“The herd soothes me and helps me understand human behaviors through observing it. It greatly assists me in developing an attachment to agriculture, as it is more tangible than a silo full of grain.”
“This is behind my house. I find it soothing to watch them, especially at evening or at sunrise. It grounds me with nature. We have a duty towards livestock animals because they’re captive, they have no control over their freedom. In return, we give them good breeding conditions and a good quality of life.”
“My father always loved horses and he passed that on to me. And now, my daughter also loves them. She must have got it from me, it’s in her genes too. What’s most beautiful with the horses, is to see the interactions between them. Their bond is strong and they worry when one of them goes for a ride, even if it’s just an hour.
When my daughter comes home, she is in a good mood and the first thing she does is go for a ride with her horses. If something went wrong during her day, she comes home and rides with the horses. It’s a great escape for many people. It’s a way to take your mind off things.”
“For me, the birth of a calf is always a beautiful moment. It’s the cycle of life, it’s eternal, it’s continuous. I’m not the one filled with pride, I am proud of her, I am proud of life. Life is stronger than anything. The process of calving is not always easy, but life always prevails, even if death accompanies life.”
“What I wanted to show is the application of my decision to sell my herd. It was the second biggest decision of my life without a doubt, with the first being my separation 3 years ago. Again, it was about choosing myself, stepping out of an environment where I felt suffocated, where I also felt like the sole pillar, the only post to be responsible for everything, 24/7, the only driver unable to transfer the steering wheel to anyone else.
Every time there are cattle leaving, it’s a rock I remove from my cart. It’s a liberation, a weight off my shoulders, it’s a step towards the finality of this decision.
This photo also shows that I dared to step out of my comfort zone to explore new things and flourish. It’s the result of a long reflection that required courage to take.
We need to listen to ourselves instead of suppressing our emotions, we need to follow our feelings instead of always bottling them up. What we bury inside, will eventually catch up with us one way or another. It’s important to no longer accept situations where I don’t feel good and to be able to say no.”
“This reminds me of how important philosophy is […] for me, it’s a strong symbol of humility.
Philosophy allows me to be more patient, to reflect more on things and be more lenient in regard to problems. It makes me think every day on why I do the things that I do and how can it be done? Could it be done another way so it’s more fair, cause you know, I work with the living, with complex animals almost as complex as we are.”