Carousel
Collective ISSUE 01
the disruptive issue Equine Therapy - Horses with People Problems
Meet Yulia - Equestrian Traveller
#WeAreE
questrians
cOVER sTORIES
rEGULARS
33 Yulia - Equestrian Traveller discover more about Yulia and her
05 Editors Notes mostly
25 Equine Therapy
for your monthly ďŹ x of everything equestrian
globe trotting adventures
Horses with people problems, Part one, The horse as a mirror by Chevonne Powell, Clinical pyschologist and equestrian
FEATURES
horse talk with a little bit of everything else inbetween
09 equi culture
15 Events upcoming shows and equestrian events
07 TrendBook
39 PRETTY In PONIES bedroom decor ideas for little horse lovers
this month we look at riding gear in classic black and white
Carousel Collective February 2017
CONTENTS
41 Giveaway Free wall art printables for your little equestrian
Live what you
Love!
On the Cover Alpha Wap’s Carousel bred by the Alpha Appaloosa Stud.
3 | Carousel Collective February 2017
Photographer: Pierre Kitney
Meaningful Minds Psychologists
Clinical Psychology Practice | Equine Assisted Psychotherapy | Psychological Services for Children, Adults and Couples
www.meaningfulminds.co.za 081 759 4849 | 011 615 1030
Carousel Collective | Editor’s Notes |
h t n o m s thi oving... i’m l This personalized sterling silver bracelet from Silvery. You can have the bracelet custom hand stamped with your horses name and you can add charms and birthstones to make it even more special.
When it come to horses I haven’t ever allowed much to stand in my way. Like the time I walked out of the cinema after watching Seabiscuit and decided quite randomly, that I was going to get myself a horse. To go out there and make one my greatest childhood dreams a reality. One month later I was pulling eight thousand rand’s worth of one hundred rand notes out of my long rubber riding boots to pay for my first horse, just in time for my 21st birthday. It’s that same crazy, stubborn love for horses that led me to create the Carousel Collective. I’ve titled this issue the disruptive issue because it’s about disrupting your reality and going in pursuit of what truly makes you happy, despite the restraints of everyday life and the odds that often make our dreams seem insurmountable.
You could also opt to have a necklace made up and they have also just added rings to their personalized range Silvery is giving all Carousel Collective readers a 10% discount, take a look at their AD on page 8 for the special discount code to use when you check out on their online store. Spoil yourself or if you happen to be looking for a gift, these personalised pieces work out as a really great gift for a horse lover. Be sure to visit their online store www.silvery.co.za
It’s been 13 years since I walked out of that cinema and while there have been hard, challenging times, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Chasing your dreams is by no means easy, but it is worth it. I hope as we make our way on this journey that I will get to meet many of you and your horses and share in your stories. It’s great to have you along for the ride. I would also like to invite you to be apart of our 2017 #WeAreEquestrians campaign, by sharing your favourite photo of you and your horse either hacking out, hanging out or in the ring, on our Facebook page, check out this issues feature on pages 1 and 2. Until the next issue - keep on living what you love.
izzy Xx 5 | Carousel Collective February 2017
Carousel Collective Readers Get a 10% discount from Silvery Offer ends 31st March 2017 See pg 8 for details
Carousel Collective | Trendbook |
2.
3. 1. 5. 4.
6.
Black and White 1 Black Crescendo Breeches - Horze. 2 Classic Tee - Tilajo. 3 Kwesta numnah - Western Shoppe. 4 Largo Leather Halter - Horze. 5 Harry’s Horse Elite-R Titanium boots - Equibox. 6 Troxel Avalon Helmet - Tackshop.co.za Contact stockists for more details
7 | Carousel Collective February 2017
Carousel Collective | Equi Culture |
Horse Zodiac Signs Horse Network - Finally, Horse Zodiac Signs have Arrived This is without a doubt one of the best links we’ve come across on Facebook so far. The signs are also quite accurate which adds to the fun. We’ve been running around requesting the birthdates of all the horses we know. Take a look at the website www.horsenetwork.com below is a sneak peak of Capricorn, the Work Horse.
Capricorn the Work horse 22 Dec-19 Jan
Hard work is the name of the game for a Capricorn. Enjoys his job and puts his all into it every day. Proud, ambitious, and determined. Ideal for busy lesson programs. Opinionated. Knows his job and does not appreciate those who would try and tell him how to do it differently. 9 | Carousel Collective February 2017
Don’t FORGET THEM
Because every horse deserves to be a horse
The Hole in The Wall Horse Project Currently has 1158 patients on record. Visit the Hole in the Wall Horse Project Facebook page to see how you can make a difference in the lives of these working equines. caroco.co.za | 10
Carousel Collective
| Equestrian Life |
This month our equestrian crush is none other than Jessica Springsteen, daughter of rocker Bruce Springsteen, super stylish equestrian, ambassador for Ralph Lauren’s Polo and part of Gucci’s team of equestrian ambassadors Jessica 25, is not just a pretty face she is also an accomplished rider, competing at Grand Prix level. While we’re crushing on her classic style both in and out the ring, we’re also crushing on her gorgeous string of horses. Follow her on instagram @jessicaspringsteen
Jessica Springsteen
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Bohemian Style Jewelry inspired by nature and horses available from
www.tilajoriding jackets.com
don’t miss our free www.caro
monthly giveaways co.co.za
Carousel Collective | Equi Events |
show jumping Fourways Riding Centre 4-5th February Maple Ridge 4th February George Riding Club 11-12th February Kyalami Equestrian Park 5th February
Eventing
Dressage/Showing Kyalami Equestrian Park DSA Young Dressage horse series Q1 26th February Kyalami Equestrian Park 2017 Horse of the Year Show 20-26th February
Events
Northern Farm 4-5th February
Lipizzaners 31 Shades of Grey Valentines show 14th February
Inanda Country Base 18-19th February
Lipizzaners Barn Dance 24th February
Noordhoek Common 18-19th February
Please contact/refer to each venues website for more information regarding the events listed here. E&OE
Port Elizabeth 4-5th March Ulwazi 4-5th March 15 | Carousel Collective February 2017
| Equi Culture |
equestrian reads
Photographer Lucy Sewill captures the special relationship between horses and their humans. This is the perfect book to adorn an equestrian’s coffee table. Horses and Humans (Hardcover) is available from loot.co.za
Megan Shepherd has created a fantastical story that is sure to delight horse lovers both young and old. The Secret Horses of Briar Hill (Hardcover) is available from takealot.com caroco.co.za | 16
Carousel Collective
| Equestrian Life |
#Insta Crush @ahorsiegirl
Amy Bowers Loves horses! #Parelli #Horsemanship #Eventing
#Golden oldies Queen Elizabeth II having a good old gallop and beach ride.
One of the best ways to share in the lives of fellow equestrians from all over the world is definitely instagram, we’re huge instagram fans and this month we’re enjoying Amy Bowers instagram feed
#equine inspired
You see a horse with your eyes but... you feel a horse with your soul 17 | Carousel Collective February 2017
Available at
horseland-sa.co.za
To everyone who assisted the humans and horses in need during the recent fire outbreaks in the Western Cape. You represent what it truly means to be an equestrian, on behalf of all those you helped and their horses THANK YOU
ALPHA APPALOOSA STUD AlphaAppaloosa.com
We have 25 beautiful, colourful going horses, young stock, mares and stallions for sale. Contact us for our colour brochure, videos, etc or visit our website. AlphaAppaloosa.com “Alpha Eagle’s Trinity” pictured on the right is a 2 year old leopard stallion, imported bloodlines Alpha Eagle’s Hiawatha (Drea Eagle’s Dandy) x Alpha Wap’s Jellybeans (Wap’s Pajamas) Lots of potential as a breeding stallion, endurance horse, and more Phone Claire on 051 924 2086 or sms 083 228 0223 email: claireamm@gmail.com
Above Alpha Wap’s Whistlestop.... 2 year old colt Right Alpha Wap’s Hot Stuff.... yearling colt Below Alpha Eagle’s Hiawatha.... 12 year old proven stallion,endurance horse Below right Alpha Toby’s Kayak....super big gelding, going well under saddle.
Horses with PART oneHow do your emotions and state of mind affect your horse. Words Chevonne Powell THE STORY OF CATHY Cathy complained that her horse had begun acting strange. Cathy, who had Merlin for 4 years now, had never had much trouble with the gelding. He was easy to catch, often walking up to her in the paddock, had no trouble standing while she tacked up and was generally a gentleman when she was in the saddle. Merlin wasn’t much of a fan of white tyres, or tyres in general actually, but other than that he was a pleasant horse to ride. She had bought him for show jumping and had enjoyed competing with him.
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However, 3 months ago Merlin seemed to be avoiding her. It started when she went to his stable and he refused to turn around, promptly keeping to the furthest corner. When she went to fetch him from the paddock he now kept running away. He had even tried to bite her while tacking up. She had ignored all this, thinking she must be reading too much into it,until recently he began refusing at jumps. Cathy was now beginning to lose her trust in Merlin. She hoped there was something she could do as she didn’t want to sell him. She wondered if maybe something had happened in his life before she bought him that may have suddenly been affecting him. As a lifeline she had started searching for trainers that dealt with horses whom developed sudden problems. Cathy spent much time thinking about what might be wrong with Merlin.
THE HORSE AS A MIRROR Horses are prey animals. But what does this essentially mean? A prey animal is an animal that is hunted by another animal for food. To survive, self-preservation is deeply engrained in their nature. Animals like dogs and cats are predator animals, they are made to hunt. Even though they are domesticated they have an instinctual understanding that they are not at the bottom of the food chain. This gives them a level of confidence to act on their own, go into new situations and even bond to other species quite easily. The horses’ self-preservation mechanism (similar to that of Zebra’s and to some extent animals like buck) is actually quite fascinating. Horses are governed by their flight instinct which makes them hypersensitive to small details in their environment through changes. This not only includes details like noise, sudden movements or changes in smell, but changes in other beings on an internal level.
pEOPLE PROBLEMS the horse As a mirror One day, over coffee with a mutual equestrian enthusiast, Cathy discussed her concerns. Halfway through her story, her friend stopped and surprisingly proclaimed, “But Cathy, think about what happened 3 months ago!”. Slightly dumbstruck she realised her friend was talking about her own life. 3 months ago Cathy had lost her job. Cathy had always been the strong one in the family, and although she knew they would get through, it had come as massive shock to her. She had put on a brave face, not wanting to worry anyone else. Besides how could this be affecting Merlin? She definitely did not think about it when she was with Merlin, she actually used the yard as a place to forget about what was happening, if only for a few hours. Could this really have an impact on Merlin’s behaviour?
Horses function in herds for their self-preservation, not only is their safety in numbers, but there is a constant communication that happens within the herd. They can sense this in one another through changes on a biological level. Changes in heart rate, breathing, muscle tension and so forth. They can sense this over extremely large distances and react on this sensation without hesitation. Not only do horses read what is happening between their herd, they can also read the intentions of predators. Horses (and other prey animals) can instinctually read if a predator animal has eaten, or is on the hunt, if they are sick or with young. If you have ever been to the Kruger Park you may have had the opportunity to see a group of lions lazing around after a meal.
caroco.co.za | 26
They may stay in one spot for a few days doing little else but sleep. During this time you may even see buck or zebras very close by to them. This is because these prey animals know that the lions are full and are not a threat. They can read this through the energy in the nervous system, gastrointestinal systems etc. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US? The horses ability to read behavioural cues and biological changes translates in the domesticated situation to their ability to read humans. They can read our biological changes, what is happening in our nervous systems, if we are anxious, fearful, angry or happy. Because of their hypersensitivity they are even more aware of our internal states than we may be. Moreover, it is proposed that horses are able to mirror what they sense in other mammals as a way of protecting themselves. For example, if they sense fear they will react with fear, if they sense calm, they will react with calm.
Horses are governed by their flight instinct which makes them hypersensitive to small details in their environment. This not only includes details like noise, sudden movements or changes in smell, but changes in other beings on an internal level. Researchers have even suggested that horses actually react like biofeedback machines that mirror the reactions of what is happening in people on an emotional and cognitive level. Studies have elaborated even further on this hypersensitivity and found that horses read when a person is being genuine or congruent to their own emotional processes. Congruency refers to how in touch a person is to their internal workings. If you feel sad, you are congruent if you can recognise that you are in fact sad, know why you are sad and can face the emotion upfront. A person who is incongruent will pretend they feel fine and push the emotions away, at times not even recognising the emotion for what it is - sadness. A person that is incongruent may send mixed messages to the horses. For example, the body language of someone ‘putting on a happy face’ is incongruent with the rise in blood pressure, muscle tension and emotional intensity transmitted unconsciously by a person who is actually afraid, frustrated or angry. Horses do not feel at ease around these confused messages and will either try and move away or shut down internally. 27 | Carousel Collective February 2017
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT The purpose of this series, is to help you understand yourself as a person and rider and how you are affecting your horse every time you interact with them. The problems you may have with your horses could be connected to what is happening within you as a person. This is not to say a horse will not have its own issues, but we need to become more aware of ourselves and how we can work more positively within the dynamics of the horse. - Consider what mood you may be in each time you walk into the yard. Become more aware of yourself as you interact with your horse - Be observant of your horses behaviours. What is he communicating to you and how does this link with the way you are feeling.
Part two - The affect you have on your horse’s internal states In the next article, we will be looking more deeply into you the rider, and how your past and present can impact your relationship with your horse, your riding ability and your success in the show ring.
Sleeves and Fillers
Equestrian Jumping Equipment We all know the amount of work it takes to maintain a riding arena and consistently make it look beautiful. Often, jumps like gates, walls, bridges and aqueducts cannot be built in your own arenas due to the work involved and equipment required, and the only time we encounter them is in show jumping events. Discovery Jump Our PVC sleeves and fillers allow for a lot of variation in jump types - matching sets of sleeves and fillers can be used to build a single jump or beautiful combination jumps, oxers/spreads, triple bars etc. Our PVC products are designed for riding schools as well as personal facilities. They are a safe and easily maintainable alternative to things like traditional picket fences. Not only will your arena look great,the various fillers will give you and your horse good practice for show jumping events. Our light weight standard water trays, manufactured with foam sides are perfect for training and personal arenas, while our very high quality range of exclusive water trays with sound welded crush proof edges are used in graded show jumping events around South Africa.
www.sleevesandfillers.co.za Breathing Life into Your Arena
Be Apart of the New
Equestrian Society
www.caroco.co.za
Corporate Events | Product Launches | Displays | Birthday Parties School visits and Outings | Group Tours | Fundraisers and all Special Events
lipizzaners.co.za | lipizzaner@hixnet.co.za | 079 716 4792
Equi
dream. rid
Geo
e. explore.
32 Countries
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32 rides
meet Yulia Equine Traveller Imagine riding a horse in every country you were to visit, this is exactly what Yulia Frolova does. It’s been 5 years, 32 countries and counting, since she set herself the challenge to ride a horse in every country she travels to. Inbetween all this globe trotting, Yulia has even managed to have a baby girl and just recently rode 5 horses in four countries over the course of a week. Yulia documents all her travels on her blog equigeoblog.wordpress.com Each post on Yulia’s blog is accompanied by photographs of her travels that are sure to get your travel/riding bug really biting. Through the Equi Geo blog you get to share in the stories of horses and other equestrians from the world over, from Sweden and a mischievous wooly North Swedish gelding by the name of Bellmax to Saudia Arabia and Yulia’s guides story of how his little girl was gifted an Arab stallion for her 12th birthday by his wealthy employer, which he trained and then taught her to ride. Then there’s a German guide whose known her horse Hurdy for 25 years and owned him for 13, wow! Oh and let’s not forget all the different breeds of horses that Yulia gets to ride. Equi Geo is a little treasure trove for those who love horses and travel. Read our interview with Yulia on the next page. caroco.co.za | 36
CC: How long have you been riding for? YF: I’ve been riding occasionally since I turned 11 years old. I’ve started riding regularly when I moved to Middle East (UAE and then Bahrain) about 7 years ago. CC: What made you decide to want to combine your travels with riding? YF: It all started in April 2011, when I realized that due to business trips and personal travels, I had to travel for 5 consecutive weeks to 5 different countries. Mainly, I was inspired by my father’s friend who has a passion for parachute jumping in different countries, so I decided to kick start my own travel collection. CC: Which ride has been your most memorable so far? YF: Oh, this is probably the most difficult question to answer. Every place i’ve ridden is dear to my heart one way or another. But if I have to select only one country, I would say the short ride on a pie-bald horse named Autobus in Iraq is the hardest to beat. It was totally unexpected. I had been in Erbil on a business trip for a week and on the last day of the visit I saw a newspaper with a picture of horse racing. A colleague translated it for me and it turned out to be an ad for a horse riding school. I absolutely couldn’t believe my luck! That ride made me realize that no matter how bad the political and humanitarian situation of a country might be, there will still be people who cannot imagine their lives without horses. CC: Do you get to do much riding at home between your travels? YF: When I’m not travelling I ride 4-6 times a week. Apparently horse riding is the only type of sport which I can persistently do. CC: Is there a horse from your travels that you wished you could take home with you? YF: Oh, if I could I would’ve already imported a couple of dozens of horses for example, Arabian gelding Najeem, who can communicate to humans telepathically, any PRE stallion from Real Escuela, pretty much every polo pony form Dubai Polo Academy and a herd of Icelandic horses. And this is just the start of my list. CC: How many countries do you have left on your travel/riding list? YF: Well, officially there are 196 countries on the United Nations list, so I’ve ridden in less than 20% of the world. My medium-time goal is to ride in 50 countries by the end of 2018. CC: What advice would you give to equestrians interested in combining riding with their travels? YF: -Don’t be afraid to travel! Leaving your comfort zone is a fair price for meeting new human and equine friends, living new experiences and creating new exciting memories; -Remember methods of training and riding vary widely per country, so pretend you know nothing and learn from local riders; -And the most practical advice: join the Instagram equestrian community. Six out of ten countries I rode in last year were suggested by my Instagram friends; CC: Do you find that the English riding style differs a great deal from country to country? YF: Oh yes, it does. It’s like learning to ride over and over again. I had more than a couple of embarrassing rides when I proudly told my guides that I’m a horse owner and experienced rider, but then didn’t manage to move a horse forward. As a result I set my own “international riding rules”: I never tell that I’m an experienced rider nor do I judge riding skills and methods of other people. There’s more than one way to train and ride horses, so I never assume that I know the most effective way. What works well with polo ponies is a terrible mistake in dressage, what is fine on a well-schooled Andalusian stallion will be seen as inability to manage the horse by Moroccan riders. CC: Tell us a bit more about your horse and riding at home, do you compete? YF: I own a now retired OTTB named Dream. We’ve been through a lot with him, including my relocation to the Kingdom of Bahrain, so he is a bit of a traveler, as well. Currently I also ride and compete with a PRE stallion named Romeo, although I don’t own him. CC: Do you have a favorite horsey keepsake from your travels? YF: I have quite an extensive collection of horse figurines from around the globe, made of any material you can imagine: wood, clay, different types of metal, semi-gemstones, papier-mâché, Swarovski crystals, leather, fabric, straw, you name it. But I guess the most treasured one is a small ceramic figurine I bought in a tiny artisan shop on my first day in Reykjavik. It turned out to be a prophetic purchase – the very next day I rode a living and breathing copy of it on the trail ride to Trollafoss. CC: Do you think you would ever come ride in South Africa? YF: South Africa is definitely on top of my wish list. I have a lot of friends from South Africa, including my first riding instructor. I’m sure it won’t be a problem to find a mount there. I would love to see and ride your country’s unique breeds and see the famous South African Lipizzaner show. And I also heard about an opportunity to ride domesticated zebras. so do let me know if you know where I can try it! You can follow Yulia’s travels on her blog equigeoblog.wordpress.com
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caroco.co.za | 36
pretty in ponies The great thing about being the mom of a little horse loving girl, (especially if you’re a horse mom) is that you get to help her decorate her room. Which means you get to relive your horse loving, pony prancing, unicorn dreaming childhood. Pinterest is a great source of decor inspiration. So we got Pinteresting like crazy and these are some of the decor ideas we came across and the great thing is, if you can’t ďŹ nd items similar to these in a store you could always make them yourself.
Spray paint horse ďŹ gurines in bright colours and an old horse shoe to achieve this look. You could have the wire horse on the side table re-created by a local wire artist.
Make a cute horse fund savings jar with an old mason jar, by spray painting a toy horse and sticking it onto the lid. Framed printables brighten up any wall, we’ve created some for our readers that can be downloaded from our website www.caroco.co.za
Horse toys make the prettiest of bookends, perfect for all those horse books.
Have some vinyl horse silhouettes printed at your local print shop and paste them againsta bright coloured wall. Book a photoshoot with her pony and have her favourite photo from the day printed as a vinyl sticker for her bedroom door.
A piece of wood from your local hardware, painted in a pretty pastel shade and a wooden horse cutout from your local craft shop is all you need to recreate this ever so sweet gone riding sign. Use her art and rosettes to make a feature wall.
caroco.co.za caroco.co.za | 36 | 40
Free Wall Art Printables available from
www.caroco.co.za
a passion for equestrian and elegant riding apparel
www.tilajoriding jackets.com
Repairs to Bemer Clippers electronic Horse equipment
Barry 083 271 9382
Sezuan
Three Times World Champion
Wipperman’s Stud imports semen from the best stallions in Europe through our office stationed in Germany for equestrian breeders in South Africa for more information contact horse.farm.pretoria@gmail.com
Southern Horse Box Hire 2 Berth Crisbox For Hire Contact Grant 083 228 1063 grantbourne52@gmail.com
www.swanhof.co.za Stud and Equestrian Centre
Recreation and Fitness Sports and Fitness Instructor
Blanket Biz Nathalie 079 871 3481 smeggie@iburst.co.za
Horse Blankets smeggie@ibu
Manufacture | Wash | Repair | Embroidery
Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising Mark Twain To book your Ad space in one of our future issues email hello@caroco.co.za
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Produced by the Carousel Collective The opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reect those of the publisher. Although all material is checked for accuracy, no liability is assumed by the publisher for any losses due to the use of material in this magazine Copyright Š All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without prior written permission of the Carousel Collective.