Baroque Horse ~ Issue 19 by Baroque Horse Magazine

Issue 19 Autumn 2015

Batuta GAME CHANGER THE

With

Gonรงalo Carvalho

CARL HESTER MASTERCLASS

WHICH BIT? Understanding WHAT IT ALL MEANS

HORSE BEHAVIOR

What It Means To Be A Prey Animal

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

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CONTENTS

w h a t ’ s

12.

i n s i d e

Batuta - The Game Changer with Gonçalo Carvalho

20.

Masterclass with Carl Hester

28.

Piaffe by Belinda Bolsenbroek

34.

Santo André Lusitanos

46.

Grand Hostil by Jenny Rolfe

ISSUE 19 AUTUMN

54.

Readers Story

60.

A moment with Peter Spahn

66.

Understanding Horses by Gabrielle and Camille Dareau

72.

Chatting with Peter Shaw

78.

Which Bit ?

84.

Artist Profile - Judith Leman

88.

How Traditional Dressage and

ON THE COVER: " Batuta" and Gonçalo Carvalho Photo: Danielle Skerman

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WE Complement Eachother 90.

Lifestyle Section

92.

Q&A

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E D I T O R S

2015

Welcome to our Autumn Issue! In this issue, we have so much happening. Since our last issue, we went on a wee trip to Europe and had a wonderful time visiting many friends, studs and schools. I put together a few fun photos from our trip for you to see and yes, I am guilty of the odd selfie! Sorry lol.. but is all in the name fun, after all. We (Patty and I) went to UK, Portugal, France, Italy and also had a short stopover at Dubai. Over the next couple issues, we'll bring you articles, interviews and photos from our trip. In this issue, we have a superb masterclass by the delightful Carl Hester in the UK. It was fantastic, and we really enjoy the way Carl presents his clinics with heaps of education blended with a twist of his witty and amusing sense of humour. Carl is a true inspiration as he promotes listening and working with your horse, not against and forcing it. He is realistic and open-minded to breeds and what is fair, in both training and what is to be expected in the industry. Needless to say, we like and appreciate the way Carl

teaches and hope you do too! On our trip, we also had the opportunity to visit the very talented Olympian Gonçalo Carvalho from Portugal and his new super mare Batuta. Wow, is an understatement of this mare. Mark my words, this mare is a game changer. She just oozes talent, ability and the willingness to learn. Both Patty and I fell in love with this mare, but not for the reasons people would first think. Yes, she's special in talent. However, her personality is just gorgeous. She is so sweet, gentle and funny! Ok, enough gushing on her personality! This team, (touch wood all goes well) will be a pair to watch! It has been said by more than one, that Batuta rivals the talent to the famed Valergo! Time will tell, either way, they are a talented team to watch, and we can't wait to see what the future holds for them! Lastly from our trip we talk about our stay with Santo André Lusitanos! What an experience! We had a lovely time with many long chats on horses, training and breeding. Yep, it was horse conversation

N O T E

heaven! It was one of those places that talking about horses all day or at any random thought was entirely natural. We hope you enjoy reading about our stay as much as we enjoyed being there. The Dareau sisters are back for another fantastic article. This one is about understanding horses. If you have ever had a horse spook on you (and lets face it, who hasn't) then this is a great one for you to read and understand ways that you can handle it and hopefully not hit the dirt! We hope you enjoy this issue. Cheers!

kerman Danielle SEditor-in-Chief

TODAY

and SAVE! 4 issues (1 year) for only $29.95* *Australian residence only. Shelf price of $35.80

Design & Production Manager: Danielle Skerman

GAME CHANGER THE

Gonçalo Carvalho

CARL HESTER MASTER CLASS

WHICH BIT?

Design: Shane Cunningham

Understanding WHAT IT ALL MEANS

HORSE BEHAVIOR

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

What It Means To Be a Prey Animal

ADMIN & MANAGEMENT

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ALSO INSIDE: ROYAL STABLES FRANCE, UNDERSTANDING PIAFFEE, STUD PROFILES AND MUCH MORE. $9.95NZD

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ART & PRODUCTION

Issue 19 Autumn 2015

Batuta With

EDITORIAL

Editor-In-Chief Danielle Skerman editor@baroquehorse.com.au

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Batuta

THE GAME CHANGER

WITH

Gonรงalo Carvalho E

very now and then, over our modern day equestrianism a unique horse come along. Not only does this horse need to exist, it needs to have a special team to unveil this talent.

Photos and Article by Danielle Skerman

One such horse is now standing out and making the equestrian world look on with great interest. 'Batuta' is a 17hh Lusitano mare. As little as 20 years ago, she would have never had her chance to shine and show us all her natural ability for dressage. In the past, generally only stallions and geldings were used as riding horses, and the mares were always used for breeding. It's just how it was and needed to be. Now, for the Iberian horses, mares are starting to become more regularly ridden as performance horses. Batuta being a big, tall, talent mare will, without a doubt, become a real game changer. Not only for the Iberian breeds, but also for what one can lightly joke in resemblance to the woman's movement of the equine (Iberian) kind!

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Mid last year she was purchased by ISHI (International Sport Horses Investment) and is now in training with the very talented Olympian Gonçalo Carvalho. Last year in November I had the pleasure to catch up with Gonçalo and meet Batuta in person. I have to say, she sure does capture an impressive presence! Especially with her being 17hh, which is rather big for the breeds. Batuta is the sweetest mare; she is so special in so many ways. She oozes character and personality, and all the while being a big gentle girl. I had the opportunity to watch this talented pair in action; I can say I absolutely look forward to seeing the big bright future ahead of them. Individually they can't do it alone, but together they'll make new history. Baroque Horse Magazine chatted to Gonçalo about Batuta, and this is what he had to say. BH:

How did you come to know of Batuta?

GC: For four years, I’ve admired Batuta, and

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having her now is a dream come true. She has been with me for training since mid last year. I remember the first time I saw her, it was actually at the home of her breeder, she was about four years of age then. It didn’t take me long to see her amazing ability and along with her breeding quality for dressage. At such a young age, you could see she was something special. I continued to keep an eye on her over the years. There was this one time while I was training with Rubi in Germany at the home of Jan Bemelmans, where Batuta was there for training to begin her sports career. This opportunity worked out well as while we were there I had the chance to ride her several times. I was able to get videos of her riding that showed her outline all GP exercises naturally, without effort in no time. It was very obvious to me that she would be an exceptional riding horse. I even found myself saying back then on several occasions to many people that she was the best Lusitano horse ever. However, due to her being a mare and not a stallion, I was widely criticized, I even heard one person say that I did not know what

I was talking about. I did not give up or listen to people being negative; I continued to try to find a way I could have the opportunity ride and compete her. And I was unsuccessful in creating a team for Batuta at that point. I could not keep searching then as I had a focus as with the Olympic's coming up with my dear Rubi, and this needed my full attention. In the end, everything turned out in well, and I have been very lucky to have Mario Franco (ISHI) enter into my life. Mario believed my assessment skills and knowledge of the horses and acquired Batuta and Zaire. I am very grateful to have such faith and belief put into me. Still to this day, when I ride her I feel like it's still a dream. BH: Batuta is such a talented mare and seems to be able to do everything with such ease, what would you say she is best at? GC: She has very good gaits. I think the work trot is where she expresses her quality the most. I believe that as the training progresses we will be able to achieve scores of 9 in passage and piaffe. BH: It's unusual for a Lusitano mare to be in the competition ring, let alone going FEI, do you think now more mares are going to be looked at for riding not just for breeding? GC: I am certain of it, yes. The Portuguese mentality is a bit conservative when it comes to using mares for sports, but I believe it is changing now, and much of that change is thanks to Batuta. For now I can say I have encountered no problems in working with mares. BH: What would you say is the biggest difference you have noticed in training a mare then to a stallion? GC: To be honest, I have felt no difference with Batuta. If we control the times when she is

I CONTINUED TO TRY TO FIND A WAY I COULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY RIDE AND COMPETE HER

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cycling, it doesn't interfere with the training. Stallions and mares have more character (than geldings), and it is possible to channel that energy into work and I like that about the horses I train BH:

Any plans for breeding Batuta?

GC: We would like to do it, of course. But for now we must focus on qualifying for the Olympics. We don't want to interfere with the training program or disturb her physical and psychological stability. But once the opportunity arises, Zaire will be the first lucky boy. BH: What do you think it is about her that makes her stand out so much from the rest? GC: Batuta is special. Perhaps the "special one" amongst the Lusitano horses in dressage today. She is without a doubt a real dressage "machine". She is the gentlest and easiest to handle of horses, with a strong physical complexion unique to the Lusitano breed, and at the same time she is phenomenal under saddle. I believe that is the feeling that most people get and like about her. BH: How’s your training progressing with her? Anything in particular that you are working on with her? GC: Training has been progressing very well. I do a lot of work on relaxing and building the top line, so she becomes more and more confident and improves her performances in the self carriage. BH: You spoke briefly before about Batuta’s personality, can you tell us some more about her? GC: Batuta is very easy going and loving. She loves and seeks human attention but, at the same time, she is a bit unsure in new environments. That is easy to manage though, and she quickly focuses back on work. She is a mare that despite all the physical power, is the sweetest of animals around children and will gladly accept a carrot or a treat from them. It's endearing to behold. BH:

What plans do you have for her?

GC: For the moment we are 100% focused on qualifying for the Olympics and on building the idea of the Lusitano breed as a talented sports horse. BH: If we're sitting here a year from now celebrating what a great year it's been for you, what do you hope you have achieved? GC: I want to keep growing as a rider, trainer, coach, and competitor. My goals are to continue improving and building on my personal best scores in competition and I hope in a years time to be achieving all this. Here at Baroque Horse Magazine would like to thank Gonçalo taking the time to talk to us and for allowing us the opportunity to visit and get to watch and photograph you and Batuta in action. We look forward to what the future holds with you two together. a

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DRESSAGE ISN’T JUST ABOUT SITTING ON THE BACK OF A HORSE AND KEEP IT ON THE BIT ... IT IS ABOUT GYMNASTICS FOR HORSES

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Lusitano Zaire, Gonçalo Carvalho at the olympics and at home training rubi ar (horse not for sale)

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19.

Masterclass with

CARL HESTER

n our recent trip to UK, we got see Carl Hester presenting a masterclass on dressage and going back to the basics. As usual, his demonstration was excellent, and we wanted to share this with you. He covered the importance of knowing your horse and understanding what training is needed for your horse's particular weaknesses. Carl discussed the theory of ‘one fits all’ in training methods and that is isn’t always right. Different horses need to be worked in different ways. This is just one of the many reasons that Carl is as successful as a rider and as a trainer. He can explain in very simple and easy to understand terms how it is done, and this way it connects with the rider. He provides wonderful encouragement to his students as he explains to the audience what he sees and what rider needs to do. In this particular demonstration, we were presented with two very different horses (Archie a Cob and Del a Warmblood), both with the ability to do dressage. Carl wanted to demonstrate that if you loved dressage or riding in general it didn’t matter what type or breed of horse you have, that anything

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was possible. To look at the individual horse for what he/she is and assess what their strengths and weaknesses are and work on them as required. We were shown what sort of exercises you can do to improve them and what kind of suppleness is needed. The point of having the two horses, Carl explains “Why shouldn’t the cob ‘Archie’ and his rider (Karen) get a good mark? Just because he is a different shape and different type of horse to Del (Warmblood ridden by Amy). Obviously, if both horses perform to their optimum, one is more elastic, so will get higher points, and the other has good transitions and bends so could also achieve a good result too.” Carl emphasises the importance of, not rushing through your training, and spending time building a strong foundation and not getting stuck on ‘I cant’s’. “You need to learn your basics ... what does this mean to you when someone says this to you? You have to work on self-carriage, straightness, transitions and acceptance of your aids. You need to find what your horse is good at too and then you have to think of what his limit would be? “

HORSE ONE – ARCHIE (RIDDEN BY KAREN) • • • • • • •

Cob six years old Doing dressage for four months - scoring 74-78% tests Temperament – good and relaxed Natural good walk and over-tracks by three hoof prints. Won every competition he has entered (prelim and novice) Round action which is what cobs have and is more horizontal than H2. • Archie is heavy on the foot • Archie has a good canter and nice hind leg • Is a bit stiff but has only been training for a short time . HORSE TWO – DEL (RIDDEN BY AMY)

YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO RIDE A GOOD WALK WITH YOUR ARMS, AND THE NOSE SHOULD NEVER NOD

• • • • • • •

BACK ... THE NOSE HAS TO NOD FORWARD IN THE WALK.

Carl begins the demonstration by discussing what the strong points of each horse are. “We are going to look at these two horses first of all and look at the paces and conformation. When you look at the shape of a cob (Archie), they are built very strong in the front and because of this they pull from the front and in dressage you need to push from the back. That is something we will have to deal with in his training. This horse has a huge walk, and you can see where his front feet land and see where his hind feet land and you are looking at over track of three hoof prints. That is a very good sign that the horse is using his body. To get a walk better it is always about making the holds longer, so don't push faster and faster with your legs. Especially with Archie, as what happens is that he will start to do the rising walk. So you end up going up and down and don't end up getting an over track. You have to learn to ride a good walk with your arms, and the nose should never nod back ... the nose has to nod forward in the walk. The whole time the horse is stretching.. the back and the neck, so you get the full length. The longer Amy gets the horse in his body the bigger and better the walk gets.” “Archie has learned to use his body in a walk; he slightly stops there at the front, and the longer Karen gets him in the neck, the better it gets. He does have a very nice over track, and he is bringing his hind legs forward so what needs to be better is the

Warmblood six years old Carl Hester’s horse Bred in England Has two riders so has to adapt to both riders Temperament – good Del is light on the foot

way he uses his shoulders. In fact, his hind legs don't extend, and his front legs have to learn to extend. So with walking up and down and we can get him to realise to use his shoulders and attitude. Archie with his shape being stronger in the front, they tend to pull themselves a little bit more from their front legs, and that is what we can see him doing here. He is more horizontal than the other horse (Del), and the difference is that you can't really hear Del moving, and I can hear Archie going behind me. He is a lot heavier on the foot, and that will be something we will have to address in his training.”

“Archie also has a really good canter and for a cob has a really good hind legs. He is in nice self-carriage and for him canter is the best pace... look how he balances himself naturally. Karen is not using the reins to hold herself, and she is able to get him to give and take. What is obvious is that he is quite stiff, he isn't up, bended or supple but he has only being doing dressage for four months! A thing to remember is that you cannot force a horse to be supple and is something that you need to continue to work on. If your horse doesn't bend easily to the left or right that is quite normal but you will need to keep working on it.”

Archie’s Canter you can see he has great hind leg action, but al little downhill in the front

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“It is important that we have a look at both reins because sometimes the horse is better one way than the other, and you can accept that but not at the expense of the pace being wrong. So the canter, once again, has to be three beats both sides. In Archie, the crookedness is showing here, and this is just the length of uprightness but does have a lovely stride and a clear moment of suspension. I feel that his hind legs are better than his front legs as it was in the walk. So what happens is that he is so good at behind he has to push himself a little bit downhill. We have to help him get a bit off his forehand and will have to do a few exercises here. ” Carl then goes to describes that when looking for a dressage horse, how important the walk and canter are. “If you are going to do dressage, and if you are buying a horse it is important to look for something that has a very good walk. For example, my horse doesn't have a good walk and for this reason he has to do everything else brilliantly to get a big mark. Recently I was competing, and I was sitting with a score of 83% until I got to the walk and then I dropped down to 77%. My mark has come down that far just because of the walk, and I had to claw that score back up again in a canter." "I normally buy my horse when they are two and a half years old. Last year we were at the National Championships, and I just happened to look up as this horse cantered past, and I took one look Del's hind legs and I thought .. ' I must have that horse for Christmas!' As you can see when you look at that those hind legs they operate like show jumping hind legs... they are up and under his tummy the whole time. So basically, he is a complete natural ... a natural dressage horse built with a very good temperament

Showing Dels canter and hind leg action.

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and really good paces but that hind leg is just to die for in the canter! And, of course, he has the look and expression that go with these paces. The trot is the pace that interests me the least because the trot is the pace that we can do a lot with, but the walk and the canter are really what we want to look at in a good horse.” “Let's have a look at Del's canter... I never get bored with looking at Del. We have just started teaching him to do a smaller canter, so he starts to sit.” “Your hands should go forward toward the horse’s ears; it shows again, that she is not holding him there. What happens here is that the horse’s mouth starts to get softer as he begins to chew on the bit because of the relaxation in her hands. This then enables the horse to relax in his jaw without any tension in it. I think it is difficult to judge when a horse is doing a good medium or extended canter as it shouldn't actually go faster, it should go more in the air. Because Del is very natural behind, and if you took a picture, when he is in a medium or extended canter you will see that his hind leg comes a little bit higher off the floor. When you see a horse go from trot to canter does it run or does it just lift itself into canter? This is a sign of self-carriage.” Carl starts to talk about what is selfcarriage and what it means. “In self-carriage, you should be able to give and retake the reins at any time and the horse should remain on the bit. If you give the reins and the rhythm speeds up, then the horse is not in self-carriage. It is important to keep making sure, as a rider, that you can give and retake your reins at any time. So that is a fundamental exercise that anyone can do. These two riders are not holding their horses on the bit; you can see that the horses aren't heavy in the hand, and

Amy releasing the reins showing Del is in self-carriage.

the girls aren't heavy in their arms. They are 'soft' riders, and that is very important that they start teaching this way to these young horses.” We go back to looking at the Canter with Archie. “The only way we are going to lighten this horse's forehand is by doing the transitions. And we will have a look at Karen doing some canter - walk - canter and see what makes a good transition. It is not perfect because he isn't sitting, he has a lovely stride but it is teaching him to where to decide to extend. You have to ask the question 'was that good enough for him? With cantering at a speed, of course, he can't sit down and do a lovely soft transition because he is slight forward. When you take the walk to canter, you take the outside leg and put it off horse’s canters. You don't squeeze it to death with your legs when you do a flying change. The walk to canter is the start of teaching your horse that they are doing a flying change. She has to stay behind him so that the horse is in front of her, and then she gets the nice push from behind leg. How can we help Archie get more upright? We need to do a bit of leg yield in canter. Leg yield in canter is something that you see in a test. If she brings her right rein up a little bit, we are going to lift the inside rein slightly up in the middle of his neck and there you can see Archie is starting to come off that shoulder, and he is moving to the left. Try to keep you inside rein higher than you outside rein, and then Karen gets to see Archie's right eye. That is what you want to be looking for in an event.... so you can see the inside eye. She needs to do leg yielding when she goes around the corner and see he doesn't look stiff anymore. He is starting to look more supple and looks like he is carrying himself. Eventually, all Karen will have to do is bring her inside rein up, and you will see the horse

Karen and Archie doing walk canter transactions to lighten his forehand.

flex and move to the outside, and we start to have a horse that bends.” “We are going to fix Archie’s downhill tendencies now. We are going to do some half transitions of trot, walk and trot again. That pushes him uphill and in dressage tests you hear that you must ride forward. If your horse is unbalanced and you ride forward you are going to make it worse. You are better to ride at a speed where you can ride the horse in a soft shape rather than just do what you are told. You need to ride a horse at a speed where you can balance your

YOU NEED TO RIDE A HORSE AT A SPEED WHERE YOU CAN BALANCE YOUR HORSE.

Karen and Archie working in leg yield in canter to help Archie get more upright in his canter.

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horse. When Karen rides Archie forward, that is what pushes him uphill and after a few minutes/ seconds he starts to go downhill. Every time he goes downhill she has to come back to these little steps.” Carl turns his attention back to Del. “This is a fabulous horse (Del), a horse that is good at his paces but he also has to be correctly trained and he also has to have his basics right. We are trying to teach him is to do a small step and a square halt, so he has to step forward and stand. We always do this on the wall because he has such big paces he has to learn that if you take the reins and just stop and wherever his hind legs are he will just stand still. So we try to teach him trot, a little walk, and halt. We have been trying to teach him this for the past six weeks, and he is now starting to stand square.”

It is easy for many to lose track of what exactly is the goal of dressage. We spend countless hours in dressage arena training, practicing and wanting to grow and evolve, both for ourselves and for our horses. Sometimes we can lose sight of what is needed and why. In this clinic, Carl reminds us of what this is and should be. “Some people say 'my horse is elastic.' What does elastic mean? You can see if a horse is elastic when you go sideways? Is he able to lengthen without running? Just because you are doing something sideways doesn't mean you have to sit as you can do this in rising trot. Dressage isn't just about sitting on the back of a horse and keep it on the bit ... it is about gymnastics for horses, you are trying to improve the paces and you are trying to get them more elastic. If you are constantly just sitting and keeping the head in the same place, it is very difficult for them

DRESSAGE ISN’T JUST ABOUT SITTING ON THE BACK OF A HORSE AND KEEP IT ON THE BIT ... IT IS ABOUT GYMNASTICS FOR HORSES

Amy and Del working on square halts, by doing a small (slow) step and a square halt, so he has to step forward and stand. First attempt) he didn’t stand square, so on the second attempt and they got a square halt.

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to become supple. It is about flexion, straightness, stretching and collection. When you stretch a horse, it is not about holding the head down; the horse has to follow your hand down and to the floor. His neck is in front of the saddle, and we want that bit of his neck to move so I know he is getting relaxed, and everything is softer. Looking at his back... does his tail swing? That is something else that you have to think about ... does his horse swing his back? All these are signs that you are doing the right thing and that you are going off the right line and that your horse is relaxed. “ “When you train, you should work on your basics, and you should be able to stretch your horse. Some people say... 'oh my horse won't stretch.' If it won't stretch then, you are riding it on the bit and not on the hand. You have to be able to do this in walk, trot, and canter. If we look at Del, in canter, up on the bit and stretching... so how do we do that? First we form a circle, and we teach our horses that when we carry our hand in front of the saddle the horse must be forward to the bit. So, if you ride with long reins and your hand is over the saddle you are riding with a backward contact, and

Amy stretching Dels neck to be infant of the saddle, allowing the horse to relax and become softer. you need to ride forward contact. Amy is riding here with her hands in front of the saddle and her hands become a little lower but still in front of the saddle and lengthen the reins and then the horse has to start looking for his own balance. The fingers have to close on the rein, and it feels like you squeeze the bit through your fingers a few times. Amy is more dominant on her right than on her left rein, and that is quite normal, and that is because horses are stiffer to the left. So you end up trying to bend them more to the left and then your inside rein becomes a little too strong. It is important to

Amy and Del, showing a good position and hand position towards the horse for a forward action, not behind the saddle for a backward.

remember that that inside rein stays in front of you and then you can feel the right side. What you can sometimes do is bend the horse to the outside and put just a little bit of leg yield towards him.” “What is straightness? When I ask a person to ride straight, especially down the middle of the arena, they might be able to get the hind legs to follow the front legs but they hold their head over the leg they are on. It's not only the hind legs following the front legs it is also the head in front of the chest. So where you sit you are looking down through two ears you are not looking at the head. Most horses are a little bit wide in the hind than they are in the front. So when you ride the inside hind leg is between his front legs. You need to ride the horse straight. Lots of riders have to think about their outside shoulder and bring it up and forward and their inside elbow down and that is a really easy way to correct your body. What you mustn't do is keep changing your aids and if you horse doesn't learn straight away don't change! It is important to train the same aids every time until they understand. Training a horse is about repetition ... it is again and again. You must finish a training session with the horse relaxed and then you and the horse will have a good experience.” “These are the basics. When someone says to you that you have to work on your basics, what does that mean to you? Well, you have to work on self-carriage, the straightness and the acceptance of your reins. You have to find what the horse is good at? This horse is going to be very good at canter and if you think

about it what is his limit going to be.. is there a limit?` You hear people say that my horse say 'my horse will only do medium' and if you know what you are talking about, that is because the canter isn't good enough for him to do a flying change. That is the only thing that is going to stop him any further.” “The dressage horse has to be collected; they have to extend, have to sit on the bit and have to push, and not all horses can do those things. Some can sit and some can push, and some can do both. There is a lot of detail when you do dressage, and I believe it is details that win medals.” a

WHEN SOMEONE SAYS TO YOU THAT YOU HAVE TO WORK ON YOUR BASICS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?

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AUTUMN Before the weather turn wet, cold and horrible its time to go check all your fencing to make sure its stable and and can hold up to the rough conditions ahead. Now is the time to fix your fencing before it is too wet and too dificult. Is your fencing safe ? The last thing you need your horse being injured and have unnecessary vet bills by a poorely fence paddock.

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T H E A RT O F H O R S E M A N S H I P

Piaffe P

iaffe is the first exercise in the education of classical equitation where gymnastic performance turns into a living, moving art. Through the education, communication between horse and rider has become so subtle and natural, it seems the two spirits melt together as if they were one. Therefore piaffe is both means and goal for the Haute Ecole where riding is elevated into performing art. LIGHTNESS, HARMONY & BALANCE Following these classical principles of horsemanship, piaffe is an important gymnastic exercise for the development of your horse. No matter what breed or type your horse might be, every horse can be trained to perform good quality piaffe and benefit from this exercise. Piaffe is meant to train collection and create the ability to carry weight from behind and lower or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;sitâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; on the haunches. Piaffe is a strengthening exercise for the horse, both physically and mentally. Piaffe improves the carrying capacity of the hindquarters and therefore creates freedom and lift of the shoulders. This will make the horse more agile and stronger so it will carry itself in calmness, confidence and pride and be obedient to the soft, precise aid of the educator. CREATING PIAFFE When basic education has reached the level that your horse is soft and responsive on the aids of seat, weight, leg and hand, straightness is then created by taking the horse (equally on both sides) on the circle and through the side movement of shoulder in and haunches in. In straightness training the horse is taught to shorten (strengthen) its body on the inside of the bending. The horse is asked to carry the inside hind leg forward, reaching to the point of mass where the rider sits. On the outside of the bending the horse is stretching its body and bringing the outside hind leg through the diagonal towards the point of mass.

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Piaffe creates the lift of the front through the equal carrying capacity of both hind legs. In piaffe training we play towards the maximum the horse can sit on the haunches while holding the exercise in lightness. We make transitions between the maximum seated piaffe and a more comfortable piaffe to keep the horse eager and bright spirited.

Photo: Frederiksborg Stallion Valikeur Hegnsbo ABOUT

elinda Bolsenbroek is an accomplished coach and master in the art of horsemanship. Guided by the proven principles and foundation already laid by long gone masters like Xenophon, Pluvinel, de la Gueriniere and Steinbrecht, Belinda offers rider and horse first class education in the art of horsemanship and classical dressage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;True horsemanship means a balanced harmonious relationship between you and your horse, without insecurities or fear. The ability

to lead without force creates a partnership that will bring fulfillment to both horse and rider. It is my passion to guide people and horses along the way of the art of horsemanship.â&#x20AC;? To find out more about Belinda Bolsenbroek visit her website www.belindabolsenbroek.com Or visit her Facebook page belindabolsenbroek-the art of horsemanship.

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Frederiksborg stallion Regulus Marchall Torp in left bended piaffe.

Through these exercises the horse learns to carry itself from behind, lifting over the back. This is the basic gymnastic exercise to teach the horse to start lowering (sitting) on its haunches. Then we achieve the relative lift of the front, freeing the shoulders. With relative I mean that this lift of the front has to be in harmony with the capacity of the hindquarters to carry the horse’s weight on its haunches. Only when this harmony and balance from back to front is achieved can there be a proper swinging of the back and thus proper locomotion. From this point we can increase transitions between going forward down to collection and back to forward down. This will increase control over the amount the horse pushes forward and the amount the horse can come back onto the haunches in collection. In this playful game of lightness we will give the horse time to acquire the strength to perform piaffe freely in its own balance and perfection. To achieve straight piaffe and equal carrying capacity of both hind legs, we

DIFFERENT HORSES HAVE A DIFFERENT PIAFFE 3 0.

train shoulder in and quarter in piaffe on both sides. When equal quality is established on both sides, we can ask for straight piaffe, knowing that we will have proper balance and equal carrying of both hind legs. AID OF THE RIDER Your own balance is one of the most important tools to create piaffe. We need an independent seat and a good feeling for timing. Teaching a balanced, expressive piaffe asks continuous play of the educator to keep the learning horse between the aids without forcing it to. So that eventually the horse learns to come to piaffe with the softest aid and weight change of its trainer. What type of horse are you working with? Is it build for collection work, for jumping or for going fast on the track? We should already thoroughly know our horse since we started its education. However, with every step we take on the classical training scale we should re-examine and evaluate progress. Is my horse ready for this next step? How is the exercise improving my horse? What is my goal? Have I adapted the education of my horse to its natural abilities, both physically and mentally? Different horses have a different piaffe. An Iberian horse, so talented to do collection, will show a very different piaffe then, for example, a Thoroughbred. When we look at the gymnastic value of the exercise it might be that although the Thoroughbred’s

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piaffe will never be as expressive and beautiful to look at as the piaffe of the Iberian horse, the exercise is of more value to the Thoroughbred to improve it as a riding horse. Though the Thoroughbred’s piaffe might not look as expressive at first glance, it could still be performed with excellent quality. Horses teach us to be patient. To work classical dressage with your horse means you are learning to appreciate and see the beauty of the road, not only your destination. In our time there is no greater gift then to be aware how to appreciate the beauty of the moment. Sadly, even in dressage, people now often try to take the fast road, the ‘drive through’ approach. But every step you have skipped in your founding education will become visible when reaching the advanced exercises like piaffe. COMMON MISTAKES When the horse is lifted in the front too early. No time has been taken to wait for the body of the horse to develop and become strong enough to carry piaffe from behind over the back therefore lifting the front. Instead the horse has been asked by lifting the head to lift the shoulder putting the weight from front to back on the hind legs. Although this technique might eventually result in proper piaffe, it takes great skill of the rider to prevent injury to the body of the horse. Mostly this training will result in

a hollowed or dropped back and dragging hind legs because the horse is missing the strength and ability to stretch over its top line to correctly lift the back and actively bring its hind legs to the point of mass. The first visible result will be a lack of activity of the hind legs and a stiff back, which results in broken locomotion of the diagonal trot. Eventually such piaffe results in kissing spine lesions, sacral iliac disease and shoulder injuries. When the horse is not straight Every horse is naturally crooked. The whole purpose of dressage originates from the need to create a healthy, strong horse that is equally strong and flexible on both sides. Therefore we train our horse to be straight. By lateral exercises we are strengthening (contracting) the horseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural weak side and stretching the horseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural, shorter, strong side. These exercises train the hind legs to be equal in carrying under towards the point of mass. When we have not created this Straightness we will miss suppleness and self-carriage in piaffe. The visible result is a horse that sways from side to side.

The horse will tilt its head and its body from being crooked. One hind leg will not be carried under as much as the other hind leg. Sometimes there is a little skip in the rhythm of one hind leg compared to the other. The horse is on the fore hand because one hind leg is pushing too much, stiffening the back and putting weight on the fore hand. Hind legs, back and poll injuries are common results. When the horse is not responsive to the aids. When we follow the classical principles every exercise has a purpose. Through the basic education we are teaching our horse to be very responsive to the aid. The horse will react very precisely on the different aids of seat, weight, leg and hand. When our horse is ready for piaffe, the horse has become very light and soft to place in the correct frame. Piaffe is a constant request, asking the horse how much weight it can shift to the hindquarters. Having responded we continue to rebalance, straighten and free the front. If we have not taken care to be consistent and clear in our training leading up to piaffe, then we will not achieve the

Frederiksborg stallion Regulus Marchall Torpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very first piaffe education in hand. Equal carrying capacity of both hind legs and straightness in body is achieved by lateral bending.

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Piaffe traversale (Quarters-in piaffe on the diagonal) towards the photographer.

THE HORSE WILL LEAN ON THE HAND AND IS OFTEN BEHIND THE VERTICAL. Straight piaffe. preciseness of the aids we need to create the expressive well balanced piaffe. A rider that has no real control through the aids is just pushing the horse with the seat and legs forward into the hands, which are trying to pull the power of too much push back to the seat. With incorrect technique, there is no reaction to follow the rider’s seat into collection. Because of incorrect tension in the body of the horse, the rider loses feeling of the collection. Therefore, the horse is just stepping in the same place. The result is unnatural locomotion. For example, because of the tense back without ‘schwung’ the hip will move up against

the movement when the hind leg is being lifted. The horse will lean on the hand and is often behind the vertical. The horse’s weight is not carried from behind when the front leg has been brought back under the body.

Piaffe performed by a horse that has not reached the strength yet to carry from behind and keep a lifted back. Instead the head is lifted to lift the shoulder, giving the idea of a lowered hindquarter. Rather then the hind legs reaching to carry to the point of balance (where the rider is sitting) the front leg is put backwards under the horse to carry its main weight. The lifted head and lacking hind legs result in a dropped back. Watch the dip in front of the withers and how the under neck and chest of the horse are pushed down and out.

Piaffe performed by a horse that has not had the straightness training to be balanced equally. Natural crookedness has not been recognized. The Horse’s head is tilted to avoid tension in the body’s contracted side. One hind leg is easier lifted towards the point of balance then the other. Rather then carrying forward, the weaker hind leg is pushing backwards. This results in a push forwards out of collection, which is compensated by the diagonal front leg placed under the body to catch the weight.

All these ‘quick roads’ are rejecting the purpose of piaffe. Only when we take the time to properly educate and prepare our horse, piaffe can turn from a gymnastic performance into a moment of living art. Then we have opened the road to the Haute

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Ecole, the airs above the ground. Piaffe has created the strength, the agility and the power the horse needs for the airs above the ground. When piaffe has made the horse strong enough to carry its full weight on the haunches we have created levade. A correct levade does not come from a lift of the front, but from sinking deep onto the haunches. The horse comes to ‘sit down’ and the front is no longer touching the ground. From consistent preciseness of the aids in piaffe our horse understands our language so well that we can educate the differences from Terre a Terre to Capriole. a

Piaffe performed by a horse that has not learned to understand the subtle difference between aids. Instead the horse is pushed forward by the seat and legs of the rider and caught and locked in by the un-giving hand. The head is dropped behind the vertical to search for (not granted) relieve of pressure which has resulted in a broken neckline. The connection over the back has been broken. The back has dropped under the rider and in front of the withers. The front legs have been placed under the body to prevent falling over. The hind legs are lifted up behind the point of balance.

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Contact Andalusian Horse Association of Australasia (inc) PO Box 266, Torquay, Victoria, Australia 3228. Telephone: 61 5263 3402 Email: ahaa@iprimus.com.au www.ahaa.org.au

Lisbon is a bustling city with a massive population of over 1 million and quietly nestled in this capital is the Santo André Lusitanos stud farm and training centre. António Borba Monteiro and his disciples founded Santo André Lusitanos in 2002. It is a non-profit Equestrian Association, and their objective is to promote, both on a domestic and international level, the preservation, dissemination and evolution of the Lusitano Horse and the academic Portuguese-rooted art of riding. This has extensively been developed in this location over the last 50 years by renowned horsemen and masters. On our European tour we (Baroque Horse Magazine) visited Santo André Lusitanos and this was our experience.

or Aussie's on the other side of the world, it's hard to know who or where to go when planning an equine trip! We were told of Santo André Lusitanos as they have an excellent local reputation, so we organised a visit with them. We had just been to the Golga Horse

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Fair and were on our way to Santo André Lusitanos. Our GPS was ever so delightful to have itself turned off to highways or toll roads in its calculations. A trip, which should have been an hour and a half on good wide modern freeways, turned into a three and a half hours of let's just say of a scenic tour! The scenery was amazing, and we went through some lovely little villages but that dreaded feeling of lost in a foreign land was quite daunting. And to top it off our GPS that kept saying,

"recalculating, recalculating" and the daylight was disappearing into the night!

figure, which could have been Sherlock Holmes! Yep, it was pretty cool and surreal sight for us Aussies!

All ends well, and we safely arrive at Santo André Lusitanos in Lisbon. Antonio and his wife, Assunção, warmly greeted us on this slightly damp evening. We followed Antonio in the car to our accommodation and the scene just felt like something out of the past! Antonio was wearing his full length, traditional cloak, which consists of fox fur around the collar and tweed English style flap cap... only his pipe was missing! From behind, we carefully followed as our cars headlights created light beams through the misty night. He led us through the middle of white traditional style buildings as a cloaked

Our accommodation was a very welcome sight; it is a very tastefully decorated two bedroom self-contained apartment, with a separate kitchen, bathroom and living area.They had also kindly left us some lovely fresh bread, cheese, yoghurt and much more. Is was so easy to settle in here for the week, and it felt just like home. The internet was fast and worked, which is always a pro when travelling! Antonio Borba manages his uncles (Dr Guilherme Borba one of the most brilliant students of Master Nuno de Oliveira.) property. Not only has a busy

day at the stud, but also is one of the head riders at the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art (EPAE). Santo André Lusitanos there is a fantastic team of riders, trainers and grooms. They give daily riding lessons of which many are on one of their highly trained horses. With Antonio working at EPAE in the mornings, the afternoons are when all the activity starts at the property. You can sit in the ever comfortable viewing room and watch as the afternoon lessons and training of the schools horses take place. It's a fascinating watch of the young horses in training to the more advanced ones too. My turn was soon to come for my lesson! I was a little excited and nervous

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as one can easily worry about being judged. Particularly so when you have only ridden a hand full of times in the last year, heck, let's be honest, stuff all times in the last five years! One of their old school master horses was brought out for me to ride. This gentle old grey is the old faithful for all new riders to the centre. He has proven himself time after time to be a safe and reliable horse for the instructors to assess the students riding abilities. My lessons with Antonio were fantastic. I really did enjoy them. Not because we did heaps of fancy stuff because we addressed some very basic 101 stuff that either a) you forget or b) just simply isn't really taught enough. Many just want to get to the most advanced stuff faster, and that can be at the detriment to the foundations, which in turn causes cracks down the track. We worked with my position, hands, legs and seat, bending the horse and being able to work on simple control. Not control in being hard, but control in being soft! Working on controlling every single step, working through corners, half halts and in also in different gears (walk, trot, canter). We continued to expand on all this on my second lesson of which I got upgraded to a lovely PSG boy. I genuinely gained a lot from my two lessons. I have to confess though; I know I rode worse on my second ride. I was more listening to the technical information than worrying about my position, as at one point felt myself being a little hunched in my back. I also was corrected for my hands when I didn't even realise I was moving them as I was! Having said that, my hands improved and finished better, but my legs still needed a bit of work LOL. Yep, I know that! At not one point, did I feel embarrassed for the standards of my riding skills. I felt very comfortable at Santo AndrĂŠ Lusitanos and with Antonio as an instructor, and this was a relief, as I said; I was a little nervous before my first lesson. It's very easy to be intimidated as you watch beautiful rider after beautiful rider in Portugal. The Portuguese riders seem to have it built in their DNA of having such a good seat in the saddle, and it is just a sheer pleasure to watch. We tend to not have regular training back home. Heck, it's been years since I last had a lesson. In Australia, we are very fortunate that to be able to have a horse (depending on breed and education, of course, for horse prices) is an achievable dream for many people. We have ample land and the opportunity for a basic bit of dirt, to agist a horse and for this reason it is a viable prospect for many. Here, lessons can be expensive and less frequent as the good trainers have to travel the country and are only a handful that train in the classical way. So, the crux of it was, with my limited previous training, and self-hooning around, I didn't feel embarrassed. I ended up feeling good about myself knowing that it is all a matter of learning, trying and time. Antonio instructions were informative, and the great back to basics have helped me. Especially in my seat and position. I have taken on what I learnt and continued to use it in my riding sessions at home. Not only is Santo AndrĂŠ Lusitanos a fantastic training centre but they are pretty good at their breeding too! Here is the home of the renown Lusitano stallion â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hostil' and I had the pleasure to meet this gentle old fella in the stables. Hostil has not only proven himself in the competition ring, he also is the sire of many of Portugal's top Lusitanos. During our stay, we also got to spend some time with

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Antonio as we visited the Portuguese riding school (EPAE), and he kindly took us to see all the worlds largest collection of historic carriages. We found that their central location made it easy to get to the airport as is only 10 minutes away, and also a short drive to the EPAE and other important tourist attractions. Santo André Lusitanos is overflowing with so much knowledge that has been passed down through the generations as so many have done before and shall continue to do so in the future. We thought it might be nice to hear a little from Antonio about the schools philosophy and training goals. BH: What would be your primary goal or philosophy in your training there? AB: It is encaptured in one sentence “ Ride from the horse”, this is what makes it classical….all the time the rider

must adapt to the horse. Being ridden is not normal thing for a the horse, and this is a unique and privileged feeling. Every day we must watch and make sure everything is ok with our horses. Always begin relaxed and breathe deeply and be aware of yourself. Our King Duarte said, in 1435, "we need to know ourselves better to ride well." BH. teach?

What levels of training do you

BEING RIDDEN IS NOT NORMAL THING FOR A THE HORSE!

AB. The most important level is to know the horse as an animal and as an individual. It’s a global thing and being born to a traditional farming family in Portugal, where riding is a popular pastime; my first teacher was my grandfather. He had a stud that produced horses for many different works, for example, for carriages, and for working with cattle and bulls. Initially, I didn't see each horse as an individual there but since I have

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understood that, it has made a big difference! Not only the biomechanics but building a relationship and bond, and the results are fantastic. The horses instinctively feel, and they know if we are happy or if we just want results and act mechanically. When we enjoy the horseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dynamics, and when we know his way and control the energy, then we can flyâ&#x20AC;Ś. BH: If a basic level rider was staying a week how many lessons would you recommend? AB: The lessons are intense and complex. Trying understand what knowledge and ability of each rider is important but with our educated horses it is much easier. The willingness of the rider is also very important as this is something that horses have a six sense with. We have to choose the right horse for the rider. For example, if it is a stallion, and if he is happy and sound, he wants to play, and then makes the lesson into a game... this is too much for a beginner. Initially, it is important to teach the rider to be safe and keep in control of the horse, this results in both the horse and rider being more confident.

THE WILLINGNESS OF THE RIDER IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT AS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HORSES HAVE A SIX SENSE WITH!

The number of lessons is not important. Every horse and rider have their limits, and we must respect that. Physical condition and focus are imperative however practice is also necessary. For riders that have had problems with balance or bad experiences with horse falls, horses that had run away or any other trauma then we need to go slower. Normally we give two lessons a day. When riders already understand the basics and then we can have a session with several riders working together in the arena ... and this is fantastic. Students then

Equestrian Tourism Portugal Our idea is to create the possibility for any rider to experience the world of the Lusitano. Our methods, techniques, traditions and way of living. WWW.SANTOANDRELUSITANOS.COM

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learn how to use the horses in a group, and this assists them in being aware of what the others are doing and maintaining their safe distances. BH: Is It possible to ride perfect? AB: Yes, but you must listen your inside voice. A painter or a musician could work all his life and never get satisfied. To a rider, the horse can tell him – now it is perfect. And this gives him, the rider, an enormous satisfaction! BH: But is it difficult….? AB: Yes, very…during the lesson, the teacher tries to reach the students through differents approaches. It can be the; biomechanics, psychology, geometry, rhythm, balance and when students are almost getting desperate, the horse in one moment shows all this things are connected, and it’s the magic moment! That makes all of the riders passionate I highly recommend anyone interested in travelling Europe to visit Portugal and stay at Santo André Lusitanos located in Casal de St. André in Povoa de Santo Adrião. You can find our more from their website http://www.santoandrelusitanos.com/ Having said that, we have enjoyed our visit so much that in 2015 Baroque Horse will be working some very special guided tours to Santo André Lusitanos. There will be some exclusive packages that will only available through Baroque Horse Tours. a

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THIS SEASO N JOB > Clipper Maintenance

AUTUMN Look after your clippers after each use and also have them serviced, and the blades sharpened by a specialist, so you are ready to tackle those winter woolies. Did you clean your clippers after you last used them? No? Well, now is the time to check and make sure they are clean and lubricated and ready for your next use.

Time to Maintain

YOUR CLIPPERS

So you have bought yourself a good pair of clippers, so why not look after them? Your clippers are an investment that assists in caring and maintaining your horse’s comfort. It is like that old saying ... prevention is better than cure. There are two ways of caring for your clippers 1) Cleaning and caring after each use 2) Having them serviced and sharpened at the manufacturer. Taking a few minutes after each use will prolong the life of your clippers and remove that frustration of discovering blunt and dirty blades when you next go to use them. SELF MAINTENANCE What can you do to care for your clippers? • Ensure the head of your clippers are well lubricated with a good grade oil and this will reduce premature part wear and overheating of your clipper head. • After each clipping, remove all oil from the machine by rubbing it down with a dry cloth and carefully clean the head and blades with a dry brush. • Clean the air filter regularly with a dry brush this is essential. • Clean your clipper head and vents after each use as the hair can build up and then causes damage to the clipper operation. DON'TS • Do not use kerosene or other liquids may cause the parts to wear prematurely • Do not use compressed air to clean any area of the machine. 4 0.

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MANUFACTURER MAINTENANCE Heiniger’s comprehensive Clipper Servicing and Blade sharpening service is carried out by fully Why do I need to do this? Isn't trained, qualified technicians, cleaning myself sufficient? ensuring that you receive the Having your clippers serviced and correct repairs and service. maintained will ensure a trouble free clipping of your horses, and ACT NOW! – BEFORE THE you will also extended life of your CLIPPING SEASON STARTS clipper and blades. • Always use correctly sharpened blades that have been sharpened on a specific clipper blade sharpener. • Regular servicing of your clippers to replace worn parts will ensure correct operation in every instance

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attlelane Stables formed in early 2010 in ‘Wattle Lane’ near Gympie, QLD Australia. The name has stuck but the address has changed. We began importing our 7 Gypsy Cobs in 2010. Quickly we had paddocks graced with the most magnificent fairytale creatures we had ever dreamt of. Sadly all too soon we realised that the spectacular hair they arrived with would only truly flourish is the cool European climates they came from. Our harsh dry weather was not going to be kind to their magnificent manes, tails and feathers. The other thing we learnt fast about after we purchased our first Clydesdale mare was the ‘itch’ yes the terrible itch that plagues many horses we discovered globally and particularly here in QLD Australia. Having finished 5 years at University studying my then passion Economics, my attention quickly turned to the horses and their needs. We struck 3 problems that were unable to be resolved by any feed supplements available. One was something to support fast quality hair growth. Two, something to address the heavy horse’s enormous weight bearing hooves that love to go out of shape and split with the slightest weather change, we needed speedy growth with even inner and outer wall growth to support the extreme weight of the animals. Third was the insatiable itch that we witnessed daily in our paddock and couldn’t bear to watch. I soon discovered there was nothing to suit my needs (and every other horse owner suffering the same issues). So begun a research program

to equal any PhD or Research Masters Program. This new found challenge in my paddock fuelled a level of dedication I had not experienced before. There I stood with my itchy horse Molly in hand and I swore to her just like Scarlet O’Hara in ‘Gone With The Wind’, “I will stop this itch I PROMISE”. With goose bumps on my skin I cried my pledge into her mane. Molly became known as ‘Itchy Guinea Pig of Wattlelane’. Molly endured all the salves, supplements, tonics, herbs, spices – we tried everything there ever was that may help her. Unfortunately nothing really helped, not long term, not enough. So onwards I pursued my dietary research. There had to be a reason, perhaps an underlying condition, hereditary, pre-disposed or environment that triggered the itchy reaction in some horses, but not all. Everything I read had to be examined, trialled and documented. I studied 1000’s of global animal trials and research papers in every University archive I could access. There had to be research with evidence on nutritional feed stuffs that would make a difference to the wellbeing of the horse enough to reduce the symptoms to a bearable level. Suddenly the lights came on, I was finding clinical trials on various mammals (not even horses and not actually for the itch), however based on what I believed was perhaps the trigger to the itch sensation and why one horse handles it ok and another rubs continuously my research narrowed. I concluded with a formula for a nutritional supplement I believed had to work – at least on paper.

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So bravely I took my recipe and approached the ‘scientists of equine nutrition’. I was warmly received by them all, spoke at length, told them of my findings and conclusion. With such positive support my recipe was tweaked to meet equine nutritional requirements. We were so sure it would work we went straight to trial with 35 participants so very keen to get on board. As week one went by, then week two we suddenly had loads of emails and pictures filling our inbox. We had the same ‘wow it is actually making a difference’ from all of them. Now to be perfectly honest this was the first time our Molly was trialling it too. I saw for myself the rapid changes and kept calling my husband out to ‘check this out’. The best thing was Molly was no longer irritable; she was out from the trees and grazing like a normal horse with the herd. This was something we had never seen her do before. Her skin cleared up 90% and new hair grew back fast to cover the bare patches. She was happy! I was happy! For the first time she was delighted to be ridden out on trail and embraced her life like a normal horse instead of stomping and biting at herself. So this was how “QI Ease” by Wattlelane Stables began. Then of course the hair issue was grabbing my attention as I watched my fairytale feather all but disappear. We discovered mud, abrasive grass, mites and the heat are all enemies of the feather. Oil, oil and more oil certainly helps protect the leg hair, but how do you get it growing fast, in time for shows, to be seen by visitors to the stud? Here came the development of “Hair In A Bucket”, a blend tailored to metabolise fast hair growth (when dietary intake is insufficient). It also worked magic for quality hoof growth we so desperately needed– something heavy horses usually have a serious lifetime problem with. Next came the 2 year test and trial period of a serum to put on the horse’s skin to sooth away any new bites or rub marks. It had to be natural so as not to harm my hands as I intended to use it regularly, it had to smell pleasant to the horse and help ward off the biting insects. Molly once again gave me the thumbs up on the final “QI Gold Serum” as it worked fast and I felt completely safe to rub any amount on myself without any toxic chemical hidden within. Now in 2015 with these 3 issues under control we are onto creating a single feed supplement that comes complete with the recommended nutrient intake for a horse. At our stud in Gympie we have been running a laboratory style feeding station for 6 years to daily mix, blend and add all that we need to meet the daily needs of our horses. So many premixes on the

market we discovered are made with unbalanced mineral compositions (when compared to the National Research Council recommendations), with base ingredients that we deem not ideal for weight management, nor quality control we can observe after the feed is pelletized. Worthy of note too is that in both pelleting and extruding, the feed is subjected to temperatures of 60 to 110°C for pelleting and up to 38°C higher for extruded feeds. At fairly high processing temperatures the activity of different vitamins may be reduced from 5 – 40% in a processed feed. Even though the packet may list ingredients that seem sufficient, after heating some vitamins and minerals quantities may be nearly halved. The other alternative is to buy a daily mineral blend and add to a base feed such as copra and chaff, we can then measure for purity and quality. However the daily mineral blends we explored showed up noticeable deficiencies and imbalances in critical macro and micro minerals. Our Australian horse’s needs are not being met naturally by pasture alone due to our past agricultural methods involving significant spreading of Super Phosphate which has inclined our soils to ‘lock-up’ their natural bioavailability of the essential nutrients for health and wellbeing. We also discovered we could not locate a feed supplement that came close to the recommended nutrient requirements for horses presented by the National Research Council. We are very excited to announce the launch of a fantastic new daily feed supplement to meet as close as possible the recommended daily nutrient requirement of horses with a few extra’s such as chromium and boron. Please look for “Flower’s Gold” daily feed supplement soon to be released nationally. Just add to a base of your choice such as copra, mill run, chaff, oats, barley, soya etc. “Flower’s Gold” is a cost effective, safe and easy way to feed the necessary nutrients to your horse for equine health and wellbeing. Finally just for fun we are creating a trendy equine themed jewellery range soon to be released nationally via www.wattlelanestables. com. Like you, we love to wear a little something that reminds us of our very special horse..

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ITCHY HORSE? TESTIMONIAL “I had tried many insecticidal products, herbal and rugging 24/7 but nothing seemed to quite be enough. Rugging was the most effective but the bugs would still bite where the rug didn’t cover i.e chest, under belly, either side of tail flap and around the eyes. Miss was so bad with itch, I couldn’t even ride her of an afternoon because she would stand there and kick at her belly and shake her head continuously. She would even go to the extent of lying down and scratching her belly. The itch was driving us both insane. When I started her on QI Ease I rugged her up and soothed her already irritated sores with QI Gold Serum. I couldn’t believe my eyes, within 1 week she had hair growing back. Lil Miss is now happy and I haven’t seen her scratching or kicking her belly at it at all. I am proud to say this is the first summer that I have been through with Miss that she hasn’t destroyed rugs and been a mess with itch. She now has a beautiful mane and tail (which she has never had) and I can ride her till all hours of the afternoon without her worrying about the biting bugs. I just want to say a massive thank you to Wattlelane Stables, you have really changed our lives and made us both so very happy and I would recommend your amazing product to anyone. “

HAIR AND HOOF ISSUES? A fabulous mineral supplement engineered to stimulate rapid hair and hoof metabolism (when dietary intake may be too low), rich in organic concentrates of zinc, manganese, selenium, methionine and biotin. Scientifically balanced mineral amalgamation ensures complete absorption that equals the best outcome for quality hair growth and value for money. This exciting balanced mineral blend also increases quality inner and outer wall hoof growth. Allow 60 days to see for yourself the difference in quantity and quality of hair and hoof. Add to hard feed daily – it’s that simple!

DAILY MINERAL SUPPLEMENT Just released: Flower’s Gold delivers a balanced daily mineral supplement to keep you and your horse doing what you love best. Proportions are based as close as possible on the latest research findings to suit horses living in Australian conditions. Our blend carefully assimilates what nature intended your horse to obtain through natural grazing selection. Each mineral has been balanced to recommended ratios of their co-dependant minerals for total wellbeing of your horse.

“EXCLUSIVE EQUINE JEWELLERY” ARRIVING SOON Visit www.wattlelanestables.com for more details. Minerals available at a Retailer near you - visit www.mane-tail-feather.com.au for listings. Wholesale inquiry welcome e:BAR mtf@outlook.com.au W W W. O Q U E HORS E M AG AZI NE.COM 45.

STEADY PROGRESS With

Jenny Rolfe By

fter only a few weeks, Gran Hostil appears to have settled into a steady routine and each day we are welcomed with a loud ‘Here I am’ neigh as we walk over to the stables. He always seems pleased to see us, but with some impatience too! I enjoyed putting him out in the pasture when it was raining as it certainly helped with the grooming, well at least for a few hours ! As we led him out , he stood like a statue with rain sheeting down and began to walk backwards. The message was clear, ‘ ‘Can you please get this wet stuff off my back’! Once settled in the field he has developed a sequence of cantering around in circuits which included a brush with low lying branches of the trees at the bottom of the field- which triggered his acceleration of pace. He couldn’t settle to eat at first and came over to be close to us so I walked around the field picking grass and he followed me- and then began eating. He is getting the idea! He is gaining his security and gave a re-assuring neigh to Habil who answered immediately. These two are becoming great buddies now!

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PROGRESS IN THE SCHOOL I decided to place some poles in the school for Gran Hostil and instead of putting trotting poles several strides apart I put two together- as a bounce stride in and out. He didn’t get the idea the first time so I helped him with my breathing and then he trotted nicely over both. We were all so pleased with him as he tackles anything new with great curiosity and confidence- he’s no shrinking violet! He is also a comedian and decided to stop after trotting over the poles. He turned around and repeated the same exercise on the other rein. Just for fun! Then we put up a small jump which he flew, cantering forward enthusiastically around the school. He was so happy to continue over the jump, with no encouragement from me. The next breakthrough in the school was in our connection. After working him around me- I took a deep inward breath then sighed to ask him to halt in relaxation. Then I asked him to follow me around the school. He normally follows me but sometimes I feel he likes a small challenge to come into my space. I do ask for considerably more space awareness

than with my older stallions. This time he followed me with his head and neck lowered and when I halted with the inward breath he halted immediatelythen I invited him to walk behind me, always keeping an eye on him! He did not attempt to invade my space but rather kept my rhythm in walk and halt. We repeated this several times and finished by walking to the door of the school, to halt there- together. I was extremely pleased with this connection! All the time his mouth was chattering and moving as if seeking to communicate. LOOKING AT LEADERSHIP Over years I have found if the stallions become rather assertive and full of themselves, the liberty work and also ridden work, is the key to re establishing the ‘herd’ bond between us. I believe stallions thrive on work and interaction where they can fully demonstrate their personality. This has been the most fundamental lesson for me when working with stallions. If they present with assertive behaviour, I raise my own energy and power of assertion to gain their respect. Once I feel they are tuning

in and listening we can really begin the breath-heart-energy connection. At first, MORE from me, can mean much LESS later on but always the initial ‘HELLO, here I am, ’ needs to command their respect. They respond well when I make clear decisions which I am prepared to re enforce if needed. For instance, when asking a horse to ‘ move back’ out of my space, I expect him to willingly move back several strides, not with any hesitation but showing me great respect! I am ever mindful of my SPACE- He only has to stretch his neck forward weighting his front legs- and I will ask him to back up for several strides.

I WAS EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH THIS CONNECTION!

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The following day in the school he began by connecting in the normal way in the liberty work. Usually I stand and sigh deeply- and then he connects for a few moments before moving off to explore or have a chat with Habil. Today, he remained awaiting instruction so I circled around him at walk- and he followed me, turning both left and right. As I walked right he crossed his fore legs, one over the other to mirror me, then stood there wondering where to go next! It was extremely funny and reminiscent of the connection I have built with both Habil and Delfin. I think as he gets older he may have many similar traits to Habil- there is much sweetness- he loves people and wants to please but he has a huge sense of fun just like my stallion Delfin. We finished the session and then rather cheekily he picked up MY whip in his mouth and followed me around as- I circled around him- He enjoys lunging me!! Each day I tie him up in the stable and groom him- standing on a stool leaning over his back. I do feel we are getting to understand each other now. He did though lift a front leg- nothing much- but I growled at him and grew more assertive ! He looked rather sheepish and stood like a statue. The moment passed and we continued grooming. Progress is being made, as when I become assertive to gain his attention, he is learning boundaries of behaviour and space, but once he responds I forget the incident and carry on calmly. GRAN HOSTIL- Spectator and Comedian I was in the school one day with my stallion Habil and I noticed Gran Hostil watching us both very closely. Habil normally responds like silk, at liberty- I so love this horse- his trot changes to passage, just from a breath- he is the teacher who responds so quickly to LESS and LESS- - I believe all horses are capable of tuning in to subtle connections once they understand what we are asking of them, we come together with joy in our hearts.! This young stallion is learning so much watching the other older stallions working in the school- he is becoming a very interested spectator- all an important part of his education. We are finding as days go by he will try out a new response as he is gaining both in confidence

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and stature! For instance in the school he decided he wanted to roll but I wanted him to work first before he rolled. Work first- pleasure after ! His response was to turn away from the direction we were working so I blocked the new path to get him to turn around back on track. This was repeated a few times and I raised my energyassertion then he figured out it would be best to gallop and buck around the school. This was in the right direction so I encouraged this even if his focus was not on connecting with me. I patiently worked with him until he was more prepared to listen and then I gained the most connected response as yet. He was working large- around the perimeter of the school and began responding to my breath aids only from trot down to walk and up to trot again and this was all from quite a distance between us. I was really pleased as the slight rebellion at the beginning finished on a much more positive note! Hostil is gaining in confidence in the school as one day he was watching me putting up some poles and just could not help himself! His Portuguese sense of humour kicked in! I placed the pole on the ground quite close to him and he suddenly popped over the pole BEFORE I had a chance to put it down on the ground. He will be building his own courses soon! For the first time he whickered to me - to come in from the field. It has become a habit for Hostil to come to the gate when he wants to come in but if we call him from the gate he will always walk over to greet us now. BUILDING ON CONNECTION I have been encouraging Hostil to become more energetic- then to steady the rhythm so he has time to develop his cadence over the poles. I lower my head and relax my shoulders. If he was on the lunge I would also keep the lunge line low-and relaxed and snake it gently with my wrist. This action is mirrored as he begins to work through his spine , just beginning to lower and release through his neck and shoulders. These exercises- develop mobilization through the spine and enhance deeper, forward posture. This will develop the correct muscles to help him later on, to carry the weight of the rider and support a good and natural way of moving.

We use our voice and inner empowerment and have resisted reacting with anything more. The past few days he has been much more cooperative and waiting and listening. He is spending much time in the field and he looks to be GROWING!! The key to communication lies within the loose work- we are building trust and friendship within safe boundaries of special awareness. He does seem respectful of our space. In the next few weeks we will be moving his education forward- lunging with the bridle and the cavesson- The learning curve won’t be always consistent but we are hoping to build on these foundations of mutual confidence to prepare us all for his further education. There is no rush - no rush at all- we have TIME! WORKING WITH MY STUDENT

Once he understands this work at liberty we can lunge him- repeating these exercises and also introducing the bridle and saddle. This is a logical and progressive steady system of training-as he learns to respond from my breathheart-energy. Once in the saddle it will be a language which he already understands- to tune into the power of breath-energy of the rider.

I GOT TO SEE JENNY WORKING WITH GRAN HOSTIL AND I COULD SEE SHE IS TOTALLY SMITTEN BY THIS CHEEKY RASCAL

Every few minutes in the school, I will halt and take a deep sigh which Hostil will mirror, with his own sigh. In this way he learns to release any tension then he can return to work feeling refreshed with deeper breathing. This enhances his movement sustained by more relaxed and supple muscles. This paves the way for him to learn good habits to sustain calm- energy and focus- our building blocks for the future. Coping with ANTICIPATION Hostil can put up minor resistances when being led. He would either stop in his tracks or become excessively fidgety, particularly when we are putting on the headcollar or sometimes just taking it off!

Gran Hostil has been working with me for a few weeks now so I am encouraging my student Charlotte to develop a relationship with him in the school. This goes quite well as she has watched and understand how assertive she needs to be to gain his respect. She also is extremely aware of the importance of her personal space and does not take an eye off him- she always knows where he is! It is good to be able to stroke, scratch and brush his face without him trying to constantly nip and the only time ‘teeth’ come into the equation is when he is feeling impatient. He does not have a lot of patience and gets quite agitated but the moment soon passes and he will stand quietly- as if to say - and what was the fuss about!! This below was written by another student from Brazil : ‘ I got to see Jenny working with Gran Hostil and I could see she is totally smitten by this cheeky rascal. You forget these horses are stallions as everything is so chilled, although you can see the care and planning Jenny puts into all the work she does with the horses and how she handles them. I cannot believe how much I learnt in a day! Well, I need to confess: when I was on my way to do the clinic with Jenny I wondered what I’ll find out at the farm. ‘omg... four stallions, including one only three years! When I arrived, I found an amazing harmony between everyone, and when

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I was a few steps away from Jenny to see what would happen, and then she entered his stable with a gorgeous amount of hay and here we go, she asked Hostil to move back a few steps. YES, he DID IT!!! And you know what is best??

IT WAS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC TO NOTICE ABOUT THE PERSONALITY OF GRAN HOSTIL I say everyone one it includes all the horses, dogs and persons! I was really amazed, specially because I’ve never saw a lot of stallions side by side standing very quietly and calmly in their stables without bucking and wanting to kill their neighbours. I live in Brazil and having a stallion is the same as having trouble, they’re really badly behaved!! – The rising star, Gran Hostil caught my attention The first time I saw him he was very happy in the fields, and when he noticed my presence as a total stranger, he approached me with his particular curious eyes and his chatting mouth. He was absolutely cute!! I asked Jenny a lot of questions, I was very curious about him, as I’ve knew that he’s been with Jenny for a short time, and that is when I really started to observe him during my days. A young horse is really interesting, as we never know exactly how they will react with the different things that happen day by day. It was absolutely fantastic to notice about the personality of Gran Hostil. Between very good movements and an amazing and strong shape, this young boy is really specially behaved for his age. I’ll never forget a special scene that happened in the stables: It was feed time and a critical time, in my opinion – and I was used to seeing horses get very anxious and demonstrate very bad behaviour because they wanted to eat as soon as they can. It is in situations like that when we really know what is going on with the relationship between someone and their horses. Jenny told me that when she walks into the stables, she asked them to step back a few steps, and then the food is placed. She did it with each horse, and then, it was Gran Hostil’s turn.

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She also waited a few seconds just observing him and he DIDN’T MOVE from the back of the stable ! Can you imagine a three year old stallion, ALREADY STEPPING BACK and WAITING for his food CALMLY and PATIENTLY in a very short time of training?? I’ve been riding horses for 15 years and I have never seen something like that. I was really expecting him to rush impatiently to his feed and he did the opposite! Jenny laughed when she saw my expression. That’s when I started to think how important is for the horse to really recognize this feeling of leadership, and more, a leadership based on TRUST, and there’s where I guide you to the second thing that really touched my about Jenny ‘s work with Gran Hostil. This was the liberty work. I have seen horses that are very scared and tend to panic when they see a whip, but with ALL Jenny’s horse’s this didn’t exist!! It’s really amazing how even with the young Hostil, Jenny runs the whip above ALL his head and body and he stands calmly with that look of ‘come on Mum, what’s next???’ This is one of the most important signs of trust, because there’s no fear of the whip. Hostil trusts Jenny and he knows that she’ll never use that to hurt him, and was really fantastic to watch it. These little things represent a huge difference between a relationship with humans and horses’. a Sponsored by Primero Feeds More information from Jenny’s web site www.naturallyclassical.com.

Lusitano

HORSE ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALASIA

THE LUSITANO HORSE ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALASIA WAS FOUNDED TO PROMOTE ALL ASPECTS OF THE LUSITANO BREED IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND Help is available in a number of areas * ADVICE FOR PROSPECTIVE OWNERS ON FINDING A SUITABLE LUSITANO * INFORMATION ON PAPERS AND REGISTRATION AND MEMBERSHIP

* LISTS OF BREEDERS INTERNATIONALLY IN PORTUGAL, BRAZIL, U.S.A, AND GREAT BRITAIN * IMPORT RESTRICTIONS AND INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT

LUSITANO HORSE ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIASIA E-MAIL: info@lusitano.com.au PH: +61 2 4887 1042 PO Box 1857, Bowral NSW 2576 Australia

lusitano.com.au facebook.com/lusitanohorseassociation

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T H I S S EAS O N JOB >

Prepare for wet weather aliments like Mud Fever

AUTUMN As winter approaches for our southern states, the rain comes and when horses are spending extra time in the wet weather it is time to deal with such aliments like mud fever, skill allergies, dermatitis and inflammations.

Does your Horse suffer from

SKIN ALLERGIES?

Equine dermatitis is a general term that cover inflammation of the

WHY NOT TRY

and flaky. In extreme examples, the horse may loose had and its

EQUI-MED AG ANTIBACTERIAL WOUND BOOTS! •

Kills bacterial infections that cause mud fever and other skin allergies.

•

Enhances wound healing

•

Advanced dual Action

•

Contains activated carbon and silver

•

Can be washed and re-used

Please see our web to see the full range of boots available. WWW.EQUIMEDAG.COM.AU ENQUIRIES@EQUIMEDAG.COM.AU 5 2.

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horses skin. IT can cause major discomfort to the animal; and in extreme cases, may lead to your equine mate mutilating itself in an effort to seek relief from the itching (pruritus ) by scratching or biting the inflamed skin. Equine dermatitis affects the overall health and sheen of the animals coat and can turn the horses’s skin red inflamed skin may ooze fluids. If you know your horses has suffered in the past now is the time to start any preventive measures or be prepared to treat if it does.

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READERS STORY

HERE IS THE STORY OF

A T MING BY URSULA DAVIS PHOTOS ANTHONY WOJAK

ive years ago I went to a BLM (Bureau of Land Management )adoption event because I had always wanted to meet a Mustang in real life...I had only dreamt about it before. It was very informative, and I got to meet several Mustangs in various stages of training. One of them was still a little wild, and a TIP trainer was working with him in the round pen. TIP stands for “Trainer Incentive Program”. A program that allows horse trainers to pick up wild (mostly plain) mustangs that normally wouldn’t get picked. They tame them to the point where you can pick up their 4 feet, halter, lead and load them. Then regular people can adopt them and give them further training. Sometimes TIP trainers get them started under saddle as well. It was a fun day, and I went home with a ton of information and pamphlets on how to adopt and care for a wild horse. I was not ready and had no intention of getting one...but I could not stop thinking about that day. The TIP trainer had given me her card and told me to look her up on Facebook. So I did and soon found pictures of the horses I had met that day. There was also a photo of a beautiful mustang mare on her FB page, I could not stop staring at this girl, she took my breath away.

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I promised my husband just to go and look, so I grabbed a neighbor and drove to her place. There were several stalls in a row with wild Mustangs, and I started to walk down the aisle.....I had only seen a few photos of her that the BLM had taken after she was gathered. However, I recognized her right away even though she looked nothing like her photo, except for the dolphin shaped star. She was very skinny with bones protruding from her hips, and she had a very shaggy coat. Her hooves were overgrown, and she was wearing a halter with a short and tattered lead rope attached. One of her eyes looked infected, and she had a huge wind knot in her mane. She looked very sad and stayed far away in a corner of her paddock. The trainer chased her into the attached round pen and waved a flag at her so I could see her move. I fell in love with the picture of her and knew what she could look like again, and I just couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t walk away. There was something about her...she was regal...something in her eyes just spoke to me. After we had worked out some details, I went home to beg my husband

I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE PICTURE OF HER... 5 6.

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to please let me give it a try and after a sleepless night he agreed. We already had one horse, an Arab that belonged to my daughter.....but I had no idea what I was in for. I had never been in a pen with a wild horse before. The trainer agreed to board her at her house until she was ready to come home with me. She explained it would up to 90 days or more depending on the horse. She also agreed to coach me so I could be the one working/gentling her so the mare could bond with me. And so it began, countless hour long car rides to go see her. Car rides back home that were filled with doubts, tears and sometimes happiness, although the happy rides home were very rare.... mostly I cried. I could only spend weekends and every

I JUST COULDNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T GIVE UP ON HER

now and then a weekday with her and had no idea what I got myself into. This mare wanted nothing to do with me or any human for that matter. I would sit in the round pen with her for hours those first few weeks, and she would be as far away from me as possible. If I took a step towards her she would run.....and if I cornered her she got defensive. She did not face up....avoided any eye contact and started striking and kicking. After a few weeks, she decided she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really have to kill me, she got quieter as long as I kept my distance. I would sit in a corner of her stall, talk to her...sometimes I sang to her. Then one day her halter slipped off, and we knew it would be a challenge to catch her, to keep her close. Then winter came and with that rain, there was no indoor arena. I had limited time with her and no idea what I was doing, I had never met a wild horse, but that mare taught me everything I needed to know. All I had to do was listen.....I just couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give up on her. After three months, she finally took hay from my hand and after almost four months I touched her for the first time for more than a second. We cornered her in her stall and I slowly approached from the side and reached out toward her shoulder....she was scared, but she stayed. There were so many challenges with her, just trying to get a halter on her took several hours. Then attempting to pick up her feet was a nightmare. She would not let us near her feet. There was talk of hiring a cowboy to rope her or sedate her; everybody was stumped. It took six month until she was okay with us picking up her feet. But then she began to trust and started to come around on her own

and almost a year after I first saw her she let me climb on her back for the first time. From then on I was able to really work with her...get her used to a saddle pad, then a saddle. She bucked when I first put a surcingle on her, but she was not as bad once she was saddled. I was able to hose her off (in a round pen) got her used to objects and noises and introduced her to the human world she would have to live in. After a two-day colt starting clinic where I able to ride her for a little bit of walk and trot. It was then, I decided it was time to bring her home with me. That way I could see her every day. I had found the perfect place between my home and work. It got better every day once she was home, yes, we had a lot of challenges.

She would not let anyone else touch her without me, and no one could halter or catch her or get her in her stall. However, we took it day by day. I am still amazed at what we have accomplished. How far we both have come, and I had to learn everything just like her. She became a very patient teacher, and all I had to do was listen. We have competed in many competitive trail rides, been to the beach, did the extreme cowboy race. We are just getting started in dressage and also Working Equitation. I also had her DNA tested because everyone tells me she looks Spanish, and she is indeed mostly Andalusian/ Lusitano with Brazilian breeds as well as non-arab oriental Caspian, Akhal Teke. She truly blossomed and is now a picture of health. She is still regal, very independent and one of the best-behaved horses at my barn. She has lots of personality gets along with other horses and lives in a barn with a herd of Corgis. She became my best friend; the best decision I ever made was to adopt her. I am grateful for every day I get to spend with her. I have her name tattooed on my wrist and have her freeze brand tattooed on the nape of her neck....a brand that we will both carry forever. She lost her freedom... her family....everything she once knew. I made a promise to her when I adopted her....that I will always take care of her. To that which you tame you owe your life. I named that mare

Luna. a

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TH IS S EA S ON

AUTUMN

JOB > Inner Health The cold weather is coming and your forage is going to loose any quality so now is the time to get onto of your horses inner health.!

INNER HEALTH

orting through the numerous supplements displayed on the shelves of your local feed store or in the pages of your favorite horse magazine can be a difficult and overwhelming task. Often the decision to feed certain supplements is made on recommendation from a fellow horse enthusiast, which can lead to varied results as individual horse’s characteristics and therefore needs are not considered as they should be. The most important factor to consider is to select a supplement based on what your individual horse requires, and to seek the assistance of a qualified equine nutritionist for further help in making the decision. Horses have a requirement for all nutrients that varies depending on individual characteristics including age, breed and workload. In order to achieve inner health, these nutrient requirements need to met daily. It is not surprising then, that the most common supplements fed are nutrient supplements. Nutrients that are typically supplemented include protein, vitamins and minerals. Protein is unquestionably an important component of the horse’s diet; however, most mature horses on high quality grass hay, and certainly on high quality lucerne hay, are getting plenty of protein in the diet. While heavy exercise, pregnancy and lactation do increase the requirement for protein in the mature horse, sufficient protein is likely to be supplied with feed that is given to meet the increased energy required by these horses. Over-supplementation of some vitamins and minerals can be harmful. Care should be taken when supplementing vitamin A or D and the minerals selenium and iodine. Over-supplementation of other vitamins, such as vitamin B, is not dangerous but can be unnecessary and expensive. Common B vitamins supplemented to performance horses include biotin, thiamin, vitamin B12 and folic acid. Common minerals supplemented to performance horses include calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chloride, copper, and zinc. One of the most popular minerals to supplement at present is magnesium. Magnesium plays an important role in muscle and

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nerve function. Horses that are deficient in magnesium may be unusually spooky and excitable, and they may have muscle tremors or cramping. However, this deficiency is rare, as grass and hay normally contain sufficient magnesium to meet the horse’s requirements. Giving a horse too much supplemental magnesium may have no effect at all on nervous behaviour or muscle cramping, and may cause serious digestive and metabolic problems. With the multitude of supplements available, common sense seems to be the logical approach to deciding what is right for your horse. Logical thinking dictates performance horses undergoing the stress of training and competition will need some supplementation. Nutrient supplements are a good first choice; however, over-supplementation can be as bad as, or worse than, no supplementation. Rather than supplementing nutrients on their own and running the risk of over-fortifying your horse’s diet and causing related problems, it is advised to find an all-round vitamin and mineral supplement that has been specifically formulated for what your horse is doing (spelling, working, breeding or growing) and feed the supplement at the correct levels to create a balanced diet and meet all nutrient requirements in a simple and convenient way. When deciding to add a vitamin and mineral supplement to a straight forage or grain ration, or when fortified feeds are fed at less than the recommended amount, all round vitamin and mineral supplements in either powder or pellet form are ideal. As well as deciding between pellet or powder type, the

quality of vitamins and minerals in the supplement will also need to be considered. Nutrient quality in different vitamin and mineral supplements differs, and some will contain organic minerals and natural vitamins that are higher quality than synthetic nutrients and more bioavailable to the horse. Vitamins and minerals are essential for any horse or pony and as a horse owner you can ensure your equine friends live a bit longer, are healthier, have a shiny coat and strong hooves, and are less likely to suffer from nutrition related maladies and general disease by making sure their nutrient requirements are met and a balanced diet is provided. KER has a range of balanced vitamin and mineral supplements that have been formulated specifically to meet the needs of a variety of horses. KER Nutrequin is a great value all purpose supplement that is ideal for horses at maintenance or in light work. KER Perform is a multivitamin and trace mineral supplement specifically designed to support hard working performance horses that contains organic trace minerals and natural vitamin E, and KERx Gold Pellet is a palatable nutrient pellet that supplies a balanced level of all necessary vitamins and minerals. Each of these supplements are ideal for feeding on their own for ‘good doers’, combining with a straight grain mix or ‘topping up’ nutrients when premixed feeds are fed below their recommended level. For more information on KER products or nutrient supplementation, contact Kentucky Equine Research.

www.ker.com.au

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Moment with

eter Spahn is well known for taking the first Friesian stallion, Adel 357, (Anders sire) to International Grand Prix level. He also competed successfully with Anders 451 at Grand Prix level and became famous by taking the first Friesian mare into the intermediate levels; Annichje fan Bokkum. Who is Marc Peter? A native of Belgium, Marc Peter Spahn (or Peter, as he is known in the dressage world) is probably the most experienced competitor of Friesian horses in the dressage arena in Europe. Unlike many equestrians at the elite levels, Peter doesn’t come directly from a competitive horsey background. However, as a child he was always very interested in horses, and he thinks he inherited this interest from his grandfather who sold horses to the Belgium Royal Family. Peter’s first serious entry into the world of horses happened when his mother 'lent' him out to his aunt for a couple of weeks. The story goes that the aunt wasn’t sure whether or not she wanted children. So Peter’s mum thought that a two-week trial run with a six-year-old in her house would help her

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Grace Lamers

answer that question, so off he went. Early on in the two week ‘holiday’ Peter fell in love with a Shetland pony that lived next door, he wanted to stay day and night with that little pony. It drove his aunt crazy! Any attempt by the aunt to take Peter away from the pony for shopping or other activities ended in tears and pleading to return immediately. After two weeks of this, Peter’s aunt returned him to his mother with a distressed Peter begging and crying about missing his new little equine friend. Finally, to ease his anguish, his grandfather purchased a pony for him. Peter was over the moon and rode his pony at every opportunity. Unfortunately, he also fell off quite often and started to feel a bit anxious about riding but his mum wasn’t having any of that nonsense and made him get straight back on each and every time. Soon Peter’s sisters became infected with this 'horse virus' as well and before long the family had more ponies and horses, and all were enthusiastic competitors. Every weekend their truck got loaded and off they all went to jumping competitions. Peter was an active show jumper for about ten years.

At the age of 13, Peter bought his first horse, a beautiful Dutch Warmblood mare, with excellent jumping bloodlines. This horse was extremely talented, however, in his youthful exuberance, Peter was always rushing her. At one competition, the horse went into a jump too quickly, and Peter estimated the distance wrongly and they hit the jump. Unfortunately, this ended the jumping career of this mare as she became too afraid of the jumps. After their accident, Peter decided to attend a clinic with his horse with a famous Belgium show jumping champion. The showjumper’s advice to Peter was that he and his horse should know all the skills of riding a Prix St George dressage test before they even thought of show jumping again. In other words, jumping is not all about speed – it’s about control and precision, and that is what dressage is. Peter, with the zeal, and naivety that had got him to this point in the first place, thought that he should be able to get to Prix St.

MARC-PETER SPAHN WAS PART OWNER - TRAINER AND RIDER OF ANDERS 451 TILL A YEAR BEFORE ANDERS ENTERED THE WEG IN NORMANDY FRANCE.

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George level in about two weeks!! He began lessons with a Grand Prix rider and soon realised just how difficult dressage riding was. After three years, he was confident that he could ride a PSG easily, and headed out for his first test. He recalls how he was a young boy; ambitious, confident and brave! At the test in Belgium amongst dressage riders, he noticed that he had a totally different seat to them, and he looked like an idiot, or so he thought! He sat like a show jumper and worked his horse like a show jumper. So, while she could do all of the PSG movements, he wasn’t trained as a dressage rider. He had to change this immediately and started to take seat lessons and developed the style of a dressage rider over time. At the age of 18, Peter went on to study medicine at university, and he had less time for riding. He placed his mare at a training stable where, tragically, she very quickly foundered and passed away. Without a horse, Peter started to ride his sister’s jumping horse again and experienced first-hand how important dressage skills are for jumping horses. It was then that he began to develop a real passion and drive for dressage and became focused and less forceful in his riding.

people have always said that his perseverance is what has made him what he is today. He thinks it’s that he never gives up and that he’s always looking for better ways to do things for himself and his horses. He has always had a great thirst for knowledge and watched videos over and again searching for new things to learn. Anky van Grunsven and Evi Strasser were two of his favourites. When became interested in dressage, it became Peter’s dream to become the 'male' Anky van Grunsven but this wasn’t as easy at he thought it would be! What is Peter's motto in life? Where there’s a will, there’s a way. You want it, you do it, and you go for it. And to achieve this motto you have to find a mix of determination of the dressage rules and a way to succeed in your goals.

We asked Peter if he thought he was a talented rider. Peter explained that he doesn’t think that he had a natural talent; however

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AT THE AGE OF 13, PETER BOUGHT HIS FIRST HORSE

When did Friesians become important in Peters life? After Peter’s mare died, and his sister started riding her horse more, he was again without a horse. By coincidence, he was talking to a neighbour who had Friesians, and he offered him a young stallion to ride, and this was Adel 357. As soon as he met Adel, he was sold on the Friesian breed. Adel was friendly nature and with an uncomplicated mind. Although Peter had no idea how you should ride a Friesian at that stage, he wanted to give it a go. Adel was competing at elementary dressage at the time, and Peter’s new goal in life was to have the first Friesian at Grand Prix level! He would arrive at competitions, and all of Belgium elite dressage riders were declaring him mad but Peter didn’t mind, he really believed in this horse. Their bond became stronger and stronger, and he told me that he has never found such a special relationship with a horse again. Adel had 500 percent devotion to his work every day and stayed uncomplicated and focused. He didn't want to make a mistake and did not cope well if he did. Peter told me; "not a lot of people will understand this such devotion of a horse to work with you." I could hear the emotion in his voice as he talked about Adel. When Adel was ready for PSG and on their first day at a national competition

people started to snigger - Peter Spahn on a Friesian horse they said! They all believed they would start off at elementary level, and queried why he was riding with a double bit? At this first competition, Adel defeated many Warmbloods. Adel came second and scored an 8 and nine on the pirouettes. The only thing that kept them away from the GP was the one on one flying changes as those were initially difficult for him, but slowly they improved. They started GP quietly and did well in the end. How did Peter become well known in Holland? When the KFPS ( Friesian studbook) had their 125th anniversary show, they invited Peter and Adel to do a Grand Prix Kur to music. It was a great success, plus he was a foreigner who attended the show that was not something that often happened, They were enthusiastically received by all, and from then on became well known. Many articles were written about this combination as foreign countries were not familiar with Friesians in the dressage arena. The more they competed at the GP international level the more renowned they became. Adel was the first Studbook stallion to reach the GP level. In the meantime, Adel’s son, Cas (alias Anders 451) was born. Peter bought a half share in this foal, due to the emotional bond he had with Adel. He wanted a successor for Adel, and that

had to be his son. Cas became a star awarding at a Dutch keuring when he was a three-year-old. He was also invited to take a place in the Friesian stallion test for approving breeding stud. This was a massive achievement as just 25 of the 1000 selected star stallions in Holland get invited for this test, and only four to six will obtain the approval for breeding studbook stallion. Peter says; "The difference between Adel and Anders is that Anders is a lot more athletic than his sire, he has a similar intelligence although Anders stayed 'the forever adolescent'! This horse is so smart he can do three things at the same time!" Peter and Anders had an incredible time together and accelerated very quickly to GP. They competed GP at numerous international dressage competitions. One day an offer came to purchase him, and it was an offer one couldn't refuse. Around this time, Peter was offered another stallion

THEY COMPETED GP AT NUMEROUS INTERNATIONAL DRESSAGE COMPETITIONS.

to ride. So Anders 451 was sold to South Africa where he is ridden by Chere Burger, and Peter went on to ride a Polish Warmblood named Eqwador. How did Peter feel when Anders 451 got sold? Peter disclosed how hard it was when you had built up a bond with a horse, to work so closely with them from a foal, and then not to have them anymore. But, he also commented that you have to remember that it is his profession and his livelihood. He also spoke of the day-to-day stresses of keeping a horse of Anders’s value and what if something happens to him? Over the years, there had been many people who had made good offers to buy Anders but they had always declined the sale. Peter always wanted him to go to someone with the same goal as he had for him... the first Friesian at the World Equestrian Games (WEG). So when Chere Berger came along, he couldn’t refuse. She was chosen by the African FEI commission to compete at the WEG 2014 where they did really well in the dressage test with 65%. Anders did end up as the first Friesian stallion at WEG last year. Peter felt very proud and emotional to see Anders at the WEG. While he would loved to have taken him there himself, he is thrilled for Chere and pleased that Anders got this opportunity in South Africa. He felt that this would have been unlikely in Holland as you have to qualify and also be chosen for the WEG by your

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country. This is due to the already high standard in Holland with all the Warmbloods. Belgium may have been an option, but because Peter lives in the Netherlands, and Anders is a Dutch horse, it was highly unlikely for him to be chosen as well. Peter pondered about what it must be like to compete a Friesian at WEG level. He said "A test only takes five minutes, but only a few know how many hours of blood, sweat and tears are produced to qualify for this. That must be an enormous feeling as it becomes reality. I have never given up on Friesians to compete at the WEG levels. Look at the Lusitanos they, after 30 years, are highly ranked at Olympic level." What about more Friesians competing at high level? Peter thinks that the prejudices have to disappear about Friesians competing at the higher levels. They are proving that they can do it. While some say that Friesians are well known for lack of stamina and are, for this reason, they are not good for sports at high level, and this is true. However, the trick is in his opinion is; a big moving horse uses more energy than a short moving horse so you just need to know how you can use this ‘lost’ energy in a positive and constructive way in training. Of course, a horse has to have the aptitude and body ability to perform the movements at this level. However, this is the same in any horse, regardless of the breed. Peter recalls the Friesian mare ‘Annichje fan Bokkum’ from the fan Bokkum stables in Holland.

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PETER FELT VERY PROUD AND EMOTIONAL TO SEE ANDERS AT THE WEG. Was she very famous at the time? "Annichje was awarded ‘Model’ (highest status in the Friesian horse world) at a Keuring when she was just four years old and passed an IBOP (dressage suitability test) with 95%, the highest score ever in IBOP history. She was born for dressage and was 'one of a kind', she had the perfect strong gaits and was powerful. The international judges were crazy about her. They called her a lady with pith. However, she had an instruction manual that you needed to follow. I came to understand her nature better with the help of Tineke Bartels (Dutch GP rider and coach), and we got along well and established an understanding. I knew in time that you could offend her easily but with the right approach she would fight for you. She was also a big mover, but I could train her to use the energy of those movements in a constructive way. We rode together to intermediate II and by that time she was leaving the Warmbloods behind her in tests and was ready for GP. Then the owner of Annicje got an attractive offer, and she then got

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sold to South Africa as well. She now enjoys a comfortable life with a 13-yearold girl who is riding her for fun and having foals." Peter also talks about his time with Friesian stallion Jasper 366. "Well, we all know in the Friesian horse world that Jasper is a legend with the most offspring ever and with the very good gaits he possessed. My experience is that this stallion never gave up. He is a total firecracker. Because of the fire in him you would never notice if he went through muscle pain or had some physical problems. And for this reason he became sour and cranky in time, and he stayed like this. I don't think he enjoyed dressage and nor did I on him. BUT if I would have known back then, what I know now training wise, I would have trained him in a totally different way. " When asked Peter if he could explain more detail of how he would he train differently, he replied. "For a few years now, I train all my riding horses with a heart monitor that is connected to a computer and after a training session I can read the levels. If the heart beat is very high at some moments in training, you know that there is something wrong or when a training movement doesn't go well at all. If the horse works against you, you might think, he is just not behaving himself and you could punish him for that but with the heart pulse meter you know exactly where the behaviour comes from; physical difficulties, muscle pain or laziness. Using this technology gives me the correct knowledge about:

Peter is now riding Eqwador, the Polish Warmblood stallion when to ride the horse again, how long each training session needs to be, whether you need to try another training method, whether the horse needs treatment and so on. This method is much more effective in your partnership with the horse. If I had this pulse meter for Jasper back then it would have been a much nicer journey for him and me to go to the top of dressage."

Thank you, Marc Peter Spahn for this opportunity to give us a look into the world of a top dressage rider with top dressage horses. Marc Peter Spahn owns with his live partner Ykje Baron Trainings stable Baron/Spahn in Friesland in The Netherlands, and this is where they give private lessons and clinics

to other fellow dressage riders at all levels. They also ride other peoples horses at the higher level dressage, and Peter is closely involved with the KFPS ( Friesian studbook) to give advice and lectures to Friesian judges and the Friesian Sports Council group. a

Peter is now riding Eqwador, the Polish Warmblood stallion who looks like a Lusitano, when asked about him, he replies, "Yes, I have ridden Warmbloods in the past but when I started working for “Fryso huis” (a KFPS initiative for training and coaching talented Friesian dressage horses), I couldn’t keep on riding Warmbloods. Then, about a year ago an English gentleman offered Eqwador to me to ride at International GP level, and I thought that I would enjoy this challenge, and I do." He admits though that riding a Baroque horse gives him more emotion than riding a Warmblood! Peter will never stop riding Friesians next to Warmbloods. He is currently riding Friesians at elementary, advanced and PSG levels. His new talent and upcoming Friesian is 'Djorn van de Demrostables'. Peter is truly “The Ambassador” of the Friesian breed in the dressage world and well respected for his training methods, perseverance and for putting the Friesian breed on to a world dressage map.

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Understanding

HORSE BEHAVIOR By Gabrielle and Camille Dareau

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE

A PREY ANIMAL

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HORSE BEHAVIOUR MUST BE UNDERSTOOD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE HUNTED AND NOT THE HUNTER, A PERSPECTIVE THAT DOES NOT OFTEN COME NATURALLY TO HUMANS, THE MOST SUCCESSFUL HUNTER ON EARTH.

he subject of horse behaviour has become increasingly prominent in the horse world. In the last ten years, the natural horsemanship revolution has taken off. If there is one concept that could encompass the motivation behind this whole movement, it is that people are becoming aware that if they want to train their horse successfully they must be perceived as the herd leader. This has led to the idea of imitating a dominant herd member because then one can expect respect and obedience. Many people now realise that things are less black and white than this. That being a leader is not necessarily about domination, whether the domineering force is dressed up as whirling ropes and controller halters or plain old spurs, whips and double bridles. Some have studied wild horse herds and attempted to learn how to behave as horses do amongst themselves, with varying degrees of success. The problem is that some fairly major assumptions have been made in doing this, and perhaps important facts have been bypassed, as a result.

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COMMON ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT HORSE BEHAVIOUR • That if we can mimic a fragment of what we perceive as horse behaviour, we will automatically be recognised by a horse as another horse. We can mimic certain aspects of body language, and we can also reach horses with our thoughts, but if our intention is simple domination, this will be transmitted to a horse. Horses don’t lie, and they also know what our intentions are as soon as we approach them. Important factors that humans cannot reproduce in copying horse behaviour are: • Looking, smelling or moving like a horse • All of the sounds horses make • Perceiving the surrounding world as a horse does, either with the physical senses or sensing energy Horses may react to our signals, as they do to other horses in some situations. But remember that they do have to react in some way and that those same reactions

will also arise in herd situations, so when we watch a herd we can see those same reactions. This doesn’t necessarily mean we are speaking their language, only that we have restrained them into a small enough place that they have to interact with us in whatever way they know how. Of course, there are many reasons why one can assume horses are accepting us as their leader. For example wild and barely handled horses will appear to accept tack and a rider on their back after a short time. Thinking about it rationally, for an animal that has developed an instinctive fear of predators over such a long time, we can’t even conceive of what it means for horses to accept us as harmless as well as a capable leader they can trust with their lives. Expecting to gain this trust just because we act like we think a herd leader does for half an hour in a round pen is ambitious to say the very least.

relationship we can make with a horse is of a different order, we bring our qualities and merge them with the horse’s qualities. In this way, we can be proud of our value and how we appreciate their value. • We assume that horses living in what we consider to be a safe environment will accept it as such. Most of the horses we work with are considered as domesticated animals. However, despite selective breeding for temperament and a close association with people in more recent history, domestic horses still owe their fundamental nature to millions of years of evolution as wild animals. The wild instincts that helped the species survive are still present in modern horses and can be observed in a domestic horse behaviour. These instincts include:

n Horse’s behaviour is formed by the fact that they naturally live with each other 24/7 (unless they are kept in solitary confinement which is a whole other question). They eat, sleep, groom and shelter together, as well as the fact that they are with their own kind. Humans cannot hope to replicate that relationship, and we don’t need to. The

• Desire to avoid predators through continuous threat assimilation • Desire to seek food and, if necessary, shelter • Desire to form a herd and maintain herd integrity

Most horse owners can form a compromise with their horses regarding these desires. Providing a horse with food, shelter and company, controlling hormones and forming a relationship as a result of satisfying these desires all go a long way towards gaining a horse’s trust. One desire, which is often ignored or misconstrued, is the fundamental instinct, innate to horse behaviour, for selfdefence. The most likely reason we can’t appreciate this desire is that we don’t empathise with what frightens them, or comprehend the extent of their anxiety about danger. We know that we are in a safe environment, but why should we assume they do? SEEING HORSE BEHAVIOUR FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW Human beings do have a sense of selfdefence, of course: we have also had our enemies in the course of our evolution, and still do. The instinct for survival and self-protection is innate to all living beings. Imagine being a horse born into the wild herd, however - there is no door to lock at night or gun to load. No guard

• Desire to reproduce

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dogs or police. Ironically, for most of us, the most dangerous species we have to worry about is our own, but the majority of us live in relative security. Horses in the wild in modern times are mainly only susceptible to the predation of their young, which is no less important, of course. However, the point is that during their history, they have only ever been creatures of defence. Throughout their evolution, they have never hunted other animals. This means that their consciousness has always been devoted to or taken up to some degree, by threat awareness, evaluation, and avoidance. This is an essential factor in understanding and addressing horse behaviour.

do what they have always done - assess their surroundings for potential danger and act on that. As with any continuously evolving species, there will be some individuals born with a keener instinct for threat assimilation than others. Self-defence is still at the heart of a domestic horse behaviour however, but few seem to recognise or manage this in a constructive way when training and handling them. Some common misconceptions about horses that are attempting to assess surrounding threat: •

He is trying to get out of working

•

She is being silly

HORSES ARE CONSTANTLY ASSESSING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR DANGER.

•

He is only a grazing animal, and work does not come naturally, so he wants to distract himself from it

When we began to domesticate horses and provide them with food and shelter, we also provided them with security. How do they know that they are safe with us though? We know that there are no mountain lions in the hedges and wolf packs in the woods, but horses don’t rationalize by thinking intellectual thoughts. Horses can’t just listen to us when we tell them that they are safe from predators in our stables, fields, and arenas. Horses only feel safe when they

•

She always spooks at things because she is high-spirited

•

He has a short concentration span because he’s young

Another way to look at it might be: He or she has left the herd or companion-which-substitutesfor-the-herd, and therefore highly vulnerable. They are then taken to a different environment than where they normally forage and shelter and are therefore exposed to any

kind of potential danger, including, sadly, the human being who has taken them there. In this situation what would you want to do if you were a horse? - Probably take some time to have a look round and check out the situation. This is exactly what most horses are not allowed to do. Whether they are pushed, pulled, tapped or encouraged with voice aids to ‘go forward’, more or less forcefully, makes no difference they are not being allowed to do the one thing that will reassure and calm them and allow them to turn their attention back to you. This is one of the main ways that humans misinterpret horse behaviour, and, as a result, cause tension right from the start of the training process. TYPICAL THREATEVALUATION HORSE BEHAVIOUR AND HOW TO MANAGE IT Step 1: The first thing we can do to help our horse is to relax and stop worrying about all the training goals and plans we have for today’s session. Think about it this way, we can only do valuable work with a calm horse, and the horse will only be

..TAKE SOME TIME TO HAVE A LOOK ROUND AND CHECK OUT THE SITUATION This young horse has perceived a possible threat outside of the arena. Her rider is giving her the time to evaluate it, thus maintaining a trusting partnership.

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calm if we can allow them to relax. So patience is not only a plus, it is an absolute necessity. Pushing on past all of these issues might seem to save time, but in fact we are only running past the entrance to the pathway where we can mutually connect with our horse. Not just have a one-way conversation while the horse recedes further and further away from us. This is what happens if we deny the horse the chance to evaluate a threat in peace. It is a phenomenon called dissociation that is a symptom of traumatisation.

situations in which they have been traumatised in the past.

An e-book on Horse Trauma, giving cutting-edge insights into this widespread problem comes free with Camille Dareau’s e-book ‘How To Train A Horse Without Force, Part 1’, available from www.happy-horsetraining.com.

Wait, without distracting him in any way, until he is satisfied the threat will not materialize. Usually, he will tell you this by turning an ear round in your direction. This is the most reliable signal, but sometimes you will notice his attention shift, and he will seem to shrug and come back to you. It is only fair to make a demand on him at this point, and no sooner, because when he is still evaluating the threat he can’t listen to you too. If you reassure him when he is evaluating the threat, this will only distract him. When you give him full responsibility at first, he will be able to gradually let it go more completely because he will know you understand the importance of threat to him.

If you are prepared to relax, then in the horse’s mind, you have already assessed the threat of your current situation to be negligible. And depending on how much your horse already trusts you, this will influence his own assessment. If you can follow these steps and appreciate how horse behaviour works, you are likely to be able to form enough trust over time that your opinion is sufficient, and the horse will be liberated to concentrate on you for the entire time you are together. If you are also respecting your horse’s boundaries in his work, showing him how he can move in balance without constraint and force, then his training will become a time of freedom from threat. Eventually, it will become a physical pleasure, and he will be disappointed to miss it. Step 2: Stay tuned-in to your horse’s awareness. Become aware of your horse’s behaviour on a more subtle level: notice whether he is alert and listening to you or if he is watching the world around him. Also, notice if he doesn’t seem to be listening to anything, but is instead directing his awareness inside himself. If he does this, try to work out when it began during the session i.e. whether he is like that all the time or only when you produce the saddle, or maybe when he catches sight of the arena. Horses dissociate very easily from

Step 3: If your horse directs his attention away from you and both ears are pointing away, then he is assessing a threat. To help you be patient, you can try to perceive yourself what he is observing, hearing or even smelling. Imagine what it would be like to have to check for danger all the time as natural horse behaviour dictates - like the heightened awareness of danger of a parent for their children.

then eventually he will accept that he is not in danger. In this scenario, he might even wish to walk closer to see it better. Allow this, because until he accepts that the object or event is not a threat, he will not relax and be able to concentrate on his work. The following photographs illustrate this process. This horse, who we rescued from a seemingly dead-end situation, went through a period in her training where she was almost constantly perceiving threat outside the arena during her schooling session. This came about because she had previously been worked in a state of extreme tension. Part of her process of releasing it was for her to manifest this tension externally, as perceived danger in her environment, and be given sufficient time to evaluate

Allowing threat assessment

Step 4: If the horse perceives the threat as dangerous then he will spend longer analysing it, and perhaps consider turning round to run away. Of course, if the threat is perceived by the horse as imminent then the flight response may be almost immediate! In between the analysis and the running, however, there is usually a moment when he will cast his attention in your direction. And in this hesitation you have your chance to ‘steady the ship’ and keep him facing the threat. Try to do this in as non-forceful a way as possible: if you are riding, using your legs and postural strength in preference to holding onto the bit. If you are on the ground, give the horse some physical contact with your hand on his side, for example. If he is then allowed to assess it again, and is supported each time he continues to try to turn away,

Ear turned back to rider, who gives reassuring stroke or vocal encouragement

Asking her to go forwards again

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it so that she could finally see the arena as a safe place, and trust the leadership of her rider. She needed around six or seven sessions of being allowed to do nothing but assess perceived threats in the arena, walking on a loose rein in between each stop, until she was ready to move forwards with her schooling work normally.

Happy to listen to the rider and focus on her work

DESPITE CORRECT GYMNASTIC RIDING, SHE WOULD RESIST THE AIDS AND REFUSE TO GO WHERE THE RIDER ASKED HER TO

Before she was given the time to process her anxiety in this way, she was chronically ‘nappy’ in the arena. She was always very reluctant to work at the end furthest from the gate and nearest the potentially dangerous trees bordering one side of it, where predators could be hiding. Despite correct gymnastic riding, she would resist the aids and refuse to go where the rider asked her to. After the threat-assessment work, she completely let go of this nappiness, happy to give her complete attention and trust to her rider. This proves the profound effect that this work – that could easily have appeared to be futile time-wasting – had on how she perceived her environment and on her interaction with people. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU BEGIN TO INTERPRET HORSE BEHAVIOUR FROM THE PREY ANIMAL PERSPECTIVE Each horse has his innate outlook, and he also has his previous life experience. One influences the other to produce individual horse behaviour, and when you begin to respect his perspective you are sure to learn far more about your horse. • Horses that have been refused the chance to satisfy their threat anxiety in the past might go into a kind of threat assessment frenzy. Wanting to stop

and look every few minutes (as in the example above), or for long periods of time, especially in places they have felt particularly unsafe. This is rehabilitation work, and if you can see it through you will heal long-held traumas and release deeply suppressed emotions. Notice whether the horse feels ‘safer’ and more present than usual in between pauses or more supple and able to stretch and swing more. Gradually the first wave will stabilize, and pauses will be less frequent. Horses like this will be helped if you can add reassurance at the point when they turn to you for your opinion. Scratch at the withers or gently stroke the neck and speak in a low affectionate voice. Adding extra security to the horse’s own conclusion that the world is safe at that moment will encourage him to rate your leadership qualities. • Chronically dissociated horses may be completely switched-off to the world around them. This is not the same as being relaxed. You will know the difference by how well you know your horse’s personality. If he or she doesn’t seem to have one, then this is not because they don’t, it is because they are traumatised and have withdrawn to a place inside themselves where they don’t have to acknowledge what is around them. Some horses undergoing certain training techniques with a strong emphasis on mental conditioning are particularly good examples of this distortion of natural horse behaviour. They appear to accept everything that is done to them or with them, but they are as ‘present’ as a mechanical robot. Such a horse is a challenge to rehabilitate, but when they come back out again you will feel such

“Totale has been a challenge to bring on, even though she has never suffered any kind of abuse. She has a highly dominant personality, and letting go of her ‘leader’ status has been far from easy for her. We found that allowing her enough time to make her own threat assessments was invaluable in gaining her trust on a more profound level. Gradually she has accepted that we are working as a team, and her rider is not putting her into danger, and now she is enjoying the feeling of power that her work brings her more and more every session.” W W W. H A P P Y - H O R S E - T R A I N I N G .C O M

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“Rafael had lost any belief in people by the time he came to us. He would rarely let anyone approach him, and sitting on his back was impossible. His behavior around people was a state of continuous anxiety and his attention span was minimal. Giving him a stable herd environment allowed him to rediscover his inner peace. Approaching him with endless patience and gentleness, and in particular believing in him, has brought about a remarkable change. He is extremely gentle, and children adore him. In his training he has recently started giving lunge lessons, and although he is still highly sensitive, he accepts his rider and has let go of his previous desire to escape.”

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a sense of joy it is incomparable with much else. They may need some time in a herd with their own kind, and much time in the company of people who simply want to be gentle with them - they will choose their path. It is never too late to help that spark ignite again. • Dominant horses often need to insist on danger evaluation more forcefully. This is because they naturally relinquish responsibility less easily, whether their dominance stems from insecurity or self-confidence. They are herd leaders and will be less easily convinced to let this position go in their relationships with people. In this case, patience is just as important as for traumatized horses. You can only take control if you are given it, and only the horse himself can give you responsibility for his life. • If you can be fairly consistent, you will notice the periods between threat assessments decrease until they are very rare. Whenever they do surface, always react, in the same way. The horse will always be a prey animal, and if you are always willing to appreciate that then they will very rarely resort to flight tactics. Unpredictable and dangerous horse behaviour is often partly due to the rider’s refusal to give the horse time to assimilate his surroundings and accept his situation. THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS APPROACH FOR GYMNASTIC TRAINING Training the horse gymnastically, so that there is a basis of balance and postural connection between horse

and rider, is utterly dependent on the horse being relaxed and trusting on a profound level. This is because any tension, whether on the surface or hardened into stiffness by years of dissociation, is a barrier to the rider’s ability to connect gymnastically with the horse’s body in order to sculpt it into alignment and draw it into balance posturally. Postural engagement – the basis of gymnastic riding – requires that the horse willingly hand over his body to the rider so that they can alter some of the basic principles of how the horse balances naturally, and to correct the deep-seated crookedness that is innate to all horses. A horse will only hand their body over at this profound level if they trust their rider/trainer as a worthy and reliable leader - if they see them as a veritable replacement for the security of the herd. All resistances, misalignments and imbalances are closely tied into the horse’s natural flight-based defence mechanisms, so the trainer cannot hope to address these barriers to gymnastic harmony without first gaining the horse’s acceptance to let go of the need to flee from potential danger. This relationship of deep mutual trust and relaxation is not just about the training context, it also relies on many factors in the horse’s lifestyle and health, hence our passion for a holistic approach to the horse: encompassing everything from hoof care to dentistry, from diet to social structure, from energy therapy to gymnastically sound riding. a

Hope is an example of how it is possible to regain a horse’s trust at the deepest level. She had reached a meltdown in her relationship with people at a young age, and ended up rearing and refused to go forward under saddle. Listening to her needs and allowing her to judge her own safety resulted in such a radical turnaround that she came to feel her work was her safe place, and it would take a hot air balloon landing in the arena to make her worry! She also became able to be ridden out outside of the arena without problems, when asking her to do this before would result in panic attacks and dangerous behaviour. This shows that her trust was not purely related to the environment she was trained in but founded on a genuine trust in her rider.

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Chatting

WITH

Peter Shaw

Baroque Horse Magazine chats !i" Peter Shaw, FEI Âž**** Eventing Judge National A Level

Dre$age Judge, Judge Educator,%ucce$ful FEI &ider and coach 'n Australia.

BH: Australia is a young country and in comparison to other countries is just a beginner in the equine world. How do you think we're progressing in our equestrianism? PS: We've come a long way in so many ways since the early days of the horses and the management and the understanding of how horses learn, work and produce their best, with some people. But we still have a long way to go to reach the depth of understanding and breeding that countries like German and now even England have achieved in horses and of course Portugal/ Spain and Holland for the baroque breeds origins. Sometimes it's a matter of the more you get to know, the more you need to know. So although we are producing and importing better quality horses, if we continue to do what we always have done with the training and understanding of the biomechanics and follow names instead of good, tried and true training, then our progress may not be quite as smooth and as quick as we may need for us to stay where we are or even improve on the world stage in Dressage and Eventing.

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BH: What do you think as a whole we need to work on in our level of overall equine skills and horsemanship? PS: That's an interesting question, I like it, It makes me think about the future instead of going on about the past or now, as we can when we start to get older. I believe that we need to understand more (or get it out there to more people), about the way horses must use their bodies to work correctly. For their horses own sakes, to help them stay sound in mind body and soul, and to help prevent the collateral damage with so many talented horses falling by the wayside along the road to the top. I think we also need to start at the grass roots and train our riders and coachesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; well, to ensure, people are being taught to ride, not just to do dressage. Get rid of the saddle, get out of the arena, learn to ride a horse on a loose rein and still control where you are going and how fast. Learn to use our seats and core to influence the horse and to stay in balance. A lot of people are training horse people on feeding, management, this product, that product; this Internet based recording system, etc. I'm not

I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND MORE (OR GET IT OUT THERE TO MORE PEOPLE), ABOUT THE WAY HORSES MUST USE THEIR BODIES TO WORK CORRECTLY. FOR THEIR HORSES OWN SAKES, TO HELP THEM STAY SOUND IN MIND BODY AND SOUL

so sure all this is necessary, I must admit, to this day the best basic book, I read, was the pony club manual, it told me so many things. Then I found real horses men, which incidentally were women as well, who really knew how to feed horses, exercise horses and train them and train riders. I was always asked how I got my horses to look like they did? Well, I feed them horse feed, simple horse feed, and take into account what they need as grazing animals, as well as the amount of work they were in. I ensured they were healthy, wormed, bodywork done and I also worked them correctly; taking time to stretch them properly, not ride them with their chins on their chests or even near to then. I taught them to release their necks and back and develop with the training scales always in my mind, even before I knew of the training scales. It is so easy to put a topline on a horse if worked and fed correctly, nothing fancy about it. I can show a difference in a few days, and you wouldn't recognize the horse in 6 weeks. I used to say horses need the four R's. As a school teacher, this made sense to me with the three R's. The four R's were Rhythm, Relaxation, Roundness and Revs. Pretty much had the training scales in there, even though I had not heard about them as a young person. I hate to say it, but we need to instill great basics in all our riders, and buying a young rider an FEI horse or 3 star eventer, whilst it has merit in some senses, often helps to create gaps in the training of the first two years of a horses training. Then these people become coaches and trainers, and the cycle goes on. BH: As a coach what do you feel is your favourite bit of advice for a student? PS: "Hurrying is a waste of time." Would be one, and "horses learn in the reward phase. The best form of punishment is to withhold the reward." I have many things I say along the way, many pearls of wisdom, and of course the cheeky but true one, "every day go and work on yourself and play with your horse, not the other way around." I am also a fan of the comment, "your horse is obediently crooked". BH: There is a lot of controversy on Rollkur, especially at the last Olympics, Judges are being accused of not upholding the rules or allowing for loopholes to be exploited. What are your thoughts on all this?

PS: Yes indeed it is controversial; I think it is a can of worms. I have my own, very strong beliefs about rolkur and the role of the judges. I do emphasize that judges can only judge what they can see in front of them, and most horses aren't in rolkur in the tests, but the lack of thoroughness will show and should be markwd, the low polls and broken necks should also be marked as such. I also think the role of the stewards should come into this as well. I sometimes think lip service is given to this issue, by riders, trainers, judges, stewards, officials, etc., some, not all. I believe that the spectators are less and less wanting to see horses ridden in this way and trained in this way. I think this is displayed in fewer numbers attending bigger shows in some cases. It used to be that having a horse broken behind the poll would receive no more than 4 marks, now we see this at all levels receiving more. We used to call it a big fault and caused by riders pulling the horses head in and not allowing it to reach the bridle. A short cut. When you do your judgesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; exams the biggest fault in dressage was to lose the pace, the clarity or purity of the pace, yet so often now we see horses rewarded, or winning, depending on who is riding it, sometimes, with a lateral or broken walk, and fake trot with inactive dragging hind legs and flicking flapping front legs, and four beat and sometimes lateral canters. We are sometimes excusing these significant mistakes in training and sometimes breeding, because of the quality of the horses. I don't believe this should be the case, we must not lose sight of the basics of a well-trained horse, and whilst your less gifted horse may not receive the very top marks, a very talented horse shouldn't either if not trained in the correct way and if not ridden into a correct dynamic outline, by that I mean not short and fixed, but supple, adjustable and able to lengthen the outline. Please don't get me wrong, we are doing ok, but we could be doing way better, the world's top scores and general scores have increased much more than ours have in 25 years. If we are to find a reason and address this, we need to be honest and look at all possible reasons and ways to improve. BH: You are a classical dressage instructor, when did you embrace the classical way and what about it that you like better? PS: I believe the word classical has been high-jacked a bit. Trainers like Franz Mairinger

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were classical trainers, people who taught us to sit correctly, not interfere with our horses and all them to reach the bridle and carry themselves. Who taught us to let the horses develop naturally without artificial aids and force, not a Spanish or Portuguese method in particular. I think people like Reiner Klimke, was very classical, Hubertus Schmit, good trainers like that. I was lucky enough to see Ingrid Klimke ride and coach at DWTS, and have breakfast with her, simple things, good riding, improving the way of going without shortcuts and tricks or gear. In my years of riding, training and coaching, I found this way with the horses just works; it's how horses are wired. When you begin to train horses the way they learn, working with their natural bodily way of going, developing their confidence, strength looseness, their willingness to give you more because of reward not punishment. Then you begin to gain real horsemanship and true happiness from the bond you are developing and the clear, sympathetic way of training, not by winning ribbons as your end goal. I have coached like this as well for many years, and the horses all love it, the riders

sometimes struggle with keeping control of themselves and their balance and want a result more quickly, but I can always demonstrate that if they wait, they usually have the correct response in a few seconds not minutes or months, or never, with and arguing method.

BH: Do you have any pet peeves with the dressage industry here (or internationally) that you would love to see changed? PS: Mmm pet peeves, I have a few, but not sure I want to disclose them publically. I think, like so many others in the horse world these days, spectators, judges, I don't like to see horses ridden poorly and with cruelty, and worse still these combinations winning. I wish that the training of our riders, coaches, judges, etc. improves so that our sport can advance as quickly as it has with some of the top countries and combinations. I hope that we can focus on the best riders, and maybe start to identify the reasons why we like them. To have real conversations about what we actually

Photo by Laura Delamont

... I DON'T LIKE TO SEE HORSES RIDDEN POORLY AND WITH CRUELTY, AND WORSE STILL THESE COMBINATIONS WINNING.

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see in their training and not just politically correct aspects. I watch a series on Epona TV a while ago, and the interviewer was bravely challenging the rhetoric of the trainer and rider and proving their statements wrong with the video and slow motion replay. We hear all these standard sentences about this helps to make them through and ride it deep to help it use the back, well does it? Look at the result, don’t copy, and don’t do colouring in, as I call it. As a school teacher and principal, colouring in was simply pointless busy work, don’t do it, find an exercise or way of riding that is actually achieving what the sentence the coach or rider says not just regurgitate platitudes or generic statements. ie super, yah, yah, zer gut! Even from Aussies. BH: Who inspires you as a coach/ rider/judge? What/who influences you? PS: Inspires? I respect people like Stephan Clarke for his judging; He's a capable international rider, a great judge, a great judge educator and delivering good judging in the clinics I have seen here. I admire riders in any horse sport who ride with feel, timing and empathy. I’m inspired by people, who keep going, even in the face of adversity and criticism, which happens at times, in a political sport. Honesty, integrity, humility, natural talent, empathy and the people who show these to others and their animals inspire me. A friend was only talking to me today and telling me I should read Carl Hester’s book as we both had a similar non-horsey background and philosophy. I have not reached anywhere near the heights he has, and probably never will. However, he inspires me for his way of training, his mission to improve the riders and horses and to do it correctly and for his humour. I've never been one who follows a crowd, so those who stick to their guns and progress even though the road may be a hard and lonely one inspire me. I'm inspired by many of the children I taught at school who have grown into amazing individuals, some, in some part, because I taught them to be the best they can be, but I also taught them they were valued, amazing individuals, and to be themselves and encourage each other. I'm not inspired and motivated by the usual things and people that people hold up on a pedestal. My progress in this sport has been despite things rather than because of support, so I guess I’m a very different mindset. I have not had that much encouragement along the roads I’ve taken, so I always try to be encouraging of those I came across in my travels. I’m honest if I’m asked my opinion, but not mean, I just want everyone to achieve his or her real goals. I think we could well do to be a lot more supportive of each other in this world generally. We say we are, but we’re not. BH: What is your most memorable moment that you feel most proud about with your equine career?

PS: Well I tend to think more of the achievements of others than myself; even my Facebook posts, etc. are about how well my students have gone and congratulating them, not puffing myself up. However, one that does come to mind was when I was loading my mare and six-month-old foal onto the float for the first time to go out to an agistment property. I was holding the mare in the float and my foal, was being handled by other people, who were trying to load him. He was not cooperation with their methods and after some time was starting to throw himself around and get further away from the float and severely stressed. They were doing the best they could, but it wasn't my way. Frustrated and a bit angry that this baby of mine was struggling, I insisted on handling him myself. I stopped the lead being pulled, the tail rope being pulled and let him stand still for a few minutes and rubbed him and let him relax. I then moved his legs away from the float, backwards, sideways, forward, no force, just moving his legs. I then lifted one front leg at a time, until both his front legs were a little way into the float. He then thrust his head against my chest and began to hyperventilate. I cuddled his face kissing his forelock, tears streaming down my cheeks and rubbing his muzzle and telling him he'd be ok. When his breathing was regular, I walked backwards into the float, and he walked in with me. I was most proud of that moment for the connection and trust I had achieved with a young horse, as he trusted me and came to me for his protection and comfort. Something I had taught him. As a competitor, I used to win all the time, but I couldn't go to the scoreboard often as I would hear the most horrid things about my horse and myself, so I learned not to be too proud and stand out for winning as it just meant hurt. However, there have been many, many more wins for myself and my students, becoming the youngest Grand Prix Judge in the world, finishing my level 3 coaches qualifications, passing my 3***4**** Eventing Exam in Atlanta in May 2014, my school winning a national literacy award for excellence in our literacy program and results, my students winning an International film festival with a film they wrote, filmed, acted in and edited. I coached my first winner of a big event, Gawler 3DE when I was 23, and my first Australian Representative in 1986, Gawler World Championships. I've been around a long time. I've coached the champion and reserve at every level at several competitions locally and winning of international; events. However, I am most proud of the integrity I treat horses with and how far I've come from sticking to it and dusting myself off and going again. I'm tired, but I must be proud of that. BH:

What drew you into being a judge?

PS: Necessity. I started the Hunter Valley Dressage Association when I was 17 with a friend who was 15. We wanted to have closer places to compete, as the closest one was a three-hour trip with the float on. My coach at the time was very good, and she instilled it in us to always be looking at all sides of the sport. That judge training was a great thing for our riding whilst also giving something back to the sport. Should be more of it these days. I started judging when I was 16 and became a Grand Prix Judge when I was 32, the youngest in the world at that time, not still, unfortunately.

Photo by Laura Delamont

I THINK, AS A COACH, IT'S HARD BEING A JUDGE, SO MANY OF THE COACHES DON'T JUDGE, AS OFTEN RIDERS DON'T THINK OF YOU AS BOTH BH: What would you say is the most rewarding and unrewarding part of being a judge? PS: The most rewarding would be seeing well ridden, good quality horses working in harmony, and particularly young riders starting to ride well at any level and come to the bigger shows and FEI classes. There was one young rider in the PSG at the National in 2014. I think he was potentially the best rider in the class; he did an excellent job not getting in the horses' road, and I told him so. I love seeing improvement in people and horses and will often seek out the person and tell them exactly that. I think, as a coach, it's hard being a judge, so many of the coaches don't judge, as often riders don't think of you as both, where, in fact, if you are, a coach, a judge and a rider, you come with so much more to offer. I also don't find the politics very rewarding. I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been limiting personally and is limiting for our national progress. BH: There is often a thought/feeling that the baroque breeds don't get judged fairly by some judges, do you think this is the case, if so why?

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PS: Maybe they don't by some judges, like any other breed, but those of us, who judge what's in front of us, judge what the horses do no matter what the breed. We have a standard for dressage we want to see for a ten or an eight, or a six, whatever, and if that is achieved then the marks flow with the good judges. The interesting thing, whether we like it or not, with other breeds and methods, is that sometimes, different horses and different breeds have stronger points and less strong points, and as such we have to take the good with the bad, which then helps to rank the class in a competition, which is the judges' job. No one is perfect and I guess people like what they like in horse types and breeds and presentation methods, so as long as the rider is showing the horses to the best of its ability then they should get marked fairly. That is ideal and happens with the better judges. Then let the rider's ego be the judge and either accept the marks as fair or criticize. Funny thing is; I've never heard anyone complaining about the high marks when a difference occurs. Question from a reader. Q: How are judges at all levels schooled to 'appreciate' different breed attributes? For instance, Friesians, Andys, Arabs all have different ways of moving and, not so much now, can be judged unfairly for just their breed. Is this discouraged and are judges taught how to appreciate the way different breeds movement interpret the schooling movements? PS: I have never attended a judgesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; clinic where any presenter has criticized a particular breed or style, and I've been attending them for 41 years now. The fact is that different breeds have been produced for various purposes with different strengths and difference struggles. Different horses have different shapes, paces, temperaments and strength. We must face, that is if we want to do dressage, there are guidelines for how a horse should move, frame, be balanced, the ability to lengthen, shorten, sit, carry, go uphill, etc. I know we would all like to think that we, or our horses are being discriminated against in the judging for the way we, or they look. However, I haven't come across judges who have

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made any comments about breeds, but certainly have heard comments about balance, cadence, tempo, suppleness, carriage, scope, etc. Question from a reader. Q. The Friesian horses "feathers" on their hoofs; do you find these distracting to judge in Dressage? Would you as a judge prefer clean shaved hooves or the feathers are fine? PS: I know you would like me to say the feathers are fine. I have judged Friesians with and without feathers, in fact, the same horse with and without on occasions. I must admit it was much easier to see the engagement, the cadence and impulsion, when there was a cleaner line. Did it change my marks? I am not so sure, but I guess, it's like any fringe, pardon the pun, thing. There will be some people who may not think it is correct and as such you could suffer under those circumstances. I think it's a bit like a rider with drop earrings or untidy hair; it does take the eye from what we need to see. In saying that, I am not suggesting all horses have their feathers removed. Simply ride better and train better, and the marks will come with the good judges, but be honest and don't blame the feathers, etc.

THIS RELATIONSHIP OF DEEP MUTUAL TRUST AND RELAXATION IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE TRAINING CONTEXT, IT ALSO RELIES ON MANY FACTORS IN THE HORSEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH

BH: As a judge/coach what is the most common error/s people make or area/s they have difficulty with? What do you recommend to over come this? PS: I think if there were one thing I would say to nearly every rider to help improve vtheir horse in both test and training would be, to ride better by completing half halts, including the release or let go phase. Preparation, impulsion and balance and suppleness would improve, in fact, all levels of the training scales would improve. Also, stand back and look at your horse sometimes, see what muscles are developing, or not. Then make changes or find out how to from good instructors, not necessarily the popular ones, but people who have repeatedly brought horses and riders on and improved their shape and way of going. I think it is hard these days as the 'eye' to see what is happening isn't trained to such a correct picture as we used to be. All is not lost, we just need a few tweaks, and a vast improvement would follow. a

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Photos by Laura Delamont

THI S SEAS O N

AUTUMN

JOBs Horses Teeth Get your vet or equine dental technician to check your horse’s teeth before winter, to ensure they are able to make the most of their feed. This is particularly important for youngsters and older horses.

Winter Rugs If you didn’t get your winter rugs cleaned and repaired in the spring, now is the time to do it.

Worming Horses become infected with tapeworm after eating hay or grass infected with the forage mite, the intermediate host of the parasite. Exposure is greater after long periods of grazing during the summer and autumn is the ideal time to treat this type of worm.

Pastures With the wet and cold weather coming your pastures are bound to suffer, now might be a good time to give your pastures a helping hand with some fertizer.

Tack room Now is a good time to get in and tidy up and organise your tack room. The last thing you’ll want to do while its wet and cold is spending more time trying to find things under a dirty mess.

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WHICH

BIT?

It’s all just a “bit” confusing! ?? ONE POUND OF PRESSURE ON THE REINS EXERTS ONE POUND OF PRESSURE ON THE HORSE’S MOUTH (1:1 RATIO)

Over years, I’ve heard so many different pieces of advice and information on bits, and it can be very hard to know who is right when opinions seem to contradict each other. I decided to do a ‘bit’ of research into some basic bit 101 from trainers and riders. I was talking to Miguel De Bragança from Santo Andreas Lusitanos re this, and his response was that it depended on the horse’s age, sensitivity and training level. “You should always choose a bit that is comfortable for your horse. It will depend on the horse's age and teaching level. For example, in young horses, we always use a Thick bit. “ Ok, great that's good solid advice that I don’t think many would argue with! If you go to a bit web site or even just up to your local saddlery, you’ll be presented with what feels like an endless selection of bits. It can be rather daunting and can make your head feel awfully empty pretty fast lol..

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So, let's take a look at some of the more common bits and have a look at what they are and what they do. The best way, to do this, is to break it down to the types and then by the construction with the mouthpiece and the rings Types – We will look at the two most common types the Snaffle and Curb bits. Snaffle Bit: This is your basic bit. On a snaffle bit, the rein attaches directly to the mouthpiece. This bit has a direct pull that applies direct rein pressure from the rider's hand to the horse's mouth. A snaffle is not necessarily a bit with a jointed bit mouthpiece, as is often thought. A bit is a snaffle because it creates direct pressure without leverage on the mouth. It is a bit without a shank (shanks are the side pieces of a curb bit, part of the bridle). However, a single or double-jointed mouthpiece, even though these are the most common designs for snaffle bit, does not make a bit a snaffle. Even a mullen mouth (a solid, slightly curved bar) or a bar bit is a snaffle.

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Curb Bit: Curb bits are leverage bits. They act on the horse’s mouth, poll and chin in several ways. The reins are often attached to the bottom of the shank. When contact is taken on the reins, which are attached to the lower end of the shank, the leverage action tightens the bit in the horse’s mouth. It exerts downward pressure on the crown piece of the bridle over the top of the horse’s head and behind the ears and closes the curb chain under the chin, exerting pressure on the lower jaw. By adjusting hand height, when riding, you can alter the height of the horse’s head position by lifting and lowering as needed. The need for this type of riding is that of collection and enhances gait and balance. It can create a bigger stride and hip rotation in the back leg motion as well as lift and reach in the travel of the front leg. It requires competence in hand, leg, and seat cues and should be taught to horses by professionals. The severity of the curb bit is partly dependent upon the length of the shanks. The longer the shanks, the greater the pressure exerted on the mouth and poll. Needless to say, curb bits should only be used by

MOUTHPIECES (the area in the middle) The mouthpiece is the most important part of a snaffle, as it controls the severity of the bit. Thinner mouthpieces are more severe, as are those that are rougher, like the twisted ones. (Imagine carrying something with a thin piece of string versus a thick rope. The thin string may cut and hurt your hands more. The thick rope gives more coverage thus creating a softer more gentle lift) •

•

Jointed mouthpiece: Applies pressure to the tongue, lips, and bars with a "Nutcracker" action, and is the most common mouthpiece found on a snaffle. Please see the diagram for what the “nutcracker” action is. Mullen mouth: A solid bit with no joins with a slightly curved single bar. It places even pressure on the mouthpiece, lips, and bars. It is generally considered to be a mild mouthpiece. In some circumstances, it could compress the tongue and put pressure on the bars of the mouth. French mouth: a doublejointed mouthpiece with a bone-shaped link in the middle. It reduces the nutcracker action and encourages the horse to relax. It is regarded as a very mild bit. Lozenge link: Eliminates all of the possible design flaws of the French link while being extremely soft and kind. The biggest point of difference is it provides a very even, stable and predictable tongue pressure for the horse whereas the French link does not. They are fabulous for all horses, but especially those who find French links a little busy in the mouth but cannot cope with a nutcracker action of a single jointed bit. The most commonly found lozenge style bits include the Sprenger KK and the Neue Schule Tranz angled lozenge Dr. Bristol: A double-jointed mouthpiece with a thin rectangular link in the middle that is set at an angle, creating a pressure point and is considered as a fairly severe bit. The French link is similar but much gentler because the link in the middle is flat against the tongue, lips, and bar and has no pressure points. Neither Dr. Bristol nor the French Link Nutcracker, but their severity is totally opposite. The two joints cause compression on the outside edges of the mouth and will annoy a young horse, but an older horse may find this mouthpiece preferable and cues collection off the bit action.

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Slow Twist: A single jointed mouthpiece with a slight twist in it. Stronger and more severe.

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Corkscrew: Many small edges amplifies the pressure on the mouth. Is considered a severe bit.

•

Single and Double Twisted Wire: Two of the most severe mouthpiece. Not only are they thin, they also have a "Nutcracker" action from the single joint and the mouthpiece concentrates pressure due to its severe twisting.

•

Roller Mouthpieces: Tend to make a horse relax their mouth and activate the tongue, encouraging salivation and acceptance of the bit. Also, creates a distraction for tense or nervous horses.

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Hollow Mouth: Usually single-jointed with a thick, hollow mouthpiece spreads out the pressure, thought to make it less severe. However, this effect will vary with the mouth structure of the individual horse. Some horses prefer a smaller diameter bit in their mouth because their mouths do not have room for the thick mouthpieces, and in such cases, a hollow mouth bit may cause discomfort

•

The Ball Joint: Similar to the French link, except there, is a round "ball" on the middle link. The double joint reduces the nutcracker effect. The ball tends to concentrate pressure on the tongue. It is considered to be more severe than the French link and less than the Dr. Bristol. Also applies pressure to the lips and bars of the mouth.

•

The Ported Link: Double jointed bit similar to a French link, except the middle link, has slight upward (toward the roof of the mouth) curve, like a port. Action: Similar action as French link, but possibly provides more room for the tongue.

•

The Broken Segunda: Similar to the ported link, except the middle link is much higher and makes a clear upside-down "U". Action: Supposed to encourage the horse to soften and stay light in the bridle. The bottom of the "U" can be quite sharp, however, and can dig into the tongue to the point of cutting it. For this reason, they are best left to skilled riders with a very light contact.

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The Rings The Ring is at the end of the bit where the bridle and reins are attached. There are several types of rings that affect the action of the bit. • Loose or O Ring: slides through the mouthpiece. These tend to make the horse relax his jaw and chew the bit. May pinch the corners of the horse's mouth if the holes in the mouthpiece are large, in which case a bit guard should be used. • Egg Butt/ Barrelhead: Mouthpiece does not rotate, and is so more fixed in the horse's mouth, which some horses prefer. Will not pinch the lips. • D-Ring: The ring is in the shape of a "D" which does not allow the bit to rotate, and so the bit is more fixed. The sides of the D provide a lateral guiding effect. Meaning it has a wall like effect when pulled from side to side. • Full Cheek: has long, extended arms above and below the mouthpiece on either side of the lips of the horse, with a ring attached to it. The cheeks have a lateral guiding effect and also prevent the bit from sliding through the mouth. The full cheek is often used with bit keepers to prevent the cheeks from getting caught on anything, and to keep the bit in the right position inside the mouth. • Half-Cheek: has only an upper or, more commonly, lower cheek, as opposed to both seen in a full cheek snaffle. Often used in racing, as there is less chance of the cheek being caught on the starting gate, or in driving as there is less chance of getting caught on harness straps. • Baucher (Hanging Cheek): Has a ring on the side of the mouthpiece, with a smaller ring above to attach the cheek piece of the bridle. Tends to concentrate pressure on the bars. It is very fixed in the mouth. Gives the mouthpiece more stability and “stillness” than a loose ring. And some horses will find confidence with this and prefer it (especially with a beginner rider who may have less steady hands). It is believed the Baucher bit puts pressure on the poll. That the bit rotates as the reins are pulled, and the small ring holding the cheeks moves to apply pressure to the poll. If it does, it is believed to be very minimal effect. • Fulmer: A full cheek bit with a loose ring attached, so that it not only has the lateral guiding effect, but can also move freely as with a loose ring.

experienced riders with quiet hands. Otherwise, they can easily turn into instruments of torture. When we know what the two main elements are, you can assess and understand what all the different combinations mean and what they do. Let's have a look at some of the more common combinations used. Common bits – combining ring and mouthpiece Full Cheek Snaffle

noninvasive, and it won’t pull through the mouth as the horse is learning to turn.

Single Joint;

The Bad - It will rotate and drop in the middle of the mouthpiece forming a “V”, and allow the horse to place its tongue over the top that may in time cause a tongue flipper.

What is it?: The mouthpiece has one joint in its center. It "breaks" upward toward the top of the mouth with direct pressure, and outward toward the front of the mouth when used with leverage pressure from a bit shank.

Baucher Bit/Handing Snaffle

Action: The single-jointed mouthpiece applies pressure to the tongue, lips, and bars.

Ring = Baucher. Mouthpiece = Single Joined The Good - It won’t collapse in the mouthpiece causing a “V”. The mouthpiece hangs flat that allows the horse to use the bit cues more proficiently.

Ring = Full Cheek. Mouthpiece = Single joined.

Jointed versus Non-Jointed Bits

The Good - This bit is that it is

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Pros: . A single jointed bit with a curved mouthpiece has a more "U" shape tends to decrease the pressure on the roof of the mouth. Cons: Due to the V-shape of the bit when the mouthpiece is contracted, it causes a "Nutcracker" action, which has a pinching effect on the bars. It also

causes the joint of the bit to push into the sensitive roof of the mouth if used harshly

Straight Bar – No Joints

Double Joint:

Action: It puts pressure primarily on the bars of the mouth, and if your horse doesn’t have a low port then they don't allow for tongue relief. Pros: It is that it is 'quieter' in the horse's mouth.

What is it? A double-jointed mouthpiece with a link in the middle.

What is it? It has no joins. Usually, it is a slightly curved single bar. Single joint

Action: Double-jointed bits reduce the nutcracker effect because they conform better to the horse's "U" shaped mouth, instead of the "V" created by a single joint. Pros: In this respect, they are milder, and many horses prefer a double-joint over the single joint. Cons: Many of the double-jointed bits (especially the French link and Dr. Bristol) are occasionally "added to" by twisting the cannons of the mouthpiece. This greatly increases the severity of the bit, as these cannons act directly on the tongue and bars in addition to the regular action of the bit. A relatively "kind" French mouth can, for this reason, can be turned into a severe bit when the cannons are twisted or if the mouthpiece is put onto a gag bit

Cons: Tt can compress the tongue and puts pressure on the bars of the mouth more than a jointed would.

Double Joint

Straight Bar – No Joints

It is commonly used as a driving bit, used for stopping mostly (even rein pressure) and not on a contact. It works well for driving since it is somewhat of a loose/tight/loose sport, less precise information imparted than in a ridden horse. To summarise essentially, you have two main aspects of a bit to look at when selecting a bit for your horse. 1. The ring and 2. The mouthpiece. (if you want to get more technical you can also look at different make options, e.g., rubber, stainless steel, copper and sweet iron,

My coach could not believe the difference!

And best of all, my horse is so much happier!

Things weren’t going exactly to plan. My boy and I were having some difficulties that I thought might be bitting related. But there are so many different bits to choose from, and I had no idea where to start... Then I found Bit Bank Australia. I had a look around their website, and spoke with a Bitting Specialist personally on the phone. They helped me choose the right bit in the right size for my horse. I was even able to buy it on a 30 Day Trial so I could be sure. My new bit hasn’t made me a better rider, or waved a magic wand, but it has certainly made a big difference for us both, and now I can’t wait until my next competition!

Precision, Refinement, Partnership

www.bitbankaustralia.com.au T: 0403 860 749

Your Horse Bit Specialists W W W. BAR O Q U E HORS E M AG AZI NE.COM

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Selecting the right bit for your horse can sometimes be expensive if it takes a few different bits to find the right one. So take some time to think about your horse and have a good understanding of the different bit types and what they do. etc.) One could argue that the mouthpiece is the harder part to select aa you need to look at your horse's sensitivity, age and training level and YOUR level too. Jumping to a curb bit too early when your hands aren’t still enough or if you are too heavy can be very detrimental for your horse. Selecting the right bit for your horse can sometimes be expensive if it takes a few different bits to find the right one. So take some time to think about your horse and have a good understanding of the different bit types and what they do. The wrong bit can have a big effect on your horses’ behavior, just as much as a poorly fitted saddle! It all must be right and fit correctly. Bit Fitting. 1. Make sure the bit is the right size. (the length that it covers inside and outside of the mouth) a. A bit that is too big will move to much from side to side. It can also cause the bit join to be incorrectly positioned and can pinch the side of the horses mouth, causing pain and discomfort. b. If you use one that is too small it can rub and again, cause discomfort and pain to the horse. Particularly so if a loose ring bit. c. Ideally, you’ll want a little room for the bit to move, not too much or too little. If pulling the bit to the extreme from side to side, a nice gap would be approx. 2cm. 2. Bridle fitting. (How long or tight the bit is sitting on the bridle.) a. If a bit is set too low the horse will chew at the bit constantly trying to suck the bit up into a more comfortable position. A low bit will also move around too much in the horse mouth and could cause the joint to sit in the wrong position

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which can cause pain and discomfort to your horse. b. Too tight, is going to put pressure on the corners or your horses mouth and not enable the required level of movement of the bit and ultimately can cause pain and discomfort for the horse. c. The ideal position is 1 to 2 wrinkles on the corner of the mouth. Note: If fitting to a new bridle, please re-assess after it is worn in and softens as you will find it may have stretched, and some adjustments may be required. To help understand what bits are being used, we asked a respected trainer, Miguel De Bragança from Santo Andreas Lusitanos, what bits they like to use on a young horse, medium level horses. “Normally the Lusitano horse has a very light contact with the rider's hand, so we don't use thin bits on them. For young horses, we use a thick snaffle with two pieces in the mouth and for some horses that don't move the mouth we use rubber ones because they get really relaxed with that. For a horse that is already more advanced but If he is sensitive, you don't need a curb that has a lot of action even if the rider is not in total contact with it. We tried a lot of curbs with a sensitive horse that we have here, and the best one for him was the Polo Curb because it moves up and down in his mouth. You also have thick curbs totally flat that gives good contact, but sometimes the horse starts getting heavy on riders hand. We don't use a double bridle every day. We vary from double bridle to snaffle just to see if the horse keeps with a healthy connection with the rider. “ a

WHICH

BIT?

T H IS SEA S ON JOB > STABLE BEDDING

AUTUMN Choose bedding wisely if your horse is to be stabled in the coming colder months. If he suďŹ&#x20AC;ers from respiratory problems consider using a dust-free bedding. Now is a good time to give your stable a really good full clean out before it gets to wet, cold and miserable to do so properly. A great bedding to use for your horses is Oz Hemp, its natural and allergy free which is what you need to take great care of your equine companions.

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Biobase & Hemparade www.ozhemp.com.au

email: info@ozhemp.com.au W W W. BAR O Q U E HORS E M AG AZI NE.COM

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he work of Judith Leman centres around the genre of art that encompasses the traditional "Sports" of horses. Although much of her work is commissioned, her use of various mediums is a means of exploring ideas and responses to the subject. "My main source of inspiration is to capture the nuances of a fleeting moment, whether it is in animals, people or landscape, portrait or movement. I am induced to understand the human and animal species, it's complexities and bond between the subject and the Artist. Judith's interest in the equine subject began at an early age in childhood, together with her interest in art. Her Belgian-born Grandfather, a professional painter, provided an early awareness of a career in this field. Judith has worked for over 35 years as an artist in oil and watercolour in the fields of Classical Dressage, Horseracing and Sporting Dogs. Over recent years, Judith has made a transition into sculpture, a natural move forward which allows her to explore the attitudes of horses, supporting the gestures of movement and

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energy in a traditional form of action. Judith nurtures her sculptural ideas and themes in wax and clay and cast in Bronze. Judith has travelled Internationally for her inspiration including accepting an invitation to study the Lipizzaners in 2008 at the Spanish Riding School of Vienna and the Imperial Stud Farm in Piber. Judith is currently offering workshops nationally and internationally "Sketching and Painting Horses from Life"..for artists beginners to advanced.......please see the website. For more details regarding Exhibitions, Commissions and Workshops please contact Judith Leman judith@judithleman.com www.judithleman.com Telephone....Mobile/Studio 0412 991 352 Facebook - Judith Leman...Sporting Artist

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HOW

Traditional Dressage &

Working Equitation COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER

WRITTEN BY BARRIE STRATTON PHOTOS: MAM-ARTS

WHAT IS WORKING EQUITATION?

orking Equitation was created with the aim of bringing riders who use their horses in their daily farm work with cattle, into the competition arena. As an international sport which is now under the umbrella of the FEI, its objective is to enhance equestrian techniques used working stock, while preserving and perpetuating each country’s unique culture, using their own national dress, traditional saddlery and bridles. The four founding countries of Working Equitation are Portugal, Spain, France and Italy. This discipline has now spread to be practised in many different countries. Each country has its own national rules, but the rules for International competition are uniform. There are four phases in national competitions worldwide. The ‘Working Dressage’ phase is held in a 20m x 40m arena with progressive levels ranging from introductory to advanced and FEI. Its objective is to prepare horse and rider for the challenges presented by obstacles encountered in field work. Prescribed tests are ridden and judged at each level.

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Movements in the dressage phase coincide with the movements in the style and speed phases at that level. Working dressage encourages harmony between horse and rider through their understanding of the language of the aids. The tests in the advanced and FEI levels are choreographed by the rider to their own choice of music. At Advanced and FEI levels, the rider uses only one hand on the reins. Competitors may use the other hand to adjust the length of the reins, but if their free hand guides the horse they are eliminated. The rider’s choice of music which accompanies the performance must be in harmony with the movements and horse’s tempo. The combination’s harmony and coherence are elements to be considered by the Jury. ‘Style” (or obstacle) is the next phase. The way of riding in this phase closely resembles the form used in Working Dressage. The performance is not timed and comprises an obstacle course which is ridden in a 70m x 40m arena. The horse’s agility and finesse of the horse and rider combination are tested. Obstacles may include a gate, use of a lance to retrieve rings from a cut out bull or post, knock down balls, manoeuvring through a corridor either forwards or

backwards, a bridge, livestock pen, figure of 8 and cloverleaf around barrels, slalom poles, a jump and finally a pitcher of water which is raised by the rider on their stationary horse to signify the completion of the course. Those obstacles are numbered and ridden in an order which is designed to recreate the difficulties that horse and rider may encounter while working stock on a farm. The horse should display a keen attitude and good work ethic, appearing to assist the rider with the tasks at hand. Calmness, precision and regularity of steps should be evident when manoeuvring through the obstacles, all the while indicating a sense of empathy between the horse and rider. Penalties apply if a horse shows tension, crookedness or lack of precision in executing an exercise, or knocks over an obstacle. The ‘Speed’ phase comes next. Obstacles are ridden at speed and individual scores are based on the elapsed time taken to ride through the obstacles. Time penalties are added for missed or mishandled obstacles. The objective of the speed phase is to indicate the rider’s ability to coordinate and anticipate, together with the horse’s qualities of submission, speed, attention and finesse. The course should be

Dressage Phase

Speed Phase

completed in the shortest possible time, with style, balance and harmony. The bull with a ring, to be collected by the rider’s accurate use of a lance, is an integral part of any ‘Style’ course, together with a gate, and post with a bell at the end of a corridor. The ‘Cattle Penning’ phase is usually included in international events with teams. From a team of four, each rider individually moves an assigned cow from a herd and puts it in a designated pen. In addition, teamwork by the four riders demonstrates how efficiently and accurately they can herd and contain cattle, while working against the clock.

Traditional Dressage and Working Equitation….fits like a hand in a glove. Complementary aspects of the ‘Style’ phase and traditional dressage. The schooling in one discipline helps the other to improve.

Cattle Phase

Both Working Equitation and traditional dressage require horses to be calm, responsive, supple and strong and for the rider to achieve precision while harmonising with their horse.

It is “a fun way to train seriously” for both horse and rider. Conclusion

A supple and responsive dressage horse can competently and precisely manoeuvre a Working Equitation ‘Style’ (obstacle) phase. Schooling around obstacles on a ‘Style’ course improves responsiveness, alertness, keenness and suppleness qualities, thereby benefiting the performance of the dressage horse and the skill and judgement of the rider. My own personal experiences confirm the above points. Our well-schooled dressage horses manoeuvre the style course with ease. Obstacles like the gate, a full pass over ‘L’ shaped rails, a cloverleaf around barrels and challenging corridors are competently negotiated. Similarly the use of the obstacles heightens the awareness of our dressage horses and sharpens their precision, as well as our ability as riders to anticipate and plan ahead for manoeuvers.

For the many readers who are keen classical or modern dressage riders, I hope my article has helped you understand how Working Equitation and Traditional Dressage compliment each other. Both are practiced with precision at progressive levels with the quality of the work and the horse’s wellbeing, being paramount. In both of these disiplines, as always, the horse needs to fulfill the requirements of the 3Cs by being calm, confident and connected at all times. a Barrie Stratton As a professional dressage coach and trainer, Barrie has guided riders and horses to achieve Grand Prix level dressage and compete successfully at National Championships, CDI-N and CDI-W competitions. His passion is Classical Equitation and the schooling of perfect paces.

Classical Dressage lessons with Barrie and Sarita Stratton BARRIE AND SARITA TEACH CLASSICAL DRESSAGE FROM NOVICE TO GRAND PRIX AND ON TO THE HAUTE ECOLE. •

Intensive 2 to 5 day courses available.

•

A choice of highly trained school masters or your horse.

•

Includes practical and theory sessions covering all aspects of horsemanship and equipment.

Contact Barrie 0400 639 909 or Sarita 0408 084 777 or landline (08) 8370 9809 Email: info@academyofdressage.com.au or barrie@thestrattonfamily.com

WEB: WWW.ACADEMYOFDRESSAGE.COM.AU FACEBOOK: HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ACADEMYOFDRESSAGE

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DIY 1

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Using the leather of an old bridle you can decorate a candle holder or vase easily. 2. Create a fun and unique way to hang your keys with a horse shoe. 3. Jazz up a pillow with some rope and a mini horse bit! 4. Curtain Holder 5&6. To set a romantic mood for the equine lover or a beautiful decoration with candles and a horse shoe. 7&8. You can use a small horse shoe to decorate or eventuate a doorway or even the side of a bench. 9. Using a small horse shoe you can spray paint the shoe and tastefully glue the shoe to the back of your chair.

Set of 3 thoroughbred ‘Java’ hand towels by New York designer, Thomas Paul. Pairs perfectly with Java bath mat and Shower curtain. 100% Cotton Dimension: 40cm x 75cm $59.95

Striking white horse head on base can be used as a bookend in pairs or on its own. A great piece that works with all interior syles. Polyresin, timber finish. Dimensions h 30cm x w 6.5cm x d 13cm $29.95

Charcoal and grey, timber look, photo frame with little black horse. Size 4” x 6” Resin and glass. $29.95

Oversize Tray by Thomas Paul

Waste Bin by Thomas Paul

Ranchero Oversize Tray 11.75” x 27” $89.95

Dimensions : H 25 cm x Top D 20 cm x Base D14 cm $129.95

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TO ESTIMATE HOW TALL A YEARLING IS GOING TO GET? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; BELINDA, QLD.

ANSWERED BY DANIELLE SKERMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF BAROQUE HORSE MAGAZINE

BREED

IS THERE A WAY

There are many factors that dictate a horse's final height. The variables include such things as genetics, nutrition, and health care, among others. There is a lot of measuring formulas out there; however there really isn't anything in equine medical or scientific literature that proves that any of these formulas are accurate.

of an inch is equal to 1 hand. So, if you get 14 3/4", the horse will be about 14.3hh. It is believed that this is more accurate after the foal is a year. The reason is because this method relies on the legs being in the right proportion height-wise and have finished (or just about nearly) growing their full length.

However, putting all that aside and getting to the fun side of things, it is said that a horse at birth (once they unfold) is about 60% of their final height.

Because the distance from a horse's point of elbow to its fetlock is approximately the same as the point of elbow to the withers, you can use this method to predict the height of young horses. Take a lead rope and stretch it from the point of the elbow down to the fetlock. Now that you've got the distance keep your hand on where the fetlock measurement is (leave the other end on the point of elbow) and bring the lead rope up to the withers. That's about where your horse should mature to.

There are two common measuring formulas that can be done. 1. Knee to cornet band. Measuring a yearling from the middle of the knee to the cornet band (the part where the hair meets the hoof ) in inches will equal the horse's final height. For example, if they measure 16" the horse should reach 16hh. Each 1/4

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2. Elbow to Fetlock.

At the end of the day, it's all theories, but a bit of fun to go by.

THAT MY GELDING CAN NO LONGER BE RIDDEN. I

WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT ELSE I CAN DO WITH MY HORSE NOW HE CAN'T BE RIDDEN? – DEBBIE, SA.

ANSWERED BY FAY DENT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ IZZADORATHETRICKSTAR

TRAINING

I HAVE JUST FOUND OUT

elcome to the wonderful world of horses without riding. There are many advantages to this. One you don’t need a high energy horse. Your horses can be fat and lazy. There are many people out there that can’t ride their horse for all sorts of reasons. Either they or their horse is injured, young, old or pregnant. Lots of people don’t have time for all the prep work it involves to actually ride. It’s not just finding 2 hours on the weekend – it’s the time for the lunging and training through the week that is hard to find. All of the suggestions I mention below can take as much or as little time as you want to give. Trick Training and Liberty Work, for instance: Takes 5 mins a day before you feed them.

TRICKS:

LUNGING CLASSES

The most fun you AND your horse will have. Everything about trick training is positive for the horse and he is rewarded instantly for his efforts. LIBERTY Liberty work is based on trust. Once you have that your horse will follow you anywhere. It takes a true horse person to do liberty work. It’s a great journey to get there. IN HAND SHOWING There are a lot of classes for geldings. Check out your local Ag Shows and if they don’t have classes, be proactive: Get a group of your friends together and sponsor a gelding class and have fun with it. Your breed club may also have classes. COSTUME CLASSES Pull out your sewing machine or hop on line where there are plenty of cheap good looking costumes available. Organise a few friends who want costume classes and then ring the show organisers and just ask for the classes. Shows love costumes because their audience love them. We are always invited into the grand parade. LONG REINING CLASSES They do this at Andalusian shows. So when we had our Friesian show I volunteered to run the class. We had a great turn out.

This is a similar thing as the long reining, but with one rein. TRAIL CLASSES Something the Western Riders do. I set up a trail course at our Friesian Show for led horses only. We had a full class. It’s a lot of fun training your horse for this. OUTINGS: We camp at a horse friendly beach. I lead my girls down and as the others trot off we dig in the sand and roll and play in the surf. They do their tricks and, of course, it’s a great place to get amazing photos. HARNESS: I’m not sure why you can’t ride him but if it is because he can’t have weight on his back you can also put him in harness. That opens up a whole new world to you. So don’t be put off by not being able to ride. If you are like me and love horses more than just riding there is a great world out there just waiting for you. Sometimes you might have to be a little proactive to make it happen for you – but if you are willing to do a little work, ring a show organiser or two or offer to run the events at your own breed show, you will be amazed at how many other people are in your position for many different reasons.

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A YOUNG GELDING THAT SEEMS TO

SUFFER WITH GUNKY EYES

DURING SPRING, HOWEVER HAS FLARED UP AGAIN AS WE’VE HAD A COUPLE TREES CUT DOWN AND A BIT OF SAW DUST AROUND. WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND WE CAN DO FOR HIS EYES?. – TONY, QLD.

HEALTH

QUESTION: I HAVE

ANSWERED BY CATH MCDOWELL MCDOWELL'S HERBALS WWW.MCDOWELLSHERBAL.COM

Eyes really are an indicator of overall health. A healthy animal’s eye will be able to with stand wind and dust as a normal part of life. However, if the metabolism is a little stressed (such as in pre laminitis situations) you will see the eyes become mucky and irritated.

Vervain and the Bach Flowers Impatiens and Walnut. This Mix nourishes and settles the respiratory immune system, reducing symptoms and reducing oversensitivity.

A lot of horse’s eyes become sore because of allergies. Allergies are the biggest issue in today’s increasing prevalence of chronic and intractable conditions. The conventional solution of giving anti histamines and steroids are not ideal, as these medications suppress the immune reaction and weaken the metabolism, often with dramatic side effects. OK for short term emergency use, but cause major problems long term.

Eye infections, irritations and injuries are best treated by providing antiseptic and nourishing herbs directly to the eye itself, to support speedy healing.

IN the case of this young horse with eye irritation, I would consider an immunity or allergic reaction that may benefit from simple eye wash, however, I would be looking at the issues as repeating pattern and suggest that allergies may be an issue. Some horses, especially in summer, can suffer from a runny nose, snorting, sneezing and snuffling which does not involve infection.This is more like hay fever in humans than anything else. This condition is mostly initiated by exposure to poor or dusty feed, or by fungal contaminants which leave the respiratory system overly sensitive. I make up a that mix contains the following herbs extracted into organic Cider Vinegar: Chamomile , Fresh Garlic, Euphorbia, Fenugreek, Fresh Horseradish, Kelp Powder, Marshmallow, Mullein, Nettle, Pine Bark, Rosehips, Yarrow,