rise up again in a hill. This undulation continues for many miles in some places. It is like the land is an ocean with large waves flowing through it.
The Lakota warrior Crazy Horse had developed his own unique way of riding his horse over these undulating prairies. He would ride his horse halfway up one of these hills and then get off, walking his horse the rest of the way to the top. Once at the top of the hill, he would remount his horse and go flying down the hill with incredible speed. The momentum of going down the hill would get him halfway up the next hill. At this point the strain of going uphill would start hitting his horse, so he would, once again, get off the horse and walk it up the rest of the hill. Once at the top of the hill, he would once again mount the horse and go flying at top speed down the hill. Once again, the momentum would take him halfway up the next hill, at which point he would get off the horse and walk it to the top of the hill.
Crazy Horse would challenge other Lakota warriors to races across these undulating prairies. The other warriors would not get off their horses but rather run at full speed the entire distance of the race. Even though Crazy Horse got off his horse regularly and walked, he won every race. No one could outrace him over these undulating prairies, no matter how fast their horses were. At the end of the races, the other warriors' horses were thoroughly exhausted and in need of extended rest. Crazy Horse, though, would immediately commence another race back in the direction he had come. And he would win that race too; despite the fact the other warrior had a fresh horse.
Across these undulating prairies, Crazy Horse could outrun anyone--even an army. Many times soldiers chased him across these wavy prairies and he always got away. The soldiers would come to the top of a hill and see crazy horse halfway up the next hill walking his horse. With him walking his horse, the soldiers were convinced they could catch him by the time he got to the top of the next hill. To their surprise, when they got to the top of the next hill, Crazy Horse was three-quarters of the way up the next hill--and, once again, walking his horse.
The soldiers pursued him but when they got to the top of the next hill they saw that Crazy Horse was already at the top of the next hill. And when the soldiers got to the top of that next hill Crazy Horse was gone. How could he outrun them when he walked and the soldiers chased him at a full gallop?
Did Crazy Horse have some "special" knowledge of crescendos and diminuendos? It seemed he worked opposite the crescendos and diminuendos of the land. When the land was going down he sped up. And when the land was going up he slowed down. To go at a constant full speed over flat land made sense, but not over undulating land. He was deeply aware and connected to the land and rode accordingly. He was also deeply aware and connected to his horse and knew how to work with his horse to get maximum speed and distance without wearing the horse out.
Crazy Horse knew how to go with the flow. When being chased, he was very appreciative and grateful to see the undulating prairie, for he knew how to use the undulations to his advantage. His appreciation of the land that he was so intimately connected to enabled him to fly. Without that appreciation he would have been caught a hundred times.
Copyright by White Feather. All Rights Reserved.
The Lakota warrior Crazy Horse had developed his own unique way of riding his horse over these undulating prairies. He would ride his horse halfway up one of these hills and then get off, walking his horse the rest of the way to the top. Once at the top of the hill, he would remount his horse and go flying down the hill with incredible speed. The momentum of going down the hill would get him halfway up the next hill. At this point the strain of going uphill would start hitting his horse, so he would, once again, get off the horse and walk it up the rest of the hill. Once at the top of the hill, he would once again mount the horse and go flying at top speed down the hill. Once again, the momentum would take him halfway up the next hill, at which point he would get off the horse and walk it to the top of the hill.
Crazy Horse would challenge other Lakota warriors to races across these undulating prairies. The other warriors would not get off their horses but rather run at full speed the entire distance of the race. Even though Crazy Horse got off his horse regularly and walked, he won every race. No one could outrace him over these undulating prairies, no matter how fast their horses were. At the end of the races, the other warriors' horses were thoroughly exhausted and in need of extended rest. Crazy Horse, though, would immediately commence another race back in the direction he had come. And he would win that race too; despite the fact the other warrior had a fresh horse.
Across these undulating prairies, Crazy Horse could outrun anyone--even an army. Many times soldiers chased him across these wavy prairies and he always got away. The soldiers would come to the top of a hill and see crazy horse halfway up the next hill walking his horse. With him walking his horse, the soldiers were convinced they could catch him by the time he got to the top of the next hill. To their surprise, when they got to the top of the next hill, Crazy Horse was three-quarters of the way up the next hill--and, once again, walking his horse.
The soldiers pursued him but when they got to the top of the next hill they saw that Crazy Horse was already at the top of the next hill. And when the soldiers got to the top of that next hill Crazy Horse was gone. How could he outrun them when he walked and the soldiers chased him at a full gallop?
Did Crazy Horse have some "special" knowledge of crescendos and diminuendos? It seemed he worked opposite the crescendos and diminuendos of the land. When the land was going down he sped up. And when the land was going up he slowed down. To go at a constant full speed over flat land made sense, but not over undulating land. He was deeply aware and connected to the land and rode accordingly. He was also deeply aware and connected to his horse and knew how to work with his horse to get maximum speed and distance without wearing the horse out.
Crazy Horse knew how to go with the flow. When being chased, he was very appreciative and grateful to see the undulating prairie, for he knew how to use the undulations to his advantage. His appreciation of the land that he was so intimately connected to enabled him to fly. Without that appreciation he would have been caught a hundred times.
Copyright by White Feather. All Rights Reserved.