NHE Equine Anthology Vol. 5

HAUTE ECOLE

Vol. 5

EQUINE ANTHOLOGY

The Horse crucified and risen by

Alexander

Nevzorov Chapter two

EQUESTRIANISM

REVIEWS Linda Tellington – A Tin Can Natascha Smargiassi

CARTULARIUM The “Chardon” curb COLLOQUIUM

Dan Guerrera: The main thing I do is work with ungulates

© Nevzorov Haute Ecole

editor-in-chief’s word

We could enjoy the summer, but speaking honestly, for a horse, summer brings a horrible period. It brings a “season”. A dressage season. A show-jumping season. An eventing season, a horse racing season and so on and so on.

A “season” is a period of extensive torture. Just for fun, for pleasure people torture horses with triple, with quadruple violence. All this will be called “sport”. Under “sport’s” name will be exulted wild cruelty and barbarism.

Hundreds, thousands of horses all over the world will receive horrible injuries to the mouth, locomotorium apparatus, spine etc. Their deaths and torments will be suppressed, the mauler's tortures will be rewarded. Somebody will get a piece of cardboard with a ribbon, somebody will get prize money.

Of course, all this is repulsive. But if five years ago all this was repulsive and unclear, now we have light to shed. More and more truth about so-called equestrian sport comes out. It is more and more repulsive in the eyes of normal people, who do not get money from the horse’s pain. “Sport” excuses itself more and more. It’s clear now that its days are coming to an end. The civilized world, when the truth about equestrian sport comes out, this truth, which is proven by science, will take a nasty turn away from the man in a “top– hat” or a velvet helmet.

But something other than “sport” this summer will give the horse trouble. According to forecasts by parasitologists (forecasts!) this summer might be very rich in “sanguivorous” creatures – botflies, horseflies etc. To fight against these “sanguivorous” insects is as difficult as fighting against sportsmen… They also don’t understand such arguments as expertise, scientific data and research…

They want the horse’s blood. And they assure their right to get it.

And we assure our right to use repellents.

Editor-in-Chief Lydia Nevzorova

Founder and publisher: LLC “Nevzorov Haute Ecole” Editor-in-Chief: Lydia Nevzorova Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Stasya Zolotova Translation editors: Stormy May, Kristina McCormack, Varvara Liobovnaya Editorial Staff: Cloé Lacroix, Marie Duizidou, Victoria Reesor, Lovisa Nilsson, Fred Ivar, Sasha Day, Caroline Lavoie, Jean Lafontaine, Evgenia Shevchenko, 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”.

Contact: Journal@HauteEcole.ru www.NevzorovHauteEcole.com

Horse Encyclopedia

by Alexander Nevzorov 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.

www.NevzorovHauteEcole.com

Journal@HauteEcole.ru

school © Lydia Nevzorova

NHE: The official NHE representative in Switzerland Natascha Smargiassi lives with her three horses in the town of Giubiasco in the Canton Ticino in the southern part of Switzerland where the language and culture is Italian. Natascha is one of the most action-oriented and successful members of the Horse Revolution. She has already accomplished a great deal and continues to work hard for the benefit of horses. Natascha works as a medical advisor specialist in diabetes, thyroid pathologies, cardiology and infertility at a pharmaceutical laboratory. Her work gives her the financial ability to keep three horses. On the other hand, as Natascha herself admits, her affiliation to the medical field is really helpful in her main work with horses. It helps with all types of this work – whether in the manege with her own horses or with people to whom she allows the possibility to see the truth.

I

Natascha Smargiassi noble Don Quixote of Switzerland

Not only Love, but also knowledge 6

NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 5

I work in the medical field and I can see that Alexander’s statement in which he points out that humans and horses are both mammals responding to the same physiological rules is true. That is a great Truth but is too often kept in the dark for economic reasons. I believe that the more my knowledge of equine physiology grows, the more I understand my horses and the better I can care for them.

My little filly Tzora has a parrot mouth and in the wild she would not have survived. With the care I give her (with the help of the dentist of course), she lives a normal and happy life, and is becoming a proud and beautiful horse.

My salary is fully dedicated to the welfare of my horses. I could never bear it if my horses had to earn their own keep to stay with me, never! I spend 4 to 5 hours a day with and for them, working to offer them the best living conditions and care, because for me they are very respectable hosts and my best friends.

It is amazing how life turns. Looking back in time, I can barely believe that when I was 40 I was still terrified by horses due to a trauma in my childhood. Who knows why at the age of

© Lydia Nevzorova

Equestrianism Chapter 2

The Horse crucified and risen

12

ngland.

The 21st century.

Rossdale & Partners veterinary clinic, Newmarket.

The dreams of the young racing mare Theresia III, that ended up here, on the red and blue oilcloths of the operating table are enchanting and peaceful.

It is absolutely quiet here.

Absolutely sterile.

State of the art medical equipment, and the great hands of Richard Payne, star of veterinary surgery known throughout England.

The filly Theresia III is lying on her back.

Her stomach with its tiny, prim udder with two teats has collapsed deeply.

Her neck, the very long and almost straight neck of the costly English pure thoroughbred, is extended its full length, and blue corrugated hoses lead into the mouth, feeding the blood and lungs of the filly pure halothane, the gentlest anesthesia.

All her legs have been lifted and the washed hooves are in clear plastic bags.

Richard Payne, who is glancing at the monitors around the operating table, is digging into a foreleg carpus with an intricate, shiny instrument while happily mumbling something though his mask.

On the monitors is seen the arthroscopic operation and the broken joint in which the instrument rummages.

Besides Richard Payne, chunky English nurses are fussing around with the sleeping horse on the table.

One of them constantly lifts the filly's eyelids and shines a light into its eyes, while at the same time she taps on a keyboard with a gloved hand. (The stage of the pupil's dilation, most likely.)

Theresia III sleeps. The pain has left the joints broken by the races.

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And the gaseous halothane anesthesia bears her, the sweet beautiful mare, away from the table, into a huge pasture covered with high grass, to her mother and to her sisters. It carries her into a space of freedom, into love and happiness, to the life for which she was really born.

And the life that people created for her is forgotten.

A life overwhelmed by pain in her broken legs and in her burning and bursting lungs, a life which passes in the darkness and the stench of the stall from which they suddenly pull her into the blinding glare, to the shouts, to the din and stench of thousands of Yahoos and they begin to break her mouth with iron and to beat her.

But now on the red and blue oilcloths of the table, this second life which people have conceived for her has disappeared somewhere.

Memories of it have melted away, as the pain has melted away.

And then the filly Theresia begins her run!

And how she runs! How freely, how extensively and powerfully‌ The racecourse visitors in checkered caps who make their money on races would howl and scratch their ugly mugs in complete ecstasy!

She runs in her dream, but her hooves in the clear plastic bags run too, and gauze pads, hoses, oilcloths, nurses, bags and sensors fly all around the operating room.

There is static and a gray rippling line on the monitors.

In her reeling, droppers and clusters of vials crash to the floor, and the great Richard Payne himself rebounds and his blade, having traced a sparkling track in the sterile air of the operating room, sticks exactly into the center of the schedule board of operations.

The sleeping beauty gallops, while laying on her back, amidst the lively chaos in the operating room.

But several minutes will pass and it all will be restored.

They will pick up the droppers. They will adjust the monitors. They will give him another blade, and clear bags will once more will be placed onto the calmed filly's hooves which are raised toward the sky.

Horse races have maimed the filly Theresia, as they have thousands of other horses. Her fate, her pain, are typical for a horse after the first racing season.

Today Richard Payne, undoubtedly, will heal her, having performed a madly expensive and complex arthroscopic operation.

Of course, he will heal her only so that she can race again, destroying her joints and tearing her tendons and lungs.

But once the cost of the treatment exceeds the cost of the filly herself, Theresia's owner will buy herself another horse, and the filly Theresia will go nowhere.

She will go to slaughter, or be killed on the training grounds, or she will die slowly under the fatbottomed girls who play with her life in their sport.

One way or another the filly Theresia III will be sent to a heavenly pasture, to her own equine god.

NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 5

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The Horse crucified and risen ***

It is not totally by chance that I have begun this chapter about equestrianism with an episode that relates more to horse racing, although, if one is oriented toward the concepts generally accepted in the equestrian world, horse racing and other horse sports do not have any relationship to each other.

But I long ago consolidated for myself all human amusements, that are based on torture and a lack of understanding of the horse, into one whole. I believe that troikas, racing of all kinds, the horse corrida and the circus, eventing,dressage, ”pleasure” riding on rented horses, and show jumping all are, per se, one and the same. For simplicity, we shall call them ”equestrianism”.

All of these disciplines have one main, unifying feature: they all are based on a complete lack of understanding of the horse, ignorance of it, ”not hearing” it and they all conceive of the horse as a biological mechanism that is obligated to serve man for his entertainment, simply because… well, because it is obligated to do so.

There is a definite cruel logic in this.

In the animal world there is a leader from the order of primates, the suborder of the higher humanoid (Darwin's ingenious wording, by the way), and he, on the strength of his ”highly evolved state” claims the right to eat what he wants and to amuse himself however he wants, without any consideration of the feelings of the one being eaten or the perceptions of the one he has chosen for his amusement.

In other words, an ape which has progressed to the mobile telephone, television serials and handheld stun guns, calmly violates the world and its inhabitants as he chooses, including the horse.

That's the way it is and it is stupid to argue with it.

I would say that this is a certain biological reality, not so much disagreeable as it is unflattering.

There is, true, one small problem — this biological reality does not entirely conform to those myths which the developed primate has proclaimed as the reality about himself, and which he and his kind have believed about themselves over a period of 35 centuries.

I have in mind all the trifling but sweet myths about a soul, about a conscience, about kindness, about a god and nobility, etc. — their full range is widely known.

The origin of almost all the world's religions is a direct consequence of mankind’s universal inferiority complex and its aspiration to distance itself from the fussy, fidgety, hairy, stinky and very inconsequential ancestor, the ape known as Pierolapithecus catalunicus or Paranthropus.

This clear perception of the insignificance of its own origin has been humanity's special ”quirk” in all centuries and eras. If Darwin had us being derived, for example, from the panther or something just as spectacular and heroic, I assure you there would be thousands of times more Darwinists.

But, here's the problem! We are really counted in the classification of living creatures as follows:

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1) in the class of mammalia, 2) in the order of primata, 3) in the family of Hominidae 4) in the sub-order of anthropoids 5) in the family of Homonoids (humanoid primates) And so forth… One simply wants to cry!

But! I draw your attention to point 3.

Clearly stated here is ”the family of Hominidae”.

Hominidae has been guaranteed to us by science.

But only ”Hominidae”.

That is, similar to that being, which, being ashamed of its nature, laid down myths about itself, believed in them and is trying to live and feel in accordance with them, despite its abominable biological origin.

A certain loophole, take note, has been abandoned.

A wee one.

But it exists.

And it is perfectly within our power, either to remain ”Hominidae” or voluntarily take upon ourselves the whole load, the whole accumulation of a fascinating falsehood, absorb it, merge with it and transition to another category.

Those who have accomplished this merger between a descendant of monkeys and Paranthropus become composers, martyrs, philosophers, writers, saints, warriors, or artists.

But in his relationship to the horse, man always was, and still is, merely a monkey, a being from the order of primates.

Hominidae. (I have already spoken about the rare exception of the Zhuangzi or de Nester type.)

And equestrianism, its philosophy, its practices, its customs and its procedures fully confirm this thesis.

By the way, Jonathan Swift had laid down all this brilliantly.

And it is no accident that we represent Swift's Yahoo here in the red riding coat and jockey cap, the traditional attire of the quintessential equestrian sportsman.

Cavalrymen, water carriers or miners, for example, were, of course in no way better, often even worse, but they lived according to the laws of their time, of their war, or of their hellish labor.

For war, the conveyance of water on horses dying from joint pain and strain, and nightmarish labor in mines where a horse was lowered down approximately as shown in this document (see tables 3 and 4), where it first went blind and already having gone blind pulled a cart, and then

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The Horse crucified and risen

took a long time to die, having been cast into the secluded corners of the mine and there spitting up black coal dust, is all disgusting, but it came about because of a certain earnest need. It was not for mere amusement.

But sportsmen and wannabe sportsmen are simply being entertained, amused.

You must be aware that all the ”important proceedings” — the ritual installation of colored sticks at a definite height for show jumping, the clattering of the starting bell, the doping inspection, the points and penalties, the styles of the caps and ”iron”, the idiotic Olympians, the dashing troikas, the steeplechases, the harness racing, the horse corrida — all of them are nothing more than entertainment, amusement.

Equestrianism is, as is well known, is not at all a necessity; this phenomenon did not arise out of any kind of need for survival. Equestrianism is entirely optional. It does not have to be.

No one's fate, health or life is at stake.

An urgent dispatch, so to speak, is not being conveyed across the front line.

Those who earn money with this business simply devise a way to obtain payment for the amusement, no more than that.

Sportsmen, in proof of the seriousness of their diversions and with a goal of imparting certain tragic ”gravitas” to their activities, very much love to discuss the dangers of equestrianism. But the hemorrhoids, calluses, injuries, sweat, broken noses, broken backs and concussed skulls of the sportsmen should not evoke anyone's sympathy. After all, no one forces sportsmen to amuse themselves in just this way.

The extensive ”martyrology” of steeplechase and show jumping and other amusements of equestrianism in which, thank goodness, the actual torturers of horses frequently break their own necks, are entirely the problem of the torturers themselves.

The injuries of a mere sportsman —the blood and even the death of an idler who decided to have some fun, who wanted an adrenalin rush, some ”self-glorification” or a hundred rubles -should not be confused with the sacred blood of a gladiator, who was forced into the arena at spikepoint.

So, let's call things by their true names.

Equestrianism is the amusement of people who lack the ability to feel the horse's pain and appreciate the horse's spirit and are convinced with all the passion of the hominidae primate that the creature who is, in their opinion, inferior is obliged to entertain them and to be subjugated by them simply because it is obliged.

As much as the horse does not want to participate in their amusements voluntarily, these people use instruments for the infliction of great pain in the horse's mouth, in the lower jaw, in the poll and the neck, and in the loins and the muzzle.

This pain is so severe (in any competition one can see a horse who is experiencing a painful clonic convulsion, and the sportsmen nearby giggle, convinced that the horse is simply tossing its head) that ordinary horses, horses that are not very strong in spirit, are quickly destroyed.

Sometimes, however, the standard means of inflicting pain are insufficient to assure the horse's NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 5

Chapter 2. Equestrianism

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obedience. ”Resistance” to the standard means has nothing to do with the strength of the horse's spirit, but only on how badly the horse wants to escape, even for a moment, the terrible agony he is experiencing. When the horse ”resists” standard means, then other means are used — electroshock, ordinary beatings, refined beatings, ”multiple floggings”, beating with sticks on the legs, compressed air weapons and frankly torturous means of continuous action: martingales, checks, overchecks, spiked cavessons, side reins, chambons, de Gogues, standing martingales, driving reins for work in-hand and similar abominations.

This torturous arsenal allows, for example, fastening a horse's head tightly to its chest and immobilizing it that position (side reins) or, conversely, pulling the head high, fastening it to the horse’s back and immobilizing it in that position(the check). And then they compel the horse to perform with its head tightly fastened.

These things are done in order to crush any resistance and in order to correct the horse's movements to the standard acceptable to the type of sport.

I have enumerated only two positions of eight or ten, but the others, too, have a purely painful purpose. The martingale, for example, is a strap construction which makes any normal sharp upwards movement of the head ultra-painful: one type of martingale fastens tightly to the girth at one end and at the other, to the rein, that is to the ”iron” in the mouth. A jerk with the head upwards is a sharp blow to the nerves of the gums and teeth in response. And it is like that for hours.

By the way, all this filth is an indispensable, most commonplace appurtenance of equestrianism and an assortment is found at any stable where there are sporting horses. True, the stun guns, and in general the electrical pieces are attributes only of expensive, ”advanced” stables where they are engaged in so-called dressage or show jumping.

One needs to imagine too the incredible, spectacular mediocrity of the sportsmen, be they sulky drivers, troika drivers, jockeys, or the riders competing in dressage, show jumping, or eventing.

They, as a rule, are convinced that the lengthy list of torturous means are all normal, everyday objects which one needs to use to train the horse or improve its movement.

Yet, if there is a talent for riding, not one of these ”tools” is at all necessary — either from the standard assortment or from the extreme.

And it is terribly offensive and unacceptable to the sportsmen and the wannabes to acknowledge this fact.

Why do you think the Russian world of ”horsemen” trembles so from the sound of my name alone?

Yes, of course, for them I am a loathsome, insulting spectacle. They see how a man calmly sits on a wild, lively four-year-old stallion without any bridle or similar stupidity, and this stallion, who has remained absolutely free, unconditionally obeys and performs whatever ”haute ecole” figures it is permissible for horses of this age to do.

Of course, it is unbearable for these ”horsemen” to look at this.

One wants to kill such a man immediately.

NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 5

© Nevzorov Haute Ecole

© Nevzorov Haute Ecole

Š 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

© Nevzorov Haute Ecole

cartularium the "Chardon" curb

Bronze. Steel. Copper.

Gilded gold.

Weight – 1357 g.

Length of branche 37,5 mm (right) 37,2 mm (left) Width of mouth piece – 13,8 mm.

56 NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 5

the "Chardon" curb cartularium

The "Chardon" curb Europe, the first third of the XVIth century It is a rarity. The "Chardon" curb is fitted with a mechanism located in the mouthpiece which opens a thorny flower capable of tearing a horse's gums and tongue into pieces in a second.

It was mentioned casually in the "Horse Encyclopedia" though it deserves a separate and very thorough description as it is an absolute rarity and convincing proof of the complexities of hippological history, reflecting the purposeful movement of "preschool" equine Europe which pursued the development of pain inflicting properties of bits in order to achieve at least some control over the horse.

These efforts had become visible by the beginning and the middle of the XVIth century. The lifestyle stopped being so gloomy and openly swine-ish as in the Early Middle ages. The Renaissance had come and brought about those graceful myths about the art of riding.

Society strived for progress in this art inspired by mythology.

But the horses of the time were so painfully ineffective and unruly and had not the slightest resemblance to the ideals as portrayed in ancient engravings and bas-reliefs.

It seemed that mechanics could provide solutions to the above challenges. Moreover, science had come into fashion and was a kind of modern craze.

The "Chardon" curb is manufactured with all possible skill and care. The mechanism which controls the emerging thorns is located on both halves of the mouthpiece which is joined with the help of a steel arch in the shape of a horseshoe with a typical early coquille. This mechanism has survived up to the present day and it is carefully adjusted.

I can’t identify with confidence the country of origin of the curb as mechanical appliances were equally fashionable everywhere from Holland to England.

The curb looks well preserved but it is sure to have gone through substantial cleaning. Numerous cavities of different depths in the steel of the branche prove that the metal had been in a cocoon of rust but has been cleaned. Moreover no acids were used for the purpose so it took much time and effort to carry out this manual work.

The rust in some parts has destroyed the metal by making it thinner in some places, and in some parts has left cavities of varying depths. It was found out that the curb has never been taken apart for cleaning. The juncture of the mouthpiece and branche is knitted together and has never been exposed. The rivets which fasten the boufette are typical for the XVIth century. It is peculiar that in spite of some looseness they are identical. Their being loose doesn’t mean frequent use of the curb but since rust damaged the rivets they grew thinner and finally loosened up. Branche segments are soldered with silver. Both chainettes are genuine. But the original gourmette has been lost so in trying to recreate the historic wholeness of the curb I detached a gourmette from another XVIth century curb and attached it for the photo session (this kind of curb chain was in wide use in the XVIth century).

With a finger lightly pulling the ring which sticks out from a boufette, the thorns emerge. Whenever you stop they shut back into their part of the mouthpiece, into special grooves.

Thorough cleaning of the curb deprived me of the opportunity to carry out a number of biological tests and find out how many horses left their blood and saliva in the nooks of the mechanism. Cleaning wiped them out from all the available surfaces. Obviously some remains can be found somewhere in the depths under the springs and rivets but to make these probes one needs to dismantle the curb which could be disastrous for the fragile and rust-eaten mechanism.

Apart from the main bridle-rein which was fastened to the rings below the double chainette, there was an additional rein attached to the ring which opens the thorny flower mechanism.

The killing power of the mechanism is beyond any doubt.

It’s clear that after being applied for a few seconds it could kill any horse by completely depriving her of an ability to eat.

NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 5

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Against equestrian sport petition Currently Nevzorov Haute Ecole Research Centre has the unquestionable evidence of the equestrian sport's cruelty.

We are ready to bring on a highest level a conclusive accusation against equestrianism, races and other horse�torturing activities. Also we think it is legally acceptable to claim moral damage which is caused to children, who's mental health is endangered while participating in "sport activities" which considers the cruel treatment of a living being to be normal. The above is pertinent to the audience which is unsuspicious of the real nature of equestrian sport, races and other human entertainment which include 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 the intelligent people.

Let us together stop the lies and the rampancy of the 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 the public opinion nowadays. 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

reviews

Š Nevzorov Haute Ecole

books reviews

books Linda Tellington– A Tin Can Linda Tellington-Jones Getting in TTouch: Understand and Influence Your Horse’s Personality Publishing House “Aquarium” Moscow, 2004

There are items – if they are placed in the most honourable spaces – that can help to determine the most dominant characteristics of the place.

I’ll clarify.

If for instance an ancient folio, a microscope or a scrinium 1 are honored this way we quickly realize that we are in the laboratory of a scientist.

If our eye catches a row of nail polish, powder and lingerie from abroad we are sure to find ourselves in the boudoir of a glamorous courtesan.

A toilet in the centre of the arrangement will leave you in no doubt about the name and purpose of the place.

1

A large shelf for books.

A jungle.

2

But if the honourable spot is given to an old empty tin can – it is not difficult to guess that we are in a den of savages somewhere on the island of Timbuktu or in the gloomy corners of an Ecuadorian selva 2, for instance, enjoying the hospitality of some Jivaros Indians.

They have a great reputation for the artful drying of human heads. It goes without saying that Jivaros creatures that are well accustomed to their stinky and rough handicrafts on seeing the can were fascinated with its excellence.

No doubt its shine, its smoothness and its neatly printed label could drive them into ecstasies giving them a feeling of divine touch or the feel-

ing of being faced with absolute perfection.

Such a can being an idol or archetype or an object of worship is a distinctive sign of savage consciousness and the most primitive notions of value and beauty.

This is what characterizes the “equestrian world of Russia” which recognized the book by Linda TellingtonJones “Getting in TTouch: Understand and Influence Your Horse’s Personality” as a kind of sacred guide.

It should be reviewed with utmost care not only for the sake of the book itself but also in order to gain a deep insight into the environment where it is in great demand and is widely recognized.

NEVZOROV HAUTE ECOLE Equine Anthology, Vol. 5 61

reviews books So, the book.

It seems reasonable to mention that the best intentions have brought it to life, this is clear.

Besides, those were the intentions of a person who is not bad and who is even sympathetic and a person for whom horses are not an empty word, I daresay, this is obvious.

The author places a very tender note, a very lovable intonation into each line and sincerely believes her method of treating a horse to be sensible and merciful and also friendly and badly needed by the latter.

This shade of tenderness and feeling about the author’s goodness bewilders the reader who has gotten used to the butcher-like directness of professional “sport” literature and to the explicit hypocrisy of popular writers or the cold indifference of classical authors.

This is where we reach the most relevant point of all.

Any readers who have swallowed the bait of this “innovative approach” and writer’s apparently good intentions will forget immediately what kind of organization paves its way with these “good intentions”. But they forget as Linda Tellington-Jones creates another small hell for the horse by disguising her primitive gypsy methods, ignorance and commonplace backwardness.

Nevertheless in this case her complete ignorance seems to be overly-sweet. This sort of backwoods ignorance has ceased to be a rarity, moreover the overly-sweet manner is coming into fashion as a new style and the more touching and syrupy the author is the higher the demand rockets. Especially nowadays when such authors as Vitte, Gurevitch-Rogalev, Kizimov and such literature as “Horses in Country Houses” sound like specialized reading for empty-headed readers.

It is a well-known fact that only humanism is valued so highly but also faked so cheaply.

Whatever trash is publicized, whatever absurd, incompetent or harm-

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ful practices for horses are suggested by the authors it doesn’t make any difference. If their creations are sweet enough, their humanism and true love for horses are never questioned or put on trial. At the same time the authors are faced with a second task that is more complicated than the primitive imitation of “humanism”. Their spin must be accurate enough to avoid conflict with the militant aggressions of their audience.

One shouldn’t make the reader angry by reminding him about his ignorance and mediocrity. One should be tolerant of the stereotypes comfortably accommodated in his mind.

Continuous teasing of the reader may trigger an inner protest and hatred of the text.

Popular authors are well aware of this fact and being somewhat intelligent, will tailor their books to their readers’ level. (We don’t know if in this book this is a natural hypocrisy of the author, who is afraid of the readers, or if Ms. Tellington-Jones is completely open and frank in everything).

Anyway it doesn’t make any difference for a horse what the “intentions and motives” are (whether they are sincere or false, kind or aggressive) they result in disastrous barbarism for her.

The abovementioned tin can decorating the “Russian horsemen’s” temple of collective consciousness represented in Linda’s book is a blend of rare backwardness and virtuosic syrupy flirting with the public laced together with the best intentions.

Let’s give it a second look preserving impartiality and sympathy for the author by firstly taking into account that the writer is an elderly lady and secondly, a kind-of “chairperson”. I’d like to remember that though this title has been given to Ms. Tellington-Jones by herself and has been generally accepted by everyone, it doesn’t deter her from signing papers bearing the proud name “Animal Ambassadors In3

Doctors.

ternational”. Anyway as the book had been written long before the chairperson title was assumed, we can happily avoid any help from the white coats 3 when reviewing this book.

To start, the contents of the book fall into three unequal parts: The first part represents her prea­ ching about hair swirls/whorls, or curls which will be given our most attentive and kindly consideration a bit later.

In the second part, she develops her weird variant of Lombrosian theory where the author interprets well-known Lombrosian ideas about the typical physiognomic peculiarities of criminals in the most fanciful manner. In these chapters, the future “Ambassador” draws conclusions about the perverse nature of some horses or their criminal inclinations or vice versa their advantageous features with reference to her personal observations of specific bone structures of a horse’s skull and even her observations of the myological picture of the main muscles of the head.

The third part propagandizes “correction touches,” a practice known as TTEAM, patented by the author. In the third part the “Ambassador’s personal touch” is gaining in force, which is why it should be reviewed with extreme delicacy.

Let’s start with the propagation of “the hair swirl theory”. According to the theory, hair whorls are evidence of certain qualities and serve as the best proof of the horse’s character and abilities.

The author claims: “Horse’s hair swirls are similar to human fingerprints”.

All these observations lead her into the most enthusiastic generalization about the whorls being a decisive factor in identifying a horse’s character.

It doesn’t seem to dissuade the au-

Š Lydia Nevzorova

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

colloquium Dan Guerrera

Dan Guerrera: The main thing I do is work with ungulates The Norwegian Dan Guerrera, one of the world's most famous ungulologists became a "horse person" quite late in life. He has a gift not only to see hoof problems and to understand ways of solving them, but also the talent to communicate well with different people. Quite quickly Dan became a successful practitioner and a good teacher. His students he teaches to be professional ungulologists and to horse-owners he conveys how much depends on them since they see their horses every day while the trimmer comes and goes.

He has lectured in veterinary universities on 4 continents and has taught hoof science in 20 countries worldwide. He now owns and operates 3 trimming schools in Denmark, England and Norway. Each has a 1-year program. He is the principal instructor. He lives in Norway and together with his wife Anja, has a horse property called Korumdalen where they take in horses that require hoof help of any kind and young horses to teach them ground skills.

… I started later in life, at about 37 years of age – I started watching the farriers from the corner of my eye.

I enjoyed the tools, the glowing metal, the art and craft, the freedom of the job. I wanted to do this. I enquired with local professionals who were supportive and I started looking into farrier schools. I used to be in the print-

to leave this industry and go to farrier school. So now I deal with horses that can kick or stand on me instead.

Safer? To me, yes.

How did your career start?

I went to the Kentucky Horseshoeing School. The director Mitch Taylor

Fix the pathological problems and healthy structure will follow. Rotten hoof wall, hoof wall separations, and infected frogs are all things a trimmer can fix, for the most part with a single trimming. Nearly every horse can be cured of these problems in one trimming, which is performed safely for the horse. Re-growth of course will take time.

But if a trimmer leaves noticeable pathology, then the effort is usually useless. When living organisms are allowed to remain they are simply trying to survive by eating the materials of the hoof, and will continue to do so until they are removed. ing industry, 17 years. One day my shirt got caught in between the printing cylinders and it pulled me in. I got lucky and had an older t-shirt on. I braced myself while the shirt was torn off of me completely. I vowed that day

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helps design the theory exam for the American Farrier Association. Mitch has a PhD in anatomy. He has given me my base of equine anatomical knowledge. After school I went to Colorado to apprentice my new skills

as a working student at the Parelli International Study Center in 2001. I had to look after 125 shod and unshod horses. Once the school year ended I went back to Wisconsin to start building my farrier business and built it up to over 300 horses on my books as regular customers. But back at that time, the mustang hoof became very popular. Women are involved in horses far more than men and the “natural hoof” and “natural horsemanship” in fact anything natural anything became the desire of many of my customers.

Where farriers continued to try to sell the need for shoes to their customers, I said yes to trimming them. It was basic business. Business is about supply and demand. If you will not supply what the customer demands, they will go elsewhere. That elsewhere was me.

Thanks to my education in Kentucky, along with my first horse Hank, an appendix quarter horse/thoroughbred gave me what I needed to help barefoot horses. My first clinics were in New Zealand, 7 of them.

Dan Guerrera colloquium It’s clear, that the success of the ungulologist depends on his professionalism…

Ungulologist is a nice word! It is what I am because it is the only way I earn a living, that being working on hoofed animals.

But what else is important? What about personal traits?

The rise in the success of barefoot trimmers is really quite simple. It starts with needing the business. One does not get new business by being rude, late, being personally unclean, failure to phone a client for cancellation, not answering questions from the owner politely etc. Barefoot trimmers tend to come to the client with skills other than trimming abilities. Good horse handling, being calm. When knowl-

edge stops, violence starts, is often the case. I tend to take the horse that is lacking confidence, the kicker, the abused, the young, the old, or neglected as a business opportunity.

I will charge for the training, and work out the issues so I can do my job better next time. Often “professionals”

is to start with a slightly longer hoof and to keep some hoof wall for the horse to stand on. This changes quickly, but this is my start. I want the hoof wall to be the primary weight bearing structure. That concept alone sets me apart from nearly all other teachers of barefoot trimming. This concept I shall al-

will say “it is not my job to train”, but in my opinion we are the best to train horses for working with their legs. The trimmer or farrier can help change the horse’s life in a positive way with the right approach to their legs.

ways stay firm on. The sole needs to develop callus. This takes time. Before callus is produced, the sole is much softer. It is far more prone to feel discomfort from the texture of the ground.

How I approach this development is a process of starting with a longer yet functional hoof, and observing how the horse wears its own feet, and then follow the horses lead and trim to its own personal conformation by slowly lowering the hoof wall in the areas the horse likes it. In time, and depending on the horse’s personal conformation,

And what about trimming itself? What is the difference with other barefoot trimming methods?

The most primary entry level concept that I teach when taking the shoes off a horse and trimming it for the first time,

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www.NevzorovHauteEcole.com