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On the cover: PRE Napoleon photo by: Christiane Slawik www.slawik.com
Editor In Chief: Danielle Skerman Editors: Patty Taylor Design: Danielle Skerman Advertising: Patty Taylor Photograpers: Cally Matherly Christiane Slawik Antonio Mendonca Mendonca Bruno Barata Direct Shots Photography Contributors: Sarah Warne Danielle Skerman Caroline Larrouilh Ysabelle Dean Manolo Mendez Christiane Slawik Jean-Philippe Giacomini KER Signiture Friesians Samantha Mcauliffe Catherine Licata-Grobarek Monya Erb – Spijkhoven ŠBaraque Horse Magazine AU., 2011 All Rigths Reserved No part of this publication, editorial or advertisement, may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The content of the advertisements within this publication is the responsibility of the advertiser. Although due care is taken in the preparation and publication for all advertising material, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any errors or for any consequential effects. Opinions and statements made by others in submitted text may not be the same as those held by either the publisher or the editor.
DanielleSkerman Editor
Welcome to Issue 3 of Baroque Horse Magazine From baroque horse people for baroque horse people.
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Content
Pedro Torres 6
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Knabstupper 80
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Pedro Torres & Oxidado
50. Where in the World - Tiana NG
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Behind the Scenes with Christiane Slawik
54. Coudelaria Pedro Passanha
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Photographer Profile - Christiane Slawik
62. Educational - Jean-Philippe Giacomini
22. Educational - Manolo Mendez
70. Miguel Ral達o
32. Artist Profile - Paula Collewijn
76. Review - Piaffe Revealed
38. Sape 381 Sport
78. Review - MDC Stirrups
Sape 3 38
Pedro Passanha 54
80. Knabstrupper
112. Readers Gallery
88. Uveitis or Moon Blindness
116. Kids educational with Sprinkles
94. Saddle fit educational
124. Spreading the lusitano to the world
100. A dream comes true
130. Photographic tutorial
104. KER - It’s all in the balance 109. Kids - Just for Fun
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The Perfect Match
o r d e P & OXIDADO - Bred by Coudelaria João Pedro Rodrigues and owned by Isabel Elvas
O
s e r r o T
Oxidado
By Sarah Warne
n very rare occasions, a talented rider finds the European championship (dressage, manageability a talented horse, and the result is typically and speed) three years in a row,” says 38 year old Pedro. something special. Pedro says that even at five years old he felt a strong But one time in million, the two not only meet, they connection with horses, but knows that finding Oxidado forge a unique partnership and create a bond so intense is what made his career truly magical. they become unstoppable... unbeatable... and go on to “In Working Equitation, I had many horses winning write history. international competitions, but the most famous is and Starting his career in the saddle at just five years of age, always will be, Oxidado! Pedro Torres was introduced to his other half, (of the non human variety), in 1999, and after taking out national After all my years working with this amazing animal. I champion six times, teams champion of the world three have no doubt Oxidado is the horse of my life!” times, vice-champion in the 2002 world championship, champion in the 2011 world championship and His career on this horse was not limited to working champion of Europe four times (including five times by equitation and with a background in dressage. Pedro teams). Pedro says the Lusitano Oxidado is not only a also competed Oxidado at the highest level of dressage. champion and warrior, he is a true friend. “We participated in the international Grand Prix dressage “Oxidado is the first horse to win all the components of at the Sunshine Tour in Spain, taking out eighth place.” 7..
opening gates, jumping, as well as contour obstacles... Having tried his luck at a range of other disciplines, All the practical things that appear in the usual day... Pedro began his working equitation journey in 2000, whether it be out in the forest... or in the riding hall... and says it was thanks to the talent of his horses that he Practicing Working Equitation helps us to feel the found the sport to be so much FUN! versatility of the horse, and makes use of our horse “ I like to do different modalities. So, whenever I have a mates talents.” horse with potential, I explore the horses strengths and try to reach the highest level possible in the matching His first competition in the working equitation arena was in Beja, Portugal, at a time when Pedro had two discipline. very unique horses in his training. For example, I had a horse called Riopele, with a talent for dressage and having trained him to Grand Prix level, “I had the two horses, “Oxidado” and “Navarro” when I I went on to represented Portugal in the 2007 European first started working equitation and I quickly found that championships. both these horses adjusted really well to the discipline.” But Working Equitation is a discipline that allows us to A sport that requires a horse highly skilled in many use the horse in many drillings, like crossing bridges, areas. Pedro loves that this multi-faceted discipline can
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test a horse and rider on so many levels, but says the speed round is where they separate the men from the boys.
“My biggest challenge and my goal with all my work has been and always will be to understand and improve all the horses that I ride. Aspiring to teach them all to the highest level.
“What I most love in Working Equitation is the fact that I have so much and so many different Giving clinics all over the world including Sweden, Austria, Italy, France, Czech Republic, Germany, exercises to work for... Colombia, and México, Pedro has test driven many It’s dressage... it’s obstacles... it’s the speed... it’s the different breeds, but says one breed is for sure his stand out favorite. working to manoeuvre the cows. Of course the hardest part is the speed! Besides the “My favorite horse is the lusitano. None of the fact the rider is using just one hand. This round other breeds I have ridden resembles the lusitano. also demands a lot from the horses.” Lusitanos temperament are their best feature But overall, Pedro says the most enjoyable part which when paired with their elastic physique about working with horses doesn’t come down to a allows them to do so much. particular discipline or activity. They excel for example at the ‘airs above the “While I do love jumping obstacles, what I really ground’, which of course are the most challenging like is teaching horses... I think teaching them is by of all the movements.” far my favorite discipline.” Owing much of his success to his best ever trainer, Nowadays, Pedro manages his own yard in Clube the great master Joao Pedro Rodrigues. Pedro now D.Carlos, Cascais, where he and his team work passes on his knowledge to the lucky young riders everyday, training both horses and riders. who are destined to also become future greats. 9..
“For me a great rider is one that analyzes a horse, he perceives and understands its character and physique and adopts specific techniques of training unique for that horse, that will encourage him to improve his skills.
without its challenges, but Pedro says the worst thing about the equestrian world is when people don’t work WITH the horse or give enough respect to their fourlegged partner. “I hate to see people mistreating horses whether it be while riding them or within their habitat!”
Many different riders inspire me and from all them I try to absorb the best part of what they do and then Planning to improve his technique of analysis so he adapt it to my own way of feeling the horses. can better understand his horses. Pedro summarizes My best pupil in Working Equitation is Bruno Pica, his future as: for the results that he achieved... four times champion of Europa by teams, four times vice-champion of “ride and ride... learn and learn... and ride and ride!” Europe (because the first place was to Oxidado, As for his greatest achievement.... otherwise it would have been Bruno!) In Dressage my best pupil is Catarina Kemper, winner Until now I think that one of the highlights of my of some international championships in Junior and career was when I achieved first place at the world championship of Working Equitation, but maybe the now in the Young Rider classes.” true “highlight” is yet to arrive!?!” a The best advice Pedro received in his journey to the top was to ‘follow his dream’, and says that he would like to tell all those young riders out there to “...follow their dream too!...” “In the pursuit of this dream I simply had the luck to have been blessed with such good masters and friends (horses), who have helped me to be who I am. Success for me is seeing people appreciating my work and trying to learn my techniques and my philosophy of analysis in relation to horses.” Although his equestrian dreams came true it was not ..10
Pedro Torres
Tel. (+351) 919478794 pedrotorres@pedrotorres.pt www.pedrotorres.pt Real clube de campo D. Carlos 1 apartado 1004 Marginal 2751 – 997 Cascais - Portugal
Photo: Antonio Mendonca Mendonca
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Emai: warnes@live.com.au
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Behind the Scene World renown equine photographer Christiane Slawik talks to BHM about how this ICONIC image was created.
The room is in the world’s biggest baroque castle “Schlosshof ” (in Austria) and the idea was to have the horse standing in a right angle between the columns on a halter. The room had been completely renovated with new wooden floor. When I saw it I knew I had to have a horse in there!...a dappled grey and this was NOT going to be easy! Favory Bonavia is a Lipicaner that is from the Austrian state stud Piber and he had the perfect colour. I convinced the office of the castle that the high heels of the brides could not be worse at damaging the floors than horseshoes! We had the horse upstairs in the room and all was set up and I laid about 3 meters away with a wide-angle lense on the floor. We only had to remove a fireextinguishers beside the backdoor and the small halter which would be the only Photoshop we would do. Bonavia had on a small show-halter and his owner was standing hidden between the colums. After awhile, when he calmed down a little bit, I asked whether we could take the halter off for a second (because I did not want to do this in Photoshop!). The plan was to take one shot without it and give him a treat and put it on again. Everybody agreed. The owner took the halter off the horse and went back behind the column and in the same second the horse made a quarter Pirouette and took off towards me laying on the floor only meters away.... as I made the ONE photo I thought “this might be my last one!”. The wood was slippery and his hind legs moved but not the way he expected and the horse slipped away with one leg. He immediately tried to stop only about 30 centimeters away from me!!!... he then looked down at me, left some apples in the room and turned and strolled VERY carefully through the room. One year later we brought him back because I wanted to do a small film with the horse inside. People still ask me how we did it but it was just one of these things I do all the time - this is to convince people to help me with strange ideas and get them to understand what I had in mind. This one jump wasn´t planned though as I NEVER risk anything and give all consideration to the horses but Bonavia had just decided differently! a
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es
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Christiane
Photographers Profile
Slawik
Photographer
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Award-winning, renowned equine photographer Christiane Slawik combines the joy of photography and artistic inspiration with her passion for horses. Her dynamic, emotional photographs have that distinctive trait and are exhibited on more than 100 title pages and in more than 20 calendars all around the world every year. In 2008, her latest book ‘Horse: A Portrait’ received the Benjamin Franklin Award for the ‘best animal book’ in the US. Christiane Slawik’s spectacular photographs uniquely capture the temperament, charm and character of each individual animal in perfection, be it a stunning sports or show horse or a normal, everyday horse. The photographs clearly demonstrate her equine-background and talent in the arts. One customer enthusiastically said: ’You haven’t portrayed my horse as everybody sees him, but how only I see him in my heart!’ In addition to the popular motifs requested by publishers and customers, Christiane Slawik - as opposed to many of her colleagues - offers her clients and audiences ‘that special something’. Horse-owners or breeders as well as the participants in her photo workshops are thrilled by her infinite know-how, passion and creativity. The photographs will touch your soul! Christiane Slawik is available for commission work and private shootings worldwide and can also be booked as experienced instructor for equine photo workshops. More information: www.slawik.com a
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The Foundation for any and all Training. A conversation with Manolo Mendez,
Specialist of in-hand and Classical Equitation
EDUCATIONAL
Feel, Technique & Compromise
by Manolo Mendez, Specialist of In-hand and Classical Equitation with writers Ysabella Dean and Caroline Larrouilh
How important is technique combined Technique is experimenting with with feel to training? the feedback you get from the horse – ie, what you feel. Sometimes that Many trainers and riders believe that feedback is good, sometimes not so the artistry of training is all in the good. Technique is how you use that technique. And while there can be feedback to get a better result on any no true artistry without technique, given day. You have to learn when and technique alone is not, and never can how much technique to use at any time. be, true artistry in itself. Training a That comes back to feel. horse well is a marriage of feel and technique, and feel and technique must For example, we ask the horse to trot be blended together. If you make a good and it is nice, so we accept that. But marriage, the training will be easy. if we ask for more and the horse says:
Manolo Mendez was the first Head Rider, and one of six founding members of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art. Based in Jerez, Spain, the school is one of the four classical schools which also include the Cadre Noir in Saumur, the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art in Lisbon. A master horseman with over forty years of experience spanning classical dressage, doma vaquera and jumping, Manolo is dedicated to a soft, sympathetic and thorough training method which prepares horses physically and psychologically for each stage of training from training to Grand Prix and Haute Ecole. For more information and more articles visit: www.manolomendezdressage.com Š 2011 Manolo Mendez Dressage 23..
Dinamico XII
Pic above: AHAA National Championships 2009. DInamico in 2009. A lovely Andalusian stallion but blocked in the poll, stiff and showing no connection.
Dinamico XII is an imported Andalusian stallion. The photos from daily training represent only some of the exercises Manolo uses in his training. Dinamico is trained by Manolo and campaigned by his working pupil Chantelle Matthews. Dinamico was 2010 Victorian State Champion, Led Spanish Entire, Andalusian State Competition; 2010 Victorian State Champion Ridden Spanish Entire, 2010 Victorian State Champion, Overall Ridden Andalusian, 2010 ASPR Dressage Comp - Lara, Melbourne,Novice Champion 1st 2B and 2nd 2D, 2010 Dressage Festival - National Comp Novice 2nd placing in 2C. Dinamico represented the Australian Andalusian Society at Equitana in 2010 doing daily demonstrations and leading the stallion parade
“That’s too much” and we insist – we force – the horse will resist in one way or another. Going too slowly can make a horse stiff. But going too fast will make a horse stiff, as well. We have to feel what the happy medium is for each horse.
it swells and it must be treated thoughtfully. To join our two pieces of wood we need glue. But how much glue? And what will be the best way to apply the glue to get the best results? To get those two pieces of wood joined just right, we must use good glue, just the right amount of it, and we must apply it with care so that we join the pieces Suppose we want to join two pieces of wood. Wood like evenly, straight, not crooked, so that they are solid and the body of the horse is a living matter, it breathes, it dries, resist the test of time without needing repairs.
Daily Training Trotting on circle. Dinamico keeps an attentive ear tuned to Manolo’s clear, correct, and quiet corrections. Note the conversation between horse and rider, and how subtle aids can influence balance without the rider “carrying” the horse. In the first image (I) , the horse is slightly rotated at the poll and Manolo gently and quietly is straightening his poll by riding the whole horse. Training is slow, progressive work.
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You use all your senses. Sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing. A raw melon is green and has baby hair on the top. The skin looks and feels young, and when you tap it, it makes a sound like dry timber. And of course if you opened it and tasted the flesh you would know straight away that it was unripe.
“Now, I feel this. Now, I use technique to not lose You do not have to be born with a gift for telling whether a melon is ripe or not. Even a city person that feel so as to make the horse go better.” will figure it out after a few tries. At first they will If you like, timing is feel and technique combined need to analyze the information they are getting from all their senses. But very soon they will not and this results in the artistry. need to think about it, they will just know. It is said about horse training that good hands are It is the same with horses. You develop a sense born, not made. Is it the same with feel? for how ‘ripe’ a horse is by using your senses. The No. While some people are born with a greater more you do it, the more you get it. capacity than others to interpret information from their senses, feel can still be developed. Just as the A lot of our feel can also come from what we sense horse can improve through training that opens just by looking at a horse, by our general knowledge his mind so that he is happy to give, so can a rider and common sense. We can make an accurate guess as to how a horse feels by looking into his improve through opening their mind to feel. eyes, touching his skin, listening to his breathing, It is akin to learning about good wine. The more feeling his muscles. We may look at his bridle you practice, the more you taste different wines, and see that the bit is sitting too high or low. Or perhaps when we are riding we may feel that he is the more sophisticated your palate becomes. uncomfortable with the bit, so we can look for the How do you tell if a melon is ripe for picking? reason and eliminate the discomfort. It is common
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EDUCATIONAL
I believe it helps to ride with a wide, open mind so your senses are alive and are well and truly receptive to everything you are experiencing. You become tuned in, and then you can freely gage what feels good, bad or mediocre. You can begin to use the right amount of technique to make it better.
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Shoulder fore. Horse and rider moving as one, rider is sitting in the middle of his horse, staying centered in the lateral movements and not interfering with his horse’s balance. Compare the horse’s balance in this direction against the previous images (1 and 2), what do you notice? In training, every stride is a search for independent balance and a work in progress.
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EDUCATIONAL
6.
Daily Training
5.
Working trot on the circle. Horse is stepping actively into the rein with a calm and attentive expression. Rider is allowing horse to find his balance. The horse is beginning to relax its poll in image (6), he was stiffer going to the right in image (5).
Like technique, the amount of feel a person uses in training a horse can be gaged on a scale of 1-10, where 1 is ‘rough cut’ and 10 is ‘fine’. One person may employ feel at a 3, another may use it at an 8. The person with a 3 is probably going to do more damage to their horse than the person with an 8. But this is unavoidable We must also take into account what we are feeling – until the 3 person learns, through trial and error, how or not feeling – in our own bodies. Some people are to feel at the level of 8 or more. crooked in their posture but they do not know it. They have been this way all their lives and what is crooked The crime is when the 3 person does not want to learn feels normal to them. Sometimes the crookedness how to feel with more sensitivity; when he thinks a 3 is very small, a light tilt of the head, one shoulder a is enough. smidge back, a hand that does not give as well as the other and more. This will eventually make the horse The person with the ability to feel at a level of 8 has crooked, too. If a horse feels crooked we must learn most likely learned to be more sensitive. They have to recognize if that is coming from crookedness in our assessed the data acquired through their senses, they own bodies. We must work to correct our alignment have processed and stored it , and they experiment and posture and learn to feel a new ‘normal’ that is as with that information every time they train their horse. straight and even as we ask the horse’s body to be. They use it in conjunction with what they are feeling today, in this moment of training. How is the mouth? It is the rider’s responsibility to learn to feel as the How is the horse responding to contact? Soft, giving, hard, moving? How is his posture, do his stifles move horse can only go as well as his rider. freely? What percentage of himself is he willing to Some trainers use a scale of 1-10 to measure how give today? The 8 person rides consciously, listening much technique is required to get the right result. to the horse’s signals, asking questions, analyzing the How do you measure feel? answers and adjusting their riding accordingly. sense that if the girth is too tight the horse will not feel comfortable and therefore not be able to give us his best because he will be focused on his discomfort. He will be unable to raise his back and use his entire body as well as he would if he was comfortable.
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Pic left: 10 meter canter circle. Horse is soft and willing, stepping well under itself and balanced, ready for the next stride . Rider is gently shaping the horse’s posture but not interfering with his self-carriage.
Pic right: Using shoulder fore off the circle to supple the horse, get more response to the aids and awareness of his body. In this shot, Manolo is riding a couple of steps of shoulder fore, just touching three tracks pushing out to the long side of the wall, finishing off with going straight to keep the softness and regularity and to help the horse understand what is being asked of him.
What other factors influence how we use feel and Suppose you have a hundred acres and on it there are two trees you wish to fell. The trees are exactly the same technique? wood and height and shape. But one tree is near the A person thinks like a person and a horse thinks like a fence and in a clearing, so it will be relatively easily to horse, and a horse has no concept of a 1-10 scale for his cut it down without bringing in a lot of heavy equipment training. So we must think of training the horse more or taking a long time. The other tree is in the middle of like the flow of the seasons. Yes, you have autumn, the land, amongst many other trees. For this one we will spring, summer, winter. But you can also have winter have to spend a lot of time and use more equipment to bring it down. days in summer, spring-like days in autumn. Some horses take longer to train than others. Some are more difficult because of temperament or a lesser ability to understand. Some may have conformation difficulties due to youth or breeding – for example, too low behind and too high in the wither or vice versa; the neck comes in too low to the body. These things do not make a horse any better or worse for training than another horse. It just means that you may have to take more time, use feel and the right amount of technique to help him develop properly. ..28
We must learn to make connections between what we see and what we feel and use it to help the horse. For instance, sometimes when I feel a horse is too hard in the mouth, I will also sense that he is an angry or confused horse. He may have been trained right up to the top of the German training scale, but I know that he will be difficult to teach piaffe and passage. I will need to go back to the beginning with this horse to find out what has caused this confusion in his training and why he is angry, and then eliminate the cause.
EDUCATIONAL
The training of every horse can open our eyes and teach us something new that we can apply to other horses. It’s like being a laboratory scientist. We test out what works best for each horse as an individual. We might find that one horse works most comfortably in a slow trot overall. We would ask for some bigger trot here and there, just a few strides at first, feeling for how he is responding balance and posture wise, how he is coping. We would not push him to do a big trot all the time at the start of his training. And vice versa. Another horse might be more comfortable to work mostly in a big trot. We would ask him to make the trot smaller when he feels relaxed and more balanced. We would ask him to trot – we would go by what we are feeling to gage how many strides, where and when. How we ask, when we ask and where we ask depends on how the horse is feeling to us. It might be more
one day and less the next. When you train slowly and ask for things in moderation, you can better analyze what you are sensing. It’s like counting sheep. If the sheep come slowly and calmly through the gate, it is easy to count them two by two or three by three. If they come too quickly because they are pushed and panicking, it is very hard to count them accurately. How do we find the balance between feel and technique? One very important aspect of using feel and technique is knowing when and how much to compromise. The amount of compromise can also be assessed on a scale of 1-10, with one being a little bit of compromise and 10 being the maximum. 29..
EDUCATIONAL
Pic left : At Equitana 2010. Dinamico and his young rider trotting confidently forward, showing the result of kind, empathetic and methodical training.
Pic right: Dinamico as comfortable in a crowded venue as he is in his arena at home. Demonstrating the same calm, attentive, and forward attitude and connection with his show rider as he does with Manolo.
If you feel that the type and amount of technique you are using is giving you a good result, you compromise by not pushing for more. If you feel that your technique is the right one but the horse is not giving, you may have to compromise less and push the horse to give a little more. But once the horse has given, you compromise a lot. You don’t keep asking and asking for more. Compromise is about honesty from the horse and the rider. The horse makes an honest try, and the rider responds honestly by not asking for too much. Compromise is about rewarding the horse for trying. You ask for a little more and he gives it to you. So you back off. You say, that’s enough of that for today. Thank you. That you back off is the horse’s reward. He understands that you are happy with what he has given and he feels contented and confident in himself.
side. He settles into a nice rhythm, he feels calm and forward. We come to the corner. He does that quite nicely, with good balance. There is no falling in or out. The flexion is just right. But he is losing power in the corner. Should I push him forward? If I do I already know I will lose the flexion with this particular horse. And if he cannot keep the flexion he will become crooked as well as lose his balance and rhythm. So I do not push him for more trot, I am just happy with what he is giving me. If I tried to fix that one thing, I would destroy three other things. I use my feel to prioritize what my horse needs help with the most today, in that moment. I know if I keep developing his straightness, rhythm and balance, soon I will be able to add a little more impulsion in the corner and he will easily keep his flexion.
The more we open our minds, the simpler it becomes. And the simpler it is, the better for the For example, I ask the horse to trot on the long horses. a ..30
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Artist
Paula Collewijn
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~ The Art of Horses ~ By Paula Collewijn
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e hold our breath, before us the morning mist behind us the forest and in the distance the stables... At the horizon the first morning glow, a shudder passes through us and I feel his explosive power... At such a moment I feel one with nature and my horse, my noble friend... For me the symbol of freedom and grace.
Some people compare my work to that of the old Masters (although this seems to me exaggerated since I only create what the horse shows me). The title which I give to describe my work is ‘The Art of Horses’; in other words the horse is Art for me. It is so that I give each work its own name which is inspired by the character of the horse and my emotions during the design of the painting.
Horses are my greatest inspiration because of their beauty, strength, dynamic and sensitivity. I paint with passion the movement and emotion of these noble creatures.
A ‘Symphony’ of movement, feeling and beauty ‘Art is an expression of the heart and an image of the soul’; horse power and horse emotions can be felt on the canvas.
My work is ‘free expression’ done in a realistic/ expressive style by individual assignment. The ‘free expression’ takes definition on the canvas whereby the horse become ‘alive’. This ‘alive’ on the canvas is realized through a feeling brought about from a created image. Landscape portraits can be beautiful but for me the horse takes the main focus and the inspiration coming from the horse makes the canvas complete; a mix of its soul and my emotions.
Paintings by assignment I make in a 17th Century painting technique. The technique gives an authentic characteristic to the work, a portrait with history. The final result is derived by building various layer upon layer of paint which in the end becomes a ‘live’ realistic portrait on canvas. Painted so realistically that each muscle appears to be touchable.
My name is Paula Collewijn, born in 1978, year The eyes are the mirror of the soul and here I of The Horse. My specialism is painting and apply intense expression. drawing of horses. Bruce Springsteen has also been an inspiration The main emphasis of my collection is the for me because I recognize a lot in the Iberian horse. The Iberian horse is fantastic development of his life and music. to portray on canvas; flowing manes, gracious body and mesmerizing eyes. For an assignment I use various techniques such as charcoal, pastels acrylic and oil paint. I use a baroque - style by which the horse It is also possible to make an assignment in my appears to come forward in a mural - like way. free expression style. This type of work fits in a modern as well as classical interior. My work is shown at various horse related exhibitions such as Jumping Amsterdam, 35..
Horse Event, Iberian Horse Days as well as Championships and Campeonatos in various countries. ‘A manuscript of the horse’, otherwise a by the hand made script, explained by imagination. The power and emotions of a horse, touchable and forever on canvas. Also available: ~The Art of Horses~ Art Gifts Collection with exclusive Cards, Bottle Art, Birthday calendar, Posters and Artprints on paper and canvas, in different sizes, Book marks, Key Chains (which can be personalized) and other products. www.paula-collewijn.com. a
Come my noble friend, time to canter away ... Hey morning sun, here we come ! Paula Collewijn ‘I write my songs with my pencils’ P. Collewijn 2009
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Sape 381 sport
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hat are you looking for when selectig a Friesian stallion for your mare? Is it a horse that has been World Champion or is it a Stallion that has consistently proven himself through his offspring. Maybe it is just that true beauty and unbelievable personality that first drew us all to the Friesian in the first place. There is a Friesian Stallion out there that gives you all of the above and more, his name is Sape 381 sport. Sape 381 sport, or Sape F.T. at birth, was born on June 6, 1997 by the famous Friesian breeder Foeke van de Velde. It has been said that Mr. van de Velde new instantly that this was going to be a very special horse. Boy was he
Written by Signiture Friesians Photos by. Cally Matherly
right and it did not take long for Sape F.T. to become a true Friesian Stallion icon. In 2000 Sape F.T. was presented as a young 2 1/2 year old at the Stallion Show in the Netherlands and was asked to participate in the Central Proving Test. After passing the test the KFPS officially named him Sape 381. Sape 381 instantly had a major impact on the breed. At his first Stallion Show in 2001 Sape was named the KFPS World Champion Stallion. Twice in years that followed, 2002 and 2004, Sape was awarded KFPS Reserve World Champion Stallion and was third place in 2003. Every year, from 200139..
2009, during his years of eligibility (stallions are eligible up to the age of 12) Sape was at the top of his group and asked to be in the Championship round. In 2010 we where so blessed to be able to bring Sape 381 from the Netherlands to our stable, Signature Friesians, here in the United States. How pleasantly we where surprised, bringing him here strictly on his accomplishments as a Friesian Stallion, on how loving and sweet of a Stallion he truly is. Sape will melt your heart fast. He has that little extra special something that words can not describe. He draws you in with his magnetic charm. There is never a dull moment; he’s always putting a smile on your face.
as one of the great ones. Through the end of 2011, Sape has produced 97 1st premium foals and has a 76.47% 1st and 2nd Premium Foal percentage with 504 foals of 659 shown awarded one of these premies. Sape’s Ster mare percentage is also extremely high with a 51% or 144 of 279 mares receiving the Ster title. These percentages rank higher than some of great Friesians Stallions of all time such as, Feitse 293 Preferent (75.73% foals and 43% ster mares), Tsjerk 328 Preferent (74.03% foals and 48% ster mares) and Leffert 306 Preferent (57.78% foals and 41 % ster mares). Sape has also produced 1 mother of an approved stallion (Thorben 466), 4 Model Mares, 4 Crown Mares, 48 Ster Stallions, 25 Ster Geldings and 10 offspring have achieved the Sport title.
Sape’s numbers truly tell the whole story of Sape stems from the rare Age line, with only why he will be a stallion that will go down 5 Approved Friesian Stallions left from this ..40
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line (Melle 311, Fabe 348, Sape 381, Jorn 430 and Alke 468), Sape’s blood is of true importance to the Studbook. This gives him a very low relationship value of 16.5% making him compatible with a very large percentage of the Friesian Mare population. Sape stands at 168cm or 16.2 hands. Sape is from the famous part of stamline 50 going back to the Model Preferent mare Marianne. His mother is Olcha, a Model Preferent Feitse Mare then from there it goes Dephne (Ster+Pref+Prstm) x Namke (Model+Pref) x Namk (Model+Pref) x Anke (Ster+Pref) x Manda (Model+Pref) x Marianne (Model+Pref). This is the ..42
same part of stamline 50 that has produced great stallions like Anton 343 and Beart 411. Sape stamps his offspring a very strong trot with much length. This is a result of the engagement from the powerful rear end. The importance of a motor/rearend is much needed to be able compete successfully in sport. Sape gives very luxury type foals that stand upright with much length in the forearm. The necks are nice and upright with nice sloping shoulders. Amongst his many attributes one of his strongest is passing on nice length to the Croup.
“Here at Signature Friesians it is a true privilege and honor to have such a paramount stallion as Sape 381 sport. Sape is a true Friesian Icon.” “Sometimes when you believe in the impossible, the incredible comes true!” a Pamela and Matt Gish, Signature Friesians Standing at: Signature Friesians 564 E 1550th Rd Baldwin City, KS 66006 1-785-594-3012 Barn 1-785-423-4024 Pam’s Cell
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BlackSwanFriesians
DIRECT SHOTS PHOTOGRAPHY
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For Sale
BB2 PUREBRED FRIESIAN GELDING. 3yrs old, Stunning regal Looks, breathtaking movement, A complete gentlemen in every way. Can do anything with.. Ready to move onto his next discipline..Loads of Feathers and mane.. This showstopper is the Friesian that you have all been waiting for... Email: coldel.h@bigpond.net.au for enquiries..
$4,500 $6,600 Sire: Chapelhouse Centauro - Pure iberian Foaled: 08-12-10 (irreal imp - grand prix Dressage) Mature 16.2hh + Dam: Bella (lander imp- holstiener)
PRICE SLASHED Does not refect her quality! Taura has all the right ingredients to make an awesome performance horse! She is strong, tall and doesn’t mind jumping a log for fun! A brave girl who would make a great eventer or competive dressage horse!
ph: 0404843636 - Danielle@directshots.com.au ..48
Lusitano
Matchmaker
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Where in the world .....
s G N a n a i T USA
great y people doing About every da r horses. things with thei
Name: Tiana NG Where are you from? I’m originally from Hong Kong
If you could say one thing that you have learnt from a horse, what would that be? With love, devotion, delication, sacrifice and even a little bit of obsession, there is nothing in this world that is impossible. Both Xiomaro and Mattias taught me that. Mattias also taught me about patience. His actions and his love towards me remind me of this everyday.
Where in the world are you now and how long have you been there? I live in Huntley, Illinois, USA for about 12 years now. Prior to that I lived in Switzerland for 4 years. Whats your most memorable baroque horse moment to date? Xiomaro performing at the World equestrian Games What sort of horses do you have? opening ceremony with my trainer Mario A. Contreras. Friesians and Andalusians. There were 25,000 in audience and he was “dancing� with How long have you had horses for? the Lexington ballet to the Lexington orchestra music. They looked amazing!!! And of course the white mane and About 7 years. tail (I spent scrubbing for 2 hours) glowing in the spotlight What do you do with them? helped the performance :) a Competitions, exhibitions, breeding and training Tiana can been found here What do you love about your baroque horses? www.classicalbaroquehorse.com Their beauty but most of all their incredible loving and sound mind. They are built for us to bond and enojoy their talent. They communicate so well to us in their body language and their expressive movements are poetry in motion. I never get tired watching and riding them. ..50
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Classical Baroque Horse
Home of Xiomaro & Mattias, Stars of World Equestrian Games Growing up in the city of Hong Kong, the only horses you will see are the ones on the race track. They are always viewed as prestige, wealth but also a vessel of making or losing lots of money. If you were to have told me that I’ll would be owning, breeding and loving all these magnificent Baroque Horses today, I would have said that you were crazy! Fate has lots to do with how I met and came to own both of my stallions. Before the chance came along, all I could do is admire and envy others’ stallions and dreaming I can have one of my own someday. In the summer of 2008, I heard from a Friesian friend that a farm 10 miles away from them had a Friesian stallion for sale that would fit my humble budget. However, with that price, he comes with issues –both behavioural & physical. I knew I would have to sell my current riding horse to support the bills to bring Mattias to condition, but I bit the bullet and bought him against everyone’s objection. I still recall the moment I saw him. I remember the hauler, an old cowboy brought out this enormous, rebellious, solid, 16.2 hands jet black stallion out of the truck. He called out to all the horses in the barn, blowing steam out from his nostril and he would not stop prancing around…. I was absolutely speechless!!! I was amazed of how gorgeous he was but also worried if I had made the right decision. Make a long story short, today Mattias is the champion of many dressage titles of National and Regional shows with me, the amateur rider from Hong Kong and of course his trainer Mario Contreras. We also successfully performed in many
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exhibitions. He has also come to the point that I can trust him enough to have a children sit on him and have a small ride on him. He can bow, do the Spanish walk, passage and piaffe. He has taken care of me in many scary situations and taught me confidence and trust. The best thing he has taught me is that with love, vision, dedication, sacrifice and sometimes even obsession, nothing in this world is impossible.
a full time job and exhibitions. Mario and Xiomaro were recently featured at the Opening Ceremony at World Equestrian Games with Lexington Orchestra and Lexington Ballet where Xiomaro “danced” into the heart of 25,000 spectators that day. He was also starred in National Western Stock show in Colorado, Northern Illinois horse Fair, Midwest Horse Fair and charity events such as HARPS, United for a dream, just to name a few.
The first time I saw Xiomaro, my Andalusian stallion, was at Midwest horse Fair in 2009. We were doing a demonstration with IALHA group and I still remember how he caught my eye out of the 15 stallions in the group. He was so excitable and tall (16.3 hands)….. He was flipping his pure white mane around of which was down to his shoulder, performing passage like he was gliding through the air. That moment took my breath away!
In additional to my two stallions, we were able to start a small breeding program. Our vision is to combine the temperament, athleticism and functionality of our herd to create ideal sport horses that is suitable for all discipline. We have chosen to breed Andalusians and Friesian because of their sound mind which makes it easy to take them to shows, exhibitions and any “scary” situations. We expose out youngster as early as possible to prepare them for any discipline their future rider might choose and can train them to do so at ease.
Not until July of 2009, did Xiomaro’s previous owner decided to sell him. I was over joy when I heard the news especially since I have been watching Xiomaro and his progress closely since I saw and met him. Classical Baroque LLC was so glad on the day of 8/24/10, we officially have Xiomaro with us!! He was then put into training by Mario Contreras in Classical dressage. We knew he was talented but we didn’t know is how talented he was!! In such a short time, he learned many advanced movements. He was athletic, coordinated, sweet and talented. Mario and I have much success competing at IALHA Regionals shows with him beside our busy schedules working
When we started this venture, we absolutely have no idea what is in store for us. From foaling out babies to performing at World Equestrian Games, it has been truly a dream come true! A special thanks to Mario Contreras, our dedicated trainer and Lisa Diersen coordinating all the special events. For more information www.classicalbaroquehorse. com and training information at www. mchorsetraining.com
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Coudelaria Pedro Written by Sarah Warne Photo Pedro Yglesias de Oliveira
Mares in his farm is Alentejo
Xaqui
ro & P e
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Pic above: Pedro with a newborn foal: an unique relationship of trust!
dro
o Passanha W
hile others searched for mere beauty, sold out for profit, or took the easy option to gain stardom and short term success, one man fought for his principles, never compromised on his ambition, and sacrificed everything he could to achieve his lifelong dream.
“It’s been a family tradition for at least three generations. Breeding horses has always been my goal, for both horses and the country life are my lifelong passions.”
“Breeding horses is my life. It takes up most of my time, every day, through the entire year. There are no week-ends or holidays. I have to control everything personally. I can’t rely on anybody else. My life’s work is not just about horses, it’s about horses in their natural environment, in the countryside that I love so much.”
“The farm has a forest where the horses can spend the winter and a flooded meadow with plenty of water where they can graze over summer.”
At his large property, Ferreira do Alentejo, in the south of Portugal, Pedro is surrounded not only “In this business success doesn’t equal profit. Success by his horses but by all sorts of other animals, is sacrifice, dedication and above all passion,” says including; cats, dogs, geese, peacocks, turkeys, you 57 year old Pedro Passanha. name it!
But the road to success has not been without it’s challenges, but it was his unique breeding style and determination that enabled him to resist tempting offers, and Pedro says that in the end “the result was Known as the ‘great gentleman of horse breeding’, worth the wait”. Pedro Passanha spent 30 years perfecting his signature breed, and is now being recognized “I differ from most breeders for two major reasons,” around the world. says Pedro. At last year’s Lusitano Festival in Switzerland, for “First of all, what I’ve been looking for in my horses example, Pedro was introduced as the man who is not so much an attractive physiognomy, and early bred horses for no other reason than pure love success, but an excellent functionality. for the animal, saying that Pedro, in his quest to pursue his breeding ideals, made absolutely no I try to breed truly good horses and by that I mean concessions. well-tempered horses that excel in all the gaits and are capable of doing everything. “In a very lonely journey he often refused profitable offers in order to keep his best horses and mares It takes much more time to prove a horse’s for breeding. He underwent all sorts of personal functionality than it does their appearance, but sacrifices for the welfare of his horses, with which in the end the perfectly balanced horse, that has he establishes a unique relationship of trust and wonderful movement, turns out to be beautiful confidence. He kept clear and straight his ideas and as well. I’m thinking about ZAIRE, for example, a patiently waited for results (it may take years to horse that is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. prove a horse’s functionality) when all around him people were chasing quick successes.” It has taken me 30 years to breed the ideal horses that I have now. Coudelaria Pedro Passanha was foundered on a long history of horse breeding and a love of both Which brings us to the second difference between horses and the great outdoors is something Pedro my Coudelaria and the horse breeding world, the has had since birth. economic issue. 55..
Coudelaria Pedro
It is very difficult to resist good offers to a bullfighter, and nowadays he is equally sell your best horses, or your top mares, proficient in dressage, jumping, or just as like most breeders eventually do. a companion on long pleasure rides. But holding onto the quality is the only way to achieve long term and lasting results. Nothing is guaranteed in horse breeding. Even the excellent horses will not necessarily produce excellent products. But if you sell the best and breed with the regular, what can you expect?”
Just ask him...he will do anything to please you!”
And so with his drive for perfection and his love of animals, perfecting his own Lusitano horse breed, was of course, the clear choice.
“Lusitanos are a valuable horse for all I already said and much more. There is a very simple and basic reason for someone to prefer a Lusitano over the big eye-catching warm-bloods...their temperament!
Representing the country of Pedro’s birth, the Lusitano gave Pedro the chance to produce something that both him and his nation could be proud of.
There are so many reasons why a rider should invest in a Lusitano horse, but Pedro says the biggest factor is again their unique character and willingness to learn.
The Warmblood is a horse mainly for professionals, because it has to work hard every day to stay under control, whereas “I love Lusitanos for their temperament. the lusitano is the ideal horse for all those They are extremely docile, devoted, and non-professional riders, who don’t have easy to teach! the time to ride everyday. Secondly, I admire their versatility. The lusitano horse is capable of anything. He was excellent during war times right throughout history, he is still fantastic as ..56
Even if you ride a Lusitano once a week during week-ends he will still go well for you. This is something that makes these horses unique.”
ZAIRE: Champio
o Passanha
on of Champions! Functionality vs Beauty!
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Coudelaria Pedro
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TAXATIVO Champion of the Portuguese Champions
o Passanha
Pedro going for a walk at the end of the day
ship 2010
So what began as a love grew into a life’s Two of his most renowned horses include work, and starting with just three mares, Taxativo and Zaire; Pedro’s stud has grown into one of the most well-known in Portugal. Taxativo’s list of acheivements is long including; “I started slowly, more then 30 years ago, with 3 mares from Dr. Guilherme Borba’s brand. Vice-Champion Medium Level – Portuguese Cup 2007 A few years after I was lucky enough to buy 3º place, Complementar Level – Portuguese Cup 2008 an extraordinary stallion that would change National Champion S George Level – not only the course of my stud but the course of the Lusitano breed in general. I’m talking Portuguese Cup 2009 about XAQUIRO (1980-2007), who has an Vice-Champion S George level outstanding record, with more than one Portuguese Cup 2010 Champion of the Portuguese Dressage hundred golden medals and ten titles of Champion of Champions in his descendants.” Championship 2010 While the very popular breeding stallion ZAIRE was awarded; Although Pedro seldom brings his horses into festival competitions, he was once part of the APSL directory board, but retired Champion of Portugal, Young horses, many years ago because he didn’t agree with 5 years 2009. Champion CDI 3*** Sevilha, 2009. certain decisions. Champion CDI (Arruda), 2010. Champion - Selection for the World From then on his horses were rarely exhibited Championship of Young Horses, 2010. except in dressage competitions, where his horses were chosen as Champion of Portugal Gold Medal Concurso Modelo e Andamento FIPSL 2010 in 1995, 1996, 1998 and 1999. 1ºPrize Dressage for Young Horses Nevertheless whenever his horses did appear FIPSL 2010 outside dressage they were always highly Male Champion of Lusitano Breed 2010 recognised, with three gold medals, three Champion of Champions of titles of Male Champion and two Champion Lusitano Breed 2010 of Champions. 59..
Coudelaria Pedro Passanha With four stallions and twenty breeding mares, Pedro produces around 20 foals per year, and says the best foals are chosen according to three major characteristics. “First by their physical configuration; the most angular will be the best. Then of course by their gaits. And finally by their character, which you can analyze very early by watching their behavior in the herd.” Pedro says these same characteristics were the basis for the original selection of his mares and stallions when the breed was first foundered and from that moment on it was all in the proof.
PedroTel. 919015805 Passanha Email. pedropassanha@vodafone.pt Address: Herdade da Malhada Velha, Ferreira do Alentejo, Portugal a
Muddy Creek Cutting
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Dinner B&B
“When I started, I chose the breeding stallions and mares based on the same three characteristics, but once I began, the mares and stallions were kept for their products. The proof is in the results on the ground. You have to experience. It can be that the best stallion or mare is not necessarily giving you the best product.” Inspired by his hero Jesus Christ, Pedro is a man of principle and says the best advice he has ever been given has helped him learn from the success of others. “Be humble enough to accept what those who have already proved something in their lives have to tell you.” In terms of riding, Pedro loved to watch Prof. Celestino da Costa, but today looks to classical rider Miguel Ralão for dressage inspiration, and Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza to see a master in the bull-ring. “But dressage is my favorite discipline,” says Pedro. And finally, when asked what he would be doing if he wasn’t breeding horses, Pedro says...he would be breeding horses! “I would be working with horses of course! I can’t conceive an alternative. As a child I used to dream about working in a Zoo, healing wild and exotic animals. I am only happy when surrounded by and treating animals, luckily I have hundreds of them on my place.”
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Address:
3275, State Highway 85, Lauder
Tel:
+64 (0)3 4473682
Website:
www.muddycreekcutting.co.nz
E-mail:
muddycreekcutting@clear.net.nz
Contact:
Kevin Scott & Ross Campbell
Stay self-contained in this 5 bedroomed 1930s mudbrick farmhouse. Cheerfully modernized, characterful,local artwork and stained glass, openfire and woodstove, equipped kitchen , delightful garden-room and gardens. Share 2 toilet/bathrooms, and sauna or book the whole house. Expect hospitality, comfort, peace, space, quiet, surround-scenery, hot showers, a homely relaxing ambience. Expect also a quality dining experience. The food is mostly all grown and prepared on site with passion. The menu (at our website) includes our lamb, duck, chicken, vegetables, cheese, salami, pickles fruit and nuts. On the rail trail at Lauder. Perfect for a cycle or walk to the tunnels and viaduct.
Black Horse Equestrian Zensational BHE Friesian
Black Horse Equestrian and Abacus Farms California , USA offer for your consideration two very sporty stallions for breeding Offering for sale Friesian and Andalusian, and Warlander foals for 2012. ( coming this summer) We also have saddlebred x friesians, morgan x friesian foals available.
Susie Solomon-Mabe www.Blackhorseequestrian.net ssd127@aol.com 1 530 567 6218
Lourinho AFA-lusitano/Andalusian
Holly Zech www.Abacusfarms.com Hz@abacusfarms.com 1 916 655 1456
DVDs by Anja Beran
Elegant Dressage Training
More about Anja Beran: www.anjaberan.de Part 1:The art of classical dressage training
The intention of this film is to give riders a different understanding of dressage and to make clear: Dressage is made for the horse and horses are not made for dressage! Anja Beran is a classical dressage trainer. Together with her mentor Manuel Jorge de Oliveira, she shows that only correct dressage work turns a horse into a riding horse. DVD Special: The veterinarian Dr. Gerhard Heuschmann explains the scientifically important aspects of classical training. DVD: PAL + NTSC · 90 mins
Part 2: Basic Training provides a solid foundation
Anja Beran and her team show how they work with young horses. Following proper work at the lunge and a careful start under the saddle, the spectator can witness how first steps of lateral movements lead quite naturally to first steps of collection. DVD: PAL + NTSC · 82 mins
Part 3: Schooling of advanced level exercises
Following the proper basic training see how advanced horses progress into higher exercises of classical equitation. Difficulties in training are also addressed. DVD: PAL + NTSC · 87 mins
pferdia tv · Hehrenwiese 8 · D-27299 Langwedel · Tel. +49(0)4232-93100 · www.pferdia.tv 61..
EDUCATIONAL
PIAFFE & PASSAGE How they were shaped by FASHION, HISTORY and GENETICS
The HISTORY of PIAFFE & PASSAGE
Jean-Philippe Giacomini - Master Horseman and Former Olympic Coach
A Three Part Article by Jean-Philippe Giacomini © 2005-2006
Over 40 Years of Experience with More than 11,000 Horses & Riders JP Learned from Master Nuno Oliveira and was an Assistant Trainer at the National Stud of Alter Real in Portugal.
Part 2: THE EVOLUTION OF EQUESTRIAN ART ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
www.equus-academy.com/
THE MANY PURPOSES OF PIAFFE AND PASSAGE IN THE BAROQUE WORLD THEIR TECHNICAL IMPORTANCE IN TRAINING. As already hinted at, piaffe and passage had important functions in the Baroque world. Either La Noue or Pluvinel invented the pillars as the main tool for teaching collection and developed piaffe as the systematic exercise needed to shift the balance of the horse onto it’s haunches. This approach prepared the horse for the “Airs Above the Ground” that had practically become the entire purpose of Baroque horsemanship in the royal courts. The piaffe facilitated both the progressive flexion and the engagement of the hind legs under the body, while its diagonal activity alleviated some of the problems that came with that exaggerated balance on the rear end. Because piaffe is dynamic (as a ‘trot-on-the-spot’), it palliated the stiffening consequence of the frequently used levade, which is entirely static. It also facilitated the preparation of the passage, a forward movement. THE ARTISTIC VALUE. A horse piaffing rhythmically under a quiet rider, then moving forward into a majestic passage and returning to piaffe without losing the cadence and grace that are the cornerstones of the Art, is undeniably one of the most glorious spectacles given to observe to the lovers of horsemanship. Piaffe, passage and the transitions from one to the next represents together the very essence of Classical Horsemanship. In order to fulfill this ideal, horse, rider and spectator must clearly share in the obvious pleasure provided by the display of equestrian harmony. Such work is a glimpse of the nature of the Centaur! PIAFFE AS BEHAVIOR CONTROL. As was mentioned earlier, using piaffe appropriately counteracts the resistance of a horse that refuses to remain active, particularly in the research of collection. I heard Tom Dorrance, the ’Patron Saint’ of Natural Horsemanship say that to keep a horse at attention and under control, one must maintain “life in the horse’s feet”. No better description can be given of piaffe as the most elegant form of behavior control and as an effective way of transforming a resistance into an extremely beneficial exercise. THE POLITICAL PEDESTAL. Until the 20th century, parades were frequent functions of political and military life. Leaders needed horses capable of gaits that were animated and majestic, while gaining little ground so the ..62
‘chief ’ could stay longer in front of the troops or the public from whom he wanted to elicit admiration. Piaffe, passage and terre-a-terre (a very collected and elevated canter in which both front legs and both hind legs move nearly simultaneously) corresponded exactly to the requirement of the parade and were the favorite poses used for official equestrian portraits. These movements are easy to sit on, hence their even greater favor with riders who preferred to maintain their elegant posture rather than appear
worried about their balance in the saddle. In the late 1500s, Philip II of Spain developed his own superior strain of Spanish horses, both active and obedient, mainly for the purpose of serving as his parade mounts. Spanish horses of the better ‘casts’ became fundamental tools used to display the majesty of the absolute monarchy that was the political European system of the Baroque period (16th to 18th centuries). French master Francois Robichon de la Gueriniere best expressed the equestrian priorities of the 63..
EDUCATIONAL
times: “Equestrian authors have given unanimous preference to the Spanish horse, and have considered him to be the best for the manege work because of his agility and the strength of his hind legs, combined with their elasticity. His natural cadence and pride make him the first choice for the pomp of the parade where he can display his grace and his nobility. His courage, combined with utmost docility, is the foremost requirement for war on a day of battle”. THE SOCIAL AND MORAL VALUE OF COLLECTION AS THE NEW PURPOSE OF HORSEMANSHIP. Because jousting had been banned in 1559 in France after the accidental death of King Henry II, aristocrats were looking for another way to prove, not just their valor, but also their superior education, through a social pastime that made them appear a station above the common people. The horsemanship techniques brought back from Italy led to the dominant use of the piaffe, which in turn served as the preparation for all the airs-above-the-ground that imitated the myth of the “Flying Pegasus”. It gave aristocrats the opportunity to establish their social and moral superiority over the rest of society. Pluvinel, writing in the same vein as King Duarte of Portugal two centuries earlier, explained in his famous “Instruction of the King in the Exercise of Riding Horses” both the technical improvements made in the way of training horses, as well as the moral precepts derived from the practice of horsemanship that could benefit the education of a Prince. As a strange consequence of the moral theories emerging from the renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman literature (Xenophon was being rediscovered by an Italian translater), the picture of a man sitting on a piaffing horse became the symbol and the testimony, not only of his skill as a rider, but also of his social status, of his elegance and most importantly, of his character. HIGH SCHOOL IN THE ROMANTIC AGE NAPOLEON’S WARS BURIED CLASSICAL HORSEMANSHIP. The French Revolution negatively impacted the entire lifestyle of the French aristocracy. As a natural consequence, it also dismissed the equestrian art they loved so much because it was a symbol of the despised class system and a “thing of the past”. The Spanish and Portuguese Empires had lost their economic strength and political supremacy in the world. Napoleon discovered Egypt and became so
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enamored with it’s swift horses that he only rode Arabians from then on. He later lent his personal stallions to the French and German studs that were administered under French occupation. They were used to increase the stamina and energy of local breeds for the purpose of improving the quality of the military remount. Wars raged on in Europe and the cavalry systematically became a heavy weapon that no longer required the sophisticated schooling of horses and riders. The ancient regime of aristocratic riders used to practice single combat and needed collection and a little piaffe as a basis of military training. The ‘dragons’, ‘lancers’ and ‘cuirassiers’ of Napoleon’s great army charged at a strong trot or canter in a new tactical approach already announcing the ‘blitzkrieg’ theory of World War II. It required very little equestrian sophistication and Baroque equitation practically disappeared from France, except for a few devoted “piqueurs” (lower level trainers) from the school of Versailles who owed their political survival during the Revolution to their commoner-birth. The majority of the French royal ‘ecuyers’ (higher level trainers) had escaped to northern Europe, in particular Germany, where they passed on the traditions of La Gueriniere and the Royal School of Versailles. A famous anecdote tells the story of a German rider who was encountering a major problem with his horse. A spectator offered to help and his air of quiet authority convinced the German to let him have a go at resolving the issue. In moments, the unknown rider had the horse performing beautifully. The astonished and grateful German famously said: “If you are not the Devil, you can only be Monsieur D’Abzac”, such was the international reputation of this former French royal ‘ecuyer’ who later became the School of Versailles’ last director after the monarchic Restoration in 1814. In the 19th century, the baroque tradition only survived due to the work of few dedicated masters. In Austria, Max von Weyrother put together the training theory of the Spanish Riding School (he was their respected director). In Germany, Plinzner and Steinbrecht laid the basis of the classical tradition that has lasted to this day in the teaching of the German National Federation. In Italy, Mazuchelli wrote an interesting book and inspired Baucher (who observed him when he was working in Milan) by his possible practice of one tempi changes and a method that, though classical in its goals, used innovative methods including
multiple flying changes, up to one-tempi – but they tended to lose some of the grace of the baroque practice. Baucher’s mythical reputation had far reaching influence BAUCHER REINVENTS HIGH SCHOOL In 1816, when Baucher returned to France after his stint that can still be seen today. The dynamic combination of at the stables of the Dukes of Savoy in Italy, d’Abzac’s his approach with the baroque work is responsible for reputation fascinated him. That was probably because the success of many modern trainers. d’Abzac represented the baroque tradition in its purest form, which consisted of working the “whole of the THE REMNANTS OF HIGH SCHOOL IN THE horse” through a series of progressive exercises mostly COMPETITIVE WORLD OF THE 20TH CENTURY. performed at the trot (circles, squares, shoulder-in, halfhalts, transitions), all of them leading to the elaboration In the FEI dressage competition system of today, passage, piaffe and pirouettes are the only classical “airs” from of collection with the horse sitting on the haunches. the baroque period that are still presented. However, Baucher reworked that central concept and the they only appear at the highest levels of competition: movements which result from it by working the horse “in Intermediate II, Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special (which parts”: successive flexions of the neck, poll and jaw done dedicates a whopping more than 50% of the scoring to ‘in hand’; increasing the flexibility of the shoulders and them) and Grand Prix Freestyle. It has not always been haunches through pirouettes and counter-pirouettes; so. When Baron de Coubertin rekindled the Olympic stretching and strengthening of the loins through flame in 1896, the equestrian part of the ‘Games’ was the reining back, animating and controlling the whole horse reserved ground of cavalry officers riding their military through piaffe and “l’effet d’ensemble” (a very collected horses. The dressage class was very simple and did not static position where both the front and back feet were involve any real collected work anymore. drawn under the body). As a result of the extreme degree of control achieved on the forces of the horse, Baucher As mentioned, the influence of La Gueriniere through the could produce all sorts of new movements – such as work of the exiled French aristocratic “ecuyers”, remained the posting trot (called the ”English Trot” at the time).
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strong outside the French borders. However, the presentation of Baucher’s “nouvelle methode” in Germany elicited antagonistic reactions from Seeger and other German equestrian celebrities. The tension had as much to do with technical disagreement as with nationalistic sentiment.. Between the two World Wars, the French General Decarpentry and the German Dr. Gustav Rau founded the FEI (or ‘Federation Equestre Internationale’, which is still active today as the ruling body of the 8 Olympic equestrian disciplines). Its purpose was “to compare, in a spirit of camaraderie, the merits of the different schools of the prevailing thought in the training of horses”. Those visionaries managed to work together at the creation of fair judging rules that conciliated the points of view of the French and the German schools whose guiding theories were both issued from the teachings of la Gueriniere, but diverged markedly at the end of the 19th century. Their effort created a competition, the Grand Prix Olympic test, in which piaffe and passage were restored to their previous level of prestige. Decarpentry felt it was necessary to help his compatriots by producing a little book of photographs, called “Piaffer et Passage”, showing him teaching those movements to his horse Professeur and including all the problems that appear in those difficult movements. GERMANS AND SWEDES DOMINATE.
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In the early Olympics, the Swedes won just about everything until1932, when Colonel Lesage won the Gold Medal in Los Angeles on his thoroughbred Taine. His canter work became the standard of the time, yet watching the film of his presentation reveals that the trot work would hardly be acceptable by today’s standards. In 1936, the German team coached by the extraordinary trainer Otto Lorke (who also trained all their horses), won the team gold, the individual gold and the bronze, while Alhois Phodasky won the silver on his half-bred Nero, in spite of strong political opposition from the Nazi regime. After World War II, the FEI seriously considered eliminating piaffe and passage again as very few riders could perform them. THE FILLIS HERITAGE AND THE RUSSIAN OLYMPIC TEAM. Between 1960 and 1970, the Russian rider Sergey Filatov and the Akal Tekke Absent, heir of the Fillis training program, (who had been one the last equerries of the Tzarist regime), won the dressage at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games, the World Championship of 1970 (Elena Petushkova and Pepel) and figured very well in the ‘64, ‘68, and ‘72 Olympics. Their riding style is naturally reminiscent of their past mentor: the reins are held “a la Fillis”; snaffle reins over the index finger and the curb rein
under the pinkie, creating a strong differentiation of their action (a powerful upwards leverage with the snaffle as well as a strong downwards effect with the curb). The horse’s neck was quite elevated and the piaffe showed some reasonable elevation but looked a little mechanical. The movements were mostly obtained with serious tapping of the diagonal legs with rigid bamboo canes and without much rounding of the back. THE GERMAN/DUTCH RIDERS IN THE OLYMPIC TRADITION. At Munich in ‘72, the Olympic Gold Medal was won for Germany by Liselott Lisenhoff (a student of Bubbi Gunther, himself student of Lorke) on the Swedish stallion Piaff (himself a son of the Gold Medalist Gaspari with the Swede Saint Cyr). Since that time, the Germans established an unrelenting grip on the team dressage competition, yet without showing much brilliance in piaffe and passage until very few years ago. The breeding of their horses, first based on the good gaits of carriage horse breeds, has recently evolved towards animals capable of much better piaffe. Corlandus comes to mind, as well as the great Rembrandt, whose piaffe did not ‘sit’ very much, but produced transitions passagepiaffe-passage that were exceptional in their cadence and energy. At the Athens Olympics, nobody could ignore Welthall’s phenomenal piaffe, passage, extended trot and fluid transitions from one to the other. They were the absolute best I have ever seen from a horse of any breed. His walk and canter work left a lot to be desired, which is a frequent tradeoff with good diagonal work. In dressage, very few are ever perfect! Anke van Grunswen and her trainer/partner Sjef Jenssen are very successful and have led the most recent frontal assault against German supremacy. Their achievements are selfexplanatory: two Olympic Gold Medals, one World and two European Championship titles, as well as seven World Cup Finals victories. Their training technique is the subject of ongoing controversy in the dressage public: ’Is it classical? Does it harm horses?’,etc. However, it is easily understood by the study of their background: both Anke and Sjef learned in Belgium with Hildegard Gekiere at the Flemish Classical Riding Institute. Hildegard was my colleague in Portugal at the National Stud of Alter in the ‘70s, studying for several years with Dom Jose Athayde, a Nuno Oliveira disciple. Hildegard’s teaching is very classical and her school horses belong to the baroque type: Lusitanos, Lipizzaners and Kladrubers. As a result of having felt the optimum piaffe, Sjef has often said “that [he & Anke] could make any horse piaffe”. Point proven! In addition, they also use some of Baucher’s flexing as a way to resolve the localized rigidity often present in energetic sporthorses. They are the proof that a balance between the baroque classical tradition and the more inventive work of Baucher can resolve most training problems.
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THE END OF THE FRENCH BAUCHERIST TRADITION IN MODERN COMPETITION The only remnant of past French glory at the ‘72 Games was a small ‘fireworks but no firestorm’: Cramique, a Thoroughbred ridden by Patrick Le Rolland from Saumur and trained by Francois Cuyer, got several 10s for his piaffe, passage and transitions. The style of the horse, (vertical neck, very elevated in front, not sitting but ‘bouncing’ with great energy), was strongly reminiscent of the pictures of Rempart and Fairclough, two Thoroughbreds trained and ridden by Colonel Wattel, a chief ecuyer of the Saumur school with a talent of mythical proportions. Unfortunately the rest of Cramique’s test was of no consequence. This was the public end of a long tradition. Since that time, Dominique D’Esmee has maintained the French flame, mostly through her inventive freestyle presentations. More recently, German born Margit Otto-Crepin on the Holsteiner Corlandus, won the ‘89 World Cup and a Silver Medal in the ‘88 games, all for her adopted country France, but certainly not in representation of any sort of French ‘method’. The French riding community (which is benefiting today of a renewed popularity) has devoted much energy to the religion (and arguing) of lightness in the past hundred years. At this time it has mostly confused itself - and others - by the production of many fascinating books, but without integrating their brilliant concepts into a pleasantly dynamic expression of riding, not seen since the stunning pictures of Captain Beudant and the gravures of the School of Versailles. Today, we see more and more of the competitive style of riding in Portugal, Spain and France. On one hand, it has improved the gaits of the horses and the general discipline of the riders, on the other hand it is threatening the traditional understanding of collection through the loss of a relaxed use of the aids and an obsession with unrealistically long floating strides at the trot. Spanish riders have been successful in competition, yet their piaffe and passage work doesn’t do justice to the ability of Iberian horses for true collection work. NUNO OLIVEIRA’S INFLUENCE ON THE RENAISSANCE OF HIGH SCHOOL IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 20th CENTURY . The Portuguese are an antique riding people, a fact noted since the Greeks named their country ‘Lysitanoi’, or the “Land of the Riders”. In the 17th century, the Marquis of Marialva created the ideal of the Baroque Age by his riding, his teaching at the
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Royal court and by the superb book he inspired. In the early 20th century, the Portuguese studied both Baucher and Fillis, whose methods they practiced brilliantly, as Roberto de Vasconcellos demonstrated for many years, presenting high school horses for the Ringling Circus in America. Master Nuno Oliveira added his simplified version of Baucherism to both the Baroque French methods and the German work of Gustav Steinbrecht, creating his very personal style of elegant training that reflected the synthesis of four centuries of European classical dressage. His influence has since inspired, through the work of his principal students, the creation of the Royal Andalusian School and the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, as well as a renewed worldwide interest in dressage for art’s sake. Nuno Oliveira’s work is a landmark in the development of piaffe and passage because he practiced it brilliantly with every horse he trained, regardless of breed or natural aptitude. He achieved a degree of facility in the teaching of collection, piaffe and passage in particular, and a fascinating level of elegance in the execution. Because he demonstrated the usefulness of piaffe as a preparation for so many aspects of general training, his work in that area probably surpasses all the preceding masters by a country mile. Naturally, there are many reasons for the progress he made for the art: he received a brief, yet excellent education from his early master Goncalves de Miranda (the last equerry of the Portuguese court, who was probably influenced by Fillis); he enjoyed the opportunity to ride talented Lusitanos from the best stud farms, as well as many really difficult horses that others could not train; he practiced every day, starting at 5:15 AM until the end of the day; finally, he studied relentlessly every equestrian author, gathering material that nourished his daily discussions and abundant correspondence with his best students – such as Michel Henriquet and Dr. Guilherme Borba. It is Oliveira’s genius that permitted him to look at the same information that everyone else did, yet find solutions no one else had found. His horses’ piaffe, regardless of their breed, was always very slow, yet never lost their cadence (he often used a metronome); it was very elevated yet round in the topline; it was very active yet completely calm. I watched him teach it to many Lusitanos; to Mufurz - a Thoroughbred, to Harpalo Prince - an Anglo-Arab, to Pluto – a Lipizzaner; to good horses and to mediocre horses; for just a fleeting moment to prepare the collection for a canter depart or for long periods. In the late ‘60s I saw the Master practice transitions with the Alter Real named Ansioso that seamlessly blended piaffe on-the-spot with passage forward and piaffe
backwards, returning to a few steps of passage, and so on, for 30 minutes, without losing his horse’s lightness, his cadence, his enthusiasm, or without deviating even an inch from a 12 meter line in the middle of the arena. At the end of this demanding session, Ansioso stopped when requested, walked off on a loose rein with his head down and showed absolutely no sign of excitement. How did he produce such excellent piaffes? I can only describe here what I was able to recognize, as most of his actions were so discreet that my uneducated eye couldn’t certainly see all of it, however intent I was on piercing the secret. The Master most often created through the slowest of walk,, the progressive, cadenced movement that results from the relaxed roundness of the entire top-line that represents true collection, not the frantic agitation or the rigid compression of the horse’s front and back-ends obtained by impatient bit and whip actions. This collection seemed to effortlessly result in diagonal steps that announced the beginning of piaffe. He also used many other exercises such as halts from and departs into - the collected trot; transitions from the rein-back into trot; “balancer” (a lateral, measured swing of the front- or back-end) obtained by lateral actions on the snaffle reins; alternating short sessions of piaffe with a few steps of Spanish Walk to help elevate the front end action. Most importantly, he had the utmost confidence in his ability to teach the piaffe, even in very difficult cases such as the AngloArab gelding Harpalo Prince, who had straight hind legs and a stiff-legged, floating action that was not conducive to performing a good piaffe. This display of self-confidence removed all impatience in the Master’s demeanor and, as a result, horses never appeared to feel confronted with a real difficulty in their training.
and working in a controlled and rhythmical fashion, graduating from the grazing of the boot to the even pressure of the spur acting alone, or a light pinching action resembling fingers on a guitar’s strings. The late German master Herbert Rehbein who was also considered a virtuoso of piaffe and passage in Germany, had a similarly effective position in the saddle. I had the opportunity to ride Liostro, a horse Herbert trained for the Olympic medallist Karin Schluter. This wonderful horse’s piaffe felt very close to the sensation produced by Oliveira’s training on the Lusitanos I had the good fortune to sit on at his school, proving once again that good horses happen in every breed and good trainers in every country. In fact, it is really important to avoid “equestrian religion” of this-and-that brand and remember that all correct methods, regardless of their apparent ‘flavors’, result in active, straight, obedient horses that are light to the aids. The next installment will discuss a few of the problems appearing in the training of piaffe and passage, as well as their most frequent solutions. a
Master Oliveira also had a very powerful position in the saddle, his torso slightly leaning back due to the advancement of his pelvis towards the front of the saddle, not because he ever fell behind the movement. His legs were very relaxed at all times, yet close to the flanks 69..
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M iguel
R alão
Proving the success of the DRESSAGE Lusitano!
Miguel
Ralão Written by: Sarah Warne
NLusitano horse quite like the man who built
obody recognises the athletic potential of the 2008, Miguel says that his riding career was actually foundered on a love of the art of classical training, his career and more importantly his life, around the and not driven by a desire for competitive success. incredibly versatile and talented breed. “In the beginning I was more connected to classical “It’s our horse from Portugal and most of my riding, having started my horse career at the riding experience riding and training horses is of course school of my grandfather Fernando Ralão. with the Lusitano,” says 45 year old Miguel Ralão. Founder of top riding stable, Dressage Lusitanos, At the school, the Master Luís Valença, owner of Miguel has worked with horses for more than three Lezíria Grande Equestrian Centre in Vila Franca de decades, and says he owes much of his life to the Xira, had an area that he operated, and he too had a special breed that started it all. very strong influence on my riding, just as so many Portuguese riders have over the years. “I have never had much exposure to good Warmbloods, growing up in the Lusitanos native When I was about 12 my grandfather had a jumping mare that was being worked and competed on by a land, so my opinion may be a little unbalanced. friend of the family, and for fun, at home, somebody But I think the Lusitano is a great horse with the started playing with the idea that maybe I could start ability to give the rider great feelings! It’s a horse jumping with her. And so I did. And for some years with sensitivity, a horse you must ride with a little I jumped several different horses. I believe this was more than just good technique. very important for my equestrian education, as it also gave me a new goal...competition.” And then, with that little bit extra, it is amazing to see what the horse can produce. Often you can’t But Miguel says that his love for the flat work never understand how some seemingly less strong horses, left him, and he always found much fulfillment can produce the things they do.” working the jumping horses in the classical way. Competing in dressage at the Olympic games in
Having entertained his thirst for jumping, Miguel
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Miguel
Ralão
was then called back to his premier focus, and who “It is a great feeling to build up a partnership with a better to learn from than the Royal school of masters. horse, advance up through the levels and hopefully achieve a reasonable level. It is both rewarding and “When I was 17, and for a number of different reasons, motivating.” I found myself working with Filipe Graciosa, who invited me to join The Portuguese School of Equestrian With Lusitano’s being his most prominent partner, Art as an apprentice. I accepted, of course, with much Miguel has loved many of his horses, but says that one pride. mare in particular holds a special place for him. From there I started working with the great masters like Guilherme Borba, José Athaíde, Luis Valença (again), João Pedro Rodrigues, João Trigueiros, along with all the others that have gone on to become accomplished riders. We were all lucky enough to take our first steps as equestrian professionals through the exceptional technical support that we were granted within the school.”
“It is very difficult to say what is the best horse I have ever trained. They are all different, and they all teach you and give you something. Some were great for the challenge and for what they taught me as I went through all the frustration followed by the sense of achievement when I finally made progress.
From his experience at the school, Miguel developed But, of course, I have a special place for Oxalis because a passion for the Lusitano and a love of classical she was the horse that took me to levels I never thought I would reach, and also because of her special academic training. character.”
“My desire was to combine the two and produce horses for top level competitive dressage.” And Miguel has certainly been successful in his chosen path.
Having a mare take him all the way to the Olympics, I wondered if Miguel thought the challenge of competition was more or less easy on board a female.
“A trainer I worked with use to say; A gelding you make him do it. A stallion you negotiate. A mare you ask please!
Taking out both national champion and national vicechampion of Portugal three times, Miguel has also competed at the World Equestrian Games, and the European championships, has taken out the Grand Prix section at both the 2007 Sunshine Tour and the 2007 CDI in Germany, and has competed successfully at the young horse world champions a knock-out four My experience with mares is that you have a different times. relationship with them. They are closer to the herd instinct, and that can became a complication for the Despite all this, Miguel “is still working” on his greatest dressage work, which requires full concentration on achievement, but says that the most rewarding part of the given task.” his career comes from the horses. The horses gender aside, Miguel is inspired most ..72
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certainly by the signature horse of his nation, and says the “Walk; long reins, and of course THINK!” breed has a bright future for dressage, and indeed many other forms, of competition. I would like to consider that the time I work at the School, specifically with Dr Guilherme Borba, shaped most of “I think when you start a young Lusitano with good what I’m today as a rider. potential for the sport of dressage, they are weaker and take more time to confirm the basics that will straighten I have a hard time defining THE greatest Influence/ his body. If you take this time in the beginning, then the Teacher, because I think I was fortunate enough to have “jump” to the higher levels is easy for them as they have the influence from several great riders. To mention some, natural ability to perform the higher degrees of collection. my grandfather Fernando Ralão, Luis Valença, Guilherme The difficult part is avoiding the temptation to perform Borba, Nuno e João Oliveira, José e Luis Athayde, Michael these airs too early, because the horse will do them, but Poulin, Martina Hanover, Kyra Kirklund, just to mention not free from tension and controlled through the correct some. When I see a great ride, that you feel your hairs aids, but out of excitement. standing up, that the harmony horse rider is such that they look like one and only, I think I would like to do that and As for warmbloods, I think they are born with more power I get going with the work. and more tension over the back, but in most cases with less natural ability to perform the more collected exercises.” Walk; long reins. Think! Aside from our four-legged heroes, Miguel has also been inspired by many of the most well-known classical trainers, and says the most important thing to remember when riding is to... ..74
Now teaching all over Europe and the US, Miguel’s plan is to work every day with the horses and the students he has in training, and try to develop them as much as he can, ensuring they become the very best they can be.
“I hope I can ride until old age and became more and more in harmony with the horses I ride everyday.
the Equitop idea.
At that time the Portuguese Dressage scene had no Junior and Young Rider classes. Since they were the core In the mean time, if I have the opportunity to be business of the riding school we decided to try and get competing at a high international level again, that would the kids that had shown interest in dressage out and into be great! “ the national competitions. Having received so much pleasure from the equestrian world, Miguel also hoped to give back to the sport he loves, and jumped at the chance to provide support to the young rider’s who will shape the its future. “I was invited as technical consultant to help in the planning and construction of what is today ‘Equitop’, a training centre for young riders.
“I hope I can ride until old age,and became more and more in harmony with the horses I ride, everyday.”
Later the owners asked if I would be interested in taking care of the facility. So I got together with friends, Cor. Neves Veloso and Pedro Hosório and we started to create
At the beginning they would compete on the horses we had in the school but with time they started acquiring their own horses. And finally some of them even rose to international level which of course was very rewarding.”
Passing on his knowledge to his students from the US, Brazil, England and of course Portugal, Miguel’s methods and his pursuit of classical horsemanship with surely continue. His fans and the young rider’s who are inspired by his riding technique hope he still has enough time to ride a few grand centre lines himself on the side. a 75..
w e i v e R Reviewed by Danielle Skerman
Piaffe Revealed is a two part DVD set by Riz Ilyas, with DVD 1 being “ theory or the classroom” and the second DVD containing “the practical side on how to teach your horse Piaffe”. Riz Ilyas does not claim to be a guru/master or an expert in their field, nor does he claim any of these techniques or training methods to be his own! This type of honesty and upfrontness I found very refreshing and inspiring. Once I started to watch the DVD’s, I found myself understanding and liking what Riz had to say. He goes to a lot of effort to explain in depth the process and provides clear examples to help clarify the instruction. I can with out a doubt say that a lot of thought, time and effort has gone into producing these DVDs! One of the many things I like about this
http://www.Piafferevealed.com/
instructional DVD is that they are easy to understand and there is plenty of examples for the viewer. Riz demonstrates on a variety of horses that are learning this for the first time. You get to see how these horses progress thoughtout. This is a great and encouraging way to demonstrate as it is always helpful to see how a situation is handled and corrected if necessary. This I liked! In the DVD Riz correlates the learning of Piaffe to the likes of learning to read. You start off learning your letters and then you put them together to make the word. Riz says Piaffe training is just like that, learn your letters or techniques and them string them together to make your word, or in this case to make the word Piaffe!. With the training techniques broken down like this, it is less intimidating and more of an achievable feeling!
If you have a product that you would like reviewed? If you do, please email the editor at editor@baroquehorse.com.au ..76
At one point, I wondered if I was going to be able to do this, but then I remembered what Riz said.. anyone can do this and his demonstrations are inspiring and motivational. I just needed to give it a go There is a lot of solid basic training techniques along with an achievable understanding of how to train Piaffe! From my experience many educational DVD’s talk and show some parts of training the Piaffe, however none that I know of go to such detail to explain every little step! I applaud Riz
on all his hard work and efforts to reveal such a wonderful training aid! At $149 for the dvd set, it may seem like a bit of money, however Its very easy to spend $100-$150 on 1 single riding lesson! Would you learn how to teach a horse to Piaffe in one or even 2 lessons? If you look at it that way its well worth it! I would highly recommend this DVD training as a worthy investment! a
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w e i v e R D d by e w e Re vi
an erm k S lle anie
I’m always on the look at for new and interesting products. I understand MDC stirrups have been around for a little while, however they are new to me and many I know! MDC stirrups caught my eye and I was keen to try them for myself! Size Comparison to normal stirrips What is a MDC stirrup? Their webpage clarifies this…. “The MDC Intelligent Stirrups® are a revolutionary new On first inspection of these stirrups they looked strong stirrup design that positions your stirrups where YOU a bit larger than your standard stirrups. Same depth or want them. Riders can now select any of three preset actual foot area, a tiny bit wider and a bit taller/longer. stirrup positions: traditional, 45 degrees or 90 degrees. You They are very solid and sturdy and of good quality. can customize your stirrups to the setting that best suits you, your horse and your riding application. This Feature At first mounting the feel of the angle was different for is a First in Modern Stirrup Technology The preset angle my left foot but that was splitting hairs really.. and upon improves leg, calf and foot position, relieves pressure on hips, looking for my right stirrup, it was there! right where I knees and ankles, as well as reducing leg burns. The MDC left it! Good One! Intelligent Stirrups® are easily retrievable, making your performance more precise and much safer. Additionally, It has been mentioned to me that many find the extra the open stirrup angles greatly reduces the danger of being length of the stirrups difficult when adjusting your actual hung up and seriously injured. Each model comes with stirrup length. Also that the extra height made them to the patented, adjustable top. The MDC Comfort Stirrup® easy for your feet to slip through. For me, I really didn’t has a traditional solid foot plate, while the MDCUltimate find this to be of an issue, however is something to Stirrup® has a rubber protected hinged bottom. Suggested consider. retail price for the Comfort Stirrup® is $169.95 in stainless steel, $184.95 in black and the MDCUltimate Stirrup® is As for the positioning, yeah it was nice, felt fine. The $189.95 in stainless steel and $204.95 in black.” main part was there wasn’t any twist in the stirrup leather. I would say it is a miracle to ‘put my foot in the right This concept intrigued me as that is one thing I really position’ every time and it does sit comfortably and can don’t like is trying to find my stirrup, especially when I assist my position, if I let my foot stay with it! feel a less than pleasant situation arising! Unfortunately we all don’t necessarily have the top skills to ride stirrup- If your stirrups bug you and you stress about getting your less. (yes I know.. one should be able to do so… ! But stirrup back easily then these are worth it for at least the alas this takes more time for some! ) The thought that a stress relief! a stirrup could help the foot position and the ease to get ones foot back in place sounded great! ..78
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Knabstrupper
Breed Profile
Wrtten by Samantha Mcauliffe, www.sportaloosa.com Photos: Christiane Slawik, www.slawik.com
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KNABSTRUPPER... re u t c a r a ch h t i w e s The hor
Photos: Christiane Slawik, www.slawik.com
F
or hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, One of the oldest and most noted of these spotted horses the spotted horse has flourished throughout was the Knabstrupper, a warmblood Baroque breed from Denmark. Europe. Breeds as we know them
today didn’t exist back then. Horses were rather selected and bred for a purpose, for example a war horse, a carriage horse or for training in high school. The spotted horse was selected for function and was found in many different studbooks even up until today, although it has disappeared from others over the centuries. For example in the sixteen hundreds the Hanoverian had many spotted patterns within it. Although not striped, these spotted horses in Europe were earlier known as Tiger Horses and in our language would be the leopard spotted pattern.
The Royal stud of Frederiksborg, Denmark has consistently bred these spotted horses since 1536. The Knabstrupper is a colour variant of the once world famous and much sort after Danish Frederiksborger Baroque horse. These horses were from the agile Spanish Jennets and were originally trained for close combat warhorses. After the invention and use of guns the horses were used in high school by many noblemen. Like the famous Lipizza and Hanover 81..
training stables the Zuchta at Frederiksborg was one of of the results of the grey gene lost a lot of the colouring. the principal schools then and their horses eagerly sought In the 1800s the spotted horses made a comeback in after. Denmark and the name of Knabstrupper was given them because of the main stud in the district Knabstrup. Many of the whiteborn or what we call fewspot leopards were in demand for carriage horses and used Major Villars Lunn aquired a spectacular mare of Spanish at coronations and were favourite riding mounts of the origin and she became the foundation of a lot of the kings and emperors. modern lines. The Flaebe mare, as she was known, had a coat of many colours, dark red, covered with white spots The royal stud eventually disbanded, they had a lot of and brown spots in her blanket. She was famous for her problems with inbreeding and because of the ignorance endurance and stamina. Her son, Flaebehingsten, sired ..82
Photo: Christiane Slawik, www.slawik.com by the golden yellow Frederiksborg stallion produced numerous top stallions. Mikkel was another famous sire and winner of many races. The race horses at that time often had to pull the carriage loaded with people and gear to and from the racecourse as well!! In the late 1800’s a severe lightening storm set the Knabstrup stud stables alight and many of the best breeding stock were burnt to death. Like a lot of breeds that wane, renewed interest after the world wars has seen both the old Baroque type and taller sports type again
grab the public’s imagination and they are being bred and competed on now worldwide. You might wonder what a Baroque horse is? Generally they are described as the type of agile, strong bodied descendents of the type of horses used in the Middle Ages. They are characterised by: Powerful hindquarters, muscular arched necks, straight or slightly convex face profiles and usually have a thick, full mane and tail. 83..
The Knabstrupper is an extraordinarily versatile breed it was used for work around a lot of the farms in Denmark so they have a very forgiving temperament, being especially kind with children.
T h e s e horses are particularly suited to classical dressage, with the ability to collect easily. The Lipizzan is probably the best known of the Baroque type breeds today, but also include the older type of Knabstrupper, Friesian and Lusitano. Although the Knabstrupper possess all the coat patterns similar to the Appaloosa they are different in type, being generally of a more narrow frame, built uphill with the hindlegs set under more. Because of their similar Spanish ancestory, the older foundation Appaloosas would be more of this type. ..84
They are uncomplicated and possess high levels of trainability, strength and stamina. They usually enjoy good health, being kept outside with no problems, very good doers and still known for their longevity. They usually stand between 15-16 hands, some of the modern warmblood crosses can get to 17 hands. They are good movers, easy to ride and have natural jumping ability. Because of their kind outlook to life they are especially favoured by amateur, middleaged and children to compete on. All through the ages they were also used extensively in the circuses and still today are seen under the Big Top. Its smooth gaits and broaded back make
Photos: Christiane Slawik, www.slawik.com 85..
Knabstrupper... cont..
Body: desirable is a square shaped to long square shaped body; a long and slope shoulder, a wide and deep chest; a fairly well built saddle area; the back should not be too long; a well muscled and round croup with a tail not set too high.
them especially good for vaulting. They are especially good to train for classical dressage.
The Knabstrupper is a rare breed and its blood is very precious. Especially in Germany, having the highest population of this breed worldwide, most of the Knabstrupper breeders believe in pure breeding programs. They are on a very good way. Present numbers show that every second Knabstrupper foal is awarded with a foal premium nowadays.
Non-desirable is a high square or a rectangular shaped body; a small and steep shoulder; a narrow chest; a long unclosed back; a straight short croup with a tail set too high.
The Knabstrupper horse comes in three different types nowadays: - the baroque horse type - the classical horse type - the modern type (sporthorse type) The baroque type should show the following characteristics: The head: desirable is an expressive, strong head with a big, calm eye and a slightly convex nose line. Nondesirable is a non-expressive head too small compared to the body and a concav noseline; small covered eyes. The neck: desirable is a strong, well muscled neck with a crest and relatively highly set up showing space for check of jaws. Non-desirable is a short, low set and nonmuscular neck showing insufficient set up and a heavy bridle path. ..86
formed, hard hooves.
Foundation: desirable is a fitting solid foundation with correct, big joints and correct setting of the limbs; medium long pasterns; correctly
Undesirable: are incorrect limbs badly set; small, narrow joints; too short or too long, weak pasterns; too small hooves. Movement: desirable are movements safe intact; elevated and mechanically a bit knee high. Un-desirable are flat, tightened, unelastic or cumbersomely movements lacking of tact. The modern type should be very similar to the type of a modern sporthorse. The classical type is a combination or mix of the baroque and the modern type.
Often there are tendencies to either the baroque or the modern type. Today in Australia a couple of well bred stallions have been recently imported, Loris Flashpoint Af Lyn ,a black leopard to Vince and Samantha.s Cayuse Stud, near Tamworth NSW. Helen Smith imported the white born Numero Uno to Perth WA. There are several been bred by frozen semen plus now foals on the ground. Every Knabstrupper is a real personality. The breed is very versatile and trainable. Or to say it with Bent Branderup:
“A cat will look down on you, a dog will look up to you, a Knabstrupper will look straight into your eye!!� a
Wrtten by Samantha Mcauliffe, www.sportaloosa.com
Photos: Christia ne Sl www.sla awik, wik.com
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“I just had this “feeling” for some time that something was not right… I finally did something about it last week and obviously it is too late now since he only sees shadows. I am so sad!” – October 2010.
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Readers Story
Uveitis or Moon Blindness
By Catherine Licata-Grobarek
T
also well-intentioned barn colleagues there is no cure for Uveitis and with who would say to simply close his each time, the horse will slowly go stall window or apply compresses of blind. black tea. Meanwhile, Jouke’s eyes were clear If only that were the trick to cure him and beautiful between “episodes” of this horrible disease, we would all and we had no idea what was actually happening within the deep recesses be better off. of his eyes. We had the trust in The problem with Uveitis or Moon our Vet and dutifully followed his It was back in 2009 that my six (6) Blindness is that it will show up at directions to apply the topicals only year old Friesian gelding Jouke (YOW random times and in certain breeds when needed. - Kay) started to display some eye though any type may be affected; symptoms that we honestly thought that is how the Cowboys coined the When he finally started displaying were due to dust or wind. The very phrase ‘Moon Blindness’. There will “different” behavior and one of his first “outbreak” happened during a be times when the eyes will seem eyes went an opaque color almost cold winter and during our 2nd (and perfectly fine, and when this is the a year and a half later, that is when still very new) a year together. We case you naturally believe all is OK. I realized something was well and had to rely on the reassurances of, not Unfortunately, there will be another truly wrong and sought additional only my Veterinarian at the time, but episode and another after that, since help. However at this stage it was to 89.. his is a plea to all horse owners that no matter how trivial a problem may seem, don’t hesitate to get that 2nd or even 3rd opinion. As a horse owner, think of this as your duty since our beloved companions cannot speak and tell you what is hurting them. If only this were so…
“Jouke has lost “Poor Jouke. For all what it’s sight the in his right worth, Cyclosporine eye. The lefttoeye Implants seem work well is showing although theysome probably as won’tcomplications reverse any permanent anticipated” – Eye damage.” Insurance Surgeon, July 2011 (6 Company Representative, months Post-Op). November 2010 “Just a tip, if the issue doesn’t resolve in a reasonable period of time, no matter how trivial, I would always get a specialist to look at it….– Insurance Company Representative October 2010 late. There was never any diagnosis of Uveitis or Moon Blindness by my Vet during that time so you cannot believe how shocked I was when told by the Hospital Eye Specialist that not only did he have Uveitis in both eyes, but he had already lost his vision in the right one and was only seeing shadows! Surgery was the only option with no guarantee.
hospital walk apply the drops minimum 3X per day which he will need for the rest of his life. Did my regular Vet mis-diagnose Jouke during this time? It would definitely seem so.
Is there anything that can be done about that? I firmly believe everything happens for a reason and this has made After a seven (7) week hospital stay and two eye surgeries me take each day that I spend with my beloved Friesian later (one halted due to excessive bleeding), countless as if it is the last. Though he only sees a wall of black on invoices and having to walk my Friesian down an empty the right, he doesn’t hesitate and always listens whether hospital corridor every evening for 53 days straight training in Dressage in the arena or galloping outside on then leave him there (it was winter and the only form of trail. By the way, he just loves to gallop in the forest and exercise was a frozen walker), the prognosis is guarded. will squeal in delight occasionally letting out a little buck He is now 100% blind in his right eye and the left one is of joy as if to say “come on, why are you holding me back, what are you waiting for…let’s go NOW”. I just feel and affected as well and there are complications. trust him and enjoy our time together. Throughout this all, Jouke has been simply amazing. It is as if he knows that we are trying to help him so he I will never have another “Jouke” and I am blessed to is always the perfect gentleman for me and the grooms, have had him for so long and intend for him to be with tilting his head towards us (unrestrained) so that we can us for a very long time still to come. a ..90
“We have just received bad news regarding our 7 year old Friesian gelding, JOUKE (DOB 2003). He has “Uveitis” or “Moon Blindness” in both eyes which is news to us since we do routine care according to a strict schedule and never realized how bad his eyes actually were and are.” October 2010.
“Did my Vet mis-diagnose during this time? It would definitely seem so…” – October 2010
August 2011
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is accumulated behind the horse’s shoulder and the advantageous girthing arrangement means that the saddle always remains in the correct position. A certain proportion of the money received from the sale of every Anja Beran Saddle is donated to the Anja Beran Foundation. More information is available from our stockists or under www.passier.com.
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EDUCATIONAL
Saddle Fit and Channel/Gullet Width for the Baroque Horse Written by: Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CEE
I have had many clients with saddles that at first glance look like they’re fitting really well, but when I turn them over, I see that the gullet width is awfully narrow. I’m talking maybe 1-2 fingers here! A saddle with a channel or gullet that is too narrow can cause permanent damage to your horse’s back (but also, if it’s too wide that’s not great either!) I will discuss how to determine if your saddle’s gullet is the correct width for your horse. This is especially important when considering gullet width for baroque style horses, who generally have very wide spines. There is no such thing as “one size fits all” where the channel or gullet of your horse’s saddle is concerned. Instead, the width of each horse’s spine will determine how wide his saddle’s gullet must be. To calculate how wide your horse’s spine is, do the following. Stand on your horse’s left side and place your hands on his spine in the area where his saddle will sit. Then, with the tips of your fingers, gently palpate downward towards the ground. You will first feel bone (the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae), then a slight rigidity (the supraspinal ligament), and finally, an area where there is a bit more give. This is his back muscle or longissimus dorsi. Mark the start ..94
of this muscle and then do the same thing on your horse’s right side. Next, take your right hand and make a bridge over your horse’s back from mark to mark. Put your left hand inside that “bridge.” The number of fingers you can get inside your bridged hand will determine how wide the gullet of this horse’s saddle must be. It is very important that the width of the gullet be the same throughout the entire length of the saddle. Too often we see saddles with gullets that are the appropriate width at the front, but then get progressively narrow towards the back. The result is a saddle that has a 4-5 finger gullet under the pommel, but only 2-3 fingers at the cantle (or less). If you consider the anatomical structure of the horse’s back, this makes no sense. The horse’s spine and surrounding ligaments do not get narrower over the length of his saddle-support area. As a result, in order to ensure adequate spinal clearance all the way down, neither should the gullet of his saddle. It is only infrequently that we find a saddle that is too wide through the gullet for a particular horse. But such a saddle will have inadequate weight-bearing surface, may start to strip muscle away from the top
Jochen Schleese, CMS,CSFT, CEE Certified Master Saddler and Equine Ergonomist Jochen Schleese teaches equine professionals in the expanding global network of Saddlefit 4 Life창 Affiliates, who share his passion and mission to protect horse and rider from long term damage.
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of the ribs, and the back of the tree may actually rest on the spine. A much more common problem is a saddle with too narrow a gullet. This saddle will sit on the horse’s spine and/or ligaments. This is especially noticeable when the horse goes around a corner: if the horse is tracking to the left, you will see the saddle shift to the right, so that the left-side panel rests on the horse’s spine/ ligaments. This is something we must avoid at all costs. In the short-term, a saddle that sits on the horse’s spine/ ligaments will cause him to tighten his back muscles and hollow his back, producing exactly the opposite of the nice rounded back that we want to see, particularly in dressage. In the long-term, a saddle with too narrow a gullet will cause permanent, irreversible, and often career-ending injury or damage to the horse’s back. The most severe forms of such damage are spinal stenosis (compression and narrowing of the spinal canal) and spondylosis (degeneration of the vertebrae). I know you will not want to cause your horse such pain!
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www.schleese.com www.saddlefit4life.com/ www.saddlesforwomen.com a
Is your horse reluctant to move forward? Learn how to ride pain free - for you, for your horse! Saddlefit 4 Life速 www.saddlefit4life.com
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A Dream
Comes True!
By Monya Erb – Spijkhoven Since my childhood horses have played an important role in my life. I’ve neglected my school, my friends, skipped classes, in short I have left a lot for them. However, I have received something wonderful back from them: I turned my dream into reality. In my family there were no horses, so I had to do it on my own. Luckily all my family have a strong will and perseverance in their characteristics. If I had to go to the school principal because I missed some lessons again. I could be heard telling them that I would have my own riding school or training stables one day and that I don’t needed to spend my time in class. Over the years many people have given me advice to not look for a future in horses and have confronted me with truthful stories about hard ..100
we developed the business very quickly. First with 9 boxes, then In competive areana I was rather it grew 23 boxes. We now have sucessful, however I am not someone 250 horses and riders a year, to who particulary likes this much. My nationwide recognition. aim is more to understand a horse and to project this understanding in This is a self made business through a lot of long days, hard work and my teaching. determination. It was and is certainly After working in various training not easy, working in the horse and commercial stables I knew business. But I would not want very quickly that this was not what anything else, this is my world. I was looking for. Therefore, I had a normal office job for many years and Now, I have two companies. A would compared it with the training training centre for people and horse of horses. With 8 hour work day plus and an educational centre called and then training horses meant long ‘tBalingehof, which focuses on the days for me. Of which I have never development of the combinations. If regretted. In retrospect it was pretty people are faced with problems they funny sight with me being in my can come to us. Under our guidance beautiful office clothing with overalls they themselves will find a way to a on top feeding the horses. I would solution. also have to clean and scrub my nails before I to office. We also break in young horses together with the owners. We are With my husbanc and two children working with competition riders work and no money.
for a better performance. We focuas on the development of the riders by giving individual instruction, teaching the classical seat and more insight into the behaviour of horses. The basis for our training is in the Classical Horsemanship. Classical dressage combined with knowledge about natural behaviour of the horse always gives us answers to all issues. Through work in hand, working on the double lunge, work in freedom, groundwork, the young horses are trained until they are strong enough to carry a rider. In addition, desensitisation is important. Through training they will learn to deal with traffic, hack out in the forest and handle unexpected situations. Rider and horse will be more self confident. The second company is Baroque Horses Holland. Due to my love for Baroque horses I have specialised myself in finding the right horse
for the right person. A kind of wishes. Think about a – horse – on matchmaker but between man and - demand. I’ve noticed that there is a need for quality. Its not only the horse. quailiy of the horse that must be good Each man and horse is unique. With but also need correct information, these thoughts in the back of my guidance and after sales service. mind, I have developed a unique sales method that focuses on a Understanding of the roots and lifelong relationship between owner culture of the country of the horse and horse. The friend for life and the is important. Each breed has its ins buddy for years. This method works and outs. Its important to share this and is proven by the many sales knowledge to customers. throughout the last two years 2 years. I stil stay in contact with many of my I now have 3 Andalusian and 1 Portuguese stallion. They are my buyers. companion and friends. In Spain and Portugal, I have the confidence of breeders and traders I would like every horse owner to allow me to take their horses to having that! Holland. I train them myself, in our training centre in the Netherlands. I More information: www.balingehof. then sell them throughout Europe. nl and www.baroquehorses.nl a By training the horse myself I can be sure of a perfect understanding of which will give the best interpretation of matches of the individual customer 101..
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A gift that brings precious memories. Priceless‌ But not expensive..
Unique artworks in pastel, charcoal, scraperboard or pen & ink, delivered to your door.
phone: 0422 726 132 www.alphalink . com.au / ~annj email: annj@alphalink.com.au 103..
It’s all in the Balance. Nutrition for baroque horses by KER Photos: Antonio Mendonca Mendonca
Walk into your local feed store and you’re likely to be overcome by a vast number of options for feeding your horse. Decision making can often come down to the image on the bag or the weekly special. For those of us with easy keeping Baroque horses attempting to control body weight and maintain fitness in the midst of good pasture growth, choosing a feed that isn’t full of energy is difficult. This is where your vitamin and mineral balancer pellet comes in.
supplies adequate energy, horses will either maintain their weight or gain weight, and this may seem as though all of the other nutrient requirements are being met. Unfortunately, with today’s forages this may be a false assumption. Many times there are inadequate amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals in the forage required for the work asked of the horse, whether it is performance, growth, or reproduction.
Ingredients that supply energy are usually cereal grains (oats, corn, and barley) as well as any additional fat (vegetable oil) or fiber sources. Protein is provided most commonly by soybean meal or legumes. In a typical textured feed, the protein and vitamin/mineral ingredients are combined into a pellet, which is sometimes called a fortification pellet, and then mixed with the energy sources (grain etc). In some cases, the vitamin/mineral ingredients are added loose to the The primary goal of commercial grains. Concentrates (textured or pelleted feed formulation is to supply three feeds) are formulated to provide general nutrients: energy (calories), Because modern horse feeds are horses with nutrients that are protein (essential amino acids), specially formulated to meet the missing in the forage. If the forage and vitamin/mineral fortification. nutrient needs of horses during ..104
the many phases of life—growth, development, performance, reproduction, and old age—the ratio of energy sources to fortification pellet will vary with the type of horse for which the feed is designed. For instance, a feed designed for young growing horses with higher protein, vitamin, and mineral requirements will contain more fortification pellets and less grain than a feed designed for a maintenance horse with much lower requirements. As such, feed manufacturers often use the same fortification pellet in all of the feeds in a product line but use it in varying amounts depending on what type of horse the feed will be fed to. This fortification pellet is
commonly referred to as a “balancer protein requirement for a 500kg horse in light work. The remaining pellet” or “ration balancer.” protein required by the horse will be The most obvious nutritional derived from the forage in the diet. characteristic of a balancer pellet is its protein content, usually between If the same horse was being fed a 10% 20 and 30%. A balancer pellet has protein feed at the recommended a high protein level because of its feeding rate of 2.5kg, the amount low feeding rate. The high protein of protein supplied would be 250g, will often scare off potential users the same as 1kg of the balancer because they do not understand pellet. However, the same amount of that even though the percentage of protein is offered in two substantially protein is high, the actual quantity different meal sizes: only 1kg of a that is fed is so low that it does not balancer pellet compared to 2.5kg amount to an overload. Here is an of a 10% protein feed. A balancer example: If 1kg of a 25% protein pellet is ideal for horses that do not balancer pellet (KER AllPhase) is need the extra calories found in the fed, it will provide 250g of protein, additional feed. which supplies about 30% of the 105..
Another characteristic of a balancer pellet is the concentrated minerals and vitamins. Here is another example: A typical feed might have 40-45mg/kg copper while a balancer pellet would have 160-170mg/ kg, approximately four times the amount. The same holds true for all of the microminerals and vitamins. Calcium and phosphorus concentration in a balancer pellet may be double that which is normally found in a textured or pelleted feed.
combined with straight grains as a grain-balancer; or (3) as a top-dress for a concentrate fed at less than the recommended feeding rate.
the starch found in energy sources can be detrimental to their health, particularly those that suffer from equine metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance. Because of Several of the modern horse the concentrated nature and low breeds, including those that fall feeding rate, a balancer pellet can into the Baroque category, were meet all the protein, vitamin, and mineral needs of the horse without adding excessive calories or starch to the diet.
Due to the density of the nutrients in a balancer pellet, the recommended feeding rate is lower, usually between 500g and 1kg, depending on the size and type of horse. Most typical feeds have recommended feeding rates of 2 to 6kg, so it is easy to see that a balancer pellet delivers exceptional nutritional value in a small, low energy package – ideal for easy keepers such as quarter horses. The true advantage of using a balancer pellet is that the horse owner can meet the horse’s requirement for protein, vitamins, and minerals and control the amount of energy supplied to the horse without having to worry if the horse is getting too much. A balancer pellet can be used three ways: (1) alone as a low-calorie source of protein, vitamins, and minerals; (2)
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developed to maintain weight on limited calories, even when they were asked to perform hard work. Therefore, many of these horses are easy keepers, which means they can survive on fewer calories than their counterparts. Some of the horses with the easy-keeper gene are also metabolically challenged. For these horses, not only the calories but
The great thing about using a balancer pellet is the flexibility it provides in customising the nutritional management of individual horses. If fed properly, a balancer pellet can give peace of mind that all of the horses on a farm receive the nutrients needed to grow, perform, or breed. KER AllPhase, manufactured by Ridley Agriproducts is a scientifically formulated fully fortified balancer pellet containing essential amino acids, vitamins, organic minerals antioxidants, protein and yeast culture, suitable for all stages of growth, development and performance. For more information about using balancer pellets in your nutrition program, contact Barastoc on 1300 666 657 or KER on 1800 772 198. Sign up for KER’s free weekly equine nutrition newsletter at www.equinews.com/barastoc a
BEET RANGE
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For more information on how to introduce Cool Command and Competitor into your horses diet contact Barastoc on 1300 555 657 or visit barastochorse.com.au
URGXFWV D U3
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No soaking. Feed straight from the bag! Cool energy source for horses Slow release energy from highly digestible fibre Increased fibre intake Improved hydration Formulated by Kentucky Equine Research
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C h a p e l h o u s e% Centauro Introductry Service fee $880 LFG
Pure Iberian Stallion P/SP 003 Chapelhouse CENTAURO. DOB: 19.1.07 Sire: Irreal (imp Portugal) Dam: La Querencia Pamperita.
Contact: Danielle Ph 0404843636 Danielle@directshots.com.au ..108
facebook.com/Chaplelhouse-Centauro
Puzzel Maze - Puzzel Maze - Puzzel Maze - Puzzel Maze - Puzzel Maze - Puzzel
Puzzel Maze!
Help the hungry horse find the apple!
Puzzel Maze - Puzzel Maze - Puzzel Maze - Puzzel Maze - Puzzel Maze - Puzzel
t s Ju Fu n
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Cross Word - Cross Word - Cross Word - Cross Word - Cross Word - Cross ..110
Spot the 5 differences
Answers: 1. Dark tail grows longer, 2. R on pot dissapears, 3. weed by front of horse dissapears, 4. fence pol disapears, 5. Mane gets smaller.
Find the words below in the letters.
P A T C H A F F P M C L F E G L M S P T R A I L K U Z R D G F G Y E O C L L R U S B I U J E R I D E C H A Q R M N E U Z Y G Y Q X C C D A O I X N S S B A T S U U N E C A R E D T A H A B O O I H S R T P S S A E I X T S K E T R Y R G X H B N E Z E X P E R I E N C E I L J L D N B L M U T L J N N P E O T U I L O I H G D O E N A S Y F T E O D G D I T T V I S U N D P R Q U X A B S F E E D N C N G Y A J R J I P L A I T H M W F L U B L L E U K E Y Q C Y LISTEN HEAR SEE LOVE KIND FRIENDSHIP FUN
LAUGHTER EXPERIENCE TRAIL RIDE TOUCH PAT GROOM
CLIP PLAIT BRAID SUN RAIN STABLES FEED
HAY CHAFF PELLETS CARE ENJOY
nd A Word - Find A Word - Find A Word - Find A Word - Find A Word - Find A W
Find a word
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Readers Gallery of their
aroque horses
This section is to show fun photos of the readers baroque horses. If you have a photo and would like to add to next issue please email photo/s to danielle@baroquehorse.com.au
ned ” ow e r o d ard “Dj’a Millw y d o J by
“Atlantis” and Ashbyrne Mitchell
“DANILON” & Christine from Ednovean Farm.
“ Gestüt Schloss Amerang “
Lipizzan stallion 779 Favory Mara LIV-2
“JASTERO” and Bernard ..112
“Entja”
The Friesian “Ride Day” where Uk owners get together and all go for a rdie together!
“Weibert” and Esmé Venter
“Diego” owned by Brigitte Drexhage
“TL Tranquilo “ owned by B & V Davies
Gestüt Sch lo Amerang M ss ai 2011
“Arent” owned by Kathleen Smith
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Readers Gallery of their
aroque horses
Hanna_Pod Victoria Da
This section is to show fun photos of the readers baroque horses. If you have a photo and would like to add to next issue please email photo/s to danielle@baroquehorse.com.au
Barbara Davies & Tranquilo
“BH Zebedee”
“Ellie” ow Donna
‘Sybrand’ - owner Denise Hawkins
“Ebony” and Chrisina Hibberd
L
Matador and Leesa Collishaw ..114
deroso & avies
iss ! Jodie a k g in iv g o Tak awww.. Samant & her pur ha Mcauliffe ebred Kn abstruppe r
wned by Jacquet d to” an x i l a C “ en Lofgr Elise
Photo:Allison Tomlinson of “Valiente B”
279 Monza 2 year old Champion Lipizzaner filly
Brisance, C II Medussa IV, C Paloma II May 2010
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EDUCATIONAL 4 kids
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HORSE TRAINING
IN
DEFERENCE
You, too, can help to preserve “Classical Equestrianism�, an important part of our cultural heritage and the only form of training which fully respects the requirements of the horse! This can only be made possible by passing on knowledge and experience to the next generation of trainers and riders. Please support the work of the Anja Beran Foundation. Further information is available under www.anjaberanstiftung.de 119..
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www.wallbrookfrie
Photo by Nadeen Davis
iesianhorses.com
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Coudelaria Jo達o
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Find one in Baroque Horse Studbook 123..
Photo: Christiane Slawik w w w. s l a w i k . c o m
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Spreading the
Lusitano
to the World! By Sarah Warne
Determined to illustrate the Lusitanos brilliance from within it’s country of origin, Nicole Giger’s Lusitano Promotion Tour, illustrated to some of Europe and America’s most renowned horseman, why this Baroque breed is the best saddle horse in the world. 125..
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“I first came up with the idea for a tour of the horse and the Portuguese way of horsemanship, while Portuguese Lusitano two years ago, as I wanted to being amongst world class horsemen,” says 75 years show the brilliance and the versatility of the horse to old Colonel Jim Reilly. well known experts from a range of fields,” says Nicole. After more than half a century working on his “I wanted to unite the best trainers in Portugal, one philosophy of natural horsemanship, Jim says the tour from each of the many disciplines where this horse was successful in every way, except maybe his wife excels, to ‘spread the word’ on the Lusitano, and could have used more time for shopping. unleash Portugal’s best kept secret.” “I was completely blown away by the spirit Inviting six trainers and their wifes, with a combined and athleticism of the breed,” says Jim. equine experience totaling more than 300 years, Nicole not only impressed the horse-masters, but “My favorite horse has always been the quarter horse, ignited great discussion amongst the group, about the but I see now the versatility this breed has to succeed future potential of the Lusitano horse. so well in several disciplines.” “It was an opportunity to learn about the Lusitano And they couldn’t have a more passionate tour guide. ..126
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Bridging the gap between the beautiful Portuguese Lusitano and the rest of the world, Nicole Giger’s job is to help equestrian enthusiasts find their perfectly matched Lusitano in Portugal.
and Berni Zambail (Parelli * * * * * - M a s t e r - I n s t r u c t o r, Switzerland).
The 5 day programme journeyed to many of the countries finest Equine masters “I hope to make the Lusitano and breeders, including; Joao more known throughout the Pedro Rodrigues, Miguel Ralao, world and to build up my vast Victorino de Sousa, Brito Paes, network of cooperative partners Pedro Torres, Casa Cadaval and in different countries,” Nicole Mario Neto. says. Showcasing every discipline Nicole has a professional from Portuguese saddlery background in marketing and Natural Horsemanship, management and riding to Bullfighting, Working instruction and says she both Equitation, Classical and “knows and loves horses”. Competition Dressage, jumping and riding in the side saddle Her small but multinational the tour covered over 450 team included Desmond miles, featuring an olympian, O’Brien (Ex-Rider and a three time world champion, Saddlemaster of Spanish High the Portuguese School of School Vienna), Mike Bridges Equestrian Art and a famous (one of the most recognized tamer to the wild beasts, but the Trainers in California Vaquero true stars were of course of the Style) , Frank Barnett (Young four legged variety! horse and problem horse Specialist, USA), Bill Berner “My favorite type of horse is (USA) ,Jim Reilly (Progressive one with four legs... is practical,” Harmony Horsemanship, USA) jokes Desmond O’Brien. Pic 1. Queluz, Pic 2. Pedro Torres, Pic 3. Marie Le Houerou
Photos by: Bruno Barata
left to right: Bill Berner, Nicole Giger, Barbara Reilly, Jim Reilly, Heike O’Brien, Frank Barnett, Maria Brazil, Christine Zambail, Desmond O’Brien, Joao Pedro Rodrigues, Berni Zambail, Mike Bridges, Antonio Borba Monteiro, Jill Bridges 127..
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Specialising in classical dressage, Desmond says the come down to... Lusitano is excellent in all disciplines, because in truth, “Harmony. To achieve results with a horse is to create good horses are good regardless of what they do. harmony with him. “Horses are horses; they don’t care how they are dressed; Dressage, Western, Bullfight... Success for me is forming a great working relationship Just the same there is really only good riding and bad with a horse, and seeing that he still wants to be around me, even when he doesn’t have to be. riding, not so important what style the riding is classified as.” And I could see a lot of great things in the Lusitano; he “My goal was to get these horsemen talking, to get them has lots of suspension in the gaits, and is a horse easy to collect!” thinking, and learning from each other,” says Nicole. Desmond O’Brien, who worked as a rider and And according to Mike Bridges, internationally known clinician and bridle horseman, the only problem was the saddlemaster at the High School of Vienna for 28 years, lack of time. jokes that he wishes the dinner tables in Portugal were rounded, instead of square, to allow greater chance for “I would have really loved more opportunities to sit looking and listening time. around and engage in lengthy discussion after each day,” “It’s amazing when you can share information with people says Mike. of similar backgrounds,” says Desmond. Spending more than 46 years as a Buckaroo cowboy, Mike says the tour illustrated the Lusitanos relationship with “It was a great tour to talk about the similarities and his rider, which is what all success with horses should differences between dressage, western, bullfight... ..128
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It will spread the message of the Lusitano to the world.” While he loved seeing the Lusitano in its home, Desmond says he is captured by many of the Baroque breeds, with one particular horse still holding number one spot in his life. “Dubovina 11, was a Lipizzan stallion from Spain, that I rode during my time in Vienna. He introduced me to very fine aids, took me to the highest of levels, and taught me to listen to the horse, accept him, and above all respect him.” While the Lipizzan taught him to understand our four-legged friends, Desmond says his greatest challenge continues to be, and always will be...
Pic 1. jumping with PICO HORSES Pic 2. Brito Paes doing bull fighting demonstration Pic 3. Lusitano in hand with Paulo Sergio Pic 4. Traditional Saddle Pic 5. Traditional Saddle Pic 6. Cadaval Eduardo Almeida Pic 7. Pedro Torres Pic.8. A closer look and discussion with Pedro Torres. Pic 9. Inspection of mares - Mario Neto
photos by: Bruno Barata 9.
“To understand women...it’s impossible, isn’t it?” Well, lucky for Desmond, his dream of understanding the Lusitano horse was well mapped out over 5 enjoyable days, a tour that he says...
“Was an unforgettable event!” a
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Danielle Skerman - AIPP Accredited and Multi Award Winning Photographer
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Phot ogr aph i c Tut ori als
by Direct Shots Photography www.directshots.com.au
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EDUCATIONAL ..132
Depth of field what the heck is that ??? By Danielle Skerman of Direct Shots Photography Now that we have covered composition and perspective in the past issues your photos should be starting to come along nicely! Sometimes you might find yourself wondering how do to make the background go all blurry?? Well, this is caused by a little thing call Depth of Field. Depth of Field ? what the heck is that? This is the response I initially get when I first start to explain it! In a nut shell, Depth of Field (DOF)is the area which is IN focus in your photo! The blurry bit is the ‘out of focus bits’ Look at picture 1 and you can see this demonstrated. If it is a teeny weenie bit out of focus in the industry we like to call that just a bit ‘soft’ lol.. just another jargon of photographer talk for you! OK, back to depth of field. How do you control it and make it work for you? Let us first look at how to get the blurry background look (see picture 2) to get this you need to have a small or shallow DOF. To achieve this it can be done in two ways.. the technical way and the simple way. The simple way is often the most used, however often doesn’t create as much of a dramatic result (see picture 3) So what are the ways you ask! Well the technical way is in the lens the f-stop or apature has to be wide opens and the simple way is to zoom in! For those who would like to understand the technical way its to do with the size of the f-stop or
This is not a technically correct diagram. It has been created to give the concept of how depth of field works.
the shutter open at eg.f2
the shutter open at eg. f 22
a shallow or small depth of field
a wide or large depth of field
aperture - how wide it opens when taking a photo. The wider it is results in the smaller or more shallow is the area that is going to be in focus. The smaller it is the larger the area that is going to be in focus. The confusing part (sorry to do this to you! ) is that smaller the f number the larger the hole is.. or the larger the number the smaller the hole! So how does this help me, you may ask? Well, if you are wanting to take a beautiful photo of your gorgeous horses head and would like to have it all blurry in the background you’ll need a small DOF or use a small number like f2 or f4 on the lens (hmm.. now days its in the digital camera bit! Often seen as a AV control, you’ll need to know
your camera for that! ) Having said that, if you are trying to photograph your horse in action, go for a larger number or greater area in focus. This is because it is to easy to miss the important parts in focus! Nothing is more annoying that a cracking great shot…. out of focus! OK… back to the easier way! Step back and zoom right in! When using zoom lenses they naturally reduce the focus plain with the telephoto lenses. Therefore, when you put the lens in full zoom it automatically reduces the DOF. However isn’t always as blurry, but it will do the job! For optimum results do the two together! . a
Pic above: This photo was taken with a large depth of field...creating a larger area that is in focus
Pic above: This photo was taken useing f2 and at 200mm zoom. As you can see it has thrown the background out of focus to create that blurry look. Creating a more dramatic portrait.
Pic above: This photo was taken using an mid range f-stop, with the focus range primarly been created by the zoom of the lens. 133..
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