Message from the Horse

In the form of a wandering, lyrical, autobiographical narrative, world-renowned horseman Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling exposes the inner turmoil, the burning questions, the fear, the doubt, and the darkness that pushed him off the roads most traveled in search of answers. His quest for meaning takes him to lonely spaces high up in the mountains where a mysterious old monk pushes the impetuous young Hempfling to question his grasp of self and other, of perception and reality. When Hempfling fails to understand the angry heart of an abused and starving stallion, he is sent on to find and follow an elusive band of wild horses, an exhausting journey that beckons with illumination—but only at great cost. As Hempfling reflects on cultures past and his present surroundings, his words linger on visual, sensual, and inspirational clues, bringing his personal experiences alive on the page in emotional detail. His thoughts string together like clicking beads, brilliantly illustrating the passage of time and the interconnectivity of all beings. Ultimately, Hempfling comes to a truth, which for him brings heaven and earth into sharp focus.