Dec '09 Newsletter by Dressage Naturally

Creating healthy biomechanics and stronger partnerships through combining natural horsemanship principles with the art of dressage... Karen Rohlf

never underestimate the potential for harmony & lightness to improve in ways you cannot yet imagine

Welcome back to the Temenos...

“Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.”

Temenos is an ancient Greek word. It refers to a sacred space that has no limits, where special rules apply and extraordinary events are free to occur.

~Voltaire

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December 19

January 23-28

Private Lessons at Temenos Fields Contact K2@dressagenaturally.net

6 Days at Temenos Fields closed to auditors

• Questions and Answers! • Essay by my working student • Ancora Imparo

December 20 Open Format Workshop at Temenos Fields Contact K2@dressagenaturally.net

A Rider Spot Opened Up for Jan. ! Contact K2@dressagenaturally.net right away if you are interested!

Auditors Welcome at December Dates.

News Ahhh, December in Florida... I actually had to zip up my jacket today! I am thoroughly enjoying all the time I have with my horses. This is the time of year when I can get some real consistency and their bodies can get strong.

2009 Newsletter] :) Tell her thank you, for putting that out there!! People underestimate the value of their expectations, and while I see the advantage of getting people to start thinking about how their horses are thinking, I cringe when people label and make assumptions. If I expect my horse to a 'RBI' when we do trailer loading, that is what I will get!!! ~Kate

Hi Karen, I have been a fan of yours for some time and thoroughly enjoy your newsletters and web-site. I appreciate all the knowledge you share so selflessly, with all of us devoted followers. I have learned volumes from your dvd's and newsletters and after riding all my life with little formal training, I appreciate how accessible your instruction is.

I have only ridden dressage for the past nine years and have gleaned what I know I just received my poster on Saturday, from various sources, but have done after having witnessed 4 hours of most of the training of my two horses and german-style dressage lessons that made myself on my own, as there are little me so stressed - I had thought I could choices in our isolated, rural community. work with a classical dressage trainer, but So, you can only imagine the holes in my now I know that it would be a bad move and my horses' training! ;0 I have no infor me and my horse. tention of showing (it's a good thing!) as I I added a new feature to my website... Receiving the poster gave me a huge experienced that in my early 20's and My working student, Marj Smith went sense of relief, and I'm digging into the became disillusioned with the lack of redvd's that I received last week - so far, through all the past newsletters and spect offered the horse in a quest for a super! created an Index of Topics. Now on THANK YOU for your efforts I have ribbon. the Newsletter Archive page you can framed the poster and it hangs in my oflook through an alphabetical list of fice - I'll be studying it carefully. Interesting how compromise becomes topics and find the issue of the news- Happy Thanksgiving! acceptable when humans compete. I letter where it is discussed! ~Susan O know that is not true of all horsemen/ women, but often enough. I love the Marj also contributed to this newslet- Fond greetings to K1 and K2: process of training; of watching a young First, the "new and improved" website is ter. You can read about a way she horse develop, both in their understandʻtrickedʼ herself into relaxing while rid- simply wonderful. Kudos to all those who ing and in their physical abilities, in worked on it. The site is easy to negotitheir own time, without the pressure of a ing in connection with the reins on ate, organized well, and most show on the horizon. Your intro dvd page 6 of this newsletter. informative. I'm especially pleased so brought me to tears, every time I watched see Temple Grandin's books on the "More it. You put into expression, form and funcThis monthʼs newsletter is full of your resources" page. Her insights have ention everything I felt in my heart. Thank feedback and your questions anabled me to understand to a much you for opening me up to your way and swered. I want to thank all of you who greater extent why my extreme RBE allowing me to learn a new way of being took the time to write me such nice freaks out and needs huge amounts of with my horses. emails lately. It makes me so happy to desensitization and repetition to gain a ~Susan H semblance of confidence. know that you and your horses are enjoying what I have to share. I am Dear Karen, For all of the materials that K1 has made I'm a devoted student of Anja Holst and certainly having a great time doing available to us: the book, DVDs, newslet- Parelli, and so grateful to your interpretawhat I do! tion of dressage. ter Q & A, etc., I give you my heartfelt thanks. As a PNH student, everything Oh, and there are some new USA Please keep writing, making DVD's, and Karen teaches blends seamlessly with dates up for 2010 on my Clinic helping us progress with your approach. the Parelli priniciples so that learning reI would like you to address how to reSchedule mains fun for even the most fragile of enter showing at training level utilizing equine egos. By the way, I love and apPNH and your approach. preciate the way Karen's mind works -- in harmony with the complex reality of the Competing successfully without having to horse-human relationship. utilize the severe approaches I've seen lately (3-year olds being forced to collect) It's Kate, from "the forum"..... just wanted Bountiful blessings during this Thanksgiv- would be great. to drop a line to say that I LOVED her Bravo to you - you are very inspiring. ing season, horsenalities answer!! [From November Susan O ~Sandra M

Ovation is making some real breakthroughs in his capabilities in collection, and Atomic has really turned a corner in his ride-ability. Monty, well he is always his fabulous self (as long as I am worthy of him!)

Student Feedback

Feedback plus Question About Padded Halter

Q. Hello there, I have to start by saying how wonderful your materials and that it has transformed how I interact with my horse. Your playing with posture dvds have been so much fun. I was blown away to see the difference in Monty when you lead with your arm versus your leg. It's fantastic I have been sharing it with all my friends. As a parelli student and working toward becoming an equine massage therapist, I know how important posture is. Bravo on your demonstration of it and giving us permission to play with it. You are a fantastic teacher and I hope to ride with you someday :)

feel like holding hands with sharp fingernails! So yes, with Monty, and other horses at the right moment, I play with the padded noseband. You have to be careful though, because the down side is it is very comfy to lean on... and we never want that. So you want self-carriage, excellent yields, trust, and respect of the reins, then self carriage during riding in connection. As with any tool, you need to know when to and when not to use it. I made it myself with the padding and some gorilla glue, so at this point I can't tell you where to find a similar one. I will let you know if I come up with something to offer!

The reason I am contacting you is, I as Thanks, Nicole, and let me know how it looking through your site and noticed a goes! picture of you with Monty and he has a rope halter on, but it looks to have My Best, Karen padding over the entire nose band including the knots of the nose band. I use Parelli rope halters, but I feel as my connection with my horse gets better that the knots are too much, and I wanted to offer a softer but still connected feel. Can you tell me where you acquired this halter or how you made it if perhaps you made it yourself? Thank you again for your wonderful program and knowledge you have to offer. I look forward to your reply. ~Nikole F

A. Hi Nikole, Thanks for your email and all the nice words... You are very observant.. Yes I do have a halter that I added some padding to. It is just a regular Parelli halter, and then I had this funny thin padding that came with a package I received. I thought, hmmm, this would work nicely, because as you have noticed with your horses.... sometimes those knots are a little sharp for horses that are very sensitive, and as long as they have excellent self carriage in general (established through Freestyle) I want my horses to feel happy to hold hands with me... sometimes those knots

Two Questions about finding help from Dressage Instructors:

compromise the relationship & trust that we have been developing only to have a non natural trainer teach me dressage. I've been studying Parelli for three years. I eventually hope to do some lower level eventing with him after we gain more understanding of each other. So, Where do I go? I live in SW Pennsylvania and don't know a single natural friendly English trainer. Would you happen to have any contacts in this area that you could direct me? I would be ever grateful. Keep up the great work of helping to bridge dressage with the natural world. Regards, Joan D, Pittsburgh PA

Q2. Hi Karen, I met you in Ca. at a clinic you did in Cottonwood,Ca. in 2006. I have since been taking dressage lessons from a local woman where I live in Santa Cruz,Ca..She has a parelli background but does more of the German style training when it comes to dressage. My question to you is there anything I need to be careful of when it comes to training with her and the German style of dressage? at one point the Crank nose piece came up and I said no. I love parelli and how it has helped me with my five horses. I have two arabs, one Polish,and one Egyptian that I am learning on. My goal is to enter a schooling show to see how I like showing. I am 54 yrs old today, though I don't feel it,thanks to my horses they will keep me forever young.

Recently I have noticed that a lot of Parelli students are studying dressage. I Hello Karen, have learned how important it is for your horses over all well being,though I find it I just read through your website and hard sometimes, I like what it is doing to thought to myself "How can I find a my horses topline and how they seem to Dressage trainer that is Natural like it as well. I enjoy working with my friendly". I so much want to continue trainer though I think we have disagreed learning dressage, but now that I have my on certain methods in the past, she own horse, I find myself not wanting to

Q1.

does however allow me to ride in parelli bridle with a loose ring snaffle.

If you use your NH skills to show up with that horse... they won't care what he is wearing!

Any advice you could give me would be appreciated. Thanks for your time. ~Jonna

Make sure your teacher explains what he or she want to see... not just aids, but what result they want to see from the horse (not saying: "more leg" instead, saying: "more energy" for example).

A. Hi Jonna, Great question. I had another very similar question from someone else today! I want to give you a well thought out answer, and I will be able to get to that in the next day or two... but for now: It is important to be able to ask questions and there is nothing wrong with asking 'why?' regarding any technique or equipment a trainer wants to use. For example:the trainer wants to put on a tight noseband: You: “Why?” Trainer: “To keep the mouth shut.” You: “Why would the mouth open?” Trainer: “Because of resistance.” You: “Why is there resistance?” Trainer: “Because the horse is not respecting the aids, not balanced, not understanding, impulsive....etc.” You: “Then I think I should practice to improve those points so he doesn't feel the need to open his mouth.” This is a common issue, and above is an example of my logic.... I want to remove the causes of the problem, not they symptom. I also think once you know a trainer and what they are looking for, it is up to you and your horse, as a team, to prepare yourselves (using all your NH strategies) so you can arrive to your lessons ready for dressage! If the horse is going well... they won't ask for a noseband or anything else. Everyone is trying to create the same thing.... a nice horse who is cooperative, calm and eager!

In my book, in Part Three, Essays For Success there is a chapter called: Utilize Available Resources, Including How to Get Help From a Dressage Professional (Page 178). In this section I talk about what to look for in an instructor or trainer. I recommend taking a look at that. I canʼt be everywhere but I donʼt want my students to feel that they have to go it alone without getting feedback from others... Just choose wisely, listen to your horse and trust your instincts!! I hope this helps for now... please let me know how it goes, and feel free to ask even more questions as they come up. My best, Karen

Free, Stretching Walk

A. Hi Yevette, Well, don't worry, the walk is the hardest gait to improve (and the easiest one to mess-up!) Because the walk has no air-time, often when we ask for 'more' at the walk, the horse doesn't know what to do and can often shorten the stride. If we ask the horse for more energy, they often trot, but if we let them just slug along, nothing happens! Plus, walk is what we do when we are not doing anything, so often it is a difficult gait to get their attention at. The key to a good walk is relaxation.... and to not over ride it. Ovation starts out very unmotivated, so the first step is to go somewhere.... A good walk around the field or on a trail does wonders over trying to ask him directly to improve his gait. The other key is that if you do ask for an energetic response... that something does happen! If you feel like you have to use a strong leg, or a constant leg aid to coax him forward, that tension may be enough to tighten the walk. So as with most things, you must get the energy and relaxation balanced just right.

If the horse understands how to stretch sometimes.. the rest will come... Try not Q. to obsess about it... maybe he needs to Hello Karen play more with being up and energetic... or to play with transitions... then every I received your lengthening dvd. WOW!! It now and then see if he wants to stretch... is great. I can tell though straight away my horse's stretch is not Unfortunately the list of what can cause where it needs to be. Our ground work is things to go wrong is linger that what we coming along.. he is stretching more and can do to make things improve, but it more. He stretches pretty easily at the sounds like you are looking for the right trot, but he is nowhere near as relaxed qualities... you will find it! Just maybe not and forward and stretching as Ovation in the order you expected at the walk. How can I help him when I I hope this helps! am on him?? And I am so glad you like the DVDs! I seem to can get him to relax and stretch My Best, doing the circle game, stretch at the trot Karen when I am riding, but the walk I am really struggling with. When I see you and ovation, I see what I need to shoot for- but do not know how to get there. Help?? Yevette

photo: Dana Rasmussen

Why Use Bits if You Can Do It Without? Q. Thanks for all of the wonderful information! I do have a question that perhaps you can address some time in the future. Why, if collection can ultimately be achieved without any bit at all, do I see all dressage horses with 2 bits and sets of reins on them? ~Paula

Photos top to bottom: Peggy Finnerty Terri Miller Dana Rasmussen

A. Hi Paula, Great question! I think of bits as tools of refinement... meaning they should take something that is already working... And help it be even better. The same way that a sharpened pencil creates a finer, clearer, more precise line. And just like a sharpened pencil, if you press too hard, it breaks and leaves an ugly scar on the page. Bits are an excellent precise tool when used properly. If too much pressure is applied, the system breaks and it is just force... nothing beautiful or artful. In my system and logic, I want the body and mind of the horse to be balanced, I use a halter and am able to create everything. When this is true, then the horse and I are ready to use a tool of refinement. A bit is very precise at showing the horse exactly where the head should be. This becomes more important with very precise maneuvers such as lateral work, or upper level standards of precision. It can do the horse a favor by being so clear and precise.

As far as the double bridle: There are two bits, the snaffle and the curb. These two bits have separate communications. The snaffle talks to the horse about lateral positions and is more comfortable for the horse to reach into and establish a connection with. The curb is a leverage bit that talks directly about poll flexion. It is nice to think that you can separate these two communications so the horse. This is the dream. The reality is that many people use the snaffle because they canʼt imagine riding with no bit, and they go to the double bridle to fix the problems of lack of control they experience in the snaffle, in order to get the higher maneuvers done.

But donʼt confuse what many people wrongly do with the ideology. I have nothing against the proper use of tools of clear communication. I went on a quest of seeing what I could do with no bit and in doing so have realized how much I donʼt need a bit. But I do ride in one also, because it is an honor to have a horse allow me in their mouth. I have nothing against the double bridle, either and would say it The idea is that if you have a wonderful harmony and connection with the horse in would be a testament to my training that the halter, can you still have this wonder- my horse trusts my hands so much that ful trust and connection even with a metal he is still wonderful and soft and bold (the same as he is with the halter) even with tool in their mouth? So the logic contintwo bits in his mouth... ues: at a higher level, can you keep a harmony and trust even with a double bridle in their mouth? you have to see the My horses just feel so good in the halter that I donʼt often feel like I need more... bit as a positive tool of communication in order for this logic to apply... Not to see it And I enjoy being an example of what is possible with this. as a tool of control and force. I hope this helps! ~Karen Copyright 2009 Temenos Fields, Inc December

Separating My Brain and Reins How I tricked myself into getting rid of tension while riding in connection with the reins.

national western pleasure champion. I thought hold on I know how to ride western show horses and I wasn’t riding him like a western horse in my mind or body. (Really I am not sure what I was doing at the time.)

As this experiment started to unfold Karen sent me on the freestyle mission and told me what Bre (the working student who rode him previously) had done with him using freestyle and the round pen. So I headed out to check it out. I had a few body discoveries but still need more time to explore. Then one day I was on my quest to freestyle communication and the idea came to me again ride him as if I were riding western... Something by Marj Smith we both understood. I was in an area where normally he would be highly My process of disconnecting my brain distracted and making me distracted worrying about what he was worryfrom my reins. When I arrived at Temenos fields as Karen’s new working ing about. I focused all my energy on body position and blocked every student I was given the opportunity thing other then that out. Then it to ride one of Karen’s wonderful happened, we were in perfect harhorses named Jedi. At first he and I mony and communication. We were did not seem to mesh. I was pushing balanced; every foot fall was exact all the wrong buttons, over riding and every transition was precise. him, not sure what I was asking or how to ask. I would worry about his emotions and distracted state of being That is all I need to feel and my quest expanded from freestyle to contact. I and would forget I was supposed to knew from then on: if he and I could be riding and not baby sitting. feel in harmony without reins then we had to be able to do it with conSo began my mission on how to ride tact. The days Karen said we looked this horse and communicate what I wanted effectively in an efficient time good, were the days that I would think to just ride him like he is westframe. My instinct was to talk to his ern. To my brain ‘riding western’ head. My answer always seemed to come from the reins, picking them up, meant that everything comes from the seat. I also took all the little seeds that pulling them back, and constricting Karen had been planting along the my arms. Karen was very clear that way about dressage, movement, enthis wasn’t the answer, but my brain ergy, balance, state of preparedness, just couldn’t stop my body from usand molded them into my “western” ing those reins. Now, this is a horse feeling of riding. So in the end I just that has a great deal of training and had to find a way to disconnect my understanding but I was speaking brain from my reins. some other language. As time went on I discovered that Jedi was a multi 6

Note from Karen: This is a great example of a rider searching for a way to get her body to do what she wants. Marj showed great curiosity in trying to figure out what to do. Many riders see a horse in a dressage frame, on short reins, and even unconsciously think that the frame is created by the reins. When Marj tried to use the reins, everything would just get tense and contracted. We made sure Marj didn’t need to use the reins for control (hence sending her on the Freestyle mission). From there, it was up to Marj to figure out a way to allow her body to hold the reins without using them... She knew she shouldn’t but her body kept doing it anyway! It made sense to her to use the concept of ‘riding western’ because she knew she could ride from her seat when riding western. She used that (something that worked well) to help her with something that wasn’t working well (the riding in connection with the reins). This is what helped her to continue to feel the Freestyle inside the Finesse, and the relaxation inside the energy. For me, as her teacher, when she had those good moments and I would say: ‘that looks great!’ she would answer “I feel like I am riding western!” I thought: ‘well, it doesn’t look like western to me, but if that’s what you need to think in order to look this good then who am I to say that’s wrong?!’ So, just as the DVDs # 3 and 4 Playing with Posture, emphasize: Be creative and be curious in exploring your own possibilities to gain awareness and control of your body and mind! Copyright 2009, Temenos Fields, Inc December

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10% Discount in Webshop through Dec.31st! Enter code: DN09Spcl during checkout

Instructional Poster This 24 x 36 poster reminds you of the Big Picture of Dressage, Naturally in a single glance. The reality of horsemanship is that we are in many stages at any given time. That is why simple recipes only work to a point. We need to have the big picture of where we are and where we are going. I designed this poster so from across the room, you could see how the whole process fits together, and you can come up close and read through the ample text to get more detailed checkpoints regarding the qualities and skills that are important for each stage. I am really excited about this. It reflects the way my brain organizes and processes information when I want to learn something. I am really proud of this and hope you find it as useful as I dream you will. It is printed on material that is water and tear resistant, too so it will hold up to being posted in a barn, and will still look good in your home!

Developing Lengthenings DVD This DVD is about Developing Lengthenings. Ovation returns to show you his first attempts at lengthenings. I will discuss the necessary ingredients and how I prepare them. Then once again, you will watch an entire session (with minimal editing). The entire time I am narrating while I am riding. Lengthenings are all about building potential energy. The skills learned in developing this movement will set you up for success for powerful movements and true collection later.

New Hats and Visors. New design on new hats and visors. The visors are organic cotton and the hats are bamboo, a material desired for its wicking and antimicrobial properties as well as it being a sustainable resource.

Copyrigth 2009 Temenos Fields, Inc December

Ancora Imparo...

“The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next.”

“Ancora Imparo” is what Michelangelo is quoted to have said upon completion of the Sistine Chapel masterpiece... It translates: “I am still learning.” I thought exploring the unknown was an appropriate topic as we finish one year and begin another. Who knows what 2010 will bring? The quote above, as well as the one I have on the cover page: “Doubt is not a pleasant

condition, but certainty is absurd.” (Voltaire) may make some of you uncomfort-

able. Humans tend to want the security of certainty. We look for rules, and find comfort in knowing what is the ʻright thing to doʼ. We need to know what is the ʻrightʼ or ʻwrongʼ technique. Chat forums are thick with passionate opinions on who is correct, who is incorrect... All looking for ʻtheʼ answer. In horses as with life... Itʼs never that simple! As I mentioned in the October 2009 Newsletter: It is more valuable that the system serves the student, than it is for the student to serve the system. It may seem like a subtle distinction... But imagine that there is nothing that you must achieve beyond your own dream for yourself. 8

~Ursula K. LeGuin

Of course, you may find a person or several people who are models that closely approximated the same dream that you have, and you may be able to learn from them. If you are really lucky they are great teachers and can serve you by helping you to learn what you want to know; gaining from their experience. It would be silly to not diligently learn from others who have gone before you. ...As long as you remember that you are not limited by these footprints you follow. The people we admire the most werenʼt the ones who copied someone else well, instead we admire the innovators. You are the innovator of your life and your experience. Perhaps you donʼt even have to be limited by your own view of yourself! How often do you think: “I canʼt do this”, “Iʼm not good enough”? I believe that although we may know a lot about ourselves, we donʼt know everything. At least I hope I donʼt know everything about myself... I want to believe that there is more in me than even I can imagine. Have you ever had the feeling of surprising even yourself with something you did? I love that feeling!

So for this next year, perhaps renew a commitment to not worry about right or wrong, good or bad, but instead focus on your dream for yourself... Being aware of the cause and effect of what you do that creates your experience. Know that confusion is just something wonderful about to be discovered. Be resourceful, find teachers who can help you create your dream, then take it even further. Gallop forward freely into the mist and mystery of the new day. ~K1

Don’t look back! The key to freedom is to think forward!