Holocaust of Downs-children

Flyn, 4 years old, soon to be exterminated

Right now  a holocaust is going on in the world, the holocaust of the variety of humanity called a person with Down's syndrom. Down's syndrom doesn't mean that a person suffers, sometimes a Downs child can suffer from a heart disorder  but it is easily fixed with modern medicine in the countries where human beings with Down's syndrom is a threatened species.

The curing of that heart disorder and the extra help a Downs child might need in school costs some money, and they will probably never become very rich since they normally don't get the most well paied jobs in society. For that reason medical care offers all pregnant women a so called KUB-test which shows if the fetus has 47 chromosomes in  stead of 46 which is the cause of Down's syndrom.

Most people with Down's syndrom are more than usually light hearted, it comes with the syndrom. They are more than others musical and sociable, that's why they are said to be "friendly". They look a bit different than others with "Mongolian" features; almond eyes and a pale complexion. Their fingers and toes are often, all ten,  of the same length and they are often short and a bit chubby. They are slow learners but given time they often learn to read and write and to conduct their own lives with some help. That is it.

Down's syndrom is simply a variety of being human. So why do they scan mothers for this syndrom? The simple answer is; we can do it. If we could scan ADD or alletgies we would do that. For the moment we can't do that, luckily enough, since insecure parents often choose to terminate the pregnancy when they find out that ther fetus has 47 chromosomes.

In the fragile position as a parent to be , the society tells you: "Here is some information for you. Do as you please" It sounds great, but when you get the fake impression that Down's is a serious condition which causes great suffering for the child, are you really free to make a decision? A decision based upon false information , is that a free choice?

And for how long can we choose to keep our babies with Down's syndrom? In Denmark parents who refuse to exterminate their off-spring if they have Down's syndrom are called "egotistic" and "irresponsible" so how far is it to the step when you are obliged to kill your child with Down's or some other minor disorder like allergies or stuttering?

Furthermore, what happens to a society where only the perfect are allowed to be born?

For all that I know I wouldn't want to live in that kind of society.

Energizing equitation

Chateau and her summer grazing friends Pila and Majan

Dorothea Brooke the heroine of Middlemarch quit riding since she didn't want to show off her wealth in a world of poverty. Today Sweden is such a wealthy country that anyone can ride and even less well-off people may keep a horse. I am one of those.

First of all my horse is my friend. Her name is Chateau and our friendship goes way back. I first met her when she was four years old and this June the 1st we will celebrate her 20th birthday. Even if I wouldn't be able to ride I would keep her with me. She has a lovely personality, a true pony, stubborn and very fond of food. At the same time she is true as gold and gentle as a lamb.

Galopping with Chateau

I have always tried to ride according to Chateau's gentle disposition and the last seven years we have practised Energizing equitation, a kind of equitation deriving from the French riding academies of the 16th, 17th and 18th C and the Mediaeval knights. The point is that you try to connect your brain with the horses brain, trying to ride with your soul in harmony with your horse's soul in stead of using strong aids and violence to command the horse.

Chateau and me last summer

The schools on ground like shoulder in and haunches in are basic gymnastic movements that strenghten the horse and are natural to horses and  therefore you use them early in the education of horse and rider in Energizing equitation. Like the baroque masters, Ewa Kristina Petterson , who founded Energizing Equitation, has thight a lot on how to find a way to ride the horse with invisible aids and she teaches others how to reach there in much appreciated clinics in Sweden and Denmark.

Miss Smilla

However, there are many others who tries to reach the same goals with similar means and I try to listen to everybody and pick the things that work for me and my beautiful pony, although I have learnt most from Ewa-Kristina and her "Cougars" in Kalix.

Now I am doing exactly the opposite to Dorothea Brooke, I have bought a filly. By June the 23rd she will be one year old and she will be educated according to Energizing Equtation principles from the beginning. Her name is Smilla and her father is of pure Spanish breed mixed with Welsh and Arab blood from her mother, I hope this will be a perfect mix for an Energizing Equitation horse.