Baroque Horse ~ Issue 11

&

Educationals with Manolo Mendez, Jenny Rolfe

ISSUE 11/JULY-AUG 2013

Beauty, Strength Power

Baroque Horse Magazine

$7.95 AUD

THE FRIESIAN HORSE Inside: Interview with Carlos Pinter, Dressage with Barrie Stratton, Jean Philippe Giacomini translates Nuno Oliveira & more!

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contents inside 12. The Friesian Horse 34. Royal Carousal Friesians 39. Contemporary Jousting War Horses 42. The Friesian Horse In War

12 110

80 42 48. Nuno Oliveira 52. Australian Friesian Warmblood Horse 58. The 3 C’s of Dressage with Barrie Stratton 64. Drawing a Friesian 68. Riding a Friesian 70. ShowPony Poet 74. Horsing Around 80. W.E Portuguese Way 86. Carlos Pinto 90. Manolo Mendez

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74 98. Breathe Life into your Riding with Jenny Rolfe 100. How to start in Working Equitation 106. The Versatile Friesian 110. To the Heart of a Mustang

ŠBaraque Horse Magazine AU. 2011 All Rigths Reserved. No part of this publication, editorial or advertisement, may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The content of the advertisements within this publication is the responsibility of the advertiser. Although due care is taken in the preparation and publication for all advertising material, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any errors or for any consequential effects. Opinions and statements made by others in submitted text may not be the same as those held by either the publisher or the editor.

LETTER FROM

THE EDITOR Issue 11- of Baroque Horse.

July-August 2013 (next issue out September)

Editor-In-Chief Danielle Skerman

Welcome to our Friesian feast issue! This is our biggest issue yet with nearly 50 pages dedicated to the beautiful and delicious Friesian horses. This issue is full of informative articles along with some fantastic imagery of the majestic Friesians for you to fall in love with all over again. In the next issue we will continue with an educational article on riding Friesians, so there is still more to come for any keen Friesian lover.

We would also like to thank the Friesian owners who met with us at Cabarita beach at sunrise to include us in their weekend outing.

It was breathtaking to see so many Friesian horses all together enjoying the fun of a gallop in the breaking waves and some even daring to venture a bit farther! It was also a treat for the early morning walkers to see these exquisite horses enjoying the sun and surf. What a great way to spend a Sunday morning! This has also encouraged us to show how you can enjoy a holiday with your horse and that there are great places that cater for the both of you. If you haven’t considered this before you must read the article to see what you are missing out on.

In the NEXT issue of BH the feature breed with be the Lustinao. We have an amazing team member in Portugal (Cátia M Castro), and she will help us put together some exclusive content from this breeds’ origin and show their elegance and beauty.

My vision for this magazine was to give all horse lovers something that was different, as I didn’t want it to be just another equine publication, my goal was to create something that I would want to read, drool over the stunning imagery and to keep and enjoy over and over again. I hope you love this magazine as much as I do and encourage you to let me know of any ideas you may want to read yourself.

Join us in our journey and ... go for BAROQUE!

an m r e k S e l l e Dani Editor in Chief

Follow us on

facebook.com/baroquehorsemagazine

pinterest.com/baroquehorse

www.baroquehorsemagazine.com Publisher: Baroque Horse PTY LTD ACN: 159 279 848 PO Box 18002 Clifford Gardens, Toowoomba QLD, Australia 4350 Editor In Chief: Danielle Skerman editor@baroquehorse.com.au +61 404 843 636 Advertising: Patty Taylor advertising@baroquehorse.com.au +61 419 363 635 For Subscription enquiries: Subscriptions@baroquehorse.com.au General Enquiries: enquiry@baroquehorse.com.au

On The cover:

Editing: Linda Rushbrook Design: Danielle Skerman, Cristian Prutescu Photographers:

Cátia Castro,Danielle Skerman, Cally Matherly, Nadeen Davis, Gabi Bietry, Adrian Bozai, Marciele Lewis.

Contributors:

Cátia Castro, Danielle Skerman, Caroline Larrouilh, Manolo Mendez, Jenny Rolfe, Barrie Stratton, Hans Maes, Helen Daniel, Laurie Bell, JP Giacomini, Andrea Michael, Leanne Stevenson, Michaela Wake, Allison Gelfand Sable, Kathryn BaRrett.

On the cover Annette Coester on Gallahan. Photo by Cally Matherly.

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The Friesian – Magnificent, Royal, and Impressive – Black, Flamboyant, Sporty and Kind. With a bit of a

superior look as they are much aware of their history – it has a place in the heart of many people all over the world!

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Friesian Written by

Hans Maes

www.ANZFHS.com.au

THE

HORSE

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Friesian T

he Friesian horse is a relatively new addition to the world equestrian scene, but it is not a new breed. Why has this old breed, native to Northern Europe, made such an impact? What is so special about the breed? Why haven’t we heard about this beautiful breed before? In this article we try to answer most of these questions, and in the process, hope to convert you to this breed. We will also explain how the horse has developed over time to how it looks and performs today, and why we need to be careful when breeding the Friesian.

Origins and History To understand why the breed is what it is today and why it is still here, we have to go back to its origins. Friesland is one of the 12 provinces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Dating back to around 500BC, it stretched from the now Belgian border to Germany. It was populated by “Friesian Tribes”, which, according to the Romans were barbarians. In actual fact, these barbarians were seafarers, fishermen, tradesmen, cattle breeders and horse breeders. It is believed that the Friesian horse’s most influential ancestor was the enormous Northern European horse, Equus robustus, which roamed the lands and was used by the Friesian population to wage battle. The Romans couldn’t conquer the Friesian horsemen, so they hired them as mercenaries for their armies. Proof of this was found near the Hadrian Wall which the Romans built to contain the wild Scottish. A tombstone with a Friesian soldier on a horse was found in that area.

A significant part in the history of the Friesian horse was that they became a heavy weight-bearing saddle horse for the crusaders to the Middle East. Because the crusades kept the knights and soldiers away for many years, they bred their horses with the lighter Equus Orientalis, from which the Arabian horse is the representative. Not only were the Friesian horses strong, docile and enduring, but they also became better looking.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Netherlands was

Archival b&w photos courtesy from the KFPS.nl

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occupied by the Spanish. The influence of the Spanish horse led eventually to the heavy mane and tail and high knee and hock action for which the breed is now very well known. At that time, the Dutch Masters painted many of the rich and famous sitting astride a Friesian horse. As a result, the breed ultimately became the preferred horse of the aristocracy.

At the same time, the Friesian became the preferred horse of the “Lord” Farmers of Friesland, as well as the preferred horse for the now fashionable invention of trotting races over 325 metres (a quarter mile) held on Sundays after church.

While this was initially done on a blanket only (no saddle), it was followed by trotting races in harness. This nearly caused the demise of the Friesian horse, as breeders discovered that by creating a lighter breed by out crossing, the horses could race much faster. The Friesians were also threatened by the so-called “upperlanders”; horses that were bred in the south of Friesland. The Gelderlander, which is one of the foundation breeds for the Dutch Warmbloods, is an example of that type of horse.

In 1879, a small number of concerned Friesian farmers met in a pub in Friesland and decided to establish a studbook for Friesian horses and cattle. This foresight has saved the Friesian from extinction, and all bloodlines can now be traced back to 1910 to 3 stallions. Eventually only a purebred Friesian horse would be registered and the cattle register became independent; from then on the Friesian studbook became a closed register.

As the breed at that stage was only kept in Friesland, the breeders looked for horses with shorter legs and heavier bodies so they could work on the land during the week, pull a sulky to church on Sunday morning and be taken for a ride in the afternoon.

Up until WW11, the Friesian was used mainly on the land, or to pull a coach, the typical Friesian Gig (Sjees). The tradition of trotting races with ring spearing was held in the villages once a year. In 1960, there were only 600 Friesian horses still registered in the studbook. The breed was again threatened with extinction.

Since 1980, the breed has undergone an enormous revival, and now number about 60,000 registered purebred Friesians.

Photo Karin Sevink - of the traditional ring spearing in 18th century costume and the Friesian Sjees.

baroque, modern refer to the heaviness of the bones and build and to some extent determine its use.

Use of the breed The Friesian has been used for various purposes over the last 1000 years and therefore the breed has gone through changes in heaviness and length of leg. It has been used in harness, under saddle and in the field for agricultural work.

Nowadays, many Friesians are used under saddle (dressage, pleasure) and harness and a significant percentage are used for both saddle and harness nearly all harness horses are also ridden. It has been used for classical dressage, especially in the European circuses at liberty. The Friesian excels in movements like the Spanish walk, levade, capriole and courbette and in modern dressage in piaffe and passage. Many Friesians are now competing at the higher level of dressage, with some being successful in Grand Prix with higher scores in the free style.

Photo Karin Sevink of bareback trot races.

Photo Karin Sevink of bareback trot races.

The main trigger has been the recreational use of horses. Equestrians around the world have discovered the Friesian because of its beauty and its temperament and gentle disposition.

While the Friesian was influenced by Arabians and Spanish horses, the breed itself had influence over other breeds. The Dale and Fell Ponies, Orlov Trotter, the Oldenburg and even the Morgan are said to have been influenced by the Friesian at some point. More recently, the Friesian studbook stallion, Romke, spent 10 years in the Czech Republic being used to establish a new line in the nearly extinct Kladruber breed.

Description of the breed The colour of the breed is black, with no excepted white anywhere other than a star on the forehead the size of an Australian 50 cent coin. It has not always been black, only since the studbook was formed. The breed has been white, chestnut and roan coloured.

The hooves are blue, not white. The mane and tail are long and it is tradition not to trim it except for neatness. The legs are feathered, the fetlocks are long and coronet has long hairs covering the hooves (socks). Only a small bridle path is trimmed on the poll.

The headset is vertical and the head is noble, with not too large ears. The eyes are large and far enough apart with a slight dish in the nasal bone.

Their movement is extravagant, high stepping and with a powerful hock action bringing the legs under enough to give it power from behind and make it light in the front.

A Friesian is a horse that, by its characteristic front, abundance of hair, black colour, and roomy, elevated gaits (knee and hock action), makes a luxurious and proud impression.

The Friesian was possibly the first 'quarter horse' as they were raced over 325 metre under saddle and in harness.

There are officially no categories of Friesian horses, the terms classical,

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Some owners have ventured in the world of jousting. They are also used extensively in movies. This started in 1985 with the movie Lady Hawke, with the leading actor, Rutger Hauer playing a knight and riding a Friesian stallion called Goliath (real name Othello).

Rutger himself lives in Friesland and owns a Friesian. Many movies, especially with a medieval or fantasy theme feature Friesian Horses.

The Breeding Goal The Friesian is a breed or race of horses, bred “pure” for the last 400 years. The breeding goal has always been to preserve the characteristics of the breed. The Royal Society “The Friesian Horse Studbook”, also known as the KFPS, which is the worldwide governing body of the Friesian Horse, is based in Drachten in the Netherlands.

The current breeding goal is to breed a functionally and harmoniously built, usable horse that possesses all of the Friesian breed characteristics, that is healthy and has vitality, as well as an aptitude to perform in sport. All the sub components of these components are

reflected in the breeding program by selection criteria.

The objective is to improve the aptitude for sport in all uses. Condition for this is that the easy character and racial features of the Friesian horse are maintained, which will continue to keep the Friesian horse as an exceptional horse for recreational use.

The Friesian is a versatile horse. This does not mean that aptitude for all disciplines has to be present in all horses to the same

A recent photo of actor Rutger Hauer and his Friesian horse - photo by Janet van Ark

degree. Within the breeding goal there is room for specialisation, without having this lead to breeding different types. The breedinggoal description for exterior and movement are universal for all disciplines of use. The (added) value of the Friesian horse is such characteristics as easy to use and work with, eager to learn and intelligent, impressive and elegant, and versatile.

With the breeding of modern Friesian horses, high demands are placed on the characteristics that together determine vitality and health such as durability, health, fertility and no hereditary defects.

The fact that the Friesian has had moments where it was close to extinction, has created a relatively small gene pool and inbreeding (relation between 5 generations) as well as kinship (relation of a horse to the breed as a whole) has to be kept at low levels.

The Friesian has a higher incidence of some hereditary defects because of its “closeness” and dwarfism, hydrocephalus (water head), ruptured aortas, mega oesophagus; retained placentas are well known problems with the breed. The studbook is researching extensively

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and determining the less desirable combinations of breedings.

Since the 1960s, when only 600 purebred Friesians were still registered and all existed in the province of Friesland, the breed now has a registered population of 60,000, and is bred all over Europe, North America, South America, Australia and New Zealand and Japan and China.

Breeding a Friesian Horse The modern Friesian and the fact that the breed still exists with the same racial features is the result of a very strict breeding approach, which in essence is not different to the way the very successfully Dutch Warmblood has been developed.

The heart of the breeding is the “keuring” which is basically “quality assurance” for horses. The keuring is a process of inspection and classification that determines which register the horse will be in as an adult.

The first time in the life of a Friesian Horse that it goes to a keuring is as a foal of under 6 months, still with the dam. The next keuring event will be when the horse is ready for admission in the adult book. If a horse is of good quality, the horse can be presented at a keuring again for an upgrade in classification. For stallions, the process is even more rigid. The only way that a stallion can be admitted to the adult studbook is by being inspected and scored for exterior and movement through 3 rounds at the annual stallion show, followed by a 70 day central testing process in which aptitude, health and performance are tested.

Foals are judged on 5 aspects: racial purity, frame, development, walk and trot. For each aspect, a score

from 1 to 10 is given. Depending on the average score, the foal is classified as 1st premium quality, second premium quality, third premium quality and no premium quality. The emphasis on the weighting of the score is on racial purity and movement. A foal in Europe will be microchipped and a passport issued on the day of the keuring. Outside Europe, foals are expected to be microchipped when presented at a keuring as this is the method for identification of a horse, which is compulsory in the EU and therefore compulsory for the breed.

Admission to the studbook uses a similar system, but with much more detail. The system used is the linear scoring system. This system is used by most breed societies in Europe. It contains 25 characteristic that align with the 5 scores that determine the premiums.

For adults the 5 aspects are similar to foals, ie. Racial purity, frame, legs, walk and trot. The 25 characteristics are scored on a matrix from a score of 5 to 45, whereby the medium of the breed is 25. For some of the characteristics a score close to the medium is ideal (eg. Head not too long nor too short), while especially for movement, the higher score the better (eg. Trot weak to powerful).

Predicates The keuring system uses a number of predicates to indicate the quality of the horse, and is determined by the percentage of the population that may be awarded this predicate. The minimum age for mares and gelding to be admitted to the studbook is 3 years. They can be awarded the “star” predicate if they have obtained a 1st or 2nd premium. The quality measurement is

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Photo by BH Photo of Mary Mullin and “Thesse H.v Bellingeweer’ having a blast at dawn on Cabarita Beach, NSW - Australia.

The Friesian studbook stallion Romke was used to revive the Kladruber breed

that 30-35% of the breed meets this standard. When mares are of consistent 1st premie quality, they can become “crown” mares if their height is 158 or taller and are 4 years old. In addition they have to pass a “talent” test called IBOP. If they have been mothering a foal successfully, they become “model” at 7 years of age and have to be 160 cm or taller. Stallions are not classified by the premie system but they can become a “star”. There are a number of other predicates such as “sport”, which they obtain when the perform at a specified level. For dressage, this is medium level.

Preference is given to those horses that meet a certain

level of quality offspring.

Performance Testing Performance testing was first introduced for stallions to be admitted to the studbook and become licensed to stand at stud. After a stallion has “survived” 3 rounds of inspections of which one is in November followed by two rounds at the big Stallion show in January, they are invited to the 70 testing program. This program involves a ridden part, a driven part, and a general behaviour part.

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To me, horses and freedom are synonymous. ~Veryl Goodnight

Other performance tests are the IBOP, which is ridden or driven and the main objective is to determine the suitability and talent of the horse for dressage or driving. It’s a 10 minute test, comparable to dressage at novice level. The ABFP test is over a much longer duration, generally about 5 weeks.

The Keuring The keuring is the event in which horses are presented to the jury which consists of at least two officials trained and appointed by the KFPS. It is used to inspect and classify the foal or horse and to admit to the studbook based on its linear score. Premies and predicates are part of the classification process. The horses are presented to the judge at a halt and then in walk and trot. Most countries that have a Friesian association affiliated to the KFPS organise a keuring regularly.

Breeding Stallions The studbook stallions have all been tested for suitability

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Photo of “Izzadora’ (ownded by Fay Dent) having a blast in the surf on Cabarita Beach, NSW - Australia.

Photo by BH

and performance, as well as for semen quality and joint problems. They undergo a full X-ray of all joints and are DNA tested for the chestnut factor. After the stallion has been granted studbook status and licensed to stand at stud, he then has to be “approved on offspring”. A selection of offspring over a number of years will be performance tested through the ABFP test. If the stallion is then “approved on offspring” he will receive a permanent licence. If possible, all stallions under 13 years of age must be presented at the yearly stallion show in front of 8,000 spectators. They then compete to become the champion Friesian Stallion; Norbert 444 is the current champion.

Because of the limitations in having a licensed Friesian stallion in countries where the numbers are relatively small and importing frozen semen is difficult, the KFPS uses a system of breeding permits for foal book stallions (stallions that are not in the studbook). They are quality stallions that might have been to the stallion selections and testing but missed out by a small margin. They can be awarded a limited breeding permit on recommendation by the local association.

There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man. ~Winston Churchill

Photo of Luther Krugerand “Izzadora’ (ownded by Fay Dent) enjoying some quiet time on Cabarita Beach, NSW - Australia. Photo by BH

Breeding registers Depending on the horse’s individual status, horses may be registered in one of the 4 registers.

Entry in the main studbook is only possible for a horse of which the parents are both in the main studbook. There are 2 Sub books; Bbook I and Bbook II. The first book generally is for horses that have a dam that is registered in the mainbook or in Bbook 1 and are bred to or a foalbook stallion with a limited breeding permit or in specific cases where the Dam is in Bbook II, and is bred to a studbook stallion or a foalbook stallion with a limited breeding permit.

Breeding to a foalbook stallion without a permit, results in the offspring being registered in Bbook II. There is a D-book which is applicable in cases where the mare is bred to a FPZV (German Friesian Breeding Society) approved breeding stallion.

All books have a foal and an adult section and registers for mares, geldings and stallions.

Australia and New Zealand Australia imported the first Friesian horse in 1977, the stallion, Lyckle B. Jenny Secreve from WA was the first pioneer. Di Hill from WA was next with the importation in 1979 of the stallion Maurits Friso and 4 mares.

The Australian Friesian Horse Society was established in 1983 and started discussions in 1996 to become the official affiliated society with the KFPS. In 2000, the first keuring was held and in 2008 the society changed its name to ANZFHS to reflect the fact that it served New Zealand members as well and because the New Zealand contingent was too small to establish its own society.

New imports did not eventuate until 1991 when the colt Tjeerd and the mare Ulrika were imported, followed by Iepe Tj. From then on the imports started to “pour” in and from a small initial growth, we now have 600 registered Friesians and 150 members in Australia and New Zealand. There is currently one approved studbook stallion standing in Australia, Maiko 373, and

Photos above by ©Cally Matherly

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Photos below by ŠCally Matherly

9 foalbook stallions with a permit in Australia, and one in New Zealand.

excellent exceptions in New Zealand and Australia.

Breeding is mainly done with the studbook stallion and foalbook stallions with a permit available in Australia and New Zealand. Frozen semen is also imported from studbook stallions, but is not as successful as breeding with the local stallions. The quality of frozen semen is not always sufficient to achieve a pregnancy. Permits are only given to stallions that have an above average proven quality in exterior and movement and are also fully X-rayed, semen and DNA tested.

A number of Friesians in Australia and one in New Zealand have been awarded the “Sports� predicate, which indicates that results in equestrian sports have been obtained at a significant level.

Australia had its first keuring in 2000, New Zealand in 2006. Until 2009 the keuring was held every 3 years, after that it became a biannual event and now takes place at 6 locations throughout Australia and the North and South Islands of New Zealand.

In both countries, the Friesians have made an impact in dressage, with two Friesians stallions, Abe and Django of Cacharel competing at Grand Prix Level. Other horses are competing at medium to advanced level and some at lower levels. Not many Friesians are driven, with a few

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Identification Friesians are all microchipped and hair samples are taken for DNA verification. This is a requirement from the studbook. In the European Union this is a legal requirement and each horse is issued with a passport. Branding, illegal in the EU, is not desirable in Australia and New Zealand. The ANZFHS strongly recommends potential buyers to check the status of the horse with the registrar when buying or importing a horse.

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Horses if God made anything more beautiful, he kept it for himself.

~ Author Unknown

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The Australia & New Zealand Friesian Horse Society The Society was established in 1983 by the original importers of the two Friesian stallions and became affiliated to the Dutch worldwide studbook in 1996.

This situation with the worldwide studbook is quite unique in that now 40 societies worldwide are affiliated and are members of the WFHO (World Friesian Horse Organisation). They are working within the KFPS rules and regulations and are the official representatives. In Australia and New Zealand, membership of the KFPS is through the ANZFHS. The ANZFHS maintains membership on behalf of the KFPS and is the channel to the KFPS for breedings, registrations, transfers and breeding permits.

The KFPS is governed by a member council that meets twice a year. In the member council, foreign societies (except for Germany and North America which are both large enough to have their own representative), are represented by 3 members of the foreign societies.

The ANZFHS currently has a place in the council.

The future looks bright for the Friesian Breed in Australia and New Zealand. The results of the last keuring tour were very close to meeting the goals of the KFPS which means the quality is on par with Europe. This is a remarkable achievement considering the difficulties we experience with distances, costs of importation of horses and semen, limited access to studbook stallions, and the still relatively small population. These results are a credit to breeders in this country and promise a bright future.

Hans Maes President ANZFHS Representative of the foreign societies on the KFPS member council a

A recent photo of actor Rutger Hauer and his Friesian horse - photo by Janet van Ark

Below the ANZFHS champion for 2013

Crystal Mt

Xodó Purebred Friesian

R e g . A . N . Z . F. H . S & K . F. P. S B B I I

16hh Exceptionally trainable, 5yr old stallion.

Excellent conformation, Strong top line, Lovely elevated paces Crystal Mt Xodó scored 78.5% in his Dressage IBOP Test, Which was the highest score for both Aust. & NZ at the 2013 Friesian Keuring.

Xodo has again produced stunning foals this season all with lovely heads, his fabulous conformation and loving temperament.

Semen is available chilled and frozen.

Service Fee: $1,200.00 (Incl. $250 handling fee and 1st collection. ) L.F.G

Sandy Ph: 021 755592 sandy@crystalmountain.co.nz www.crystalmountainstud.co.nz

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Doerke 287 Wabe (Imp) Altruida Teunis 332 Id’riel TK(Imp) Tsjallinkje

Breeders of quality show and performance purebred Friesian horses

Hilwert L .

Sport

Imported Foalbook Star Stallion with KFPS breeding permit.

Nanning 374 X Ludse 305 # 200225161

Prix St George Level Dressage “Fulfilling dreams one foal at a time” Sire of ‘Nynke Van Gelder’ ANZFHS State Champion SA 2013 We have young stock for available for your consideration.

Prices start from $ 8000.00 + GST onwards

Martyn & Jo-Anne Minns PHEASANTS NEST NSW. PH: 0246841217 | martynminns@bigpond.com

www.huntingtonfriesians.com.au

Erica Lock 08-86590013 | 0448-590013 info@vangelderfriesians.com

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Hotse d.V ‘sport’ Hotse has expressive action, fluid correct gaits along with an unbeatable temperament.

Hotse won Supreme Friesian Exhibit at the Melbourne Royal last January.

Hotse d.V

Permit ‘Sport’ Ster Stallion

Hotse is currently residing in Victoria at Raven’s Lodge Friesians, located just outside of the tourist town of Portland, close to the SA border. His daily routine is a 30-40 min workout in the arena then a ride out. Hotse and his rider Brit Kirkman are currently working on perfecting all Medium movements ready for their first Medium start together in August. After their workout he comes home for a hosedown, and re plait if required, then goes out into his 5 acre paddock, that he lovingly shares with one of our partbred geldings.

Coming up for Hotse over the next 12mths are a dozen or so dressage competitions, breeding season begins again for us in October - Hotse is available to all mares via chilled semen. At the same time Show season will start, Hotse will be able to be seen at half a dozen shows in Victoria and SA, during this time Hotse and Brit will continue their training under classical coaches Manolo Mendez, Gale Brunsford and Sally Watson.

Foaling season this year for us sees 4 of our mares due to Hotse - imported mares Ilona T, Femke van de Flierthoeve and Soltsje are due from Sept to January, and frozen semen mare Teela due December. Expressions of interest being taken on these foal now.

Hotse is sponsored by Heritage Downs. www.blackswanfriesians.com

16 2hh 20/4/2002

Supreme Friesian Exhibit Melbourne Royal 2013

ph 0414 693 708

www.blackswanfriesians.com.au

BREEDERS OF QUALITY FRIESIAN BLOODSTOCK

SPONSORED BY

s n a i s e i r F l a p O Black Registered

Stock for Sale

MEMBER OF ANZFHS

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www.blackopalfriesians.com.au 0413 118 752 | peter@blackopalfriesians.com.au

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Hair In a Bucket

Successful hair growth is achieved easily in a healthy horse feed the necessary building blocks for rapid hair metabolism. Hair growth is further supported by being kept clean, maintaining natural oils and being richly conditioned to protect the hair from breakage.

mane-tail-feather@hotmail.com

mane-tail-feather.com

n i w T Twin Rivers Stud

Wilbert van Gelder (BB1)

&

Breeding for Conformation, Temperament

“Wilbert van Gelder” 2012 Australian New Zealand Friesian Horse Society Hi-Points Stallion In-Hand Showing winner

Purebred & Partbred Friesian Progeny Available Located in South West Victoria, Australia.

E: julie_misch@bigpond.com | P: +61 3 5565 1774

www.twinriversstud.com

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Age B Age B

T

op sire who wrote history at the International Dutch judging 2013 by producing 2 provisional Crown awarded mares.

A Timeless, One of a kind treasure

Looking back at 12 years of breeding history of Friesian pure bred horses at Wildcroft Friesian Horse Stud.

It all started in October 2001 when we decided to emigrate to Australia to have a better lifestyle and being able to follow a lifelong dream owning a Friesian horse!

This dream became reality in 2002 with our first 3 imported mares from the Netherlands.

We tried to breed the mares with frozen semen from the Netherlands but none of them got in foal. Friesian mares are not easy to breed with frozen semen and the semen from Friesian stallions has not much motility after freezing. Therefore we decided in 2004 to import our own stallion, a so called “ foalbook stallion with an Australian breeding permit”, that way we could have our own mares pregnant with fresh semen and starting to increase our stock.

Breeding pure-bred quality foals became our aim in life.

The demand for Friesian horses started to grow in Australia. In 2001 there were 60 registered Friesian horses and April 2013 there are more than 500 registered Friesian horses.

The stallion that we imported has uncommon bloodline in Australia and could help to diversify the gene pool as well as one that possessed the traits needed to produce offspring that would do well in sport, while maintaining the favourite traits of the Friesian and especially his wonderful temperament.

To continue our commitment to produce quality offspring we decided to import another 3 more mares but this time in foal to a Dutch studbook stallion. Lucky for us the mares gave birth to 2 fillies and 1 colt.

An extra addition to our breeding stock.

With a variety of different bloodlines of highly selected mares, within 12 years we built up Wildcroft Friesian horse Stud, one of the biggest Friesian stud nowadays in Australia with Age B as the key figure.

To maintain the quality of the Friesian horse, the Dutch Friesian studbook designed a judging model. A group of experts is responsible for this task. They travel all over the world to inspect the Friesian horses on conformation, racial type,characteristics and movement and advise in breeding. Horses that satisfy the requirements will be registered and are eligible for quality awarding; 3rd premie, 2nd premie star, 1st premie star, crown or model mares.

Stallions can only be awarded with a star. Foals can be judged till about 9 months old and be awarded with a 1st , 2nd or 3rd premie but no star.

Age B offspring to the Dutch judging ( keuring) We started to show some offspring of Age B in 2011 with horses who were 3 years and older. Some other breeders also showed their Age B foals/horses in and outside Victoria

2011 Zelke fan Wildcroft; 1st premie star mare and Champion of Victoria as well as Supreme Champion of Australia and New Zealand.

2011 Zwenneke fan Wildcroft: 1st premie star mare as well as Reserve Champion of Victoria 2011 Willem fan Wildcroft awarded star stallion (also passing the suitability test.)

2011 Sybren fan wildcroft: 2nd premie star gelding.

2011 Zaretta Tk ( outside mare) 2nd premie star Photo Zwenneke and myself 2011 Vrolijk fan Wildcroft: 3th premie mare.

2011 Wouter fan Wildcroft: 3rd premie gelding 2011 Deja Voo of Gramayre ( outside foal): 2nd premie 2011 Dakarai of Gramayre( outside foal): 3rd premie 2011 Jos of Kardella (outside foal) : 2nd premie 2013 Zwenneke fan Wildcroft awarded second time 1st premie mare and became Provisional crown, Reserve Champion of Victoria 2013 2013 Zaretta Tk (outside mare) 1st premie star mare as well as Provisional Crown,

Champion of Victoria 2013 2013 Bauke fan Wildcroft, 2nd premie star gelding 2013 Fopke fan Wildcroft; 2nd premie star mare 2013 Douwe van Akarana (outside mare) 3rd premie gelding 2013 Ed Shepherds hill (outside mare ) 3rd premie gelding 2013 Amadeus of Oakside; stallion No premie 2013 Otte fan Wildcroft; 1st premie foal 2013 Okkie fan Wildcroft 1st premie (foal So far 9 out of 19 judged offspring of Age B became 1st premie /star awarded, 4 got 3rd premie and 5 foals got a 1st ,2nd or a 3rd premie.

But the highlight of the 2013 judging was Zaretta (owned by Johanna Appleby) and Zwenneke, both daughters of Age B who were awarded with Provisional Crown, This awarding is only given to a; “Top mare with an excellent conformation and an aptitude for sport” Only 2% of Friesian mares in the world receive this status and to have it officially confirmed for life they have to pass a suitability test (IBOP).

This never happened in the history of Australia until this year.

Calculating the highly awarded star offspring and 1st and 2nd premie foals, Age B can call him self with proud a Top sire of Australia.

Owning a legend like Age B is beyond exciting. We are proud to have the honour of guardianship of such an important individual as Age B who stamps his offspring continuously with star quality. No matter the quality of the mare he always improves their offspring.

His profile; Elegantly built, powerful, elevated gaits. His character is very friendly and graciously spirited. Great willingness to work. Talented in dressage and harness.

He is an imposing presence in every respect.

www.Friesians.com.au

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*Quality bespoke couture stocks *Original leading edge & classic designs *E *Exclusive limited edition 'ARISTOCRAT' genuine vintage collection Xchange Stocks now available *International & wholesale enquiries welcome *Australian made & owned

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Friesian Horse Stud Unbeatable at the Dutch keurings with their winning ospring of their Top sire Age B.

When will you let yourself live the dream ?

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Lady Hawke Friesians

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aroota - South Australia with spectacular views of the Flinders Ranges from one side, and the gulf from the other, is the home of Ladyhawke Friesians. A cosy land in an all natural setting, the stud encapsulates the loving peaceful co-existence of horses, dogs, alpacas, cows and their dedicated owner Dora Ryan.

After successful pro sport career in Europe, and dairy farms ownership/management in New Zealand, Dora achieved her dream and goal to settle for life with horses and dogs in sunny South Australia.

A very hard worker, with heart for animals, and a special talent for communicating with them. With dedication and much love, she calls her horses and dogs “family”.

the reserve champion at the 2011 central mare inspection in Drachten.

Also Silka S -with the innocent sweet expression ever and such a people lover.. All the girls are amazing with the most wonderful of temperaments - fabulous ambassadors for this wonderful breed.

Their foals (by Ulbe), have been placed with wonderful people and given homes for life. Gaining close “forever” friends and following the growth of the foals is something Dora enjoys immensely. Waiting with anticipation for 7 new family members this year, Ladyhawke Friesians welcomes enquiries and contact from friesian lovers to our website www.ladyhawkefriesians.com.au

With the aim of becoming the biggest Friesian horse breeder in Australasia, Dora welcomes every chance to keep Ulbe’s and Cherokee’s progeny... “in the big family” Ulbe - “...My Superstar, my legend ,my love and life...” - as Dora calls him, is a real gentle giant, grew way over 17hh, an unbelievably powerful majestic mover, yet light at the same time. With drive and suppleness second to none, and the symmetrical body structure of a champion.

An accomplished trail and beach riding partner and friend. Where ever he goes - he enjoys admiration and cuddles from everyone who can appreciate his sweet nature.

The girls are also outstanding and are mostly tall sporty mares, but specifically chosen for Ulbe was Mathilde J. (Ulke 338) - half sister to the champion mare at the 2011 central mare inspection in Drachten.

Another striking member is Silke Fan Dulve (Mintse 384) - half sister to

LadyHawke Friesian Horses We Walk Together in the Shadow of a Rainbow

M: 0449 173 134 E: ddy.ned@gmail.com

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f

Royal Carousal

riesians

Located in the beautiful Salt Lake Valley in Utah, Royal Carousel Friesians is home to three magnificent stallions named FPZV approved Stallion Sam. Ster Stallion Gallahan, (invited for 70 day testing) FPZV, and the King, FPS approved breeding Stallion Feike 395 Sport.

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I

am honored to be the dressage trainer for these truly phenomenal stallions.

They never cease to amaze me with their willing attitudes, endless work ethic, and athleticism.

The owner of Royal Carousel Friesians, Annette Coester, personally runs the facility and oversees every aspect of the breeding and training programs.

With acute attention to detail, Annette ensures the highest possible standard of care.

I first saw Feike 395 at a local dressage show in the summer of 2000. I had seen many Friesians before but none like him.

He is just magnificent to behold with an athleticism to match. He leaves a lasting impression on all who see him. At the time I was training and showing another set of horses but couldn’t shake the feeling that one day, I would be the one to train him. Two years after my first introduction to Feike 395 Sport, that impression became a reality. I had never trained a Friesian before in dressage so there was a significant learning curve to navigate. When I started riding him he was at First Level, training second. To help me solidify a good foundation in our training, Annette brought the very talented Susan Wind-Bouwman in from Holland, Head trainer of Stallion testing at KFPS to work with me. Her indepth understanding of this breed was and continues to this day to be invaluable to the progression of all three stallions.

All the good care and training in the world is wonderful but it is these stallions that make this journey all the more exciting.

Sam is a highly sensitive yet sensible boy with the highest scores rarely seen in his linear score sheet given by the Judges in Holland just before he was imported with a 92.2% unbelievable.

When working with him I frequently compare him to a highly tuned sports car.

Impressive gaits with a high degree of ride-ability make this handsome horse a once-in-a-lifetime partner & Sam is Annette’s equine other half. It is clear they adore each other and make a wonderful partnership. They are now training at the Prix St Georges level with a view to attain the USDF Silver Medal. Sam has effortless extensions and wonderful tempi changes.

We are focusing on polishing his collection so that is has a true FEI flavor. Sam passes his matchless temperament and breathtaking movement on to his progeny.

If there has ever been a stallion that truly “stamps” his offspring - it’s Sam. To me the mark of a breeding stallion depends on their ability to consistently do this and Sam passes with flying colors. The next couple of years are going to see great things from Sam and Annette. FEI here we come!

Gallahan is a highly talented upper level dressage prospect. I will personally be competing on this stallion for the foreseeable future and I’m excited! He is training at 4th level and will be showing at third level this year. Our goal with him is to achieve the five scores over 65% he will need for his approval through the FPZV. He is highly intelligent and loves a challenge. It is worth noting his natural talent for passage. He has taken to this movement with ease and as I incorporate the movement into his training it has had an excelllent effect on all his other upper level work. There is also clearly no shortage of personality with this wonderful stallion and one can be sure his largerthan-life character will serve him well in the competition arena.

There isn’t much more to say about the incredible Feike 395 Sport that hasn’t already been said. I rode him recently at a local equine expo and after that experience some thoughts came to mind. Feike is the epitome of everything we all love about

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A

nnette Coester

the Friesian. He is first and foremost an ultimately noble soul. He has in his 21 years of life achieved greatly through the levels to FEI level dressage competition, attained the approval of the FPS & approval of offspring, has well over five hundred beautiful offspring throughout the world, and most importantly, has captured the hearts and imaginations of all who had had the privilege of coming into contact with him. Our goal with Feike is to keep him fit and healthy as he enjoys his golden years. He is without doubt the king at Royal Carousel Friesians!

Even though our focus is dressage, we believe in giving our stallions other challenges to keep them interested in their work. On the 5-7 April 2013 we

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Hosted the clinic to introduce her riding companions to a once in a lifetime dream of had world champion jouster Patrick being a knight/ladyknight that puts a real dose Lambke come to Royal Carousel Friesians of reality into the Weekend Warrior. to give us a clinic. I for one never thought I would ever learn these skills but we all had a tremendous time and so did the horses! On the first day we learned the various positions of holding a lance and the techniques needed to prevent fatiguing too early (these 11 foot lances are heavy!). We then had an unmounted competition with lances and shields! I must add here that Patrick’s first priority was everyone’s safety and I can speak for everyone who attended when I say none of us ever felt uneasy or unsafe.

Once we had completed the unmounted competition we all saddles up and Patrick taught us how to ride with swords. The second day proved to

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be the most challenging. First we all learned who to throw spears and javelins with pinpoint accuracy as well as use our sword fighting skills to slice apples off 5 stakes mounted in the ground all while at a spirited canter! Then we all proceeded to graduate to a level 4 jousting ability which means we all saddles up and cantered at each other taking hits on our shields from either Patrick or his assistant. We were all well protected with genuine metal armor.

Despite how drastic this sounds, it was hugely challenging but never frightening. That evening we all had a wonderful renaissance themed dinner with spectacular entertainment. The third day saw us all learning the art of sword fighting and knife throwing again all in a very controlled and safe environment. At this point we all felt like we should be on a movie set!

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I think the most important outcome of this event was what the horses came away with. Every horse there truly enjoyed themselves. It was very plain to see them all come alive and treat each new challenge with excitement! We look forward to having Patrick return and teach us and our horses more of these fun skills. a Royal Carousel Friesians is undoubtedly a place where dreams become reality. A breeding program of this stature when based upon the beauty and majesty of the Friesian horse has no choice but to have this effect on all those involved. Our training program being founded upon competitive dressage gives us the facility to experience these horses in other ways as we seek to express ourselves and discover other ancient equine skills that helped form some of the greatest civilizations known to man.

David Macmillan (Trainer of Royal Carousel Friesians) USDF Gold Medalist long listed for the Olympic’s representing South Africa, International clinician & winner of over 170 National & International Dressage Awards It is such an honour for K.E.J.A. to share Medieval Equestrian Arts with experienced dressage horses and riders at Royal Carousel Friesians in Utah. It is my goal to bring the modern art of dressage in combination with ancient war horse skills such as light armour jousting and the accompanying games. The clinic participants and their mounts had no previous experience, but did attain a level 4 competency. /This is usually achieved in weeks of training and because of the experienced riders, they were able to move up to level 4 in three days.

K.E.J.A. instructs men & women of all ages with a wide variety of equestrian skills.

I would like to thank the Colorado State University Jousting Club for their assistance in making The Edge of Magic clinic a success. CSU is the first jousting team sanctioned by a State University in the United States.

This the beginning of the sport recognition at a state level and eventually a international status. Again, I truly am greatful for having the experience of working with such unbelievable people and their mounts.

Annette, you ROCK! Patrick Lambke CEO/Manager - Knights Edge Jousting Academy – Knightsedgejousting.com 7 time World Champion Jouster Stunt Coordinator several films including, Band of Pirates, Cable Guy, Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Daus Volt, Legend of Pirates, U.S. Special Forces Navy

For information on future clinics contact: Patrick at kejajoust@gmail.com or Annette Coester anncoester@aol.com Broque Tack By: Lisa Oberman www.elsuenoespanol.com

www.royalcarouselfriesians.com 3 8.

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C

ontemporary Jousting War Horses

by Helen Daniel

Dressage maneuvers that date back thousands of years and are based on ancient battle tactics where the horses were an intrical part of the act of war. The fashionable renewed interest in medieval knights and their steeds has given the impetus to many equestrians to try a new challenge.

The Knights Edge Jousting Academy (K.E.J.A.) respects the history of dressage on the battlefield and incorporates it into the Medieval Martial Art Equine Games and Light Armour Joust.

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39.

Photos of David Macmillan riding Gallahan: of Royal Carousal Friesians

T

he first “Knight” Battle was the Battle of Poitiers, in 732 AD. It was also known as the Battle of Tours. The first reliable tournament recorded was held in Wurzburg in 1127 AD (Richard Barber). The contemporary version may not preempt national security, but has become a very popular equine activity. (picture of battle of tours) Each skill educates and prepares the student for different aspects of the joust. The running of the rings teaches accuracy and correct lance technique. The spear throw teaches accuracy and balance of the rider on their mount while in motion. The quintaine tests strength and the ability to remain on the horse during an impact with the lance. All game skills require the horse to be balanced, collected and in sync with their rider.

The joust also requires the horse to overcome natural reluctance to charge head on towards the opponent and other challenges such as the noise of impact, and the rider wearing battle gear.

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Donning battle gear was part of the new experience for 10 students in Utah at the Royal Carousel Friesians on April 5-7th 2013. The Edge of Magic production was more than just another jousting clinic. Annette Coester hosted the clinic to introduce her riding companions to a once in a lifetime dream of being a knight/ladyknight that puts a real dose of reality into the Weekend Warrior.

These weekend warriors had one advantage and that was their riding skills. Most of the participants are extremely skilled dressage riders such as David MacMillan, a USDF Gold Medalist (Dressage).

“I really enjoyed the games and working with the lance giving hits. I enjoyed the precision and artistry required to be successful. When one thinks of jousting, one has a tendency to only think of heavy armour and people falling off. However, Patrick showed us the “lighter” side of the sport which is highly enjoyable for both horse and rider”

endorses David.

“I saw a spark of life come into their eyes and they shined like a diamond. Cross training is so important for a horses athletics and attitudes”, says Teresa McCarty a USA National Champion of the AERC 50 Mile Endurance Race.

Karen Israelsen of Chase Creek Farms in Draper Utah shares her passions with four Andalusians that have participated in dressage and polo, but this has surpassed the amount of competition and fun. Karen brought her Andalusian Mare Venteesa, but was thinking that her horse just would not be suitable because she is so high strung. “No way she would be able to do this”, stated Karen. Patrick Lambke, (President of K.E.J.A.) offered to ride Venteesa and introduce her to the activities. “By the time Patrick was through, she loved it and has found her calling. You have to find a horses nitch and we found what she loves”, adds Karen. Karen expressed her appreciation of the medieval period that required a well-trained, athletic and fearless mount.

“Wonderful! THE best horse clinic I have ever attended”, promotes Karen.

Jousting has become very popular recently due to the airing of jousting shows on National Geographic, The History and Travel Channels in the past 2 years.

Knights Edge’s version of this sport is less brawn and more brains for both horse and rider. If you are searching for an exciting, challenging past time for you and your horse, consider jousting. Really! This is not about knocking each other off horses. It’s all about putting back the warrior into the dressage arena! a

David Macmillan

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Th

e Friesian Horse has a long and colorful history. Originating in the lowlands of what is today the Netherlands, the Friesian has been shaped to meet the needs of the populace many times over. The Friesian, known as Frisian in Fryslan (Friesland), has been mentioned in the literature as serving as a ‘destrier’ or knight’s horse. (Bouma, Dijkstrat and Osinga)

The Friesian Horse

in War Compiled by Laurie Bell

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riesians were from an area that spread from present day Belgium to the Weser in Western Germany, along the coast of the Frisian Sea (present day North Sea).

Fryslan dates to around 500 BC. Later this area extended beyond the borders of Denmark.

The people were seafarers, tradesmen, horsebreeders and farmers. They sailed the Frisian Sea and had a trading post in the English town of York for centuries (Bouma, Dijkstrat and Osinga). By 1000 AD the territory was restricted to the north of the Netherlands and nearby Germany. The Frisians built mounds during this time to protect their homes from increasingly high flood waters.

One can go back to primitive cave drawings to see evidence of both large and small equines. Bones of both sized equines have been found in the Frisian mounds. The researcher Labouchere groups the two large horses, Equus occidentales (Western horse) and Equus germanicus (German horse) together as one type, Equus robustus (Big horse). The Friesian Horse descends from Equus robustus.

Frisian horsemen served in the Roman Legions in what was called the Equites Singulares of Emperor Nero. Horses were known as ‘types’ or by the area

they originated during this period of history, but it can be expected that a horseman would take his own trusted mount to serve with him. Frisian horsemen also served the roman army in Great Britian in 120 AD near Hadrian’s Wall. A tombstone of such a Frisian soldier was found in Cirencester (presently Gloucestershire). photos of Photo of Patrick Lambke on Feike 395 Sport from Royal

Carousal Friesians

Broque Tack By: Lisa Oberman www.elsuenoespanol.com

An infusion of Arabian blood influenced the horse descended from Equus robustus via the Andalusian of Spain in the 1500 – 1600 time frame. This resulted in higher knee action and a small head on a craning neck. (Bouma, Dijkstrat and Osinga)

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In 1526, the Hungarian King Louis II reputedly used heavy Frisian horses in battle against the Turks. (Bouma, Dijkstrat and Osinga) Louis executed the Ottoman ambassador who was sent to collect the annual tribute to the Ottoman Empire for Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Louis was counting on the support of the Papal States to assist him but Hungary itself was in a financial shambles. The Sultan was aware of this situation and declared war on Hungary, taking Belgrade and many important castles. The Hungary army consisted of many equines including the destriers and cavalry mounts. Louis held the rest of Hungary until the Sultan made a second expedition. Louis met them in an open field for battle – the Battle of Mohacs. The Ottomans made a pincer move, catching Louis’ heavy knights and infantry in the center of a pincer move. (Wikipedia) Hungary utilized heavily armoured knights on armoured horses (Gendarme Knights) in this battle. According to the Chronicle of Dubravius, King Louis used a heavy Frisian stallion in the field against the Turks on June 15th, 1526.

H

A dog may be mans’ best friend, but the horse wrote history. ~Author Unknown

istorians of the Friesian breed note that the Electoral Prince George William (Georg Wilhelm) of Prussia imported Frisian horses. Prince George William, of the Hohenzollern Dynasty, ruled the Margoravate of Brandenburg and the Duchy of Prussia from 1595-1640. He paid homage to the King of Poland. History shows he attempted to remain neutral during the 30 Year War, but was unsuccessful and his country suffered greatly during the war.

When the Swedish were defeated in 1634, Prince George William withdrew Brandenburg from the war and signed the Peace of Prague with Emperor Ferdinand II on May 30, 1635. He further withdrew from his leadership role in 1637 and lived in retirement until his death. (Wikipedia) Friesian horses would have served in the 30 Year War. The army of the Netherlands had a history of utilizing horses. In 1884 the Internal Agriculture Exchange in Amsterdam showed research that only 21 Friesians were acquired by the army that year, most army horses by

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this date were from the Oldenburg stock. The army needed saddle horses with a strong canter for the cavalry, but still needed heavier types for artillery and to pull equipment. The government paid well for horses and still had a strong enough need for horses after 1880 to continue to stay in the breeding business. The army was involved in several stud farms and breeding stations in the Netherlands.

Slowly this need changed to breeding for transportation (saddlehorses or carriage horses) and breeding for sports.

The strong relationship between the Friesian Horse and the army of the Netherlands is exemplified by the 4th Armoured Infantry Battalion, known as the ‘Johan Willem Friso’. This infantry battalion was housed at Zuidlaren and had a Friesian colt as a mascot. The colts would be sold when they reached one year of age and another colt would take the honor of mascot. This lasted until 1990 when the Battalion moved location. (Bouma, Dijkstrat and Osinga) a

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47.

Nuno oliveira the greatest equestrian

intelligence of the 20th century

Preface to the book by

Jean Philippe (JP) Giacomini

A

t sixteen, I started my quest for a higher form of Horsemanship. Simply said, I was trying to get a clue on the How-and-Why of what I had been doing on horseback ‘by the seat of my pants’. I had ridden lots of colts, done a bit of eventing, show-jumping and rode (without great success) in steeplechase races. My new passion was dressage and I had trained a few horses to do my bidding, in some approximate way. Prompted by the encouragements of my mentor Georges Caubet, who was one of the early French visitors to the school of the Portuguese classical master Nuno Oliveira, and after a day spent watching Michel Henriquet ride his wonderfully trained horses, I realized that there was more to riding than I had experienced thus far. As a result, I visited Portugal for the first time to study for one month with Oliveira during the holidays. The day I arrived at his school, the Master casually asked me if I knew how to do a ‘shoulder-in’ and I assured him that I did. “Can you do a ‘half - pass’?”

I got a little suspicious of where this conversation was leading. With already less assurance, I told him that: “Yes, I have done some”. “How about a circle?”

AN EXCITING NEW BOOK ABOUT THE TEACHINGS OF A MASTER:

“THE WISDOM OF NUNO OLIVEIRA” by Antoine de Coux, Xenophon Press In editing The Wisdom of Master Nuno Oliveira, I found myself running to my wife, also an avid dressage rider and saying to her: “This is the most coherent dressage book ever written.”

Unlike what Nuno Oliveira wrote, this book tells us what he actually said, in clinics and courses over a long period of time. Often, when an author goes to write down his thoughts, those are not as immediate, practical, accessible, and stripped down to the essence as they are uttered in a live riding lesson. To our great fortune, Antoine de Coux loved to scribe and took down a wealth of extremely descriptive material during the one-month-long courses Nuno gave 4 8.

in Belgium each year. Nuno’s themes of advice for both the horse’s training and the rider’s education are repeated often, and in subtly different ways. J.P. Giacomini, himself a student of Oliveira and a friend of De Coux has not only excellently translated the well-organized French text but anticipated the gaps in understanding and ‘shorthand’ language used in Nuno’s clinic settings and has generously rounded out the concepts with many excellent notes. This book comes as close to ‘having a lesson with Nuno Oliveira’ as we (who may not have had the good fortune to meet him) are going to get.

Richard F. Williams, Publisher Xenophon Press Preserving Classical Equestrian Literature Xenophon Press on Facebook

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All Illustrations by Jean Louis Sauvat, from the book “ Equestrian Sketches”, N. Oliveira and J.L. Sauvat, Belin publisher

In a little voice, I uttered: “I think I can”, preparing myself for some form of rebuke. Instead came his tonguein-cheek, yet sincere, answer: “You are one lucky rider: I have been attempting to ride a perfect circle for 40 years and I hope I will soon succeed”. In this ironic statement lays the entire secret of horsemanship: rather than exclusively pursuing the pride of showing-off one’s talent by performing difficult tricks (or higher levels of

competition), a dedicated rider must always work at perfecting the simplest exercises. Four and a half decades later, I am still studying the aids of the perfect circle and trying to remember how HE did it.

the stud and himself a very distinguished disciple of Master Oliveira. In Alter I rode all the stallions previously trained by Athayde and Dr. Borba, as well as many more colts, following Oliveira’s approach.

This was my introduction to the mind of the man who became my teacher and the inspiration of my professional life. Forty six years later, the translation of this important book brings back to my memory the sentences I heard over and over in the tiny indoor manège of the Quinta da Chafariz in Povoa de Santo Adriao, a few miles from Lisbon. During that first visit, I met Antoine de Coux who was also on his first voyage to the place he would return to for many years. We became fast friends and I later visited Antoine in Belgium.

He had a wise attitude acquired through many years on the judicial bench and an inquiring mind passionate about his discovery of dressage. I returned for a year in 1970, which I spent riding Oliveira’s wonderful schoolmasters.

More importantly, I had the opportunity to start five young stallions under his daily supervision. This experience instilled in me the fundamental importance of impulsion through forward movement as the basis for all training. Later on, I took a job as assistant trainer at the National Stud of Alter do Chao (where the Alter Real horses of the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art are bred). For nearly four years at the stud, I was the student of Dom Jose Athayde, head rider of

I lost contact with Antoine and it is not without emotion that I read the amazing work of compilation of all those notes he had taken tirelessly during two and a half decades of loyal and attentive study. They contain many repetitions that are used to underline the preoccupation of Oliveira with some fundamental concepts he held dear and it was Antoine’s hope that this system would really etch these ideas in the mind of the readers who had not benefitted from Oliveira’s direct teaching. To help the reader better understand the context of each advice that is not selfexplanatory, I have taken the liberty to insert notes in brackets to clarify the ideas expressed, all based on my own observations of his training. It is my hope that the English speaking readers will find these added notes helpful to their understanding of the work. To paraphrase Norman Maclean’s “A River Runs Through It”, we could say of Nuno Oliveira: “To him, all good things - dressage as well as eternal salvation come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy”. This book is about making the art of training horses a little bit easier for the many admirers of Master Nuno Oliveira eager to know his secrets.

Nuno Oliveira was a spiritual man deeply interested in the human condition and in his art, dressage, as a vehicle for the elevation of the soul. If his teaching was inspired by his artistic aspirations and got him lost into philosophical musings from time to time, he never forgot that for him as well as for his students, “art doesn’t come easy”. His teaching was always very practical: a few basic principles we must always remember and a thousand details that take a long time to observe, understand and master. He had learned his craft through a very long and intense practice of training literally hundreds of horses into all the difficulties of Equestrian Art, but also by reading all the French books he found in the library of one of his early patrons, Manuel de Barros.

Oliveira’s work was a perfect synthesis of intelligent and selective erudition with an immense experience. It is our luck to be able to benefit from the results of this rare combination.

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on La Guérinière, Steinbrecht or Baucher and the multiplication of his techniques adapted to the many training situations he had encountered. All of his choices were not made in blind reverence to the past but because they were supremely effective while always respecting the emotional, mental and physical well being of the horse.

In his clinics and his daily lessons at his farm, most of the students were under the spell of his mystique and they adored deciphering the sometimes cryptic advice and the entertaining stories, but the ones who really succeeded later as horse trainers paid attention to the minutiae of what Oliveira taught. A famous general said, in essence, that “in love as in war, success resides in the execution”.

This is also completely true of horse training.

Sometimes there are apparent contradictions in what the Master said, but that is because there are many practical exceptions to the rules according to the horse, to the moment and to the goal pursued. To quote again Norman Maclean’s “A River Runs Through It”, which tells us a lot of interesting things about acquiring mastery: “That’s one trouble with hanging around a master - you pick up some of his stuff, like how to cast into a bush, but you use it just when the master is doing the opposite.” I hope the notes included in the text will explain as much as possible some of the conditions in which Oliveira’s teachings were applied.

Oliveira insisted that he was, above all, interested

His exceptional equestrian intelligence resided in the fact that he knew when to do what and how much and which author’s advice was useful at which moment and which advice had no real value. in results much more than in dressage theories, though he knew them all. His exceptional equestrian intelligence resided in the fact that he knew when to do what and how much and which author’s advice was useful at which moment and which advice had no real value. Oliveira’s art was greater than the sum of all the knowledge he assembled from the relevant authors who came before him. He had a unique perspective on dressage because he really “owned” all the information he had acquired through trying out the techniques he learned from the books. The master told me once in a conversation: “I have tried everything in dressage”, he meant every technique, every bit, every rein, until proven useful or useless.

He had no taboos or dogmatic allegiance. Thanks to that immense curiosity he discovered the ideas that led to the simplification of his principles based either 5 0.

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One of Oliveira’s leading preoccupations is the lightness of the horse’s response to the aids, which implies that the rider always tries to do less whenever possible, but never hesitates to do as much as warranted by occasional resistances. He relentlessly insists that this lightness must be the result of a constant impulsion rather than the pernicious abandonment of the contact.

His driving idea is the roundness of the horse: the slight lift of the back, the tilting of the pelvis, the soft arching of the neck.

Another leading concept is the cadence that must be as slow as possible without losing an ounce of energy. Though you will find many mentions of putting weight on the back end of the horse in order to make sure the balance is not on the forehand, the equilibrium Oliveira preferred was quite horizontal with equal weight on both ends of the horse, as we can see in his pictures and movies. He did not elevate the poll very much like Baucher Second Manner (an idea he abandoned after a period of exploration in his youth), nor did he lower the quarters as much as La Guérinière did. He preferred a conservative approach that did not force the horse and built the collection by the engagement of the hind legs under the body rather than reporting weight backward by the incessant use of half-halts as in the German system. In Oliveira’s mind this is the true difference between true collection and compression. To him, training collection consists of applying “a million ‘comprehensive effects’ (‘Effet d’Ensemble’ that relaxes the horse under the combined effect of the spurs and hand), followed by a million ‘yielding of the aids’ (‘Descente de main et de jambes’)”. The result is a horse that stays in self-carriage as “on freedom on parole” and “enjoys himself in the airs and movements he is performing”.

A particularity of Oliveira’s work was the very slow, but very energetic walk he preferred to practice the gymnastic exercises that he used systematically to develop suppleness, balance and straightness. This slow walk was one of his signatures and the way he managed to create that much energy in the walk had a lot to do with his other great achievement: slow, calm and elevated piaffes. The book contains many practical advices on sequences of exercises designed to resolve particular problems, in particular the work of young horses. Great detail is given on the use of the shoulder-in that Oliveira calls the “aspirin of equitation” because of its value in resolving so many problems. Of note is the use of his rational approach to counter-canter that is different from the accepted practice and permits a much earlier improvement of the balance at the canter. The Master had no qualms about using draw reins when necessary and explains their positive use in several applications.

All of this work collected through twenty years of lessons observed by Antoine de Coux in real time is eminently useful and deserves to be read over and

...he loved his horses and his horses loved him back over until fully absorbed.

Oliveira’s work may be called classical, but a better description would be “classic” because it is a work for the ages that represents the culmination of four centuries of development of the Art. He achieved real equestrian wisdom through the selection he made for our benefit of all the concepts developed before him.

Oliveira’s work cannot be hijacked by one faction or another as it is not based on any dogmatism or political correctness.

It is “reality training” at its best and it is applicable to all fields of horsemanship.

After my years of study in Portugal, and a stay in Spain, I eventually ended up in England training international level dressage, eventing and show jumping horses and I never had to deviate from the training principles I learned under Oliveira and his disciple Dom Jose Athayde. Though

“JP Orion”, 7 year old Luso-Spanish Stallion by the pure Veiga stallion Hipogrifo, bred and trained by JP, here in a Piaffe to Passage transition.

I have added a few techniques of my own to resolve the many problems that appear with the remedial horses I frequently encounter, I have always gone back to the teachings of Nuno Oliveira as the core of my approach during the hundreds of clinics I have given since I left Portugal in 1975.

I am grateful to Xenophon Press for the opportunity of translating this major book because it made me the first beneficiary of its benefits by reminding me of all I forgot.

Oliveira is single handedly responsible for the emergence of Portugal as a beacon of good horsemanship in the 20th century.

Through his disciples Dr. Guilherme Borba and Dr. Joao Filipe Graciosa, he has influenced the formation of both the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art and the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art. In turn, many of those riders have become successful competitors and teachers and are now influencing new generations of excellent riders. There is a fallacy today that classical dressage is different from

competition dressage. Michel Henriquet, the French disciple of the Master demonstrated this concept of unity of good horsemanship by brilliantly training his wife Catherine to become French dressage champion and an Olympic rider.

This supposed difference between classical and competition work is only true in the sense that some riders choose to ignore the concept of lightness and get away with it because judges are bound to grade what is in front of them, not the method by which the horses have been trained.

My belief, based on a long experience, is that Nuno Oliveira’s teachings can be used to train any kind of horse for the FEI disciplines just as much as horses trained purely for art’s sake.

Horsemanship is in constant change through the breeding of better and better horses, the much increased frequency of clinics by international experts and the access we are gaining to the work of good riders in all corners of the world through the internet video sites. Somebody may well improve on Oliveira’s contribution to horsemanship but it will only happen if the next innovator has first studied his work in-depth and practiced on a lot of horses in order to add to the existing knowledge, not delude himself in re-inventing what has already existed for a century or two.

There is no revolution in horsemanship, only evolution and Master Oliveira is the standard of today.

On a final note, I want to recall a conversation that stuck in my memory.

It happened in 1970 when I was back in Portugal studying dressage full time. During the morning class, as Master Oliveira was growing impatient with the eight or ten of us frustratingly struggling with the difficulties of self-control on a horse, he stopped us in our tracks. Adopting the dramatic stance that he used when delving away from Haute Ecole into philosophical digression, he asked: “Why do you ride horses?” One by one, embarrassed by having to publicly reveal our unresolved equestrian secrets, we muffled some unsatisfactory answers. Eventually, the Master articulated his profession of faith: “I ride horses because I love them.”

All of us remained silent, oscillating between embarrassment and cynicism.

The great Master could not just have that reason alone to ride horses, did I think in the certainty of my twenty years of age.

Well, he did! His riding demonstrated what he declared: he loved his horses and his horses loved him back. Riding was a romantic endeavour for Master Oliveira.

His passion for his personal horses was only equalled by his fascination for the

training process that he had studied in depth, supremely practiced and improved significantly for the common benefit of horses and humans. His passionate life may have sometimes reflected a very

complex personality, but when he was on a horse (which was most of his waking hours), he was disciplined and selfless, yet completely involved in the artistic emotions that made his soul resonate. I believe he was happy in a profound way when he was on a horse. The more time went on, the more his conversation and his writings reflected a deep concern for the morality of horsemanship. His life, like the ones of many great artists, seemed a battlefield between the erring of the ego and his divinely inspired love for his equine partners with whom he practiced his chosen media, Equestrian Art. I think love definitely won. a Jean Philippe Giacomini Translator and devoted disciple

Autographed copies can be obtained by

emailing: jpgiacomini@gmail.com as well as some rare copies of “Equestrian Sketches” (text in French and English) JP spent a year studying with Nuno Oliveira and four years as an assistant trainer to Dom Jose Athayde at the National Stud of Alter Real. He trained his first of 15 Grand Prix dressage horses when aged 17 and rode horses trained

by French, German and Portuguese masters. J.P. has helped more than 10,000 remedial horses during 45 years of teaching in 13 countries and is widely considered a master at training Piaffe and Passage with very different breeds. He owned and trained the famous Lusitano show-jumper Novilheiro (leading British money earner of his time) and invented the relaxation technique known as “Endotapping”. P also trained Eventing European Championships Gold and Silver medalists Mystic Minstrel and Gurgle The Greek . With his wife Shelley, they breed Lusitanos and Andalusians In Kentucky, USA (www.baroquefarmsusa.com).

For more information about JP, go to www.jpgiacomini.com or visit his educational site www.EquusAcademy.com

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51.

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A Friesian Warmblood is a horse that is at least 25% of proven Friesian blood and is bred as a sport horse.

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Friesian Warmblood is a horse that is at least 25% of proven Friesian blood and is bred as a sport horse. They are renowned for having a wonderful temperament as well as strength, stamina and a ‘look at me’ presence.

Because of the different breeding combinations their exterior appearance can vary from a finer sport horse type to a more solid Friesian type. The objective is to blend the wonderful characteristics of the Friesian, such as temperament, strong bone composition and balanced elastic movement with a complimentary breed to increase agility, lightness and stamina. Any colour is acceptable and although the ideal height is over 15hh under height horses are also accepted for registration.

The Australian Friesian Warmblood Horse Society Inc was formed in 1998 and keeps a register of Friesian Warmblood horses throughout Australia. The AFWHS is a National Society that promotes and sponsors classes at shows, holds annual Hi-point awards, organizes member gatherings, both mounted and unmounted and provides members with regular newsletter updates.

The Society is currently developing a Stud Book to enhance the quality of the Australian Friesian Warmblood Horse and provide a more extensive system of registration.

There is a State Representative in each state to allow members easy access to information and personal contact with the committee through their Representative. It is the goal of the AFWHS to give guidance and support to owners and breeders of Friesian Warmblood Horses, as well as to educate the general public about this wonderful breed.

The potential of a Friesian Warmblood for any discipline should not be overlooked. You can see

Friesian Warmbloods out competing in dressage, showing, eventing, jumping, harness and western events, as well making a reliable trail and pleasure riding horse. They are also known to work well with cattle and sheep, and are very versatile animals.

With so many quality breeders across Australia, there are plenty of opportunities to view these magnificent horses no matter where you are located.

Photographer: Andy G Williams Model: Jessica Maney Hair and Make-up: Kriss and Make Up

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The Society was formed in 1998 and keeps a register of horses across Australia. It promotes and sponsors classes at shows, holds annual Hi-point awards and organizes fun activity days for its members.

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57.

Incorporating ‘Exercises in Opposition’© 2013 and ‘Aids in Opposition’© 2013

The 3 C’s of Dressage

&

Calm, Confident Connected

Part 4

Bar rie Stratton Barrie riding Lipizzaner stallion ‘224 Conversano Allegra V. Photo by Anna Melton

Full time international dressage coach and trainer National ‘A’ level Dressage Judge, Judge Educator and Mentor

A simple formula used to school and assess horses, as well as coach riders By Barrie Stratton

5 8.

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Part 3 in this 3Cs series highlighted the necessity of ‘Adapting to The Horse’s Needs’ when developing a movement or exercise. The examples given were during the schooling of leg yield and piaffe. I commented in my example of schooling the piaffe that the rider and I had already formulated a way to optimise the horse’s warm up period prior to that work. This article will examine work on improving the horse’s paces, which also relates to the way we would warm the horse up in preparation for a competition or training session.

Ensure your horse is sound and pain free

Although part 2 of the 3Cs series included the importance of ensuring your horse is sound and pain free prior to schooling, I will stress the importance of that once more. A skilled equine chiropractor can make the world of difference to how your horse will be able to perform. The vet and equine dentist also play important roles to ensure the horse’s readiness for schooling. Your horse may not have readily recognisable signs of unsoundness, but from my experience, the chiropractor / vet / dentist can on occasions transform the horse’s ability to perform well beyond what was otherwise possible.

proportionately carrying more weight than in the less collected paces.

When this combines with a good connection through the top line of the horse (throughness) from back to front, the neck is raised and arched. If the rider has to raise their hands to assist the neck elevation, then engagement is inadequate and there is no clear self carriage. In this scenario the horse will be tense in its mouth and stiff through its poll, neck and back. This leads to the horse becoming a ‘leg mover’ rather than being well engaged with a supple top line and displaying the desirable qualities of a ‘back mover’.

Some examples of what ‘quality paces’ look like.

The walk A walk consists of 4 clear beats, should be rhythmical, marching and relaxed, as opposed to being tense and full of anticipation of what is about to come next. As in Yoga for humans, a horse in walk should be focused, unstressed and fully there in the moment. The walk should demonstrate a genuine purpose and desire to move forwards with good activity, but balanced and without rushing. These qualities should be present for all walks including: • Free walk • Medium walk • Collected walk • Extended walk

The trot The trot also displays a steady rhythm, but has the added quality of impulsion in this 2 time gait. This implies a moment of suspension between the grounding of the diagonal pairs of legs. The trot should remain supple and swinging, with the quality of elastic suspension developing to a higher degree as the schooling advances. This is similar to the progress of a ballet dancer who spends a little less time on the ground as they become stronger, more supple and over all skilled. When competing in Advanced level dressage, our tests state at the top of the page for the first time in the sequence of tests, that the movements should be clearly cadenced. This development of cadence can assist in helping the horse to progress to passage and piaffe in the future.

Different paces in trot include: • Working trot • Medium trot • Collected trot • Extended trot

The Canter The canter is a gait with footfalls of 3 beats broken up into 6 phases, the final phase being a moment of suspension. The importance of impulsion and a clear moment of suspension is a requirement for a well defined canter. Without that well defined moment of suspension, the canter lacks jump and is limited in its potential during schooling. Flying changes, half passes and pirouettes can become a real struggle without an uphill tendency and moment of suspension. The steps should always be light and the horse remain supple through the poll. As with the trot, the cadence in canter needs to be well developed by the time Advanced level dressage competition is started. This gives added grace and beauty to the canter work and assists with the schooling of those previously mentioned movements of flying changes, half passes and pirouettes.

Summarising what helps lead to quality paces.

To achieve these desirable qualities in the gaits and various paces, the horse needs to have a good work ethic (see part 2 of the 3c series), be well engaged and display the 3Cs qualities of calm, confident and connected. The rider’s ability to harmonise with the horse is also essential, as this encourages free flowing paces. We further need to recognise that in all the paces, the horse needs to be responsible for carrying itself. The more collected the pace becomes, the more arched and elevated is the neck carriage. This is achieved by the hind quarters

Ponderosa Stud Royal Dancer ridden by Ruth Schneeberger. The mare is keen to please and shows here a free flowing, well engaged trot.

Giving the horse confidence so it can produce quality basic paces under saddle The first step to take which will lead to a high standard of dressage is through building a solid foundation of the basic paces. This needs to be set in place before too much schooling of lateral or advanced work. Circles and corners should not be too challenging and performed on a relatively large radius, thereby assisting the horse to maintain a reasonable rhythm and cadence. It is at this fundamental stage of schooling that we need to ride the horse in a clearly balanced way.

Through balance, the horse finds a steady rhythm. Following on from establishing this, the qualities of suppleness, cadence and a more refined acceptance of contact develop. By keeping the work uncomplicated, together with being ridden in a skilled and harmonious way, the horse’s trust and respect for the rider develops and so does his over all confidence and work ethic. (See article 2 of this 3Cs series)

The skilled rider who harmonises with and encourages their horse An effective rider who is in harmony with the horse will obtain good engagement without the continued use of a whip or spurs.

Conversely, a rider who employs an excessive use of legs or reins easily blocks the horse’s energy or causes the horse to be come irritated and constrained.

Ideally, the rider’s pelvis gives the control, the torso the strength and stability, while the arms and legs are mere accessories. (See the 2nd article of the 3Cs series.)

Shoulder-in on straight lines or circles is a good exercise to improve the rider’s ability to co-ordinate the rein and leg aids. This gives a combined effect of those aids (l’effet d’ensemble), which helps to round the horse’s top line and develop a more supple and elastic way of going. The father of modern equitation, de la Gueriniere 1688-1751, called shoulder-in “the alpha and omega of dressage”.

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Pic 1,2 & 3 - Lipizzaner stallion 224 Conversano Allegra V ridden and ownded by Annette Mitchell during the early stages of developing Pesade.

During this process, the ‘aids in opposition’ to his natural tendencies are employed to maintain balance and straightness.

But here again, as mentioned in the previous article (part 3 in the 3cs series), we need to adapt to each horse’s particular needs, and some horses may not benefit from performing the shoulder-in on a circle. In some cases it can result in the horse evading engagement and avoiding athleticism. So a skilled instructor’s eye would assist with this sort of decision making.

Riding with precision and good engagement of the horse are the keys to enhancing the paces Precision is a key objective for the rider.

A well engaged horse is essential for the development of quality, well defined paces, and to achieve that engagement, circles must be ridden perfectly round, together with all other arena work being performed with the same accuracy. By using this approach the horse’s balance, engagement, rhythm and suppleness are enhanced, resulting in cadence or elastic suspension becoming more evident in the way the horse is moving. So as the horse progresses from Novice to Elementary level dressage where collection is required, 6 0.

the quality of cadence needs to begin its true development, for the rider to feel and the onlooker to observe.

Allpaces must remain free flowing while developing the more cadenced way of going. The skilled rider, whose qualities were described in the previous paragraph, always encourages the freedom of movement. I am emphasising this because horses can learn to use a cadenced trot or canter as an avoidance to move forwards. The fluid and elastic expression of the horse can again be compared to the ballet dancer I earlier mentioned in this article under the heading of ‘The Trot’.

As mentioned earlier, by progressively developing the paces in this manner, the horse’s work develops in a way which leads to the paces of piaffe and passage evolving in a natural manner.

This is in contrast to those movements being taught as new exercises quite separate from the previous schooling. In this second case scenario, we sometimes see Grand Prix tests executed with Medium level paces, instead of horses with a high degree of self carriage displaying the well defined and cadenced steps expected at that ‘finished’ level.

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Enhancing the paces through recognising engagement problems Observe whether your horse’s engagement and impulsion qualities are enhanced mainly in trot or canter, and whether the paces are better defined by him on the left or right rein. This observation helps you to plan your warm up, making early use of the gait and rein that will best improve the quality of work and subsequent self carriage.

As each training session commences, the choice of either left or right rein to initially work on may be either the way the horse bends more easily towards or else be its stiffer side. These stiff or supple lateral characteristics are not the main factors which help you decide which direction to commence working your horse to obtain the best result which sets the standard for the weaker rein. The choice of rein to be used for the initial work in a session is determined by the direction the horse will best define its paces.

Once work is established as going well on the preferred rein and in the preferred gait, then try to maintain the quality of work while changing to the other rein or gaits. Initially, only

spend as much time on the less preferred rein as the horse can maintain quality work, and then change back to the other rein to reinforce the quality. The same procedure applies to the gaits. Remember that every moment of riding the horse is a learning moment for them, and we need to take the best advantage of that situation.

Some indicators which draw our awareness that the horse lacks engagement

1. During the trot, it is noticed that the horse’s head and neck

are unsteady, or the forehead is nodding. This indicates that the engagement and throughness qualities are not sufficient. In error, the rider may use stronger rein aids to try to frame the horse into a rounder, steadier head carriage. This may well result in a tense horse with the added problems of loss of fluidity, stiffness and crookedness.

2. In the collected walk we may see that the pace lacks the vigorous and heightened activity expected, and the neck lacks the raised and arched elevation. This suggests an improved engagement is required together with the rider showing an understanding of how collection in the walk should be ridden. The collected walk will always suffer if there is a lack of self carriage and the rider uses excessive reins and/or legs. It is in a pace like this where there is not the natural momentum of trot or canter that rider error becomes most evident.

3. During the canter we may observe that the horse is tending to hurry and be on the forehand, lacking jump as well as the moment of suspension between strides. We again have a situation where the rider needs to ride with more precision, correctly using their back to support their accurately timed and applied rein and leg aids. They need to ride each step of the canter directly from the first stride, and not come to realise after 3 steps of canter that the horse is already hurrying and tending onto the forehand. As with the collected walk example, the rider needs to ensure that the horse achieves self carriage, through the correctly co-ordinated use of their aids, ensuring harmony between themselves and the horse. Using this approach, engagement will improve.

4. My final example of a horse lacking engagement is one where a horse may be giving an elevated, cadenced trot but has occassional irregularity of steps and lack of freedom. It is likely that this horse has been blocked by the rider in their attempt to demonstrate an extravagant trot stride. The horse is not going to be calm, confident and connected while being ridden like this, and so the engagement suffers.

Corrective methods to improve the horse’s paces and athleticism

This is instead of persevering with the poor trot, determined to make the horse work properly and only marginally achieving the result that was made by using the assistance of the canter.

I often find that by using this sort of approach, as schooling progresses with the horse, the trot eventually improves and the use of the canter as an engaging tool to improve the trot becomes less necessary.

• ‘Exercises in opposition’, or the horse leaving its comfort zone.

Let us assume we have a horse that tends to drift into its left shoulder and avoid a lateral left bend. He also finds his comfort zone by 2 tracking with his hind quarters to the right.

I will give an example of several corrective exercises that could be used for positive results that would help straighten and improve the engagement of the horse.

Place the horse on a 20 metre diameter circle to the right to do shoulder-in right. I find that trot is usually the best gait to use but the rider should be adaptable to try the other gaits if need be. The trot should be of a good quality and an angle of approximately 3 tracks, so that it is of sufficient angle to challenge the horse’s athleticism, but not so much angle that would interfere with the quality of the trot. The rider must ensure that the horse is balanced with equal weight in each shoulder. The outside left rein needs to be effectively used to avoid the horse seeking his comfort zone by loading his outside shoulder. The rider’s left hand must not cross the withers as this would invite the horse to lean on that rein.

The rider’s right leg is a little behind the girth to help keep the hind quarters on the 20 metre circumference line of the circle. Essentially, during this exercise the horse is being balanced between the left rein and right leg, teaching the horse to assume the position which is contrary to what it has found comfortable in the past. When executed well by the rider, in addition to schooling the horse, this exercise helps to improve the rider‘s co-ordination of their rein and leg aids, and their harmony with the horse.

Following this lateral exercise which uses the combined effect of rein and leg, horses will frequently show significant improvement of carriage, contact and connection. Engagement and quality of pace will have been enhanced and can be maintained by the rider ensuring that on returning to one track, the horse remains balanced between the left rein and right leg.

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To enhance the horse’s paces, we need to reverse whatever tendencies that the horse is displaying to avoid engagement.

This means that we need to design a program of ‘exercises in opposition’, that takes a horse out of its comfort zone which, for example, may be drifting into a shoulder or moving crookedly on 2 tracks.

By us tactfully riding the horse so that it does the opposite of what makes it feel comfortable, the horse will improve its athleticism, engagement and quality of paces.

• Making use of specific gaits and paces An example has been previously given of a horse which nods its head in trot and lacks engagement and self carriage. If the canter of the same horse indicates a steadier head carriage as a result of improved engagement compared to that in the trot, then by performing the canter work during the warm up process prior to very much trot being done, you will often find that on returning to the trot, the engagement is significantly better then it had been prior to the canter work. w w w. bar o q u e hors e m ag azi nE.com

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Then the horse remains straight and becomes much more responsible for carrying itself.

Another exercise is to take the outside track going large on the left rein at either rising or sitting track. The quality of the pace is once again our priority, so we adjust our riding accordingly.

Perform shoulder-in on the left rein to assist with developing the horse’s left bend. If the horse is particularly reluctant to giving a left bend then shoulder-fore may be a better option. The horse has the tendency to want to send its hind quarters out to the right, so the smaller angle of shoulder-fore may better achieve the desired suppling and re-balancing result.

A skilled rider may also have a beneficial outcome with a horse that is particularly stiff on the left rein by performing shoulder-fore on a 20 metre circle to the left, but the angle of the horse’s shoulders to hips must only be minimal. The hind quarters must not swing out to the right.

When doing shoulder-in right on the long side, the rider must again balance the horse between the left rein and right leg, ensuring the horse is giving a clear 3 track displacement with hind quarters staying on the outside track, and the horse not loading or running onto its left shoulder.

The movement of half pass left performed on a shallow angle with a good forward tendency will also athletically improve the horse with these particular characteristics. Conversely, the half pass right may well benefit the horse by executing it on a steeper angle, which will also take the horse out of its comfort zone. It is another ‘exercise in opposition’, contrary to the way the horse would prefer to go. When well executed and a good quality of pace is maintained, both of these half pass schooling exercises will serve to enhance the ultimate standard of the movement of half pass.

You will find with this horse and its particular tendencies, that when developing his cadenced trot or canter, the left rein and right leg will remain significant tools to keep the horse straight and help enhance the engagement, impulsion and elastic suspension. Examples of other areas which will improve include: • the balance and quality of paces during transitions • the engagement in a collected canter when approaching a pirouette • the straightness of flying changes • the amplitude of the extended canter • the quality of the piaffe and passage • the definition of the walk paces • in reality, all of its dressage work

45 degrees to the ground, the horse still requires the same corrective ‘aids in opposition’ to his natural tendencies of preferred position and crookedness. By applying this principle, the rider avoids crookedness occurring as the horse commences to load its hind quarters for the movement.

• In summary If the rider effectively develops better balance and self carriage of the horse, then the horse will become more responsive and straight, so that the corrective measures described will become less necessary.

When the horse no longer seeks its former comfort zone, it thinks less of its own well-being or self preservation. The rider is then rewarded with trust and respect and so harmony between horse and rider grows and the paces can develop to a high standard. This is another aspect of our riding which leads to achieving the 3Cs of dressage and having a calm, confident and connected horse. a Barrie Stratton

As a professional coach and trainer, Barrie has guided riders and horses to achieve Grand Prix level dressage. Many have competed successfully at National Championships, CDI-N and CDI-W competitions.

The above text is © Barrie Stratton 2013

• Accurately applying the ‘aids in opposition’ These left rein and right leg re-balancing and engaging aids are specific to this horse described above. They are never used with severity, rather in an intermittent pulsing or tapping manner. When applied with feel and tact, the horse remains calm, respectful and responsive. The desirable end result of this procedure is for a horse to use its hind legs in an equal manner.

The horse then offers the rider an equal acceptance of the contact of both left and right reins and legs.

• Assessing each horse

We need to assess each horse that we school to determine which shoulder they fall into as well as recognising any straightness problems. By doing this with the assistance of a skilled instructor, you can determine the corrective aids that will take a horse out of its comfort zone and improve the paces. Recognising the ‘aides in opposition’ specific to each horse is essential knowledge for you to have, when striving to perform quality dressage.

• Movements of the Haute Ecole… …The same principal applies.

The same principle applies when schooling the movements of the Haute Ecole. For example, during the early stages of developing Pesade, where the horse lifts its forearms more then

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&

Calm, Confident Connected

AKA Quality PO Box 202 Belmont 3216 Victoria

Phone: 0407 388 779 Email: info@akaquality.com.au

AKA Quality is proudly the Australian Distributor for Zaldi.

Zaldi represents 5 generations of saddle makers and have a large modern purpose-built factory in Salamanca, Spain with well over 100 employees. The saddles are handmade from top quality European leather in the Salamanca factory and customersĘź special requirements are easily accommodated. Wait time for special orders and stock not in Australia is only 4 weeks.

The Anatomic Panel

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Saddles at the Spanish riding school in Jerez are supplied by Zaldi.

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drawing

a

friesian With equine artisit

Andrea Michael

Owing to their stunning beauty and powerful presence the Baroque horse breeds have captured the imagination of artists since time immemorial. To the equine artist, these breeds could have been created for the sole purpose of being exulted and immortalised in pencil and brush strokes. In this art demonstration I’m going to show how I go about one of my realistic equine portraits. My gorgeous model is none other than Django of Cacharel, a purebred Friesian stallion, his photograph kindly supplied by Tashkent Friesians.

While drawing this project I scanned the image frequently so that I could put the images together into a time-lapse video that shows my work process. The video is available on my website if you are curious to see how the drawing took shape over time.

My artworks can take upwards of 20 to 40 hours to complete, depending on the size of the work and the complexity of detail. I’ve often been asked if I work from life but I don’t think any animal would be willing to hold still for that duration! So I work exclusively from photographs and have to say that when it comes to portrait commissions, the quality of the photographs is extremely important. When I choose a photograph to use, or I’m sent one by a client, I’m always mindful of the level of detail required in the photograph. While I have successfully (and painfully) reconstructed blurry, grainy, low-resolution photographs into portraits, the outcome will never rival what I can achieve with a clear, well-lit, highresolution photograph.

As my specialty is photorealism, I’ve sometimes had to field the question of “Why bother? Why not just frame the photograph?” My response is that, as an artist, I have the ultimate say in exactly how the finished piece ends up. Photographs can often have distracting objects in the background, awkward elements such as stray locks of hair or zippers and tags poking up oddly. Often highlights can be blown out or shadows too deep and these I can fix in the artistic rendering. Ultimately though, I do it because I enjoy the journey—is this not a good reason for undertaking any artistic endeavour?

Before I start any project, I open the photograph in an image editing program and decide on a suitable crop that will result in a final drawing that is balanced and pleasing to the eye. The original photo of Django was a full body shot but as I was only drawing his head for this demonstration I cropped out the unnecessary areas. I then made several versions of the image Materials with differing contrast levels so that I had detailed references for the highlight, shadow and mid-tone areas. I used to print these out but after many episodes of printer-induced rage I broke down and bought a tablet to view the images 3H to 8B graphite pencils on.

Aside from reducing paper waste (and stress levels!), the ability to easily flick Kneadable eraser between reference images while I work, and use it as an easily portable portfolio, Sharpener has made the tablet an important part of my artistic tool set.

Cotton buds Archival quality cotton rag paper Size: 21 x 29.7cm (8.3” x 11.7”) Time to completion: Approx. 30 hours

Once I have my reference photo sorted out the next step is getting the outlines down on paper. I don’t need very much detail at this point, just a basic “road map” to follow. I use a 3H pencil for this as the very hard, light lead erases easily. I make sure not to press too hard as indents in the paper will affect the shading later on and cause flaws in the finished piece. Once I’m happy with how the outlines look, I erase any extraneous pencil marks or grid lines.

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At this point the real work begins. I’m often accompanied by music or movies as I create, depending on my mood. I need the background noise to concentrate on what I’m doing for long stretches. Silence will always cause me to lose focus and I become increasingly irritated until I toss my pencils down and

stalk off to do something else. When I draw, I consider the mental space I enter as a Zen state of sorts since during the first 10 to 15 minutes after I pick up my pencil I have a lot of trouble using the right level of pressure and making the subtle marks needed.

Then, gradually, I enter an altered state of mind, the mental chatter

work in progress

quiets and something else takes over. In this state the pencil strokes become effortless and hours pass like minutes. I’ve noticed that if I’m tired I struggle to achieve this state and I don’t see as much detail in the reference photographs. When I go back to the drawing another day, I’ll then see all the detail that I missed when tired and have to spend time correcting it.

I almost always start with the eye of my subject. I find this helps impart life into the drawing and I can connect to it more on an emotional level. I work in small sections and I usually fully complete one section before moving onto the next. A square inch of drawing can often take me one to two hours, depending on the level of detail contained within. I am continuously shifting my attention between the images on my tablet and the art, ensuring I capture every nuance of what I see. Depending on the texture that I want to achieve, I will often use a cotton bud to smooth the layers of graphite and fill the grain of the paper. This smoothing can be repeated quite often between layers to achieve a soft shaded look, for example, for the coat of a horse or the smooth leather of a bridle.

When it comes to drawing the hair of a horse, I deviate from working in small sections as I like to map it out before committing

myself to a full rendering. This is because hair has a flow to it that nweeds careful consideration in order for it to look natural, and it can be a complicated and frustrating experience to get right. I almost never draw the hair exactly as it appears in the reference photo, but aim for a close approximation, sometimes omitting distracting elements to achieve a more pleasing overall flow. In the case of Django’s mane, his locks have an undulating wave that captures the light quite differently from how straighter hair might. This required careful planning of the placement of highlights and shadows to achieve the same soft, flowing texture I saw in the photo.

Though hair frustrates me at times, I absolutely adore drawing horse tack. It can be so intricate with its straps, buckles and bit rings and I take great delight in capturing the varying highlights in the leather and metal. Django’s beautiful double bridle was a highlight for me in drawing this portrait. My absolute favourite element of any picture, though, is, without a doubt, the eye. As previously mentioned, I always draw this first and I spend a large amount of time bringing it to life with depth and personality. Often photographs lack essential detail, as eyes tend to be caught in shadow or the highlights get blown out, so I create the detail from memory and any vague hints given in the photo.

layering the graphite 6 6.

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www.andreamichaelartist.com www.facebook.com/AndreaMichaelArt info@andreamichaelartist.com

Once I have rendered the detail into the drawing to my satisfaction, I then check the overall tonal balance and make adjustments. Because I work in small segments instead of shading consistently over the entire image in layers, I need to make sure that the highlights and shadows make sense when viewed as a cohesive image.

I even out the shading with darker grades of pencil and lift some highlights out with my kneadable eraser or a cotton bud. It’s important to represent a full tonal range as this adds a real sense of depth and life to the subject.

Despite having used quite a few artistic mediums, I always come back to the humble graphite pencil. There’s a kind of intensity and drama to graphite because attention isn’t being diverted to colour information.

Most portraits are complete once I’m happy with the shading and the overall effect of the subject on the page.

For Django’s portrait however, I wanted to add a little more of a romantic feeling as Friesians always remind me of the romanticism of medieval fantasy. I chose to manipulate the lighting of the background to intensify this feeling by rubbing down layers of graphite shavings. Once I had several layers down, I used my kneadable eraser to pull random shapes out of the graphite to create the softly textured background.

The very final step is signing my name to the artwork and sealing it with a fixative to prevent smudging. I only do this step once I’ve been able to look at the artwork for a while, as occasionally small mistakes jump out at me after I think I’m done. Artists are known for their mercurial moods and I prove no exception to this. At this stage I often feel deep satisfaction that I pushed on through the stressful and/or unmotivated moments to finish the piece, and this helps fuel the fire within me to move onto the next artwork. a

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Friesian Riding Lessons Sable Ranch Friesian Horses now offers riding lessons and general rides on pure KFPS Friesian horse

The Friesian horse has always been a dreamy horse.

And it’s very common to hear people say “I’ve always dreamed of riding/owning a Friesian”. Owning is not always possible for everyone BUT riding is now within reach of many. Sable Ranch Friesian Horses now offers riding lessons and general rides on pure KFPS Friesian horses in Victoria Australia. Some might even get a chance to take a lesson on the first and only approved Friesian stallion in Australia, Maiko 373.

If you are a scared beginner or skilled rider there is a Friesian experience that can suit you. Allison Sable has been training horses and teaching for over 15 years in the US and has brought her skills and horses to Victoria Australia. She’s experienced in teaching people how to train horses and how to overcome fears with horses as well as working with intermediate and advanced riders to fine tune the communication that you have with the horses.

Allison has an in house rule “there are no barefoot and pregnant horses at Sable Ranch”. All of the horses at Sable Ranch are trained to do something, ride, drive, tricks anything but no horse is just standing around making babies.

Friesians are known for their excellent disposition, kind heart, and eagerness to please their handler.

Some of the beautiful Friesian mares at Sable Ranch have been working with several students to boost their confidence with horses while they recover from previously traumatic horse experiences. The kind

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Friesians are also known for their amazing trot!! They are like a Ferrari, all the thrilling power and all the control. For those riders that have more experience and want to feel the amazingly big trot, or feel the rush that you feel when you are flying, there are 105 acres at Sable Ranch to cruise around. Sable Ranch is located 1km from 90 mile beach so it is also a thrill to ride the Friesians down the beach.

Allison is also happy to work with people that want to learn how to train their Friesian or non Friesian horses. Sable Ranch always has horses that are being brought through the training program so you can learn how to train horses. You can learn ground work, how to prepare horses for their first rides, and how to develop their training into the type of horse you always dreamed about.

If you are not wanting to ride but just

want to come and learn about Friesian horses, breeding, ultrasounds, or any other topic related to Friesians and horses we are happy to arrange that with you. Allison is also willing to travel to surrounding areas for clinics on various topics.

Sable Ranch Friesian Horses is a stud that was founded by Chris and Allison Sable in the United States. At the end 2011 they shifted their entire Friesian horse breeding, training and lessons operation to Seaspray Victoria Australia.

Come meet the famous Maiko 373, and all the beautiful mares and foals. Sable Ranch is very pleased to be able to share their knowledge and love for the Friesian horses with all the Friesian fans out there. They have pure foals born every year that are available for sale in addition to the regular riding lessons and Friesian experience. a

www.sableranch.com

‘Maiko 373’ The only KFPS approved stallion in Australia.

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Own Your Drea

Sport (imp) photo Aphelion

photo www.oryphotography.com

mothering nature of the Friesian mares makes them very special for this job. They check in with their riders to make sure they are ok with the pace they are moving at, they don’t push the students past their comfort levels. It’s truly a genuinely beautiful thing to observe and experience.

All foa The

To

photo Aphelion

Young st ock for sale

Prices start at $10,000* * In utero/before birth price.

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S

Showpony Poet

In Germany, there lives a wee Shetland Pony called Showpony Poet, and he is all of a massive 89cm in height and blind in one eye. He may be small in stature and not baroque by name, but in his heart he is big and baroque (by nature and by courage). Classically trained in-hand by his dedicated owner Chiara for 4 years now, the two are one in heart and soul and share a special bond and a deep love for each other. The time they spend together is full of fun and creativity.

Baroque Horse talks to Chiara about her delightful Poet.

BH: How long have you had Poet and how did you come to own him?

Chiara: Poet and I have been together for 4 years now. For me, owning him was my dream.

I dreamt of a white pony that I called Poet. A friend of mine, who is a riding coach, was looking for a pony. I decided to search the internet, and there they were - two of them. I was pretty sure the little gelding would be a super fit for my friend’s Spanish stallion. And my husband bought me the little pony. When I first saw him, it was love at first sight. I was fully aware that Poet had been involved in an accident and as a result, had lost the sight in his right eye. But that did not bother me. Owning Poet is the best decision I ever made - I love him with all of my heart and I just want to give him the chance he deserves. A very lovely lady helped him recover from the accident, and if it hadn’t been for Kirstin, that beautiful boy would not be here today. I am very grateful to her. Now we are doing what we can to make ponies and people happy with the message “small horses promote mental and physical well-being”. We now do shows and run seminars and have training equipment and accessories.

BH. Tell us about Poet’s breed, and age and height.

Chiara: Poet is now 10 years old. He is a white Shetland pony gelding and he is 89cms in height.

BH. Did you train Poet from the beginning.. what made you want to train him?

Chiara: Poet could perform very well when he first came to me. He was already very good with sulky or carriage driving. Since I’ve owned him, Poet has learnt to work with a long rein for dressage lessons and circus lessons. He has very good lateral movements; walk, trot, canter as well as Levade and Courbette. He can do the Spanish walk, lead changes (we are still practising the intricacies), get on the podium and do lots of little tricks like shaking his head, etc.

We have now begun Freedom Dressage and jumping. Jumping is not as easy as it looks for a pony with only one eye, but it’s fun for him. To get Poet to jump, I count and when I say hop, then he jumps off, just at the right time. Poet learns pretty much independently. He just needs to be shown the finer touches and then he does it perfectly.

BH. Does Poet have a favourite move/trick that he enjoys doing?

Chiara: He sure has. Poet is really great at Capriol, when he is in a good mood he loves to do this. But his favourite thing to do is to lie down, which takes absolute trust, and, if the sun is shining on his face, he’ll just close his eyes and fall asleep, and you can hear him breathing deeply - snoring.

www.showpony-poet.de

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Photo by: Gabi Bietry

www.gbietry.de

BH. Please tell us about his personality, what is he like?

Do you have any funny and memorable moments that you can tell us about him?

Chiara: Poet is clearly the great Charmer. He can have you wrapped around his little finger in no time. He has a very subtle way about him and is very clever. Poet loves cuddles, and he will always let me know if I’ve made a mistake or if he did not understand the lessons. He has such a big heart and he adores people and his cat, Pßnktchen. She sleeps with him sometimes along with 3 other cats

in the stable.

I remember once when we were at a big show where there were over 10,000 spectators. When they all applauded, I was quite scared. Poet turned quickly and ran straight to me to stand beside me. He filled me with confidence that nothing would happen to him and then went very proudly on with his lessons. That was a truly wonderful moment.

Once, we had a visit from a little girl who was terminally ill. Poet made sure this was a very special experience for her.

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Our training is done with love and respect...

I raise my animals in such a way that they touch people in a special way and I am always aware that they are not my property, but my friends. With Poet, when others act lovingly to him, he really opens his heart to them. That makes me so happy.

BH. Please tell us about some of his achievements.

Chiara: Poet has been on television several times and on the covers of four different magazines. He is known in most German horse magazines. In Switzerland, we held a seminar and he was on a magazine cover there as well. He has appeared before audiences of 100 to 10,000 along with some very great horses and riders. A magician gave a performance once that involved Poet. That was a wonderful experience for me as well as for Poet.

He has his own youtube channel with over 1,500,000 clicks and over 1500 Facebook friends. He is already a minor celebrity and his fans around the world often write and he always answers, even if it sometimes takes a little longer. I want to mention our social commitment. We are there for the children, and also for the elderly. It is such a privilege for Poet to visit the different homes.

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BH. Do you think he knows he’s a bit special?

Chiara: Yes, sometimes I think he knows that he is pretty special, probably because I praise him and encourage him so often. I believe this gives him the self-esteem and self-confidence he needs in performances. He is not at all pretentious and is happy when he can play with other horses. He also enjoys plenty of free time and we give him as much of that as possible. I can rely on him 100%. Our training is done with love and respect. We try not to put too much pressure on him. We want him to be himself; to improve on his natural talents and at the same time, conceal his weaknesses.

BH. What advice would you have for someone wanting to train their mini or pony in-hand like you have with Poet?

Chiara: You should definitely start training with a lot of respect, patience and understanding and also know your pony. Attending a seminar or engaging a professional trainer is definitely helpful.

Training should always be carried out step by step. Rest periods are important. The fun is never too short, the welfare of the ponies must always be the first consideration. If I ever notice that Poet is not having fun, I try something different and if it still doesn’t work, then I leave it. Not every pony can do everything we want them to. Their talents will show clearly during their play time and in your day-to-day dealings with them. You have to take your time. Get to know your pony first. Especially important is the right equipment. That is why we have developed training and

show accessories. Poet now rides bitless with the Pony Star Bridle. Even without the bit, I still have a good connection. Poet loves it. With the Star Bridle all dressage lessons are possible. You can even drive him bitless.

Timing is really important; introduce everything step-by-step and slowly.

Then your pony will learn to love the lessons and activities. I will often go for long walks with Poet, exploring the woods or lying lazily with him in his paddock. One can find the most beautiful pleasures in the simplest of things.

To spend time and your life with a pony / horse as a friend – what else do you need?

Enjoy your friendship. a To view ShowPony Poets youtube page please visit www.youtube.com/user/ShowponyPoet

Adrian Bozai - fotografie

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Written by Photos by

Danielle Skerman

Leanne Stevenson

Photo of Ruby Goodsell and her Spanish Stallion “Serio”. Photo by BH. 7 4.

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The

beauty of

Nature is all around us, yet when we are on the

back of a horse exploring those paths less travelled, it’s a simple pleasure greatly enhanced.

The beauty of nature is all around us when we are on the back of a horse exploring those paths less travelled, it’s a simple pleasure greatly enhanced.

The pungent scent of the forest seems sweeter or the fresh salty tang of the beach air crisply swishing past your now rosy cheeks is even more exhilarating. The romantic ride by the light of the moon has a magic not

easily matched. And to top it all off, rather than return to the humdrum of the everyday, just imagine if you could return to an intimate retreat and be spoilt to your heart’s delight.

Well, those dreams are closer to becoming a reality than you could ever have imagined.

In Australia and internationally, holiday destinations to be enjoyed with your horse are becoming more popular, and you may be surprised how many offer a retreat for both horse and rider.

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Taking your horse away with you will prove to be some of the best holidays you will ever experience. So memorable that your friends and relatives will be hearing of them for years to come and so wonderful that they will never tire hearing of them.

All horses find going out on a trail pleasurable and the introduction to such a riding program ensures your horse doesn’t sour. In the daily grind, time commitment, schedules, meetings, phones, and so on impact on the “free” time we have to going out on these trails. On holiday, these time stealers are all gone and we can really enjoy being out there and the horse will start to relax and unwind as well. What a change you would see in your horse as a result.

Escape from the arena and these destinations will offer you a chance to ride in safe trails that give you the confidence knowing that someone knows you’re out there. The trail ride offers you not only a change of scenery and a breath of fresh air but can also include a pampering when you get back to base.

Are you the competition rider who has a heavy competing schedule? This is a chance to take some time out and have some fun time with your horse.

Explore new paths; try different obstacles and challenges that differ from those you experience when you travel normally.

Career horse people who work with horses all day might be thinking “why would I take them on holiday?” Learn to enjoy your horse again and let the surroundings weave its magically rejuvenating spell for both of you.

Photo: Gabrielle Mullin (L) and Mary Mullin (R) Photo by BH.

Maybe you drink a lot of coffee, talk endlessly about horses, spend many long hours cleaning bridles and polishing saddles because though the thought of the ride is fun but sometimes it all seems a tad not what you dreamed it would be. Once you finally get around to getting up on the horse it’s actually hard work. Now is time to take the hard work out of riding and find the fun

e s r o h r u o y h it w y a Holid Nestled in a spectacular rural setting on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula, Howard’s Hill is the perfect holiday destination for both you and your horse.

The converted barn at Howard’s Hill is ideal for an intimate retreat, a rural reception or as a base to explore the surrounding Mornington Peninsula.

leisurely rustic lunch at the Pig and Whistle. Or simply soak up the tranquillity on the Merricks– Red Hill forest trail.

And you’ll be spoilt for choice with the nearby trails – all safe, of course.

Whether your stay be long or short, bring your horse and enjoy the adventure.

Take a relaxing beach ride at Gunnamatta and enjoy the stunning ocean views. Unwind on a forest trail to Main Ridge, stopping for a

For more information, call 03 5988 6737 or 0417 306 415 or visit howardshill.com.au

Howard’s Hill, 101 Curzon Road, Boneo, VIC 3939 Phone: 03 5988 6737 or 0417 306 415 Website: howardshill.com.au 7 6.

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again when you take your horse out exploring new trails.

your horse will let them know they are such an important part of the enjoyment in your life.

Having horse problems? This is the perfect opportunity to spend some quantity time with your horse. Your horse doesn’t always care how much you know until they know how much you care and isn’t going on holidays with them the perfect way to show them you care? The problem won’t just go away by ignoring it and by leaving your horse behind.

But going on holiday with your horse is about more than just the physical side of things. Yes, your relationship with your horse will deepen, you will find the fun in riding again, and you will learn more about your horse and you. But there is so much more. It’s about a reconnection to self, a re-establishment of the foundations of that bubbling spring of excitement that welled within you that you first felt with your horse. It’s a spiritual experience, a deepening of you learning to focus, building upon your meditation skills and understanding how to be in the moment. Expand your boundaries and almost unconsciously work

For those lucky ones with perfect horses this holiday time you will spend with your horse will only serve to deepen the bond and connection you have between you. The laughter, fun and playfulness you can have while on holiday with

Photo: Gabrielle Mullin and ‘Izzadora’ Photo by BH.

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to develop your strengths and strengthen your weaknesses.

On horseback, amidst nature is about experiencing the flow, feeling the heartbeat of the earth for your horse and you. Breathing the rhythm of the world in all its splendour and beauty and absorbing to the core of you being in its peacefulness.

For many of us great changes can occur within us even if it is just by getting out of standard routine, introducing variety and rebooting the system. And when we change within our external experiences change as well.

Of course, there are the mere practical reasons too, it’s a getaway from the hectic pace of life, and it’s harder to get someone to look after your horse the way you would so why not take them with you!

And it is the perfect excuse to spend all day riding.

Do both you and your horse a favor..

Holiday with your horse!

Just picture the perfect day.... riding on the back of your horse amongst the serenity that nature has to offer and then complemented at the end of the day with a fine dinner, some decadent indulgences and well deserved pampering. A dream comes true!

So if you are planning your next holiday and are sick of feeling that when you are on holidays your horse is not getting their work out, and it seems all too hard to organise the carer for them. If you want to stop constantly worrying whether the rugs have been taken off properly and if the horses are okay in that storm/wind/cold/heat that’s raging at home. Plan to take your horse with you.

Do you get the riding itch when you’re on holidays and trying to satisfy it with the local trail ride company whose horses just aren’t the same as you’re used to? Then you spend the whole time wondering what possessed you to try it again because once you’re up and riding in the line format you recall the last time you tried this. And the horse you’re riding has its ears back and keeps snarling at the horse in front of it as it plods along...not quite the way you dreamt?

Well - the solution is at hand. Take your horse on holidays with you to one of these beautiful horse holiday destinations and you will never have to go through any of that again. Go ahead and give it a go! a

Halls on Falls Homestead • 2 comfortable self-contained cottages (sleeps 8 guests in each) • Communal area with BBQs • 20m x 40m sand gravel arena • 8 individual paddocks • Can accommodate up to 16 horses Circular driveway for easy loat towing • Ci • Plenty of parking • Access to Mt Disappointment State Forest tracks • Located on quiet No Through Road

440-444 Falls Road Strath Creek Victoria Australia 3658

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+61 3 5784 9232 info@hallsonfallshomestead.com.au

www.hallsonfallshomestead.com.au

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Photo: ‘Izzadora’ owned by Fay Dent. Photo by BH.

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Working Equitation The Portuguese Way Ar ticle & Photos by

Cátia Castro www.cmcequinephoto.com

Interview with Claudia Elsner de Matos

In Portugal WE fits like a glove to the Lusitano breed qualities, and by maintaining the Portuguese traditions in the outfits, saddlery, it’s a discipline that shows the Lusitano abilities, heart and generous temperament towards the rider.

Portugal has been conquering the top titles in WE European and world championships all with Lusitanos: Pedro Torres and “Oxidado”; Eduardo Almeida with “Santo” and “Romário”; Bruno R. Silva and “Trovador Raposa”; Bruno P. Conceição and “Trinco”; Leonel L. Santos and “Sarilho da Broa”.

While WE is a well-known discipline in Portugal, it is also beginning to grow in popularity in Australia, New Zealand, and in the United States.

WE was founded in Portugal, Spain, France and Italy but quickly spread to Sweden, Germany, UK and Brazil. WE was created to promote the different types of equitation techniques developed in countries that used the horse to work in the fields, on farms and with livestock.

João Ralão Duarte is the president of WAWE – World Association for Working Equitation. This Association has been working to promote the WE in the world, its regulations and the traditions.

João Ralão says that, “WE is growing in the world, and the WAWE is the head of each country WE Association. In the United States, there are many willing to learn WE, and it’s a country that will have a certain “weight” on the WE evolution. This year will be the first Scandinavian WE championship.

Along with Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark, it is good to see many countries now promoting WE. Initially, people called us crazy to start this discipline, but all of our efforts are now producing great results. This is a great a way of showing off this breed and now more people are interested in owning a Lusitano, which is very interesting.”

WE is now recognised in the EEF – European

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Equestrian Federation. This is a very important step providing more learning and uniformity of regulation throughout the different countries. The next step is the accreditation of the FEI - International Equestrian Federation; to be considered as an FEI discipline and to be able to participate in the World Equestrian Games.

The regulation and uniformity of the WE is very important. BHM went to see Claudia Elsner de Matos, an international WE judge to tell us know more about WE. BH:

Can you tell us how WE began in Portugal?

CE M: WE in Portugal started after the participation of a Portuguese team at the European Championship held at Seville in 1997 and since that date it hasn’t stopped growing and every year a Portuguese Championship is held.

BH:

Can you explain a little bit about this discipline?

CE M: This discipline aims to keep the different riding traditions alive and is composed of 4 different trials, namely dressage, maneuverability, speed and cow. It demonstrates the skills and abilities of both horse and rider in different forms. Both have to fit perfectly together as the technical requirements of the discipline demand a very high standard. Beside the competition, Working Equitation is also a prime example of an ethnographic and cultural

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showcase, maintaining the traditional costumes and saddlery characteristic of each country. It is important to underline that in these different trials, the main goal is to recreate the riding traditions used in the fieldwork in various countries.

BH: What do you think was the biggest evolution for this sport in Portugal?

CE M: From my point of view, there are several factors that contributed to this huge success. The yearly organisation of a Championship composed of 8 competitions, the organisation of regional championships, the acceptance of the sport by the Portuguese National Equestrian Federation, the constant development of applicable regulations, formation of the involved officials and, last but not least, the international success of the Portuguese selections at European and World Championships.

BH: As a WE judge, what do you think in general about the Portuguese WE riders who are competing at the national and international level?

CE M: The riders who have been competing and have been very successful defending the Portuguese colours internationally are very competitive and competent professionals and/or extremely dedicated amateurs.

BH: judge?

What made you become a WE

CE M: It was a sort of a challenge. I had been invited, along with other Dressage judges, to start our formation as WE judges at the beginning of the national competitions in Portugal. We all accepted and it was a very interesting and, from my point of view, a successful project. I have now been judging WE for 16 years and I like it very much, mainly due to its diversity and technical requirements. It is a very demanding discipline for both, horses and riders!

BH: How do you feel about the Lusitano breed competing in this sport?

CE M: I must underline that this sport is meant to be for all kinds of horse breeds and riding traditions. However, the results show that the Lusitano horse is very successful in this sport and therefore demanded by riders all over the World.

BH: WE?

Which breeds can compete in the

CE M: All sorts of breeds are most welcome at WE. Up until the present moment and besides, of course, the Lusitanos, we saw, among others, Warmbloods, Quarterhorses, Lippizaners, being the last two very successful at the last Championships.

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BH: How are the Portuguese WE and the Lusitano breed presented in the world?

CE M: The Lusitanos and the Portuguese WE, both sport and riders, are highly considered and admired within the international community of the sport.

BH: What are the WE competitions schedule to this and next year?

CE M: In Portugal we have the National and regional Championships, but the highlights this year are the European Championships held in Italy and the international competition at Magna Racino in Austria. Next year the main goal is the planning of the World Championship! a

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Highlights

Claudia Elner de Matos: • National Dressage Judge since 1996; National WE Judge from 1997 to 2000; • International WE Judge since 2000 until the present moment; • European Championships 2000, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010 (as member/president of the Ground jury) • World Championships 2002, 2006, 2011(as member/president of the Ground jury) • Since 2010 responsible judge designated by WAWE for the formation of International European and World Championships • 2008/2009 – President of the Ground Jury of several WE Competitions in Germany • 2010 – President of the Ground Jury of the WE Competition integrated in the European Championship for Lusitano Horses held at, Uzés, France • 2009/2010/2011 e 2012 President of the Ground Jury of the International WE Competition held at Vienna, Austria • 2011 – WE Competition held within the scope of the International Lusitano Festival, São Paulo, Brazil • 2012, 2013 – PferdeInternational – Munich, Germany (President Of The Ground Jury) • Responsible for the International Working Equitation Judges Courses promoted by WAWE Santarém, Portugal, 2007, Belgium, 2009, Vienna, Austria, 2010, Ponte de Lima, Portugal, 2012 • Responsible for the Education of national judges of France, Colombia, Austria, Germany, Sweden and USA

For more information

www.wawe-official.com 8 4.

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Yeguada Picachos Andalusian Lusitano Azteca

Horses available in USA

www.yeguadapicachos.com

Brent Eastwell • D RESSAGE

HORSES FOR SALE

• D RESSAGE COACHING ( AVAILABLE FOR CLINICS ) • D RESSAGE TRAINING FOR HORSES AND RIDERS ( LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE )

Australian dressage rider and coach, experienced working with the Baroque breeds.

Brent admires the Baroque horse for their genuine spirit, intelligence, lightness, softness and for their majestic nobility.

Brent is dedicated to the art of classical horse training, of utilising skilful horsemanship to develop harmonious relationships between horse and rider.

Brent also believes that equestrian sports need to keep up with the constantly evolving understanding of horse physiology, biomechanics and behaviour, to ensure every aspect of their management supports their health and welfare.

www.willowdowns.com.au w w w. bar o q u e hors e m ag azi nE.com

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CARLOS

PINTO Ar ticle & Photos by

Cátia Castro

www.cmcequinephoto.com

C

arlos Pinto is a Portuguese rider/trainer who represented Portugal in the Olympics of 2008 with the Lusitano horse, Notável. Currently based in France, this trainer is also best known for his passion for teaching riders how to improve their skills.

BHM: Tell us how horses became part of you life?

CP: I was born with a passion for horses. I just love to ride. I was lucky enough to live near Master Luís Valença Rodrigues. Previously, it was Mr. Miguel Ralão’s riding centre, and my uncle had horses there. I was having regular riding lessons. Master Luís Valença, a very nice man, started to teach me and I stayed there for several years. Then I started to ride and teach young horses, then I moved to another riding centre with bullfighters, but my passion was always dressage competitions.

At that time, Portugal was beginning to have competitions, and I started to participate. It wasn’t long before I realised that being in competitions was really what I wanted to do. I went abroad to learn more. I visited several countries, but ended up in France, mainly because I speak French rather well, and it was easier for me. Also I had been asked by some French people to train their horses. France has many competitive riders.

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BHM: what is happening now in France in terms of competitions?

BHM: You gave some clinics to Gonçalo and Rubi, how it all started?

CP: France is a bit complicated; it has many riders but not many sponsors to provide support. The number of people who are prepared to invest n horses and competitions is very few; the French aren’t really into that. They prefer to ride their own horses, and they don’t have horses for others to ride, or to ride in competitions. It does require people who like to have their horses in high level and be able to invest in training and competitions. In Portugal you have the same problem; there are very few sponsors. People prefer to keep good horses at their homes for the sheer love of the horse, and to see them shine at their very best in competitions ... there are very few people who invest in that.

CP: I began giving clinics in Portugal some years ago when Gonçalo and Rubi started competing. It is always very easy to have this team in the clinics; Gonçalo is an excellent rider with many qualities and so of course, is Rubi. The horse without a rider cannot function and vice versa. Gonçalo and Rubi are true high level professionals. I’m very happy to be able to contribute my experience and expertise.

BHM: You are established in France?

CP: I’ve spent most of my life renting a riding centre in France.

But, in about 6 months time, I will begin building one of my own in the south of France. Until now I’ve been quite happy to rent, and save money for horses and invest in other businesses, because a riding centre is a big investment and sometimes it doesn’t pay off. But now I’ve made the decision to build something for me. I will have clients of course and I will build my house and my arena; it’s every rider’s dream to have their own facilities. I want my career to finish in my own home with my own horses.

BHM: You were there at the Olympics with them. How did you feel about that?

CP: It’s the Lusitano horse! Because it’s Portuguese, we’re all so very proud to see a Portuguese rider and horse performing at this great level. I will accompany them for 2 more competitions and then we will be at the European championship. The horse is doing really well and Gonçalo is very calm and is never stressed.

I see more and more professional riders evolving in a good way, making progress in terms of technical performance, and there will be more horses and riders like them, because lots of people are working very hard. The Portuguese horses have many qualities; the Lusitano horse is a big-hearted horse. We might be experiencing some less favourable economical conditions, but we have the spirit of sacrifice and lots of determination.

BHM: You also sell horses of every level of dressage...

CP: I sell horses that have a good level of training and they are all are a great investment. We have horses that are suitable for everyone, from the less experienced rider to the rider who wants to compete at a high level right now. The best time to sell a horse is when he reaches the Dressage Grand Prix level.

Competition enables us to evolve, because the competition determines our level. The scores in the competition tell us if we are going well or not so well; if we’re not doing well, we have to do something to improve. We always have to try to do our best, without crossing the horse’s limits. We are always “the best” when we’re at home (laughs) but when we appear in front of the judges, sometimes we realise the horse is not as well taught as we thought, which is very interesting.

The horse without a rider cannot function and vice versa

BHM: You are well known because you teach with such passion...

CP: There is tremendous pleasure in riding a horse. By perfecting the horse, improving it, as well as the rider, double the pleasure! When I see people who are satisfied and evolving and having so much fun, the satisfaction and pleasure for me is immense. I teach every day. I love it so much. We all search for something to satisfy our lives, and for me it is to give and to pass on my experience and knowledge; the more I give, the happier I am.

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BHM: What are your own projects with regards to competitions?

CP: The Lusitano horse that I ride in Grand Prix competitions, Soberano, will be entered into competition in 2 months from now. It’ll be interesting to see how we manage this, because we’re in an economical crisis, and his owner made a big investment. I hope we are not forced to sell the horse, but it’s not easy. If we don’t end up selling the horse, we’ll keep going. If Soberano has to be sold, I have other horses coming. I have a new sponsor who is keen to acquire horses for me to train and ride. His name is Haras de la Gesse.

He loves horses and competitions. We have a contract together, and I think, for the first time, I have a world class sponsor. I have several of Haras de La Gesse’s horses, but we will buy some more.

This will allow me to continue competing in many arenas for some time.

I also go to Brazil every month to Haras do Faial, to prepare a Brazilian rider, Ricardo Nardy, who is training for the next Olympics, with the Lusitano horse Absoluto dos Diamantes, a huge Lusitano born in Brazil. They both have many excellent qualities, and I think that horse will bring more publicity to the Lusitano breed. This horse is already performing well in Brazil, and starting to win at St Jorge level.

BHM: What advice would you give to riders who are beginning to compete?

CP: Be brave, that’s what’s most important.

Have the basics in your mind all the time, without complicating things. Provide lots of gymnastics for the horse; the exercises are not sufficient. We have to turn the horse into an athlete. When a horse is an athlete, then you can start performing the exercises, and go back to the gymnastics on a regular basis because that is very important for the horse. a 18 y.o. lusitano horse riden by D. Luísa Posser Andrade 8 8.

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Highlights: • Carlos Pinto stared his training with Master LuísValença and G. Borba.

• Entered the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art in 1980.

• Had lessons with Master Nuno de Oliveira.

• Started to compete in Dressage with the Lusitano horse – Ripado, participating in the World Cup Volvo in Lausanne, France in 1988 and 1989.

• His wife Isabelle Pinto, is also a dressage rider.

• Has 2 sons and 1 daughter, all of them like riding and competitions. His 11 year old daughter will be a promised rider, as she is now performing high level exercises.

• Participated in numbers of European Dressage Championships, with the horse Duvon (1995), with Chantor (1997), with l’Envol (2001) and Notável (2005 and 2007) in Grand Prix level.

• Participated in the 2008 Olympics Games with the Lusitano – Notável.

• Participated with the Lusitano – Poderoso do Retiro (from Haras Villa do Retiro – Brazil) in Grand Prix level, in the European Championship placed in Windsor.

• Until now, competing in Grand Prix level with Soberano (owner Bessa de Carvalho)

Contacts:

P. 0033 238671988 isapinto@me.com Bellegarde. France

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MANOLOMENDEZ Dressage

by Manolo Mendez,

Specialist of in-hand and Classical Equitation with C. Larrouilh

Manolo Mendez was the first Head Rider, and one of six founding members of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art. Based in Jerez, Spain, the school is one of the four classical schools which also include the Cadre Noir in Saumur, the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art in Lisbon. A master horseman with over forty years of experience spanning classical dressage, doma vaquera and jumping, Manolo is dedicated to a soft, sympathetic and thorough training method which prepares horses physically and psychologically for each stage of training from training to Grand Prix and Haute Ecole. For more information on Manolo visit: www.manolomendezdressage.com 9 0.

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As I have discussed at length in previous articles, a horse should not be trained as though its body is divided into three different and unrelated segments. Unfortunately for the horses, I see too many riders who focus on riding either the neck, back or the hind leg instead of riding the whole horse.

This results in stiff and blocked horses who are leg movers instead of back movers and in time may develop mild to career ending soft tissue or skeleton problems such as early arthritic changes in major joints including the TMJ, poll, withers, neck, sacrum, stifles, and hocks, restrictions and muscles tears in the biceps, pectorals, ribcage, long back muscles, loin, croup, and hamstrings along with suspensory and tendon problems. These are often accompanied by behavioral problems such as refusing to go forward and bucking or bolting and rearing as well as shutting down or being aggressive and/or developing stable vices.

While I do not believe in training with a focus on developing any one part of the horse’s body, the body does have a lot to say about how it is ridden and treated if we take the time to look at it, touch it, and feel it.

With every new horse I meet, I spend the time to observe its body while he is standing and while he is moving. Just by looking at it, I can already learn a lot about how it feels inside as an individual, how it will move, and the reasons why it will not be able to bend well or extend or collect. His muscles patterns, how he stands, and how he organizes his posture and balance will give me the keys to how I must work with him.

The rider often asks me how I know so much about their horse before they have even started talking and explaining what their challenges are. I explain to them that if we are willing to take the time to observe and study our horses, we can all draw this knowledge from how the topline and underline are shaped, how the coat feels, how the hair patterns are organized, whether the muscles are plump and full where they are supposed to be, or concave and tight. I show them where muscles that should be small are big and inflamed instead and how there are pronounced or mild asymmetries between one side of the body and the other.

In short, I show them how the horse’s body is a map and every detail on the map is a clue as to how the horse has been trained.

In the following paragraphs, I will list some of the things I look at and explain what I look for and what I consider good and what is not. I will review the horse’s topline and underline. By topline, I mean all the muscles and skeleton parts that are above the spine - and include the hamstrings and the abdominal wall muscles because in my way

Left hand checking the poll, Right hand cupping the atlas.

Note Dinamico’s quiet eye and listening ear.

of seeing the horse, the topline is one long chain of muscles woven into one another that starts right behind the ear of the horse and travels down its neck, over its withers, back and croup, and down to the point of its hocks.

I include the underline because it is impossible to look at how the topline functions without also looking at the base of the neck, the muscles that go from the head to the shoulder, the chest and pectoral muscles, the abdominal muscles, and the psoas muscles. You see, a horse really is a whole and even for this article, looking at it in parts is proving impossible.

After I have observed the horse, I like to have the rider ride him for me a little, but my analysis is more thorough if the horse is brought to me in a halter without a saddle and bridle. Then, not only can I look and touch him, but I can confirm my impression by testing his elasticity, his looseness, flexibility, and suppleness by asking him to do very simple movements. And I can get an understanding of how he feels inside his body.

For example, when I look at the horse’s face, poll, and neck, I look at the horse’s expression, whether it is afraid or content, whether it is tuning me out or is curious, or whether it is angry and impatient. I look at the wrinkles of its nose and the tightness or relaxation of its mouth. I look at where the noseband would lie and if the flesh is marked there or if the hair is discolored or rough under my fingers. I touch the horse’s cheeks, and I feel whether they are fleshy or dry and flat. I lift the forelock, and I look at the two small round muscles horses have on their forehead just above where they sometimes carry a star. Are these muscles even? If not then I will ask the owner if this horse has

had a tooth problem, or I will wait to see the ride, and I may notice a rider that is holding on to one side of the mouth and causing the horse to chew or resist more on one side of its body. I will be likely to find that this horse has contracted and dry muscles on that side of its body, maybe even strides shorter and finds it difficult to bend in the opposite direction. Or I may find that a horse is so unbalanced that he divides his body to use his neck as a balancing rod, causing his neck to flex to the outside and his body to flex to the inside. These patterns will need to be gently unraveled and the horse’s posture gently restored. Trying to force a good posture on a horse that has held himself incorrectly for a long time can be a disaster; we must proceed slowly and without force.

In hand I will gently swivel the horse’s head in a “no” motion or have him nod “yes” to check whether his poll has muscles or spine restrictions, then I like to ask the horse to reach with his neck forward, down, and out. Sometimes, I will meet a horse that cannot stretch his neck with an open throat latch anymore, the hinges of the poll and the span of his withers will have been frozen in place by training that insists on curling the head and neck and placing the nose well behind the vertical. That owner will complain that the horse cannot sit. It won’t be able to shorten its body because it cannot lengthen thru the topline anymore and therefore cannot bend equally all the joints of its hind legs deeply enough to lower the croup and allow the front end to become more light. Why? because its neck will have been shortened and will be so tight it cannot accommodate the arc that collection demands of the entire body.

As the horse moves up the levels, if the

Checking the masseter area or cheek (where my right hand is). This muscle should feel soft and full, not hard, hollow or rigid.

Your horse should enjoy the feeling of your hand on his face.

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horse is trained properly it will look as though the rider has more and more horse in front of him than behind him because the backend joints will fold deeply in collection and the horse’s neck will rise before the saddle. Today we see many GP horses that look very short in front and quite long behind the saddle. That is not correct training.

I look to see if the muscles on both sides of the neck, one hand behind the ears, are even or if they are bulgy and hard, or stringy and dry.

I check to see if they are hot, cold, if the horse flinches or ignores me, or on the contrary welcomes my touch with a sigh of release. I check to see if the neck is wider at the base and thinner as it goes toward the poll or if instead the “patting” places on both sides of the neck are hollowed in and the neck is thin at its base and wider at its apex, behind the ears. If that is the case, I know this horse has been ridden without being allowed its own balance, it has been ridden in a rigid and containing frame and more often a backward hand action. Its rider will complain that it is uncooperative and hard in the mouth. It will be stiff in the body because these muscles are those that develop when a horse is bracing at the poll or has had its mouth clamped down and is ridden consistently broken between the second and third vertebra with its jaw bone aiming towards its under neck and its nose behind the vertical. When I touch the long muscles that run from head to shoulder on the side of the neck and those from the head to the chest, I may often find that they are painful and sometimes the horse will look ewe necked because these muscles are overly developed in comparison to an under developed and weakened topline.

Here I am checking for tightness in the masseter/ cheek area of the left side. I am touching and gliding down these muscles and Dinamico responds without any concern and a relaxed mouth

I am asking for a gentle flexion of Dinamico’s jaw to the right without meeting any resistance.

I ask Dinamico to flex at the poll both to the left and right, gently guiding his head and holding his jowl and nose. He should be able to stand quietly while I am asking for this. This tests the mobility through the poll. I pay attention to any differences in range of motion to the left or right.

Here, Dinamico shows that he is able to flexion through the poll and jaw with a loose and relaxed lower jaw .He holds no tension in his TMJ.

In general, if I encounter a horse that has overdeveloped muscles on the underside of the neck and thin, stringy, dry muscles on top, I know that this horse will have balance problems because it won’t have been allowed to seek and establish its independent balance and step into, and carry the bit, and it will not be able to collect. It will be as though the energy travels through its body and stops at the withers, never traveling through its neck. This horse may also have hollow spaces behind its shoulders instead of an elastic apron of muscles that link the shoulder to the back and hind end.

Often these horses look odd because they have large bodies and either pencil necks or short and very thick necks, weak looking or hollow backs, hunters bump with under developed hindquarters and croups with ski slope angles rather than round and elastic muscles. Because there has been no effort to develop the horse’s elasticity horizontally, if this started as a conformation issue, it soon becomes worse through training that makes the body tighter and tighter instead of looser and freer with every training session.

I can see this reflected in the muscles of the back. The ones that run from wither to croup and line the spine on both sides. If I see a horse with the spine protruding and sharp inclines down to the ribcage with muscles that

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I continue the flexion and note that Dinamico is able to flex without shifting his body weight to counter balance. All the while, I am assessing Dinamico’s flexibility and balance. The flexion should be soft and fluid without tension or resistance.

I ask Dinamico to lower and extend his neck and head. I check his overall balance and muscular state. He is softly balanced.

I check Dinamico from the back and look for differences in his body mass and bony structures from left to right. I check his spinal alignment and the condition of his back. Sometimes, I will rock Dinamico gently to test his balance and reflexes.

One way to remind your horse to travel in a good posture is to ask for a gentle back lift. You can practice this everyday while your horse stands quietly. I like to place my left hand on Dinamico’s croup to feel the muscle’s reaction while my right hand asks him to lift his back.

are so flat I can barely see them, and when I touch them are hard as wood, I know this horse is being restricted in its movement and I will want to check the saddle and the riding. Such muscles, whether found on the back or elsewhere in the body tell me that the horse is not ridden elastically, that the rider does not know that muscles need to contract and release rhythmically to develop into wellness. Muscles can contract, but they cannot lengthen themselves on their own and so the topline can only lengthen when the underline shortens and vice versa. If a rider keeps their horse’s head and neck pulled in and kicks the hind leg under to try and bring the back up and muscle the topline, all they will do is train the horse into a leg mover instead of what is desirable: a back mover. Back muscles develop properly when we ride the whole horse in a good posture in the right rhythm, it is all they require.

Over rounding the horse is the kind of posture that destroys the elasticity in the

While I ask for Dinamico to lift his back, I check his withers and neck alignment and I test the muscle tone and elasticity of his deep cranial pectoral muscle. It should be soft and pliable and allow my hand to sink in later on.

I go over Dinamico’s body testing for soft, pliable, blood filled muscles. No part of his body should feel like concrete. Muscles should be elastic to the touch. The hindquarters are connected to the neck and back. What does your horse feel like here?

Here Dinamico has lifted his back. His neck stretches forward and his pelvis tucks in a little bit showing good mobility.

topline as any fixed and hyper flexed position will - I used a bow and string analogy in previous articles to explain why. If you keep a wood bow strung all the time, soon enough it won’t send your arrows far because its body will have set into that curve. By loosening the string of the bow after each session, the body of the bow retains its flexibility and it will shoot arrows much further because the archer will be able to bend it further and charge the string and arrow with more energy.

While the analogy is important to explain the importance of flexibility and how much better it accommodates and transforms energy, of course we must remember that a horse is not a bow. An archer can keep its bow strung for hours, but the horse’s body needs the release from the pressure of the tightened “string” after being asked for several strides in collection, after an exercise or movement that asked him to gather himself and carry himself more.

This is especially more so when you are

introducing collection.

Horses that are ridden into wellness are those who are encouraged to move elastically, that is with a long neck and a slight arch from poll to point of the hock after being asked for any degree of collection. A horse will stay content in its work when he trusts that the rider will treat him fairly and ask for a little bit at a time. A content horse is calm and relaxed, its muscles are loose and supple, and its body is ready and willing to take what shape and form the rider asks it to. Before we start looking at the topline and the underline, before we examine the horse’s body, we must always remember that the horse is an individual with a mind, a temperament, and a collection of experiences and memories that we need to know and respect. Only when we know our horse in both mind and body can we hope to help develop him for the better by adjusting our training to his particular needs.

As I look at the horse’s hind quarters and in particular the croup, I look at where the

Here I have adjusted Dinamico’s posture to show what we do NOT want to see because it is is unhealthy for the horse: a dropped back and legs camped out behind.

Checking Dinamico’s pectoral.

I look for restrictions, I compare both pectorals for size and consistency. I check to see if Dinamico is apprehensive or sore.

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I check Dinamico’s range of motion in his fore and hindlegs gently looking for restrictions or pain.

I compare his flexibility one leg to the other.

dock of the tail is placed. Is it lower than the hip points? How does this horse stand? Is he balancing his weight squarely on all four feet, is he parked out and trying to compress his back, or are his hind legs way underneath him, in an effort to open his back and decompress its spine, stretch its muscles?

Are both croup cheeks even when I stand behind this horse? If I come close to him and place one hand on each of his hip points (when he is square) do I find that one is further forward, backward, up or down then the other?

When I check the opposite shoulder on that diagonal, what will I find? Will it be less or more developed then its other one?

Finding these landmarks will tell me without the rider needing to open his mouth that the horse is crooked and the gaits are not pure. How could they be? Only by developing a straight horse can you have pure gaits.

Straightness is an integral goal of every training session. To be straight, both halves of my horse’s body must be symmetric, they must be even. Muscles must be developed identically on both sides of the body and have the same tone, elasticity, and strength, because muscles are what keeps the skeleton in alignment.

This is why dressage is called gymnasticizing the horse and is designed to help us ride them into wellness. Designed to build their bodies to become strong and supple so they can live long lives with us. We do not want to ride them into pain and lameness and shorten their useful life and sour their experience with us.

I pick up the tail. Is it clamped down? Can I move it equally to the left and right or is it stuck a bit in one direction? If I pull gently on it holding it at the base does it feel like it has a solid connection to the rest of the spine, or does it feel weak? Does the horse lower its neck and pull forward, using me as a resistance to stretch its entire

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On the lunge line I look for softness in the atlas and poll area and for a soft, moving gullet.

I look for a supple trot telling me Dinamico is working without resistance.

Here, Dinamico is showing incorrect, crooked flexion on the circle. Note the head is not in the center of the chest.

spine? Or does it throw its head up, collapses its back and lower its hindquarters, trying to avoid any movement in its back? What clue can I pick up from that?

I gently run my fingers underneath the horse and ask him to raise his back. I allow him and encourage him to lower its neck forward, down and out, and I feel to see how much he is able to arch his topline and where the restrictions are. Sometimes when a rider is on the horse and they do not understand how blocking or curling the neck affects the whole horse, I will ask the horse to bring his back up while they are mounted. I will let them feel for themselves

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I look for correct flexion on the circle.

I look for moments of suspension in the canter where Dinamico is clearly using his back and showing softness and self-carriage.

the difference between how much the back is dropped and where it should be.

Not by asking for a full blown stretch but just lifting it to where an unrestricted back and ribcage would float up to if the rider had not caged the horse’s back in tight incorrectly developed muscles. Another way I demonstrate this is by placing my bamboo pole on the wither and the croup and asking the horse to raise his back so that the rider can see what the true topline of the horse is as the space between withers and croup fills up.

Being able to visualize the difference between a healthy, strong topline and one

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This is an example of what I DO NOT WANT TO SEE: Dinamico is using himself incorrectly, the neck carriage is high, the back is hollow and stiff and as a result there is very little movement in the hindlegs. This is not healthy or desirable.

Working in-hand showing correct flexion to the right with the hind legs following the fore while the whole body arches gently.

that has been pushed down and hollowed by poor training is an effective way to demonstrate to a rider how much training can impact what we sometimes see as a conformation limitation.

Seeing this, a rider can make the decision to educate themselves and change their riding for the better.

The topline of the horse receives so much attention because it carries the rider and showcases the arch of the horse’s neck, his noble head, the powerful span of its hindquarter and his expressive tail, but we must be careful to learn to read the body of our horses and understand that no matter how flashy and brilliant a horse looks like, a neck broken at C2-C3, a tight back, underdeveloped quarters, the inability to execute movements equally well left and right, problems with collecting and bending are not born out of thin air and reflect problems in the training that have or will impact the horse’s wellness.

Every minute we ride, we are conditioning our horses for the better or for the worse, and we must recognize that their body is like clay, it looks in the end exactly as the potter shaped it. If the potter is experienced and careful his vases will be even, balanced, and last a very long time, if the potter is inexperienced or in a hurry, the vases he creates will begin lopsided, with thinner walls here and there that will lead to a weakened, inferior product that will crack and break as we use it.

To the eye that takes the time to see it, the body of the horse tells the story of its entire training. The body can show us if draw reins were used, if the horse had inconsistent contact, if he was asked for forward but blocked, or if as a young horse he was ridden with the neck high like an FEI horse without being allowed to fumble and use his neck while finding his independent balance.

The body can also show us if the basic foundations were skipped depriving a promising young horse the chance to become an accomplished athlete. By the same token, the body of the horse also tells us if the training has been progressive and considerate, if the young horse found his independent balance on his own, and if the more demanding work has been tempered with a period of rest. The body tells us if the horse has been worked in tension or if the rider has ensured his horse was calm and attentive throughout.

By looking only at aesthetic things like how curved the neck is, the activity of the legs, or the elegance of the rider we miss or disregard the other cues like a mouth that gapes or foams profusely or eyes that roll and bulge, or restricted breathing.

These things are the horses’ way of telling us they are stressed.

By thinking that a horse drenched in sweat and on the verge of explosion is correct, we minimize and excuse noses behind the

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Finally...Dinamico showing correct straightness through the bend. Note how the hind feet follow the fall of the fore feet.

vertical, hocks that trail, and horses that show no bend in corners.

We must remember that we seek to develop harmony, and harmony never looks like fear, tension, and explosiveness. A harmoniously developed horse is even and symmetric, with muscles that are long and full, filled with good blood flow and oxygen, his limbs move freely with good scope, and his coat shines naturally and is soft and has a good smell. When the horse sweats it should be over his entire neck, belly, quarters not just patches on its shoulders or between the horse’s thighs, and the sweat itself coats the surface of the muscles like a wet mist. The horse is not drenched from head to toe and left covered with salty streaks and foam. After a workout, the whole body is warm to the touch, and there are no cold zones to indicate that the horse was working incorrectly and not using its whole body.

By observing our horse, by touching and feeling him, we come to realize quickly that riding theory is wasted without an understanding of anatomy. Without an understanding of what a healthy horse LOOKS and FEELS like we have no concrete way to measure the quality of our training. Without an understanding of the horse’s body, how can we truly assess and correct his straightness, balance, bend, and impulsion?

I find that when a rider is exposed to all the knowledge the body of his horse holds, excluding a momentary upset if the horse is uncomfortable, there is most often a great relief. Now they know the score, now they have a map, now they can begin to ride intelligently and with purpose.

All it requires is the desire to learn. a

Manolo Mendez wishes to thank Alex and Sandra Wolfe for their friendship and patronage; and Wolfe Civil for its support and sponsorship. Featured in this article is Andalusian stallion Dinamico XII. Dinamico is part of the WolfeMen Stallions stable and is owned by the Wolfes.

For more information on Dinamico and other WolfeMen stallions visit www.manolomendezdressage.com

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www.naturallyclassical.com

Jenny Ro passion lfe has been ate ab out horse s since ch spend ing mu ildhood, ch tim obser ving he e rds of native ponie s, about learning the and wa ir nature ys. Ov er yea she de rs Let Je velop ed a lov for dre nn e ssa breath y Rolfe in the me ge but felt troduc ing. Le thods taugh impo e ar t rtant connect could not conn n to use th you to inno bring ion she ection about As he felt wi that with e power of vative tech r riding th po horses nies as allby Ibe progre ni su rian ho a child ssed, and ha btle ener ques of co Jenny . rses an travel gy be re led to rmon d classi came Portu inspir cal tea train y in ri to find true gal wi ed the ching ding. th he an her pa re. On her return r Spanish sta d th of dis to llions Spanish cover to y. Throu the UK, Jen stallio ny co powe n, De gh list ntinu r of lfin, she ening ed to her the ho breathing – From first as a pro learned the rse. Sh am e belie found changes the Fo Includ connect azing rewor in energ ves that bre langu ion wi es fasc d by Ja y are age of th the ke athing and inatin ne Kidd the he y to subtle ‘My dr rd an g case d harm learning the Durin eam of studie ony in g her life she dancin riding s from experi . ha ences g with ‘Jenn Jenny’s to help s drawn on in tra y’s teac becom a will ining many studen . Years formulate in divers e paren hi g po he ng an spe ts: e r uniqu t, car ssible nt nu has em e conc rsing .’ – Ge d happy ho behavio ing for ch and power epts ildren ural pro mma rse ha with ch as a foster ed me the aw blems s arene allengin , have to ss both believe helpe needed horse d Jenny g to eva s and in mys horse to gai lua stu te dents n respo nor rid elf.’ – . She er recep Rebe believes nses of tive. Th can learn cca that unles e bo family relation nd of trust, s they are neither calm essen and tial ing ships of the sadly missi ng redien foster t for tra children in the Jenny ining is also the ho , is an the rse. (the suc cessfu author of Rid contr l book e From ibu an UK an tor to top eq d DVD) an the Heart d abroa d a reg uestrian ular husba d. She nd lives in magazines in the her sta Barrie, wh ere she north Devo llions n with and tea co come her fro ches stu ntinues to lea stallio m all over dents the wo ns an and cli rn from d study rld to ents, wh work her me o with he The au thods. r thor can www.s be co panis ntacte The au hdres d throu sageh thor wil gh he orses. procee l dona r websi com te part ds fro te: m of the Christ ians Ag this book to For a ainst the ch co Pover arity J.A. Al mplete lis ty (CA t of eq P). len, Cle ue 45–47 rkenw strian Clerke ell Ho book nwell use, s and Green, DVDs , cont Lond act: on EC 1R 0H T

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‘Jenny brings a fres using h dim an in en visibl sion to and co e energy trainin fo ntrol g, iden of the rce that en tifyin ables horse g and conn with ection harm ony.’

ny Ro and de lfe looks at the rid mo er a natur nstrates ho al flow w you from ‘top to can rid releas toe’ e tightn of energy. Sh e e provid whilst allow ess cre will he ate lp in es exe rcises and ba you not on d by tensio to n. He ly to rid lan r teach connect ce but als ing o to cu e in good po ion an ltivate sture d feel. a deep Jenny sen se of ’s teach ing me loose work thods to enha inc horse nce the lude the va . The horse an ath will pro athletic ab lue of lete, co ility gre nnect powe ing wi ss with confi of the r of co th the re bre dence, athing rider, as throu .

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Front cover illustra Back cover tion by pho Back flap pho tos: Bob Annie Wh Atk iteley Desig n by Pauto: Bob Atk ins (left), Barrie ins l Saund Rolfe ers

Picture Above: Breathe life into your riding book by Jenny Rolfe. Available in Australia

www.horsebooks.com.au

FROM THE MIND of the HORSe Submission is a natural and instinctive response for the horse, from the moment he is born. If you observe a herd of horses, you will see the young foals cautiously approach an older herd member demonstrating a submissive stance in their body language.

These observations can show us that submission is a code of behaviour, totally acceptable within the structure of a herd. Colts at play will be trying to assert their dominance in preparation for their role in the future, when they could become the head stallion with their own herd of mares and young.

It is helpful to understand what submission means to the horse.

Leadership, within the herd is natural and within this structure comes both security and survival in the wild.

A horse demonstrating submission, is more attentive and respectful of discipline, which will be a helpful response for us, as trainers. If we can become the natural ‘herd leader’ and create this bond during loose work, we can take this relationship on into our ridden work. We will become more self aware, as the horse can learn to respond more readily to our body language and breathing.

We can then gain a submissive and attentive attitude and our partnership with our horse, will become more harmonious. Through a logical progression of training, we can encourage a calm yet attentive

9 8.

attitude from the horse. This will promote his physical progress in training as his muscles will be more relaxed and able to support fluidity within his movement. Tension from the mind of the horse will cause tension throughout his body, which can result in stilted paces with an increased risk of injury.

We cannot gain true submission from just a contact with the rein or by creating a desired frame or outline within training. True submission can only be gained from the willing mind of the horse.

Gadgets and tack that cause too much restriction may give an overall impression of a horse working in a correct ‘frame’ but submission can more readily be achieved from a willing horse who enjoys his work. A horse may begin to feel defeated, if he is not allowed to move in a manner that is more natural for him.

It is so important within training to allow the horse to be a horse and enhance his nature and ability.

The art is to ride the horse in his own natural balance, both mentally and physically with the horse carrying his own weight, in self-carriage and not leaning on the hands of the rider, When the horse feels restricted and unable to move naturally, he can become tense with an unyielding spine. The neck and poll area will become tight and fixed, as may the facial muscles of the horse. The horse may open his mouth as a resistance to the strength of the contact or just tighten the jaw to clamp against excess pressure on his delicate mouth.

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nspire d by th e conn breath ect ing te chniqu this fo llow-u es c p to Ri Heart de From is writ ten to teache empo rs and we rider to conn ect with s of all dis a rela the ho tionshi rse an p built d unders on trus tandin t an g. Brea facilit thing ate se lf-cont techn mind, rol, ca stabili lmness ty enhanc and en o ergy, ing ba thus lanc within your rid e and harm ony ing.

Jen

Building a bond of trust and respect’ Jenny with her Spanish stallion DELFIN

SUBMISSION CANNOT BE FORCED

Close observation of the muscles of the horse whilst working will show us whether he is training with or against his true nature and ability.

I believe the only animals to partner a human to a competitive International level of training –are horses and dogs. It is interesting to watch the shepherd and the sheep dog work together through friendship, keen observation, instinct and mutual respect which is a sound basis for the training of any animal, including the horse. The connection is ‘mind to mind’ and the dog responds willingly to his handler.

This is a dog who willingly submits to his leader and handler, with apparently no force, just a relationship built on mutual trust.

£22.50

BUILDING THE CONTACT When a horse trots about with his head in the air, looking all around him, there is no positive connection emotionally or physically with the rider. When two people are talking, if one is trying to maintain a conversation, whilst the other is distracted by children playing or noises coming from another room, there is no communication. Communication takes two: one to talk and one to listen and both should be prepared to change the sequence, allowing the other person to contribute to the conversation.

Contact is the way a rider converses with a horse; a good contact, therefore, is when the rider is having a conversation with the horse during which neither becomes dominant. A horse has to be willing to take up an elastic contact with his rider’s hands without forging ahead and pulling. When a rider rebalances himself and takes a deeper inward breath, the horse should steady his gait to absorb the altered balance of the rider and thus lighten the contact. The rider then uses the lightened contact to allow the horse to work in self-carriage.

A relationship built on Mutual trust ‘ Jenny with MAESTU

Thoughts on contact A conversation or connection between two living beings requires: •

a time to listen

•

a time to express thoughts or requests

• the creation of a rapport or dialogue:

information being both offered and received •

a mutual desire to understand the feelings of the other party.

THE HEAD CONNECTION When a horse is moving freely, the first part of his body to move forward is his head. If, however, a rider restricts this forward movement with restraining hands, this will act like a brake, physically and mentally, and only serves to discourage the horse from enjoying forward movement. Confusion will

When the horse moves freely the first part of his body to move forward – is his head – photo by Rafael Lemos

ensue if a rider uses his seat and legs to ask for forward movement and then creates a barrier against it with the hands; the result will be an anxious and frustrated horse.

It is essential that our hands allow the unrestricted motion of the horse’s head and neck and do not impede the movement. The topline of the neck should arch and lengthen and not become ‘compressed’ and tight, which causes the back to become hollow.

It will be impossible to achieve correct contact without sufficient energy. Contact is a way of containing the energy given by the horse, within the ‘sensitive’ hands

of the rider. If there is no energy or desire to move forwards, there will be nothing to contain, only an artificial flexion of the neck. Some riders focus on ‘contact’, using their hands to pull a horse into an outline but a horse can never progress in training without sufficient energy.

Submission is achieved mind to mind and takes time patience and listening but for me is the path of true horsemanship. a

For more information on Jenny’s teaching, books/Dvd’s go to her web site:

www.naturallyclassical.com.

Building a bond of trust and respect’ Jenny with her Spanish stallion DELFIN

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How to start in

n o i t a t i u q E g n i Work Ar ticle & Photos by

Cátia Castro

www.cmcequinephoto.com

BH wanted to know what drives people to become Working Equitation riders, and how can people start to practise WE. We have enlisted the help of two experienced Working Equitation riders and trainers: the Vice European Champion of WE, Bruno Pica da Conceição and the current Portuguese Champion of WE, João Duarte Rafael. They will explain for us the basis of this exciting and complete sport.

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BH: What made you choose WE? BPC: My cousin, André Pica, is a member of the Portuguese WE Team, and obviously being a modality that I was identified with, as well as some of my favourite riders, like Pedro Torres, who are also involved in it, it was inevitable that I would choose WE. BH: And your equine partner – Trinco (Lusitano Pure Breed), how did your paths crossed and he was elected to be your horse?

BPC: I have ridden horses since I was a young boy, and when I was 15, I told my father that I wanted to compete, and the answer given to me by him was quite simple and direct: “Son, my current life does not allow me to fulfill this desire, but it is agreed that when you reach the age of 18, I will buy you a car and a horse for you to do all the competitions you want.” And so it was. At 18 years of age, in my own car, I drove to Sociedade das Silveiras Stud Farm to see a horse that supposedly could do WE. With the kindness of Mr. Manuel Braga and the riding of Pedro Torres, I didn’t need a lot of convincing and so, I bought Trinco. It is important to mention that Pedro Torres was responsible for putting me, at 18 years of age, with absolutely no experience and no technique, together with Trinco, a 4 year old colt, in WE competitions. colt, in WE competitions.

Bruno

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BH: What are your goals in the competition?

Pica, and my great friend and trainer, Pedro Torres.

BPC: Our goals are the same every year.

First and foremost, we are always looking to improve and evolve as a whole, performing exercises that are more difficult and requiring a more complicated technique. This attitude of expecting greater results each year at the competitive level enables us to achieve our main goal which is to be a part of the WE National Team (Portugal). I have been extremely fortunate to have been a part of my national team every year from 2008 to the present. This makes me very proud and so grateful for my faithful friend, Trinco.

In terms of National Championship, the most significant for me was my first participation in a championship where I became the national champion of the debut riders.

In terms of achievements, the most notable was undoubtedly the 3 times I’ve been the Vice Champion of Europe, the highlight being the championship that was held in Portugal, and sharing the podium with my cousin, André

BH: What most appeals about WE? BPC: This question differs for each individual.

In my case, there are 3 factors that attract me to WE: It is a modality that brings us in a contemporary way to the roots of traditional Portuguese riding, and I think no one can remain indifferent to their own ancestors.

Since this factor is a common point to all countries that practise in WE, this modality becomes very interesting from the point of view of a dispute between various riding

approaches.

WE is a very different sport, in that, when it is properly practised, this sport demands that we must be good dressage riders, good jumping riders and even good bullfighting riders.

Fellowship, Friendship and Companionship.

These are the factors that perhaps most influence the continuity of WE riders and horses year after year. No one wants to stop being a part of this family.

BH: If a person wanted to start to practice WE, what should do?

BPC: You need to join up with a trainer someone who has knowledge of the sport ... “no one is born taught.” You also need to have a horse and a proper outfit, for example, like the Portuguese Traje.

Bruno

Pica da Conceição

A person who wants an introduction to WE can do it though this website: http://waweofficial.com/index.asp . Here you can learn all about this discipline. When you have some idea of the sport and exercise that the WE requires, you can begin to train and have fun simulating obstacles similar to those shown in the pictures on this website. When you are able and willing to go into competitions, you may go to your country’s WE association, (in Portugal it is the APSL), and enroll in the National Championship or international events that take place throughout the year. A very relevant question to ask is about the costume that is worn; this should be in accordance with the equestrian traditions of each country.

BH: If a person wanted to build a WE arena to start having fun, what should do? Explain us all...

BPC: I think the most important thing is 1 02 .

to have a large space with a good surface; everything else can easily be improvised. I train with Pedro Torres and our obstacles are adaptations of material used by practitioners of show jumping, with the exception of the bridge and the bull. The thing that must always be in perfect condition is the floor; the horses deserve a good floor. Obviously, if we are able to build barriers similar to those used in the National Championship, so much the better!

BH: How to choose the ideal horse for WE? BPC: There are a few factors that should be taken into account when looking for a horse for WE. In order of importance, they are: the temperament / fineness, the gallop, and physical fitness.

By temperament / fineness I mean a “good head” horse. From my point of view, this is the main factor in the choice of any horse,

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whatever the sport. For WE, it must be a calm horse and cooperative but also “fine”, or observant. It is necessary that the horse has the ability to perceive distances and doesn’t drop any obstacles.

The gallop - naturally the ideal horse for WE has to be distinguished by its gallop. The mechanics of the horse’s gait should fairly thrust, allowing the legs to support the weight of the horse and push it forward easily and lightly. This is the only way we can get those desired gallop variations without losing balance during the various exercises.

If we combine all of these factors with strength and fitness, the animal will have a lasting competitive life, and you will have a horse that is very suitable for this sport.

JoĂŁo

Duarte Rafael

BH: How can a person start in the WE?

JDR: First of all, a person must have a good grounding in horse riding. WE has 3 different modalities together in the same sport: dressage, the flexibility to bend and negotiate obstacles: well executed circles; and speed to perform quickly. The horse must be calm and relaxed. Of great importance is the speed test where the horse must know to relax, then move quickly, then go slowly in a matter of seconds and when asked to.

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João

Duarte Rafael

BH: How do you prepare the horse for WE? JDR: A horse must be well trained to perform good straight and calm flying changes. When the horse is straight and moving forward, I then begin to introduce the obstacles, starting with the 50cm height for him to learn how to jump. When the horse is ready to begin negotiating obstacles, you can start with 2 drums. In order to do a figure 8 shape with good circles, these drums need to be 2.5 metres apart so the horse is comfortable to make a flying change in the middle of those two circles. When you maneuver a “slalom”, it requires the same things; the horse must be calm, straight and make good flying changes.

The horse must be kept firm and solid, because the turns are tighter and more demanding.

Here in Portugal, WE had its beginnings with the cattle herders in the fields.

They were called Campinos, riders, and they herded the cows and bulls on horseback. They had to open the gates with agility and speed, make fast turns, and the horse had to respond quickly to the rider’s needs. Now, the WE competition actually demands more skills and accuracy, but the original concept began with the work in the fields.

BH: How do you begin riding WE? JDR: I started 5 years ago. It’s a sport that I really like. For me, it is more dynamic than, for example, the dressage discipline. And I like the fellowship and good relationship that exists with all WE riders. When I first started to practise, within 3 months I knew I wanted to compete in the national championship.

I started with a Lusitano horse called Trigo.

For me these past 3 years beed very good. The first time I competed I was Champion. The second time I competed I came 2nd place. Last year was my first time competing in the Masters. I won 1st place and became National Champion (Portugal). I will continue to compete with Trigo. I do have another horse to ride competition in WE, but not just yet. I will compete this year with two horses in the Dressage National Championship. a

“

WE is very versatile, it puts us in a knowledge of several equestrian disciplines and we have so much fun with it, I recommend to all.

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THE VERSATILE

FRIESIAN ‘Majestic’, ‘luxurious’ and ‘magnificent’ are three terms that are often used to describe the Friesian horse. They conjure up images of the noble creature seen in dreams and in fairytales, but there are three other significant words that are utilised in a more ‘official’ manner when discussing this historic equine. ‘Baroque’, ‘Classic’ and ‘Modern’ are the usual terms employed to distinguish the different types or styles of Friesian horse that have evolved over the ages. Here we will look briefly at each type, present examples and discuss why and how they have changed and adapted to the needs of their human masters. (Please note that these are not offical terms used by the KFPS)

Photo by Danielle Skerman of Tyrus fan Bosksicht with Melissa Van den Berg.

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Written by Nadeen Davis

with the contribution from Michaela Wake and Allison Gelfand Sable

S

ome refer to just “the old and the new”, but when we look at the transition over the years we can clearly see there are three distinct types. Firstly, let us refer to the dictionary and review the descriptions of ‘Baroque’, ‘Classic’ and ‘Modern’ as standalone terms. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word ‘baroque’ is derived from the Portuguese word ‘barroco’, Spanish ‘barroco’, or French ‘baroque’, all of which refer to a ‘rough or imperfect pearl’. Baroque is also explained as ‘a style of architecture and art from the early seventeenth century, extravagantly ornate or elaborate’. In summary for the Baroque Friesian, we could say he is compact and muscular.

The term ‘Classic’ as defined by the dictionary describes ‘highest quality’, ‘serving as a standard or guide’, ‘traditional or typical’, and thus the Classic Friesian is seen as the typical build, that is neither Baroque nor Modern.

The word ‘Modern’ is synonymous with terms such as ‘not ancient’, or ‘remote’, or ‘relating to the present or recent times as opposed to the remote past’; hence the Modern Friesian is driven by the market demands of modern society. In today’s case, that means a high desire for a sporty mount that excels in the dressage arena, and can be competitive against the dominant Warmblood types.

What does that all mean for the Friesian Horse? Those three words in that particular order (Baroque, Classic, Modern) could describe its transition through history, surviving to suit the era, adapting to the historical environment to which it has been born. Being a versatile horse, we can still see examples of all three types today. This is no mean feat, considering that not long ago the breed in its entirety was virtually extinct.

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{ Baroque | Classic | Modern }

Image courtesy of www.kfps.nl

Photo by Ory Photography

Photo courtesy of Jasper van Manen

T

he term ‘Baroque Horse’ describes a group of horse breeds, usually descended from and retaining the distinctive characteristics of, a particular type of horse that rose to prominence in Europe during the Baroque era, after significant development throughout the Middle Ages. It describes the type of agile but strong-bodied descendants of horses during this time. They are characterised by powerful hindquarters, a muscular, arched neck, a straight or slightly convex profile, and usually a full, thick mane and tail. Without delving too much into the history books, let’s take a look at a horse from our lifetime that is noteworthy.

Perhaps the one horse can be credited with a significant impact on the modernisation of the breed is Approved Studbook stallion, Naen 264 Preferent. Born in 1976, he was of a lighter build, was taller, and had more length in the foreleg and a significantly more slender neck. Prior to Naen (particularly from 1920 to 1970), breeders were producing smaller more compact horses, harness or draft types. Naen was known to have produced many good riding horses with more flexibility and talent for work under saddle.

In addition to Naen, Approved Studbook Stallion Oege 276 Preferent also had a large impact on the emergence of the Modern type Friesian. With his longer neck and back, longer forearm and overall more streamlined appearance, Oege was known to throw offspring that were talented riding horses, with good temperaments – and an abundance of luxurious hair!

Both Naen and Oege produced several Approved sons, who in turn have gone on to influence the Friesian gene pool to a great degree. Both are also renowned mare sires, and their daughters have certainly left their mark on the Friesian breed as a whole. We can thank Naen and Oege for their contribution towards the Modern Friesian we see today.

Overall, the appearance of the Modern Friesian (particularly of the horse’s body) is closer to a rectangle than a square. When the shoulder is long and sloping, the back is not too long, and the croup is of adequate length, the ratio of fore-, middle- and hind quarters can be an ideal 1:1:1. It is lighter in bone and tends to be more streamlined than either the Classic or Baroque types. When looking at the Baroque, it often appears to be more square in shape due to the steeper angles of shoulder and croup, and the shorter back and hip.

Let’s now look at the obvious points of what makes a Friesian horse a ‘certain kind’ of Friesian horse.

Naturally, we will see extremes on either end of the scale (as with any breed), but below we have put together an overview with some additional points in reference to the appearance of the Baroque, Classic and Modern types. In saying that however, it is important to remember that all horses are individuals, some will possess characteristics from different types/builds, and many Friesians may not display their true type until they are completely mature.

Starting with the head, we see great variation, however the preference is for the head to be relatively short and of noble appearance, although it is not unusual to see the Friesian with a longer head, fitting into full size bridles.

The Baroque type head is smaller, but for all the width, should still be proportional to the length (as is the case across all three types). The ears are small and alert with the tips pointing slightly toward each other. The eyes are large and shining. The nasal bone is ideally slightly hollow or straight, but occasionally we can still see a Friesian with a mildly convex nasal bone. This is not desired, but certainly a contribution from genetic influences in the past. The nostrils are wide, the jaw bones are not heavy and are spread wide apart to allow the horse to breathe easily while at work. The head is set gracefully on the neck with adequate space for the throat.

The neck is lightly arched at the crest. It is long enough for the horse to bend properly and is adequately muscled. The neck is set on high and the lower neckline does not bulge Photo by Nadeen Davis of between the throat and the chest. Shorter and thicker necks are seen on Baroque and of Friesans in Harness.

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Classic types with the neck in the Classic type starting lower from the chest.

The withers are well developed, prominent and, in particular, blend gradually into the back for the Modern to Classic Friesian.

In the Baroque Friesian, there is generally no well-defined or obviously prominent wither. This is due to the shortness of the back and in combination with the upright neck, it can be difficult to see the wither.

The back is not too long and is well muscled. In the Baroque type, we tend to see a shorter back, whereas with the Modern and Classic Friesians, the back is medium to longer. The loin is wide, strong and well muscled and makes a smooth transition into the croup.

The croup is of good length, slopes slightly downward and is wide and muscular. It neither forms a point, nor is overly rounded.

In the Baroque type, the croup is generally one third of the body length, and ideally on a fifteen degree angle. In early times, this steep angle is thought to have increased the pulling capacity of the Baroque Friesian as he went about his job in harness.

Conversely, in the Modern type, we would perhaps see the croup as thirty percent of the overall body length, and perhaps a ten to fifteen degree slant; and this is lessened again in the Classic type, with a more horizontal croup. In all cases, it should be no higher than the wither. The tail is not set on too low. The gluteal or gaskin muscle is long and well developed.

Ideally the shoulders are long and sloping and are set widely enough apart to form a good chest, which is neither too wide nor too narrow. In a Baroque type, perhaps we would see the shoulders set wider, whilst in the Modern Friesian horse there is a tendency for the shoulders to be leading more towards narrow. In our Classic type, we see a longer shoulder to allow for good use of the forelegs.

The ribs are long and curved, supplying ample space for the heart and lungs, without being rotund. Overall, the belly maintains sufficient depth throughout, allowing for wide expansion of the lungs, and plenty of room for all the internal organs, however in the Modern Friesian, there is a tendency for the belly and barrel area to gradually narrow towards the rear.

The forelegs are properly positioned with a slight tendency towards standing under (again, a throwback to the ‘pulling types’ of old) and when viewed from the front, are set parallel with a hoof width of space at the ground. Viewed from the side, they are perpendicular down through the fetlock joint. The cannon bone is not too long; the forearm however, has good length. With our Modern Friesian, the entire leg “seems” longer than that of a Baroque type; it also looks longer in relation to the rib area. Logically then, in the Baroque we tend to see a deeper rib, a shorter leg, and consequently a shorter cannon bone (although there are always exceptions), whereas the Modern Friesian generally has a longer leg and comparatively shallow rib area.

We hope that this has given those new to the breed a small insight to this magnificent horse, whose history and transition through it has ensured the evolution of a very versatile equine. Each breed type has its own band of dedicated followers and breeders, and this ensures that all the types are here to stay.

There is a Friesian horse to suit virtually everyone and just about any discipline. Some will prefer the Baroque, some prefer Modern and some just don’t care as long as it’s a Friesian! Yes it is true that some of these types can merge, or that a horse can seem to fit into more than one category. Generally though, the overall picture of the Friesian horse is truly spectacular regardless of its build type. The Black Pearls of Friesland effortlessly command attention wherever they go, and capture the hearts of many. a

{ Baroque | Classic | Modern } Photo: Julie Wilson

Photo: Nadeen Davis

Photo: Nadeen Davis

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109.

“Aries”

“

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When you first touch a wild horse, they are certain you can kill them. And you are close enough to them, that if they lose it, they can actually kill you. So for that moment of first contact, you both are actually putting your life in the others hands.

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Lessons from a

Written by

Kathryn BaRrett heartofamustang.wordpress.com

To gentle a wild horse is a unique experience. You can touch them with ropes and brushes and bamboo poles, but when you touch them with your hand, they can feel your pulse. They know you are alive, and it changes them. My friend and mustang trainer, Lena, put it best. “When you first touch a wild horse, they are certain you can kill them. And you are close enough to them, that if they lose it, they can actually kill you. So for that moment of first contact, you both are actually putting your life in the others hands.”

This was exactly what I felt when I first put my hand on the forehead of my twelve year old wild mustang, Aries. Time actually stood still for that moment. Both he and I held our breath and trusted the other.

Photos by

Marcie Lewis Www.marcielewisphotography.com

Back in October 2010, I visited the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Corrals to select a wild horse. The horses from this region have diverse origins with a lot of draft, morgan, and quarter horse influences. But unlike most other wild mustangs in the United States, these horses have a gene marker for ‘”Old Spanish” blood.

According to a genetic study, the Twin Peaks mustangs have the “D-dek” marker gene that is also found in Kiger mustangs, a type of mustang that has strong Spanish roots. So running wild across northern California are horses that look like they belong in the fields of Andalusia.

I was out to find a mustang that would be the star of a film project I was planning. I would publish weekly videos following the gentling and training of a wild horse. American Mustangs are a threatened breed.

Because of various political circumstances, their future as part of the American West is not guaranteed. If they are not continuously protected, this unique and iconic treasure will be gone. I wanted to share the story of one horse so that people would see how incredible mustangs are and would be moved to help secure their future running wild. I called the project To the Heart of a Mustang. I had no way of knowing how perfect that title would be.

I saw over 1,000 horses that weekend in October, but one horse in

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particular caught my attention. He was with a group of stallions that were being held separately for possible release. This red roan stood proudly and looked for all the world like an Iberian horse. I was told that because he was part of the turn-out group, I could not have him. But I was set on getting him.

When selecting a wild horse, you can’t get up close and touch them or get to know them. The only information you can go on is how they interact with the other horses, how they look, and most importantly the feeling you get from them.

It really comes down to just knowing that that is the horse for you. I was told I couldn’t have him, but as I drove home, I picked out his name: Aries.

Several months passed, several phone calls were exchanged. The BLM was not going to return all of the stallions, so it was possible Aries might stay. January 2011 came and was about to go when I got a call. This fiery red roan was staying. He was mine.

It still took several more months of agonizing waiting before I was cleared to retrieve my beautiful new mustang. Getting an older mustang was a dicey proposition.

Each horse is unique and sometimes even young mustangs don’t gentle very well. So getting an older mustang was a big risk. But I just knew. I knew he would be fine. On Friday, May 13th, 2011, a friend and I drove all night to pick Aries up.

We left at two in the morning, set to arrive at the corrals at 8 am when they opened. I was picking up Aries and a young two year old gelding who would later be named Dakota. I was going to gentle Dakota and find him a home and keep Aries for myself. When we arrived at the corrals, the horses had already been separated from the rest of the herd and were waiting in a holding pen. Once all of the paperwork and contracts were signed, we backed the trailer up to the opening of a chute. The two horses were sent through the chute where their neck tags were removed before they were loaded into the trailer. No halters. Just bare horse. We hauled them loose in a small stock trailer.

This is the safest way to transport a wild horse, giving them as much freedom as possible.

It would be six long hours before we arrived home. About 30 minutes away from the barn, Aries let out a huge kick against the side of the trailer. He was good and ready to be out of there. We backed the trailer up to the edge of the pens where he and Dakota would live, and once we secured the fence panels to the sides of the trailer, we opened the trailer door and let the horses out into their new home.

Aries was wilder than any mustang I had ever worked with. He was wild, but sensible. He didn’t try to throw himself over fences or charge me, but he wanted 1 12 .

nothing to do with me at all. When I’d come into the pen, he’d watch me like I was a lion- his face stoney, body rigid, and he never let his guard down.

I kept Aries in a small paddock with an attached round pen, both with six foot high fencing. The BLM requires that all mustangs be housed with six foot fencing until they are gentle. When I’d work Aries in the round pen, I couldn’t get very close to him, so I had to get creative about working with him from a distance. Some days I would just go sit in his pen and read a book. In the beginning, he would stand on the far side of the pen. To anyone watching, it would have probably looked like he was just taking a nap, resting one hind leg, tail swishing at flies.

But he was in no way relaxed. He’d have one eye and one ear on me at all times. I could see him glance at me from the corner of his eye. I was always the center of his attention whether it looked like it or not.

Occasionally he’d walk around behind me and sneak up, stretching his nose out to get a whiff of my hair.

A wild horse forces you to do a lot of things that we take for granted with a domestic horse. One of the most important lessons I learned by working with Aries was to reward “the thought.” When I was trying to explain to him that I wanted him to yield his hind end away from me, crossing the hind leg underneath, I released the request if he even shifted his weight in the direction I wanted. When asking for something like a step, we forget how many little steps there are that lead up to that big step with the leg. By rewarding the thought or the smallest movement, I gave Aries validation that his thought was correct well before he ever moved. This gave him confidence that he was reading my requests correctly, and our communication began to build. He began to respond to me like we were communicating instead of like I was a predator out to kill him.

He was so aware of everything, all the time. Being wild for over a decade, his instincts and senses were very sharp. Nothing got past him. In some ways this was a challenge, but it actually made working with him quite simple. If I was clear and direct, Aries would give me exactly what I asked for. The trick for me was to be absolutely clear. There are times where I would be unsure about how to ask Aries to do something… how do I get him to change direction through the circle?

He could sense this indecisiveness and this made him go on alert. But all horses are

They can see what’s in your heart as well as what you are saying with

this way.

your body. If those two messages don’t match, it’s unsettling for the horse. Again, a wild horse will force you to be congruent in your thinking where as a domestic horse may just ignore your mixed messages.

If I was unfocused, he wouldn’t work

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“

“

....I knew that what I was asking would not harm him, but Aries thought that if I touched him, he would die...

with me at all. He would just evade me. If I was clear and happy, he was quite willing to pay attention and try to figure me out. On more than one occasion, I realized I had been outsmarted. I learned that when I walked into that pen, I had to leave everything else outside. Aries was so intently focused on me that he saw and felt everything.

After 6 months, I could work Aries in the round pen left and right, he would yield both his hind quarters and his shoulders away from me, change direction, walk, trot, and halt. All without ever touching him. I introduced ropes to him as well. At first he was terrified. I would casually toss a rope over him, and he would bolt out from underneath it.

But I just kept calm and repeated the process until he realized there was no danger. He got to be very good with ropes actually. I could toss coil after coil of rope over him, and he would just stand there, watching me.

I needed to get him comfortable with ropes not only because his new life would involve them, but also because I knew I would need a rope to help me touch him for the first time. It’s a tricky thing asking a horse to do something they don’t want to do and it has to been done carefully. I knew that what I was asking would not harm him, but Aries thought that if I touched him, he would die. Aries had no confidence in

himself nor confidence in me. Allowing this predator to put her hand on him was just not something he felt he could do. My friend Lena and I worked with Aries using a rope to gently, but persistently, keep him focused and build his confidence. Every time he’d try to flee, we would let him go, but kept the rope on him so we could get his focus back again. I had to let him get away if he felt he absolutely had to. If I had held him there that would have broken all the trust I’d spent six months building. Gradually, he fled less and less and didn’t run for as far or as long when he did feel the need to escape. And finally, he did it. Lena was the first to actually touch him. When I got my turn, I approached

He lowered his beautifully sculpted head and let me place my palm right over his star. him from the front.

If you’d like to see the full video series, please visit my blog: heartofamustang.wordpress.com - To view Aries’s first touch, look up Episode 18.

Check the next issue of Baroque Horse Magazine for the second half of this story. a

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113.

The Beauty is in the Detail

The ability to create something beautiful, lasting and at ease with it’s environment is a challenge for most of us, but with an artistic eye, a craftsman’s hand and a natural understanding of function it can be done - repeatedly.

Hugh Parry-Okeden has been at the helm of Giddiup, building and fencing equestrian properties and developing lifestyle blocks in Sydney’s Hills and Hawkesbury precincts for the past fifteen years. Equine building and fencing is not a business many survive; competitive, fickle and vexed with problem solving, high costs and an array of personalities devoted to their four legged friends. “The competitors come and go” says Hugh, “some of them show promise and some of them challenge us on pricing, but it is a delicate mix to get right”. Hugh is the first to compliment another trade and despite the competitive nature of the business he always has a positive word to say about others. “The market place creates its own order and I feel good about where we sit in that order.”

Giddiup. “He brings a lot of practical farming knowledge and horsemanship to the mix, says his boss.

The work at Giddiup is meticulous, the quality high. Many of Sydney’s boutique building companies engage Giddiup to finish off their estates with fencing, gates, latches, doors and barns. All work undertaken is unique to each project, there is no mass production, no short cuts. “We get a lot of enquiries through our website for the cost of a barn” says Hugh “but the simple answer is that we can not tell until we see the lie of the land and hear the customers needs. Every barn is unique.

However, that does not mean we can not build to a tighter budget, we just have to discuss the options and work out a solution for the client”.

What does the future hold for Giddiup? The plan is to keep building literally says Hugh. We

Giddiup has always understood it’s clientele and the company believes it is because they employ like minded “types”.

Those working for Giddiup are all riders, owners, breeders and lovers of horses. Dick Doolin who heads the team recently represented Australia playing polo in India. Dick grew up in southern Queensland in a large farming family and balances his love for riding with his time at

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have not had to look too far afield for work to this point but my wife loves the Southern Highlands! Seriously, we want to be able to add more options for our clients, continue to seek best practices in the field and create really beautiful horse properties. Things that last and we are proud of. Hopefully we will be able to manage that”.

Building, F encing & Design

Fencing & Entrances | Barns | Stable Complexes | Arenas Shelters | Wash Bays | Round Yards | Cross Country Fences Irrigation | Property Design

439 Cattai Rd Cattai NSW 2756 Mobile: 0410 637 367

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