Volume 64 Preview

Horses Volume 64

For

LIFE

The Crooked Horse Syndrome

by Dr Kerry Ridgway

*Anakalypsi Intention Training the Sensitive Horse

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Gerd Heuschmann Interview Appassionata

The Truth Behind Overbent Horses & Collection Dr. B Hamblin

Video Subscriptions The Ischium Push Demi-diagonals Ribboning Horses For LIFE

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In this issue Volume 64 Video Article “Part 3 Demi-Diagonals and Ribboning” Find out how from a simple shulterfore the shoulder-in on the wall is made while never training on the wall.

“Inspirational.”

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Content s cont’d pg 66

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Volume 64 Exploring Forward. From the Horses Perspective.

268 pages of information.

Thank you to Keron Psillas for this incredible cover.

On behalf of all of us at Horses For LIFE may the gift of the horses be with you always.

All material copyright protected by Horses For LIFE Publications. Please contact us for information, suggestions, comments and submissions at equestriansquest@horsesforlife.com or 1-306-383-2588

Join Friends of the Horse.org. and become a Friend of the Horse. http://friendsofthehorse.org Horses For LIFE Publications is honoured to sponsor Friends of the Horse

We recognize and salute Dressage &CT for their incredible contribution and as the inspiration for Horses For LIFE with the welcome blessing of Ivan Bezugloff Jr. the editor and founder of Dressage &CT.

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ANNOUNCING TWO PHILIPPE KARL ECOLE DE LÉGÈRETÉ TEACHERS’ COURSES IN THE USA NEW MEXICO AND PENNSYLVANIA

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rider applications accepted until August 2012; instruction begins Spring 2013

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FOR THE D I S C ERNI NG R IDER Learn and develop French classical riding skills in Mr. Karl’s internationally recognized equestrian riding academy. Using only the kindest practices that are in complete harmony with each horse’s unique nature, motivated students in this program can learn how to train virtually any horse up through haute ecole. True légèreté is achieved with humane aides consistently applied and without the use of any force or auxiliary equipment. Respect for the horse is tantamount. For more information, please visit www.santafepk.com and www.pkinpa.com today!

10 art by Ellen C. Maze, www.ellencmaze.com

photo credit to Alain Laurioux

Content s JD: Story of Rescue - A Story of Hope Dr. B Hamblin: Overbent Horses Are NOT Collected

Dr. Heuschmann Interview

Dr. Ridgway: The Crooked Horse Syndrome

Mary DeBono: How to make your Horse Love Saddling

Standing Up For Our Horses

A Photographers Story with Appassionata

and more

Video and Article: The Next Step after Shoulder-In Ribboning Part 3 Video Article: The Ischium Push

Horses For LIFE

JD: A Story Of Rescue, s e c n a h C Second and Hope.

written by: Becca Chenoweth

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Horses For LIFE

Overbent Horses

are NOT

Collected

by Dr. B. Hamblin D.V.M. 14

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An

Overbe

is NOT

Colle

Where is the support for the weight of the rider from the hind legs of the horse?

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ent

Horse

ected

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is the gift to be simple,

’tis the gift to be free…’

Elder Joseph, Shaker Community

Horses For LIFE

I made a new friend on Sunday. He is sweet, sensitive, curious, kind, genuine, handsome, intelligent, gentle, angelic.

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We had a conversation that lasted for hours, with neither of us able to move away. We talked about adventure, friends, animals (his favorite is the horse), racing, work, making new friends, imagination‌..an entire galaxy of topics in this relatively short time.

Ten days ago, I had to fly overnight to Frankfurt, Germany, and then photograph the entire next day and night without rest, little food, and all the while feeling not quite up to the challenge. This was an important job for me and one in which I wanted to create the absolute best images I could for a variety of personal and professional reasons.

Horses For LIFE

When I walked into the Festhalle in Frankfurt, I was immediately concerned about my ability to do so as the space was so dark and cavernous. I dont shoot with flash, and it would have been forbidden in this instance, as my subject was horses.

I was photographing the performances of Apassionata and the team that Mestre Luis Valenรงa will be sending to the United States.

The show debuts in Lexington, Kentucky, in late April.

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Horses For LIFE

I was prepared, had all the appropriate equipment, but I knew that if the technical challenge of such low light could not be overcome, then even the most compelling image would be useless if it could not be used for print or projection. So I cranked up the ISO (1600 and 2000‌.

EEK!!!) and set about the work. I resist chimping the screen in most instances, and with the action so fast and furious I would have lost the moments had I been looking at the back of my camera.

[Editor’s Note: Chimping refers to constantly checking the LCD screen to see how the shot turns out]

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Horses For LIFE

So about half way into the first half of the show, I let myself relax and enjoy the actual performance. I noticed that I began to have a natural smile on my face rather than a conscious one‌.and I could feel some of the tension leaving my body as well. I decided to dial the ISO down‌and choose moments to shoot rather than chasing every shot, every gesture.

I was laughing out loud during the comedy parts, and floating into the romance and magic of the story. I was enjoying myself and allowing my curiosity to push aside the doubt and concern.

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Back to my new friend: in all likelihood I will never see him again, but the impact of this meeting was so strong that it has caused me to write this blog post, and more importantly, to re-examine the swirl of my present life.

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Alexander, in the short time I shared with him on a crosscountry flight, crystalised the lesson I had offered to me last week.

Horses For LIFE

His insistence about combining the world of imagination with the world we have built, and others have built, around us, showed me that it is possible to remain a creative being, uninhibited by daily circumstance or momentary challenge.

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His self-discovery in the midst of self-creation was powerful to watch and reminded me that it’s okay, or even better thank OK, to PLAY while working.

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His example reminded me to drop the fear (the real word behind concern, worry, and insecurity) and rest in the knowledge that my intention will create a way.

Our teachers are all around us.

Open your eyes and see with your heart.

Thank you, Alex, for the simple gift of your spirit and kindness. You are so wise and wonderful. I hope your fourth birthday brings you all you can imagine.

By Keron Psillas Horses For LIFE

Using the human biped as an example and a starting place, laterality is the state of being righthanded or left-handed. But, we are not just hand dominant; we share that dominance with our eyes, our shoulders, our legs and our brains. To understand the physical effects of such dominance, we must talk about balance. Balance in our bodis what we needHorse to survive. ItSyndrome is what keeps The iesCrooked skyscrapers and bridges from falling. It is critical to athletic ability and performance. It is also necessary to Kerry prevent injuries.

Think of the people by Ridgway doing extreme sports, such motocross, extreme DVMskateboarding, Instituteextreme for Equine Therapeutic snowboarding, bull riding, or other endeavorsAiken, such as gymnastics, Options SC. ballet or Olympic diving. These people require exquisite balance and they need to be equally strong, skilled, and trained on both sides of their bodies.

Laterality Part I:

The state of being markedly right or left-handed is the enemy of balance and athletic ability. The more right-hand dominant we are for example, the more difficult it is even to write our names with our

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Horses For LIFE

Anomaly Lately, it appears that there are many horses that seem determined to behave in ways that make absolutely no sense. Behaving in ways that I have never seen or heard of before.

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In the Chosen One video, we have a mare that instantly bonds to a human so strongly that she literally lays lies down at my feet, trusting me that much, within minutes of meeting.. Another horse in another pasture, miles away, bonds instantly so strongly, that while running free in a pasture all year around, he is more than happy to trust me so much that I could spray him anywhere, even in his sheath area, his face, wherever.

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Dr. Gerd Heusch Interview

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hmann

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If You Know What to Do with This, Your Horse Will Love to be Saddled

by Mary Debono Horses For LIFE

D

oes your horse pin his ears when you tighten the girth even though you’ve had your saddle custom-fitted? Does your mare get grumpy, swish her tail or threaten to kick when you cinch her up? Discomfort during saddling is so common that many equestrians think nothing of it. But resistance during tacking up can set the tone for your whole ride, and lead to diminished athletic performance too.

Disciplining your horse may stop the biting, kicking, moving away or tail swishing, but it doesn’t improve how the horse feels about saddling. In fact, it will usually make the process even more undesirable, resulting in increased tension in the horse’s mind and muscles. That’s not exactly how you build a harmo48

nious connection with your horse! But if you take some time now to make tacking up not only tolerable, but actually enjoyable to your horse, it will pay big dividends for the

rest of his life. And the good to has to do with tacking up news is that it is not difficult your horse. Well, it has a lot to to do. do with it! That funny-looking thing is an equine sternum, or You may be wondering breastbone, accompanied by what that thing in the top pho- the costal cartilage and ribs.

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We were introduced to the ischium push by Mary DeBono in her work with the Sense Method in an earlier edition of Horses For LIFE. The basic concept behind the ischium push follows the same dictates as the basics of the Classical Foundation Method. In a healthy horse with no loss in connection and with full range of movement that a push on the ischium can and will result in a slight head nod to the same side as the ischium push.

If, when and where the movement ends in the horse’s body before reaching that point, indicates a problem area. An area that is blocked. An area where the energy and the movement does not move properly through the horse.

What you see here is a surprising and definite example of how blocked the horse can be especially when the rider is mounted.

In this specific case we noticed that the movement ended on the one side at the shoulder and were investigating further during this video only to be surprised by the definitive difference in the horse before and after the rider was mounted.

While we do not suggest that the purpose of this is to push harder and harder, we did so for the benefit of being able to show this clearly on film.

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Video Article Available on all Downloadable Video Enhanced and DVD subscriptions To Upgrade Contact equestriansquest@horsesforlife.com

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Standing for our H 54

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So where does it Begin?

As we go through the variations and possibilities of the demi-diagonals and the shoulder-in, we are asked but where does it all begin?

Watching the horse effortlessly switch from bend to bend with the rider riding on the buckle, seeing the ease, the softness of the body of the horse, it almost seems too easy. But how to get here from nowhere.

Too often we see a shoulder-in that is all about tension, hold, restriction, the perfect placement a place we hold the horse into.

Instead here we have video of the horse, moving along freely, with no restraint, with a beautiful bend, freely engaging in the trot shoulder-in as the rider completely releases the reins.

This issue we cover how to turn the demi-diagonals into ribboning, next issue we will look at where we can go from here as well as talk a little about the beginnings, where it all began.

The Next Step Demi-Diagonals Part 3 Ribboning Horses For LIFE

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Video Article Available on all Downloadable Video Enhanced and DVD subscriptions To Upgrade Contact equestriansquest@horsesforlife.com

Horses For LIFE

THE CRUELTY PARADOX

By Dressage For The Rest Of Us

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This is a picture of Gitana, a now 19 year old Andalusian mare owned by Holly Zech of Abacus Farm. The mare had just given birth to a little filly but the filly succumbed and died due to dystocia after a 45 minute struggle to reposition the little girl. She lived for just one minute after birth. This picture, taken 45 minutes after the foal died shows clearly to me and to a host of other good people that horses indeed feel pain. In this case the pain is emotional pain and clearly is excruciating, heart wrenching emotional pain at that. Gitana grieved for hours, lying next to her dead foal mourning her tragic loss.

Now if a horse could feel both a fly landing on his flesh, and grieve so completely, do we need to wonder how horses feel the world over as they are physically or emotionally stressed by us their care givers?

(Thank you Holly Zech and Susie Solomon-mabe of Facebook for use of this picture!)

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• As another FB friend says: Kathy Palumbo

This picture is incredibly moving; lets all of us never forgot how feeling and emotional are equine partners are. This image will stay with me for a long time. The next time we are impatient or grumpy remember.

And THAT is the point of my story, The Cruelty Paradox.

When it comes to issues of equine welfare (or any animal for that matter) deciding what is right and what is wrong is often not clearly defined to many people. But to others it is indeed quite obvious.

However, there is one thing which must be noted: The intention to harm need not be present for a horse to in fact, be harmed.

Horses For LIFE

And I find THAT is the most prevalent type of abuse – the veiled, unintentional abuse – strung together with kisses and carrots, done by people who profess their undying love of their horse or horses.

Abuse, intended or not, is multi-national and spans all equestrian disciplines. All of ‘em. Yes, yours too.

Name any person accused of cruelty and the tale will be told of how much they love their precious horsey and how every night they kiss him on the hiney and tuck him into a bed of 3 feet deep of clean, bright, pristine shavings.

And you know what? I believe them. I believe that in their mind they really feel they love their horse and are doing right by them. I mean after all there are kisses and carrots, no?

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But I know better. I know that I’ve always loved my horses dearly, often like a mother loves a child. And I still managed to do some very stupid things when I was younger. However for me, one day something changed.

Perhaps I was able to change because to me horses have been hobby, passion and art, and being a novice there was no monetary temptation to look away when something I did or was taught didn’t seem quite right. Not having a vested financial interest gave me the freedom to be receptive to new ideas and concepts and to use fresh, open eyes to evaluate what was going on. Plus, I’m not a particularly greedy person.

Maybe I had done enough winning (even at my silly lower level shows) that my ego was intact and winning even more wasn’t that necessary.

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I do credit my own change to the very nature of the horses I was dealing with. They were magnificent teachers. They MADE me change. They simply gave me no choice.

Horse by horse I had to reevaluate what I’d learned from those humans around me. Each horse in its turn made me change my ways by simply saying “NO”. And they protested whenever I screwed up.

Thank goodness they did. My bruises and I owe them one hell of a debt.

So I evolved. As I went from rank beginner to novice to an even more advanced entity I learned.

The evolution never stopped. I was truly blessed.

I learned so very much from these horses who told me “NO”; sometimes the hard way. Whether by bite or by buck they sent the message loud and clear so that even a dweeb like me could understand.

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God bless their souls.

I consider myself very lucky that I had such horses as teachers such horses. But I do have to give myself a little credit in one respect. They were able to tell me what they wanted only because I was ready and willing to listen. Ego did not get in the way.

Nowadays, I find myself in a strange situation. I seem to constantly come across people who are supposed to be far more evolved than I when it comes to horses and the training of them.

But it would seem that at some point, they stopped listening.

Very often these people are show people who have become so indoctrinated in the “WIN WIN WIN� mindset that both their minds and their eyes have closed. Or, even more inexcusable are those who know what they are doing is bad but ignore it because the ends justifies the means in their calculation of things.

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They are amateurs who want to see a reward for all the money and time they spend pursuing their equestrian dreams and these equestrian dreams consist of winning. All of their precious pride depends on it.

They can also be amateurs who emulate what they see around them and do as they are taught, putting all their eggs into the basket of blindly and sheepishly following the words and deeds of a trainer who also lost their way a long, long time ago. Or perhaps they never had it to begin with.

They are professionals who seek the win so that they get more breedings, product endorsement deals, medals or monetary prizes. Without realizing it they’ve sold their souls and in the process are destroying the souls of the horses in their charge in their never ending pursuit of fame and glory. They got greedy for it.

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And all of these people will do anything to achieve their goals and fulfill their ambition. Ambition can be a very dangerous thing.

Now there is nothing wrong with achieving goals, fulfilling ambition or winning. The problem arises when it becomes a matter of ethics and in this the victim is sadly always the horse.

Even more disheartening is that many other of us have become so jaded in our own standards that we validate outrageous and harmful training practices like rolkur/hyperflexion/LDR, excessive spurring, soring up of horses and lord knows any other demented and perverse thing people do in the name of “training”.

Horses For LIFE

Just today I had a friend comment on the state of affairs with her breed saying “Those people videotaping the warm ups and the abuse at the Quarter Horse Congress should just get a life.”

And although she herself doesn’t ride that way jerking her horses face to kingdom come while grunting like some primordial beast, she is perfectly willing to ignore those that do, maintaining that “It’s none of my business really”.

“IF YOU ARE NEUTRAL IN SITUATIONS OF INJUSTICE, YOU HAVE CHOSEN THE SIDE OF THE OPPRESSOR” ~ Desmond Tutu

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“THE WORLD WILL NOT BE DESTROYED BY THOSE WHO DO EVIL, BUT BY THOSE WHO WATCH THEM WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING” Albert Einstein

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Even with the recent scandal involving the bloodied grey/white Lusitano horse during a demonstration ride by Haras Dos Cavalieros at the IALHA (International Andalusian Lusitano Horse Association) show showing a bloodied side, there were a number of people willing to offer up the usual parade of excuses.

What are they? Dressagula? Is blood the thing that vampires and FEI dressage have in common? In addition to both sucking that is‌..

So I’ve decided to examine these excuses and present my responses to them.

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THERE WASN’T THAT MUCH BLOOD: This statement immediately made me think of a Monty Python skit where the characters arms and legs were systematically hacked off and the stoic character responded with “It’s just a flesh wound”. So I have to ask, exactly how much blood IS acceptable? A pint? How much blood would you as an athlete be willing to bleed at someone else’s hand for no reason other than……. Well, heck, there is no reason now is there! In my mind there should be NO BLOOD EVER. Not from the side, the mouth, the foot, the butt or anything else ever known to bleed in horsedom. And, if a horse should happen to bite its tongue, well thems the breaks! In all my 30+ years with horses I’ve actually never seen it happen and even for those who have seen it, it’s only happened once or twice. Except now it seems to be urgent enough to require a rule change.

Horses For LIFE

I’m calling out “bullshit” on this This rule change would affect the highest top sport horses – like the Olympic ones – because those folks are experts and THEY KNOW how to bloody a horse the right way. The rest of us must do it all wrong. Or at least that’s what they would have us believe.

Now we have a proposition before the FEI to allow a horse to continue in the presence of blood if a vet says it’s okay. Really? Something that happens that infrequently needs a new rule?

Thankfully that insanity has been put on “hold” until after London, 2012. I’m not so sure we have a victory here. I think the Sjefs of the world are simply regrouping in order to find a new angle with which to get the bullshit rule passed.

Yeah, so I’m suspicious. Sue me.

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As for bleeding from the mouth it would almost seem like someone is planning for the future. One could speculate that perhaps someone’s training platform results in bloodied mouths consistently. Why else would one want to change a rule over something which has NEVER happened to the majority of horse people? Strange, isn’t it?

Makes you just want to sit up and go “Hmmmm……”.

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IT WAS AN ACCIDENT: (In regard to the Lusitano cut by spurs at the IALHA show we all heard about) Accident my ass. This was a rider who chose to ride with roweled spurs which must have been sharp enough to slice up the thickest pizza and which managed to cut an admitted 2 cm cut in the horse’s side. After watching the video of that ride I can clearly see how. The riders uplifted heel was constantly nagging at that horse’s belly and side, firmly implanted there in fact, raking back and forth. In fact, people who contacted me privately – witnesses to the event – stated there was damage on both sides.

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Unfortunately there is only photo evidence of the one side, and having not been there myself I cannot swear that this is so, even if I suspect it is. I do hear rumors of other pictures showing two sides existing, but so far they’ve proven to be as elusive as the Holy Grail.

But even if the side managed not to split open, wouldn’t the constant bombardment of the spur on this ride (and so many rides you see in FEI competition and competitions everywhere) at the very least bruise like hell? Even more abhorable abhorrent was that the association whose event this was, engaged in the typical “deny deny downplay” way that so many, including the FEI, are so very fond of. And the idea it was an accident means that there was some level of ignorance involved, as in: the rider didn’t know, or realize, that he could cut or was cutting the horse.

Horses For LIFE

Just like in the FEI there is whispering of friends protecting friends so that nothing of meaning would be done. Later on, a picture was posted of the horse cleaned up afterwards. You can see the slash. The slash itself was longer than 2 mm or cm but there’s no way of knowing how much of it actually bled. But it was a lengthy slash mark and had no business being on the side of that horse.

Let’s stop a moment so you can consider this: Even if a spur is isn’t bloodying your horse’s side, it still can be bruising it. The horse is an animal who can feel a friggin fly land on it. You don’t think your jabbing spur (even a dull one) poking him with every stride is gonna cause a bruise? We don’t see it because a horse’s hair hides it. Feel free to experiment. Jab a spur into your rib cage a couple of dozen times and tell me how it feels.

Does it give you the warm fuzzies? Do you feel like being a happy athlete afterwards?

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THEY SAID THEY WERE SORRY: Yes, abusers (intended or not) are always sorry. The key is whether or not you’re willing to change how you conduct your riding business. It’s a start. In the case of the Lusitano spur stables, they can change, or we can lump them into the same category as we do…. Say… Mexican rodeo. We all know what that reputation is!

I find it very difficult to come to grips that all of this even has to be a conversation. I would have thought that logically horse welfare is a no brainer. I mean didn’t we learn about it as kids? I was immediately reminded of my many readings of the great book “Black Beauty”

by Anna Sewell. Anna devoted an entire chapter to ignorance, of things done unintentionally. And don’t discount Black Beauty as being a child’s book alone.

According to Wikipedia: Horses For LIFE

Sewell did not write the novel for children. She said that her purpose in writing the novel was “to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses”[1]—an influence she attributed to an essay on animals she read earlier

by Horace Bushnell (1802–1876) entitled “Essay on Animals”.[5] Her sympathetic portrayal of the plight of working animals led to a vast outpouring of concern for animal welfare and is said to have been instrumental in abolishing the cruel practice of using the checkrein (or “bearing rein”, a strap used to keep horses’ heads high, fashionable in Victorian England but painful and damaging to a horse’s neck).[3] Black Beauty also contains two pages about the use of blinkers on horses, concluding that this use is likely to cause accidents at night due to interference with “the full use of” a horse’s ability to “see much better in the dark than men can.”

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I quote from Black Beauty:

Chapter 19. Only I do not know how long I was ill. Mr. Bond, the horse-doctor, came every day. One day he bled me; John held a pail for the blood. I felt very faint after it and thought I should die, and I believe they all thought so too.

Ginger and Merrylegs had been moved into the other stable, so that I might be quiet, for the fever made me very quick of hearing; any little noise seemed quite loud, and I could tell every one’s footstep going to and from the house. I knew all that was going on. One night John had to give me a draught; Thomas Green came in to help him.

Horses For LIFE

After I had taken it and John had made me as comfortable as he could, he said he should stay half an hour to see how the medicine settled. Thomas said he would stay with him, so they went and sat down on a bench that had been brought into Merrylegs’ stall, and put down the lantern at their feet, that I might not be disturbed with the light.

For awhile both men sat silent, and then Tom Green said in a low voice: “I wish, John, you’d say a bit of a kind word to Joe. The boy is quite brokenhearted; he can’t eat his meals, and he can’t smile. He says he knows it was all his fault, though he is sure he did the best he knew, and he says if Beauty dies no one will ever speak to him again. It goes to my heart to hear him. I think you might give him just a word; he is not a bad boy.”

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After a short pause John said slowly, “You must not be too hard upon me, Tom. I know he meant no harm, I never said he did; I know he is not a bad boy. But you see, I am sore myself; that horse is the pride of my heart, to say nothing of his being such a favorite with the master and mistress; and to think that his life may be flung away in this manner is more than I can bear. But if you think I am hard on the boy I will try to give him a good word to-morrow -- that is, I mean if Beauty is better.”

“Well, John, thank you. I knew you did not wish to be too hard, and I am glad you see it was only ignorance.”

Horses For LIFE

John’s voice almost startled “Only ignorance! Only ignorance! How can you talk about only ignorance? Don’t you know that it is the worst thing in the world, next to wickedness? -- and which does the most mischief heaven only knows. If people can say, `Oh! I did not know, I did not mean any harm,’ they think it is all right. I suppose Martha Mulwash did not mean to kill that baby when she dosed it with Dalby and soothing syrups; but she did kill it, and was tried for manslaughter.”

“And serve her right, too,” said Tom. “A woman should not undertake to nurse a tender little child without knowing what is good and what is bad for it.”

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“Bill Starkey,” continued John, “did not mean to frighten his brother into fits when he dressed up like a ghost and ran after him in the moonlight; but he did; and that bright, handsome little fellow, that might have been the pride of any mother’s heart is just no better than an idiot, and never will be, if he lives to be eighty years old. You were a good deal cut up yourself, Tom, two weeks ago, when those young ladies left your hothouse door open, with a frosty east wind blowing right in; you said it killed a good many of your plants.”

“A good many!” said Tom; “there was not one of the tender cuttings that was not nipped off. I shall have to strike all over again, and the worst of it is that I don’t know where to go to get fresh ones.

I was nearly mad when I came in and saw what was done.”

Horses For LIFE

“And yet,” said John, “I am sure the young ladies did not mean it; it was only ignorance.”

I heard no more of this conversation, for the medicine did well and sent me to sleep, and in the morning I felt much better; but I often thought of John’s words when I came to know more of the world.

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THEY LOVE THEIR HORSES: Yes of course they do and Hitler loved his beloved German Shepherd Blondi before he had her brains blown to smithereens in that bunker. Parents who beat their children and people who starve their animals all profess to love them too. You can file this meaningless statement as crap people say which is meaningless and while they have their eyes wide shut.

Yes western pleasure folks love their horses too. Then some of them put staples in the poll (as in stapler staples peeps) to get them to perform quieter. If that doesn’t work, they just drain the blood. Think vampire again.

Horses For LIFE

THE OUTRAGE SHOWN IS DISPORPORTIONAL TO THE ACT: When people respond strongly and negatively to a seeming act of cruelty there will eventually be assertions that the “mob” chastising such an act is overreacting to the situation and that they’re going too far. The outrage is seen as inappropriate. That’s a heck of an assertion to make because it assumes how much outrage someone would display with an even more offensive act. It also is no excuse for the act itself.

All of this is actually easily solved. Don’t do offensive acts and people won’t “overly react” to them. Err on the side of better judgment. Accept that things are different now, and if you are recorded or seen abusing a horse in a public setting, that a bunch of loud mouthed cows are going to go batshit about it.

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Call it the new normal.

So all I can ask of myself and of everyone reading this is that you take a moment to reflect on everything you do with horses. Every little stupid thing. Look at each and every situation with eyes wide open. Have yourself in the position to consider possibilities and to just, for a little while anyway, push away ego and agenda, pride and profit, goals and gold. Ask if there is a softer way, a better way.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t have to declare war on one another over riding horses? Wouldn’t it be nice if gold wasn’t the standard of accomplishment but rather the righteous, kind and fair process of training was to be honored? I mean the word “dressage” itself does mean training after all. And western pleasure SHOULD be a pleasure. And reining should be about controlling not with the bit….. or should we call it “bit yanking”.

Horses For LIFE

And for those who hate the fact I speak up: You created me. I’m like an Ankenstein or maybe a Frankenblogger. Your cruelties created Dressage For The Rest Of Us. Cruelties to horses and to each other.

But know this: The tide will turn. It’s already turning.

Already you are under watch and under suspicion.

Cameras are everywhere.

Already governments and courts across the USA are holding conferences and seminars, issuing policy and statute changes as they find a definite correlation between animal abuse (intended or not) and child/ spousal abuse.

But above all else remember these words the next time your horse takes your stupidity with quiet dignity:

“… for horses must bear their pain in silence” ~ Black Beauty

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That’s just what horses do and not because they like it or are into S & M. They bear their pain in silence because they have no choice and that holds the same for both emotional and physical pain.

Don’t kid yourself that this isn’t true.

“If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.”

Horses For LIFE

IN MEMORIAM: COUNT DIETER VON LANDSBERG-VELEN (GER) FEI Honorary Vice President and Honorary President of the German Equestrian Federation Count Dieter von Landsberg-Velen has passed away at the age of 86.

Count Maximilian Dietrich von Landsberg-Velen was born on 17 December 1926 at Wocklum castle in North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. He took over his parents’ agricultural and forestry business when he was still at university. At the age of 23, he was elected Chairman of the Balve riding club which was the start of his illustrious career in equestrian sport.

In 1968, he united the various sports and breeding organisations which had emerged after World War II into a single German Equestrian Federation, which he chaired for almost three decades until 1997. From 1973, he served as Chairman of the German Olympic Committee for Equestrian Sports (DOKR). The same year he was elected as President of the German Olympic Committee. He was FEI Vice President and Bureau member from 1979 to 1997 and remained in the role of FEI Honorary Vice President until his death.

Count Landsberg was also renowned for his dedication to charity work. In 1950, he joined the Order of Malta, the world’s oldest order of chivalry with the goal of assisting those in great need without distinction of race or religion. From 1957 to 1980 he was director of the Order’s German Association. From 1980 to 1992 he was the Association’s first elected president. During his tenure, membership increased from 1,800 to over 600,000 members and the Order developed from a first-aid service to a charity of international scope.

Count Landsberg received numerous awards in recognition of his work. He was decorated with the Grand Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and, in 1998, he was awarded the Olympic Order.

“Count Landsberg was one of the greatest men I have ever met in and outside of equestrian sport,” FEI President HRH Princess Haya said. “I admired and respected him immensely for his achievements in sport and the Olympic movement and for his numerous and far-reaching charitable activities. His strong character and warm and affectionate manner will be greatly missed.”

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Photo caption: Count Dieter von Landsberg-Velen (17 December 1926 – 15 April 2012) © Jacques Toffi

Horses For LIFE

John Quirk (USA), equestrian journalist, breeder, novelist and publisher, passed away on 12 April.

John was a man of many talents. He was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and flew fighter jets on and off the navy carriers, before starting an automotive engineering business in Detroit, the then epicentre of car manufacturing. At the same time, he wrote best-selling novels including No Red Ribbons and The Hard Winner.

In 1968, he married Tish, a well-known equine photographer and sport horse breeder. Tish introduced John to the horse world and they went on to breed several champions, including Olympic gold medallists Calypso (USA) and The Freak (GER), and FEI Nations Cup™ winners Victor (USA) and Van Gogh (SUI).

John became one of the first in America to import Jumping horses from Ireland, Holland and Germany for US teams and, in 1980, John and Tish founded Horses magazine together.

John’s dedication to the promotion of equestrian sport was legendary, as was his trailblazing reputation. During the 1980s, he worked tirelessly to bring high profile Jumping events to California’s celebrated Del Mar National, which counts the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club - created by legendary friends Bing Crosby, Pat O’Brien and Jimmy Durante - as a neighbour.

His efforts paid off and resulted in the 1992 FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final being held at Del Mar, the third Final to be held on American soil following Baltimore (1980) and Tampa (1989) since the series began in 1978.

His attention to detail and determination to make the journey to Del Mar as smooth as possible for the horses, resulted in him using his US navy connections to secure permission for the horse transport plane to land at the Del Mar navy airbase, just 15 kilometres away from the event. The horses arrived at the base, complete with a fighter jet escort, and were in their stables at the showgrounds in less than an hour, avoiding the long journey from either San Diego or Las Vegas.

In 2000, John was also instrumental in bringing the first FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final to Las Vegas, paving the way for four further Finals to be held there in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009.

“John died in my arms at home on April 12,” his widow Tish said.

“He was bigger than life and mine is empty without him. We were together for 47 years and every day was a grand adventure and 94

every day was filled with total love.

“He came into the horse world as his gift to me and he made it better for everyone. He embraced it and helped it grow and brought joy to everyone he knew.

“He was a brilliant man who succeeded in everything he did. I was so lucky to get to spend most of my life with him. I will spend the rest of my life remembering and thanking him.”

John Quirk will be honoured by the United States Navy with a sea burial. He will also be honoured at the Del Mar National Horse Show, which is an Olympic Selection Observation Trial, and at other major horse shows.

The FEI and Horses For LIFE expresses its sincere condolences to Tish and to John’s family, friends and colleagues around the world.

Horses For LIFE

FEI PRESS RELEASE Lausanne (SUI), 20 April 2012 Photo caption: Holger Schmezer (GER), 1947-2012 Š Stefan Lafrentz 96

IN MEMORIAM: HOLGER SCHMEZER (GER) Holger Schmezer, national coach of the German Dressage team since 2001, passed away suddenly in the Netherlands last night. The 65-year-old was found in his hotel room in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, venue of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final 2012, to which he had travelled with the three German riders competing in the event.

Holger Schmezer was born in 1947, the son of a naval officer. At the age of 15, he discovered modern pentathlon and took particular interest in the equestrian element. He gradually concentrated on riding and began competing in Jumping and Eventing. After graduating as a certified horse trainer, he spent four years with the legendary Dressage coach Willi Schultheis.

He managed a private stable for eight years and in 1979, he established his own Dressage practice. The following year, he became a professional riding instructor and steadily gained an excellent reputation as a trainer. As a competitor, he won over 100 national competitions and was placed in numerous international events at Grand Prix level.

In 1996, Holger Schmezer became the national Dressage trainer for the Junior and Young Rider teams and five years later, in 2001, he was appointed as national Dressage coach to the Senior team.

All the riders and officials, who took part in today’s Reem Acra FEI World Cup™ Final Grand Prix in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, came out for a minute’s silence in Holger Schmezer’s honour held before the prize giving ceremony.

The three German riders competing in the Grand Prix – Isabell Werth, Helen Langehanenberg and Nadine Capellmann - dedicated their performances in today’s Grand Prix to their mentor, wearing black armbands in his honour.

“The loss of Holger Schmezer is a terrible blow to the German Dressage team and to lose such an inspirational coach in an Olympic year is tragic”, FEI President HRH Princess Haya said. “Our hearts go out to his wife Martha and his six year old daughter Olenka for their terrible loss and to all his many friends and connections in the equestrian world.”

Horses For LIFE expresses its sincere condolences to Holger Schmezer’s family, to the German Equestrian Federation, and to the German equestrian community.

Horses For LIFE

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High... what is truly beautiful

Horses For LIFE

The Great European Schools of CLASSICAL DRESSAGE

by Alain Laurioux and Guillaume Henry Reprinted with kind permission from CADMOS http://www.cadmos.co.uk/ and Trafalgar Square http://www.horseandriderbooks.com/ 100

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