Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/595716
C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 5 107 I n a paddock shaded by Sycamore trees near the Carmel River, four horses peacefully greet a pair of human visitors. Graziella, an Andalusian and the herd leader, allows her neck to be petted, then chews and licks her lips, signaling she is processing information and connecting with the humans around her. She gently nudges the visitor with her face and inspects their hand. Standing slightly further back are Valentina, a French Warmblood and the only stallion, Vincenzo, a Lipizzan. Bella, a Quar ter Horse who had been mistreated by previous own- ers, decides to inspect the visitors as well. She greets with a thunk of her head to the visitor's chest, and allows gentle petting. Her ears are slightly back, more wary, but soon she is being pushed off by Graziella and taken to a far corner of the paddock. In the midst of it all, with a loop of rope over his shoulder, stands Dr. Robert Magnelli, wearing jeans, boots and a friendly smile. "Graziella is the alpha, and she was telling Bella, 'This is my human, and you need to back off,' " he explains. "She had already connected with you."