NHE Equine Anthology. Vol 8 by NevzorovHauteEcole

Founder and publisher: LLC “Nevzorov Haute Ecole” Editor-in-Chief: Lydia Nevzorova Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Stasya Zolotova Managing Editor: Donna Condrey-Miller Translation editors: Stormy May, , Kristina McCormack, Varvara Liobovnaya, Sascha Day Editorial Staff: Cloé Lacroix, Marie Duizidou, Victoria Reesor, Lovisa Nilsson, Fred Ivar, Sasha Day, Caroline Lavoie, Jean Lafontaine, Evgenia Shevchenko, Monica Butschek, Kathie Takach, Olesya Rodina, Maria Sotnikova, Alexandra Oranskaya IT Director: Elizaveta Makarova Photo on the Cover: Lydia Nevzorova Art Director: Dmitry Raikin Head of pre-Press Department: Evgeny Mushtai Head of News Department: Sophya Demskaya Chief Executive Officer: Dmitry Uchaev Assistant Director: Elena Kuzina Officer in Charge of the Project: Tamara Komissarova Editorial Office Address 199397, St-Petersburg, PO Box 900 Tel.: +7 (812) 335-30-39 E-mail: Journal@HauteEcole.ru © NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE. All content of “Nevzorov Haute Ecole Equine Anthology” is protected by the copyright law and other acts of legislation of the Russian Federation and international copyright laws. Contents, or part of contents, appearing in this issue cannot be published in the Internet without express written permission from “Nevzorov Haute Ecole”. All text, photographic and/or graphic material found in this issue cannot be published, rewritten or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium without express written permission from “Nevzorov Haute Ecole”.

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Horse Encyclopedia by Alexander Nevzorov

school How I choose horses

This film marked the beginning of great conflict between people who truly love the horse and people who want to exploit it as before. Dozens of chapters – about great people and terrible epochs, about manege elements and famous horses, about scientific discoveries and age old delusions – turned the horse world upside down. The film was released in Russia in 2004 with runaway success and received awards in the Houston and New York Film Festivals. Innovative, unique, based on science and inspired by the sincerest loving view of relationship between two creatures that have walked side by side for centuries, but have never listened to each other. The film has already changed the destinies of hundreds of horses and humans and has become an important hippological document, vital to any serious manege work.

Nevzorov Haute Ecole Principles The film brings a viewer right into the heart of the School – to the School manege. For the first time ever, an outsider can watch the most important principles of work with a horse at liberty. Following the camera’s lens, a spectator follows horse education in the most difficult High School elements, learns the importance of “Discipline” and “Composure”, understands the purpose and practical value of the cordeo, touching techniques and the practice of longeing. The comments of Alexander Nevzorov, which accompany every segment, interpret what is essential for understanding and mastering the School work. The magnetic grace and power of the School horses, the marvelous harmony of their interactions with the Master make “The Principles” not just a priceless hippological educational edition, but also a rare and beautiful film, which once and for all will change a person’s view of the horse.

The Horse Crucified and Risen For five centuries High School masters have fought an uncompromising and unrelenting war against the ignorance, abomination and beastliness that have been concentrated in equestrian sport. But here and now, at the turn of the millennium, when horse torture seems common, acceptable, and legal; old prophecies come true. A man stepped forth to open a new, truthful page in equine history and has brought us this film… In this film – we see the victory of the great School master, preceptor Antoine de Pluvinel over sadistic James Fillis, equestrian sport ideologist. In this film – we see the newest scientific discoveries, which will make people change their views on the horse and its destiny in the human’s world. In this film – we see ancient mysteries, knightly orders and bloody events of past epochs. This film also features the first horses in the world to have received an academic High School education at liberty and their teacher, manege Master, the founder and teacher of today’s Nevzorov Haute Ecole, Alexander Nevzorov. “The Horse Crucified and Risen” shines a light on the most important events in hippological history and gives a viewer the understanding of the essence of horsemanship, which is the basis for understanding the principles and practices of NHE. 4

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NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 8

Journal@HauteEcole.ru

How I choose horses school

school

NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 8

school How I choose horses

How I Choose Horses Part 1. Science and Theory

I can surely say that even if we use the most serious approach in choosing a horse, even if we have an incredible quantity of hippological, veterinary, behavioral and biomechanical knowledge, the “main” horses in our lives are not “chosen”, they just “happen”. This rule holds true even when a horse has to be chosen for professional work in the cinema for a show, for television or photography – in other words, business, with the obligatory need to teach the horse basics or the whole Haute Ecole. I understood this long ago and became tamed by this. I accepted the rule, and was confident in my destiny to choose horses for myself. And I should say, that my destiny has never been mistaken. Amazing circumstances and strange feelings were always the foundation of a choice. They always appeared during the very first meeting with our “main” horses in a mysterious way. Please don’t take it very literally as if I see somebody’s eyes or a tail in the thick of a herd, and then suddenly I cry, “Oooh!”, and the next minute I am catching the horse.

The breed origin and the bloodli ne have ridiculous meaning. It is not good if there is bad English blood, but many breeds have already been spoiled by it, so there is not much we can do about it. If there is an external characteristic correspondence to a School horse’s canon, that is to say “ideal” or “likeideal” body composition that appears in the external integrity of bones, ligaments, tendons… We can let ourselves begin “to feel”. Even then I still cannot set my feelings free as I know that the computer thermography is ahead of me – the best and the fastest kind of diagnostics.

One must realize that a horse with special well-defined advantages combined with certain age and color could only be recognized by a professional. Clearly and at first, coldly and without emotion we evaluate a horse’s body composition, the correctness of the body, the head-position, his shoulders, neck plane, leg integration, joint spaciousness and so on… All of it done by eye in several seconds.

Thermography shows hidden problems of the back, neck and legs. If all that Lydia has found can be healed and repaired, I can begin to feel with all my heart. There is a list of the hidden traumas of very young horses. As a rule, these are traumas of the lower jaw bone caused by the bit, which do not have weighty meaning for me. I am not afraid of these types of traumas as my horses

NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 8

I cannot let myself just “have” a horse. I choose a horse for professional and very difficult work, and its health is the most important factor. The thermographic process grimly demonstrates all inner, hidden problems of the horse. Computer thermography is a rather fast process: a horse is examined fully for 30 or 40 minutes, and if your feelings have already appeared, you are nervously awaiting the verdict.

will never know the feeling of the bit in their mouths. Even serious problems of the mouth will be gone without any trace after 3 or 4 months of the correct work – without any bit. That’s why the inspection of the mouth, jaws, roof and tongue (in case a feeling for the horse has already appeared) cannot make me nervous. As for injuries of the parotid glands that were caused by forced collection, that would be hard and it would take too much time to heal them, if, of course, they have not become chro nic. Though very young horses usually don’t have serious problems with this as equestrian sportsmen have not managed to cripple them thoroughly. Trembling, I await the verdict about the back. Russian horsemen are phenomenally ignorant. And, as a rule, they wreck the horse's back during the first months of training. This is easily done by the wrong work and poorly fitted saddles. There could be different traumas, minor and average, which if healing correctly, would go away in approximately three months while working freely and only on the ground. Serious injuries will last forever and they will prevent a horse from ever becoming a School-horse and performing difficult school elements. If hidden chronic injuries are discovered, I must tend my heart and find strength to refuse the horse honestly, even if I have discovered in myself strong feelings for her. I will not

How I choose horses school be able to teach her in the NHE-way as it will not be fair to her. Natural collection, School jumps (airs above the ground), and other difficult elements would be torture for her. But, if there are no heavy injuries of the horse’s back, I will wait impatiently for the final verdict – the verdict about the neck and legs. Supposing that this text is being read now not only by professionals, I should say that the neck is more important than legs. I cannot even find an exact word. The neck is more enigmatic, the processes in it are mysterious. It could be clearly seen only with the help of super-modern stationary xray devices, which are not available in Russia. All inflammatory and painful processes in the neck are diagnosed very conditionally, since ultrasonography

can not see the neck completely. Even thermography here could only reveal the areas of inflammation and I can only guess if the nuchal atlas membranes are already torn. Besides that, almost all problems with the legs could be solved with a half year of rest, not including severe traumas that do not need thermography as they are easily visible to the naked eye. As for severe limb problems, they will stay forever. As it turns out, during presale training, our horse sellers and their assistants are aware, as a rule, of every possible way to force the horse's neck onto a life long path of pathology and invalidity. And who would say that those people do this with harmful thoughts? Now I will try to explain the reason of my sacral attitude to the neck and its integrity.

Natural collection at liberty (this is the obligatory condition in Nevzorov Haute Ecole) could be easily learned by a horse who has never known “equestrian sport” and forced collection, which is, to be honest, false collection. If a horse had ever experienced false collection he would have a guaranteed post-traumatic reaction while executing flexion from the poll. The horse's muscles and nerves would remember the pain inflicted by the barbaric forced bending of the poll with bits and spurs till the death of the horse. The very thought of collection would make the horse feel disgusted. Moreover, the injuries of the occipito-atlantal membranes, parotid gland and mandibular gland automatically and uncompromisingly turn on the "final countdown" for ANY HORSE. That is why, when Lydia is doing thermography of the neck and the spine, I am in a flap.

Part 2. Practicality and History

Kaogi

His price was nearly 600 US dollars (16,000 RUR), that now could be seen as pennies (for the black Russian Saddlebred stallion). This sum was signed in the documents and it was paid by one of the sponsors of the Russian movie “Master and Margarita”, for which he was purchased. This seems fantastic, but we keep all the documents, even my note about receiving the sum for purchasing the black stallion. Also all paperwork concerning the medical examination and thermography were kept. That sponsor liked accuracy in the records which is why everything had been documented from the beginning.

When I bought Kaogi, he was approximately four years old. Unfortunately, collective farmers had already covered a mare by Kaogi as they declared he was to be a breeder. Looking at Kaogi any fool could say that he was under developed. He had angular movements and dystrophied muscles of the neck, shoulders and croup. Plus, he had a serious foot injury.

This is how Kaogi-boy looked like the day we came to "take the gauge" of him.

They did not have any idea how talented the stallion was, how genial he was in performance of very difficult elements – nobody could even imagine it. No one could understand this in the place where the stallion

was born. His owner, from the moment of our appearance in the stable, had been trying to sell the stallion to anybody without success for а very long time. By the way, we should not discuss this fact or pay so much

NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 8

school How I choose horses

A huge, thick woman who was responsible for Kaogi did not know that a saddle could be of different sizes. She had been trying to make presales preparations of the stallion using a saddle that was three sizes smaller than his back needed! Hardly had she wanted to make him an invalid but she was doing everything in accordance with the total hippologic ignorance that is natural to every Russian horse-seller. The owner (it is interesting to note she was a veterinarian), without protest, was listening to all that nonsense the collective farmers were saying and watching all they were doing with her stallion: incorrect saddling, covering a mare, barbaric training, using a lunge at the age of three, the wrong nutrition, shoeing… So the owner was as untaught as the others in that stable. © Lydia Nevzorova

Eight months have passed.

One and a half years have passed.

attention to it as the stallion’s price clearly reflected the attitude of people towards him and his condition. The condition of the stallion was awful even at first sight. To understand this one should understand the kind

NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 8

sport. As everywhere, those collective farmer-sportsmen were sure of their right to torture a horse. Just because it was a horse! Torture, to tell the truth, was not always conscious.

of people who surrounded the stallion in his childhood. They were the usual collective farmers – the typical public for any village-stable. Stupid but very ambitious people who were mad about the most primitive equestrian

As I remember, my people did not like Kaogi at all, but I insisted on doing the thermography and video pilots. The examination of the stallion, of course, was done by Lydia. The thermography showed unpleasant injuries of the back caused by the wrong saddling and barbaric and rude training. Those were injuries that would be healed with a half year of rest and then a half year of work in hand at liberty only. All his back muscles were in very bad shape, especially the under-saddle area where there was inflammation of pressured muscles. However, the spine was not traumatized. Emphatically, thermography showed the usual traumas of a mouth, typical for a hand of the typical collective farmer. So, Kaogi was a usual ugly duckling then. People had already passed him over. They had not paid attention to him. They had not even looked at him. Dozens of buyers did not consider him, even taking into account his ridiculous price. Our financier, looking through the examination results, seeing the dystrophy of many important muscles and a number of hidden traumas, was very

I’ll start my story by presenting my masters. Their names: Quicio and Matuso. It’s been four years now that they are part of my life and not one day goes by without them teaching me something new. They are my true guides, calm, patient, generous, lively, expressive, free, (at least as much as a horse can be free in a world where man has now taken everything for himself), and they never hesitate to say no to me when I exceed the limits. And believe me, I’m never happier than during those moments. Now I can really see the happiness in their eyes. Honestly, I also unfortunately read some negative feelings when some days are a little bad, but it’s usually the happiness and peace that I can see. Yes, I think I can say they are happy. Yet this has not always been the case. Quicio, born in Portugal, left his country when he was а few months old for France… for a riding school, more precisely, in which he “grew up”, until he was three years old, in mud and manure, surrounded by shouts, subjected to beating and horror, to be purchased shortly before his fourth birthday by absolutely good people who could not resist the distress of this little creature.

Marie Duizidou Official Nevzorov Horse Revolution Representative in France

Come back to the reality

Matuso, was born in Spain, and grew up also in an atmosphere of fear ... in the most complete horror I would say since he had the privilege to live the wonderful life of bullfighting horse! But as he didn’t really fit to the standard of the perfect spanish horse, he was sold to someone in France. This beautiful little gray stallion may have thought that his sufferings were over. Unfortunately for him there were no green meadows. He found instead the humidity of a dirty stall in which he was jailed 22 hours a day, pain, beatings, shouts, and lack of food. After a few weeks he became really aggressive. No one could approach him anymore. So he was offered for sale a second time. But this time, there was no chance for him to show any aggression. Castration, submission, second hope?... Second disappointment. Ten years of physical and mental torture. This is a horse who

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school Marie Duizidou was “in shreds” I have found and two years passed before he could believe in me. I wanted to believe it, I knew he could... so I waited, waited, and waited... and one day he said yes. Our history could begin.

What I see today with them and with each horse I meet is indescribable. But all this is very new for me, in fact, when I write this we are in 2011 and it would be unthinkable for me today to show the smallest feeling of an-

ly fascinated by her beauty. I could finally reach that dream with my fingertips. I suddenly saw myself riding my horse with the wind in my hair, living with her the rest of my life, taking care of her, loving her, feeding her, brush-

It was not easier for Quicio at the beginning, but he found some stability rather quickly and he has been there (and he always is) every second for Matuso and to help me in my task. He felt immediatly how this horse needed help… Well, there are so many things to say but I prefer stop here. They are both two exceptional beings for whom I have a boundless love and who know now that nothing can happen to them anymore. I promised them.

ger, discontent or impatience toward a horse. But only a few years ago, I oppressed and tortured many horses cheerfully and without any scruples.

ing her, jumping poles with her, and taking her to her box every night… just like in the movies. But how could I know then, that at that time, the truth may have been a light-year away for me. My love for this creature was stronger than everything and I was sure I was going to do everything to make her happy. Well, I was among the champions. A lot of fantastic images came to life and I found myself now in the hands of men and women giving themselves the title of profes-

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I think my beginnings are no diffe rent from the beginnings of millions of young riders who take the road every day to the equestrian center for their first riding lessons. I quickly found immersed in a world that I found magical. I approached this creature for the first time and I remember being total-

The Equestrian Inquisition horse revolution

The Equestrian Inquisition In memory of Annabel – one horse among many others – condemned to the tortures of the medieval inquisition

Imagine that a regular store sold inquisition devices. Furthermore, they are sold not as antiques, but as quite ordinary tools for everyday use. They are new, in beautiful packages with the instructions for use. On the shopboard are mouth openers 1 sold in bulk and pincers to pull out nails, nostrils and teeth; on windows – whips of all kinds, with chains with or without hooks; on shelves – vices and “Spanish boots.” And in the center of the room with a table marked, “Please do not touch” on a nice label – a real rack 2. Do you think these instruments can only be seen in a museum, where hardly anyone will attend? All these worn-down exhibits shed pain and sufferings of the hundreds, the thousands of tortured. If one comes closer – one will hear the moans and death rattles of the tormented souls. Now imagine that this type of shop does exist these days! And not as a sex shop or sadomasochistic underground hideout. But as a quite usual equestrian shop. Here are sold the above mentioned inquisition devices, but they just have a different title – “Riding equipment.” However, they carry the same suffering, pain and blood.

We will not consider “boring” snaffle bits and curb bits with which you can, without any refinements, just break the horse’s mouth. We will not mention the common jumping, dressage and racing whips with which beatings cause haematomas to internal organs. We will neglect the new spurs, draw reins, martingales and other devices and “iron,” which will only torture the horse (or many horses) to death in the future. And finally, the cherished stand. Let’s look closely what is proposed be done with the one of the unique and best friends of man, a wonderful and sadly silent, miserable creature – a horse. Note: In most countries most of these instruments are forbidden by the FEI for use in competitions. But there is one nuance – what is forbidden to use during competitions... is not forbidden to use during training sessions.

EXHIBIT № 1 Bit Burrs and Long Roller Burrs View Fig. 1. Elaborated version of “heretic’s fork” 3, applied not only on the neck but also on the lips, chest and rump. The spikes number not just four today but more than twenty. A step aside, a movement of the neck, an impact on

the mouth – and the spines penetrate the delicate skin of the horse. Long Roller Burs are demountable. It consists of a stick and a leather yoke with spikes, which can be sold separately. (Evidently this tool wears out very often...)

EXHIBIT № 2 This exhibit is used to “regulate the height of the head position” This diplomatical phonation (view Fig. 2) hides the description of another type of “heretic’s fork,” with tines missing. How are things, for example, in ballet schools? You hear a soft and melodious: “The Second Swan – Chin up!” And in the horse racing world... they cuff the horse, so there is no back–talk!

EXHIBIT № 3 Devices used for artificial nostril dilation I think it is unnecessary to add comments here (view Fig. 3), everything is clear – pincers for pulling out nostrils was one of the most popular devices of the Inquisition.

EXHIBIT № 4 Snaffle bit, made up of mobile bars with rings at each end (view Fig. 4). The one ring is fixed on

Metal gag (speculum) – an iron tube was placed inside a ring, and pushed deep into the throat of the victim, the device held by a collar firmly locked behind his neck. 2 Torture table rack – an instrument of torture most commonly used across the European territory. It was a large wooden table on which the victim was stretched out fixed with wooden plates. For tightening the chains a rolling drum was often used. The victim’s body was expanded to over 30 extra centimeters. 3 Heretic’s fork – a leather strap tightly clutching the neck, with four sharp spikes sinking under the chin and sternum, thereby preventing the victim from making any movement.

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horse revolution The Equestrian Inquisition

Fig. 1 a–d

Fig. 2 a–c

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reviews

reviews books

books The Corpse’s Dress

What Not to Wear on a Horse G. Oakley, S. Soskin Riding outfit: What Not to Wear on a Horse Publishing House “Aquarium Print”, Moscow, 2007

Editor's note: This review is of the Russian translation of the book and there are some differences between it and the original English version. In the first part of my “Brief History of Leisure” series I’ve started to publish reviews of the modern products of literature which bear at least a formal resemblance to a book. Let us continue. Today we will look closely at the very popular and best-selling book on sport fashion, or, to be more precise, on the fashion of that strange variety of sports which is called “equestrian”. So, here we go: G. Oakley and S. Sos kin – “What Not to Wear on a Horse”. To be honest, this book is rather playful and the ones who wrote it did it whole-heartedly. This book wins its reader with the bravery with which a couple of elderly English ladies stepped over the hypothetical "fringe of sense" and, after finding themselves in a kind of psychi-

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atrical mirror world, have started to play and fool around in there. This “mirror world” is the world of equestrian sport fashion. As for the book – it is a thorough instruction in a ways of how one should be dressed while torturing or killing a horse. As in any other mirror world, this one is "reversed” in it's very nature in comparison with the usual human reality. All the concepts there are reversed, good and evil have changed their roles and places. This world has its own special language which doesn't resemble any of the human languages. There are special rules of conduct and a very special perception of beautiful and ugly. The book is amply illustrated, mostly with the portraits of some persons

who (if they’d happen to find themselves in Russia) would’ve been chased away even from the cheap beer stand as they look too conspicuous. The book is also decorated with the pictures of 15 bottoms of cranky shape and enormous size. Any bruising, shrivelling or bulging of the bottoms is inspiredly commented upon and there is even a special solution for the primping of any bottom of those listed. Pictures of the bottoms are provided with playful and meaningful captions (see illustration 1–2). For example, a mysterious white bottom presented on page 32 looks exactly like the bottom on page 29, but the first one is provided with the phrase “Bull’s eye” (see illustration 3). There are no dartboards or any other targets on the presented bottom, so we’ll have to conclude that this phrase is either a mistake made by the de-

books reviews

Ill. 1. P. 30, 117

Ill. 2. P. 59

Ill. 3. P. 32

Ill. 4. P. 14

signer of the book or a direct command for the members of the sexual minorities who are reading the book. Though, the command is given in an insultingly rude mandated fashion and the quality of the photograph and paper would certainly prevent the reader with some special obliquity from proceeding to “action”. Some frightful abbreviation “VPL” is thoroughly discussed on the pages of this fashion guide. This abbreviation is presented with the meaningfulness and intensity which are more suitable for the presentation of the formulas of the Deathly Kabbalah, but this “VPL” means only “visible

NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 8 29

reviews books panty lines” (as you’ll find out on page 28. The authors of the book skillfully build up some hysteria in this theme (the panty one). The stories of the surgical removal of the panties from the body of some unlucky rider who had become a victim of the back of some cunning horse are interlaced with a no less terrifying narrative of some french-panty wearer who had “ridden” too much and made herself so sore that “even bandages and patches could not help her” (p. 29) (see illustrations 5–6). The fate of the poor soul is unknown for the reader, but the grave tone of the authors lets us assume that the awkward panty wearer had died a terrible death right at the horsejumping arena. Later a reader finds out that one can “terribly suffer” not only from some panties, but from the dunce cap as well. It is stated that some snappy dressers suffer from “brow desensitization” (p. 101). It is also stated that a good try-on of a dunce cap at the shop should last for a few hours at the very least. “Some types (of dunce caps) have a square front and can cause a terrible headache”. In other words, it can cause a headache, but not necessarily (see illustration 4). I suppose, it would not cause a headache if one’s head is suitable for the given dunce cap, i.e., has a square shape. But one can find out if it is her case only after wearing a dunce cap for a few hours during the try-on. To be sure, not all the astronauts are equipped so thoroughly and diligently as the characters of the masterpiece we are looking at..

Ill. 5–6

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Of course, the impression that this book is written by idiots and for idiots and is some kind of idiotic official literature is so overwhelming that the reader shyly closes the book and starts to look for an appropriate advisory phrase on its cover, title and back. But there is

Petition Against Equestrian Sport Currently Nevzorov Haute Ecole Research Centre has the unquestionable evidence of the cruelty of equestrian sport. We are ready to bring to the highest level a conclusive accusation we think it is legally acceptable to claim moral damage caused to children, whose mental health is endangered while participating in "sport activities" which consider the cruel treatment of a living being to be normal. The above is pertinent to the audience that is unsuspicious of the real nature of equestrian sport, races and other forms of human entertainment which includes horses. We bear in mind the extent of the problem: we understand that the equestrian industry will use any means possible to defend its financial interests. Also we understand that we can withstand and win the fight only when we close our ranks. We need your aid, the aid of the sane and intelligent people. Let us together stop the lies and the rampancy of legalized cruelty. Let us mark the 21st century with the prohibition of such a shameful sport as equestrianism. Let us exclude "Equestrianism" from the Olympic Games. You can not ignore public opinion nowadays. The Internet connects people all over the world. Through the efforts of the publicity the use of the wild animals in circuses was banned in the USA. The horse slaughterhouses were also closed there. In Australia the horse races were banned at the Victoria race track. All of these happened because of the unity and bravery of the people who are ready to make a stand against the deadly machine of equestrianism. And this is just the beginning.

Stop legalized violence! Sign the Petition

The Horse Crucified and Risen

Home Chapter 5

The Horse Crucified and Risen

alent is a scary thing. Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus was fiendishly talented. His book “The Twelve Caesars” has been a worldwide bestseller for 18 centuries now. It was he who concocted the so alluring and successful genre of the dirty politician. In particular, Suetonius made clear that spots of blood and sex form a magical pattern on the page that always will be of greater interest to the reading public than any of the letters there. With his magic touch, people who were confused, sophisticated and intimidated by the world and who had on their imperial shoulders the whole foundation of the world, which was then ancient Rome, merrily represent rascals, monsters, perverts and schizoids. And thus they will remain forever, for the son of a Roman legionnaire, Suetonius, besides having a colossal literary talent, also has a certain status as a primary source for historians. A status, by the way, which is extremely doubtful, for Suetonius had never actually seen any of those about whom he wrote. True, he had time to rummage through the old scrolls and listen to his crazy grandfather, who was the 36th extinguisher of the 84th torch at the court and was fully able to gather certain gossip and retell it to his grandson. But no more than that. Nonetheless, the youthful Roman emperor, Caligula, whose name literally means “Little Boots,” was cut down by drunken centurions, finished off by historians and thoroughly defamed by film makers. He was the son of the emperor Germanicus, a boy who grew up behind the palisades of the legion’s camps. The old praetorians would lay him down to sleep on his own cloak, sheltering him from the rains with their hacked shields. It was the same Little Boots-Caligula, who in reality was adored by thousands, and didn’t even read the denunciation about an attempt on his life and wouldn’t believe it, declaring that he “was not able to arouse hatred in any way in anyone.” However, he was represented by the liar Suetonius as some kind of completely fanatic scum. Caligula has remained that way in history.

NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 8

Chapter 5. Home

No one cared about his true personality or his authentic appearance any longer; it was of no interest to anyone because the very talented Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus offered an image somewhat more tantalizing and alluring, an image of a wild libertine and a schizoid spiller of blood. In a word, Caligula’s depravity was somewhat hackneyed and commonplace, and his historic physiognomy was distorted by the grimace of lust forever. However, if one were to rummage among those same scrolls in which the old man Suetonius rummaged at one time, it suddenly would become apparent that it was Caligula who banished from Rome the “Spintria,” a sect of admirers of the vilest of sexual amusements cherished by the emperor Tiberius. Gaius Caligula was urged not to drown the “Spintria” in the sea, which he wanted to do, obeying the natural, and judging by the scrolls, great and genuine feeling of disgust toward the libertines. This is how talented people, historians and writers, turn white into black. The miraculous power of art. Tacitus and other serious historians never were so categorically negative in regard to Caligula. Nor, by the way, in regard to other heroes of their history. But, Tacitus and others like him are “dull” and therefore read only by despondent historians who sadly burrow their own worm holes through the annals with their careful study, while picking their noses in vain and printing insipid little articles in obscure digests. Suetonius, on the other hand, was, is and will be an absolute hit. Everyone will continue to read him as they have always read him. They will quote and make films based on his work. Blood and sex are, after all, a way better information commodity than any kind of real history. It has been that way forever and so it will be. (By the way, even a cursory acquaintance with Josephus’ “Chapter 18” easily explains both the real reasons for Caligula’s murder and for his posthumous defamation.) I read the history of the Little Boots emperor for the first time when I was about seven. Of course, in Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus’ scandalous, canonical account. And I believed hardly a word of it. But when I read how the centurion who struck the blow, missing Caligula’s neck, cut his chin, and Caligula fell, bellowing to the conspirators: “I am still alive!” and how the ancient Roman officers finished off Little Boots before his bodyguard’s very eyes, I thought about what happened with Incitatus, that very steed whom Caligula, shocking the court and the world, decided to bring into the Senate, making him a consul.

NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 8

The Horse Crucified and Risen

The steed’s story is almost unknown. Judging by the fact that after Caligula’s assassination, a certain “centurion Julius Lupus 15 beat against a wall” even Caligula’s tiny daughter, Incitatus didn’t survive for long. They probably vented their feelings on him. The more so in that Incitatus had a “legal” home, “a palace with servants and utensils,” which were presented to him by Little Boots, and secured for him in accordance with all the codes of Roman law. Observing legal standards, it was possible to confiscate a person’s home only if he was dead or had been banished. And the house was good. Its sweet splendor shines even through Suetonius’ spiteful lines. A black stallion in a purple horse cloth and pearls wandered in the evenings around all the rooms of his home, clip-clopping past the white rows of statues and columns in the triclinium. a The servants unfastened bronze fibulae, removed the horse cloth and the stallion slowly entered a basin of warm water (steaming a bit in the cool night), in the middle of the main hall’s atrium. The praetorian guard wandered around Incitatus’ house with swords drawn, insisting on quiet so that nothing bothered the stallion. All this was thanks, of course, to the good man, Gaius Caligula, though the horse was absolutely indifferent to the level of his home’s aestheticism. The stable’s beauty speaks only to the warder’s nobility, but says nothing about the habits or desires of the prisoner. This in no way detracts from Gaius’ service as the founder of the ideology of correct equine management, management in which everything is supposed to serve the horse’s safety and his comfort. He wasn’t right about every single thing, but he laid a fine foundation. Moreover, I am deeply convinced that a normal stable should also be partly a religious structure, with a certain unnecessary luxury, and an excess of aestheticism. It does not matter that the horse is indifferent to these things. Nowhere in any temple or sanctuary are the tastes and preferences of the resident deity taken into account. Perhaps Little Boots was simply shaking up ancient Roman society, but I suppose he was frank in his desire to provide a very comfortable life for Incitatus. He despised man’s world, though he felt it and knew it well. Judging by everything, he was noble and passionate, and sought to express his sensitive nature outside the company of other people, away from the human world. In any case, in speaking about the horse’s home, that is, about a stable, I must immediately and honestly warn you that whatever we do for the delight and relief of the horse’s stable life will never be appreciated by him.

NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 8

ÂŠâ&#x20AC;&#x2030;Lydia Nevzorova

Here we introduce to you a list of rare and ancient things which were not known to hippological history or were completely forgotten. In this cartularium there will be forgotten articles and texts, which are vital for attaining an understanding of Equine History.

cartularium

cartularium The hidden meaning of old engravings

The Hidden Meaning of Old Engravings In fact, many ideas and meanings which spiritualize old School Masters and their imitators are encrypted on title pages preceding old tomes. It should be known that it wasn’t always deliberate concealment of meaning or intentional encoding with Masonic, Kabbalistic or other symbols. Though such symbolism took place, of course, and very often. It calls to mind a classical example of a book “Criptome” (1624) by Gustavus Selenus whose title page has confidential information concluding almost more than the book itself. Or the book “SYLVA SYLVARUM” (1627) by Bacon. There one can find really difficult encryption, weaves of Rosicrucian ciphers, codes of Lurianic Kabbalah and complex steganograms. At that time the title pages of books were brilliant information transmitters. By virtue of Bacon, abbot Trithemius, abbot Spanheimensis and Gerbirolius, the fashion to encrypt title pages spread widely up to the beginning of the XVII century. In our case everything is much easier. The titles of School books have, of course, secret signs and codes suited for disciples, followers and devoted people; however, mostly the meaning is not hidden in secret symbols, but in fairly simple symbolism of which the significance was forgotten or lost in three and a half centuries.

ea lin vit

in gl

For example, let’s compare the title engravings in Pluvinel’s book (Amsterdam, 1666) and the title engravings in La Guérinière's book (Paris, 1733).

vir

Simply speaking, when opening an old tome and looking at the title page, the person must know that in front of his eyes there is not just “a picture”, not just a decoration, but very serious information which filled up like-minded persons with respect for the book and opponents and pessimists with contempt and anger. b

They are very simple to analyze using the ordinary, so–called clavis Gerbiro or Gerbirolius key that is very suitable for such cases. We will not be talking about Kabbalah or cryptograms (though they are there too) but about simple and thus subtle and obscure symbols. However, we should remember the rules of graphic steganography. When deciphering, the first rule according to Gerbirolius is compliance with the so– called virg. linea, the virgin’s line (or maiden's line) which crosses the page from the bot-

NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 8

cartularium school curb

School Curb The beginning of XVII century, France

Design – Padane Author – Solomon de la Broue

NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 8

This section is dedicated to discourses with those who are capable of turning the cold searchlight of science on any hippological problem. World-known hoof-trimmers, luminaries of veterinary sciences, historians and professors of higher educational institutions of hippology will tell you about their work, their ideas and horses.

colloquium

That is all I will say. I believe that is enough for everyone who can understand and too much for those who are completely incapable of understanding. Alexander Nevzorov

film colloquium

Alexander Nevzorov was the first to claim that horses are not for human amusement. He is a Master of Haute Ecole, who discovered the secret of true collection. He taught his hors es to perform the most complicated manege figures without any means of punishment or force. As the cre ator of many books, movies, sci entific studies and disclosure arti cles, he is a warrior who deliv ered a death-blow to the horse-consum ing monster of equestrian sport. In short, Nevzorov has done more for the benefit of the horse than all the rest put together. And now he con tinues his work. Today he rarely and unwillingly speaks of races and equestrianism – the re cord has been set straight. It’s only a matter of time now before all kinds of equestrian sport will die out. There are fewer sensational photographs and videos of his horses performing Haute Ecole figures that appear on the Internet – this phase is over. He no longer speaks with enthusiasm of the “school mount” and spatiums during riding. What interests Alexander Nev zorov who had walked so far away on his lonely “horse path” now? It turns out that he is keenly interested in such things as what word he should choose to indicate a glove, for exam ple. Should it be the word GANT of the Vulgar Latin of the XII century? Or should it be the word DIGITABULUM – the name they used in ancient Rome for the fingerstalls they wore to gather olives? This is an issue of great impor tance because the one who should name the glove is… a horse. …By request of his tutor, the black stallion Kao walks towards the lec tern holding Latin letters. Unhurried ly, but confidently, with some kind of nervous passion, which is mixed with the complete concentration on his tu tor’s words, Kao answers the various questions. What is shown in the picture? What does this woman do? What is the weather outside? What do you like about your stable? Who are you?

Equus sapiens Indeed, who is he – this pitch-black stallion who can read and write? What is this – some kind of phenomenon or is it normal? What if this is some thing like written language, railways, quantum physics, the ability to write poetry, to cure pneumonia and to fly into space – something that we sim ply had to discover one day? Are our society and our minds able to not just accept the concept of reading hors es, but to change their point of view and their behavior based on this new information? Why does a horse need Latin? Latin is not for the horse. It is for the human, who ought to learn how to teach this way. It teaches us to communicate with a horse while never raising a voice to her and not using any kind of tactile effects. Secondly, it teaches us to respect a horse and to understand what an interesting and intelligent being she is. There is nothing peculiar about reading horses, as they are intelligent creatures. What would be peculiar is if they were not able to learn how to read considering the fact that they have such a brain. So, horses are intelligent? As we all know, the key criteria of intelligence is the ability to encipher sounds into the graphic characters (we call it “writing”) and vice-a-versa – the ability to decipher graphic characters, the ability to read. Those abilities allow us to get the amazing answers which indicate that there is a similarity of the intellect in the different species of mammals. A horse’s brain is comparable to a human's. If we give it such “tools” as graphic characters (i.e. the alphabet) we can organize the intellect. So we can teach a horse to associate, to generalize and to draw conclusions… It sounds like some kind of miracle! But is this a man-made miracle?

Of course, the prolonged and very complicated work in hand and the flawless knowledge of the horse precedes everything that provokes the horse’s intellectual behavior. We have here a sturdy nine–year old stallion who is full of energy, powerful and tall. And I have to convince him – not force him – to stay with me for some hour and a half and to study some kind of cards! Believe me, it is really hard to achieve. But he stays with me for this hour and a half without any means of retention. This is more of a miracle than reading is. What is the most complex part in the preparatory work? It’s the first stage when you are to explain to another animal that you are an intelligent being. They do not think of us as intelligent animals. What?! It is zoologically reasonable: they do not think of other species as intelligent ones. For example, you would not think that a giant ant at whose disposal you turn out to be is an intelligent being. As for the sounds you emit… Do you watch Discovery channel? Have you ever heard the hippopotamus’s roar? That is, roughly, how horses hear us. This method was designed to prove to a horse that we are intelligent in our rather peculiar way. During the lessons of manege reading the horse discovers that there are logical connections, information and thinking in the things a human does. A horse understands that there is a funny (from her point of view) intellect out there. So it is not we who find that a horse is intelligent, but the contrary? It is a big mistake to be sure that a horse knows that a human is intelligent. One big and stupid mistake. A horse doesn’t know! It is the human who ought to prove it – to prove that there is logic and sense in his actions, that there is some meaning in the sounds he emits, that he is not dangerous.

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colloquium film

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film colloquium

Equus legens (Reading horse) Alexander Nevzorov says that there is nothing peculiar about giving a horse a system of graphic characters and to communicate with their help. He even finds it not to be interesting. What is interesting is to understand how horses see and name the world before they walk into the world of hu man letters and words. Only this could be worth teaching a horse to read. So that one day you could ask her: “How did you think before?” And, of course, reading and writing helps to answer such regular hippological questions as what food a horse prefers, what kind of quarters, what kind of weath er and what human or animal com panions. A horse–person must know precisely those things. And now Nev zorov knows them. So, one day you walked to your horse and asked him if he was cold? And he answered you? Of course, if I’d just walked to the horse and asked “How are you?” and he’d told me that he was cold, it would be nothing but cheating. There was a quite complicated process of studying. I took two identical hot–water bottles. They were both blue, both smelled the same and both were bought in the same drugstore. One of those hot–water bottles was frozen in a fridge, another was filled with hot water. Then I put those hot–water bottles to the horse’s back alternately and explain that this is ALGOR (cold) and that is VITALIS (warm). You go on with ALGOR–VITALIS for some time. Then, so there would not be an association with hot–water bottles themselves, you take a piece of ice wrapped in cloth and hold it near the horse at some distance so he can feel the cold. In a word, the explaining of a concept is quite a prolonged thing. After that a horse should identify and explain it himself. He can say if he is cold or not, that he is warm and why he is warm or not. And that is when we can ask some simple practical

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questions. But this way is not as simple, as it seems. For example? For example, it is unbelievably difficult, almost impossible, to explain the concept of pain. I’ve managed to do it only about a third of the way for now. It took me a year to do it. How, you may ask. I shouldn't say so, I shouldn't even think of it, but I have to wait for some small traumas (scratches etc.) to appear by themselves. Some time ago Kao managed to scratch his cornea a little. We all know, that corneas are tremendously innervated and that even a tiny scratch is painful. In the process of curing the scratch, while he felt this pain, I explained him that this is DOLOR, pain. No living beings, including humans, are born with the knowledge of even one letter of the alphabet. Not only humans can read and write. A lot of animals can express their thoughts, but nobody teaches them to do it Is a horse able to understand abstract concepts? Yes, of course a horse is able to understand complicated associations and abstract concepts. She can draw complicated conclusions. For example, I showed Kao his round shelter (the place where he lives; it looks like a round manege with big windows). I showed him a photograph taken at night when there is a light in the shelter. I asked him “What is it?”. He said: CASA KAO, i.e. Kao’s house. “Is Kao there?”. He wrote: KAO NON, Kao is not there. I ask him “Why?”. He answered: ALGOR, it was cold. He knows, that I take him to the warm stable at night. Can you bring an example of associations? Is horse able to understand them too? Yes. I'll say it again – you can teach everything. For example, I took the tricorn hat and wore it on my head.

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colloquium film

film colloquium

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