Baroque Horse ~ Issue 16

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IRT has landed in Deutschland.

Our brand new German Quarantine Centre has arrived and we are open for business.

Situated in Germany just two hours drive from Amsterdam’s Schipol airport ensures a shorter drive to departure than from any other company. Our recently refurbished facilities include 12 new stalls, indoor and outdoor arenas, grass paddock turnout yards and on-site accommodation for clients, riders’ and grooms’ use. It’s all part of the IRT service.

Call Claudia or Jim to arrange a tour of IRT’s newest arrival.

Claudia Friedrichs Tel: +49 171 784 7447 E: cfriedrichs@irt.com Jim Paltridge, EU Manager Tel: +44 7799 431 211 E: jpaltridge@irt.com IRT Australia Tel: +61 3 9643 3000 E: irtaus@irt.com

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Azeitona

Platina

Única

Úrsula

“The perfection and Courtesy breeding Lusitano Pure Blood”

Vistosa

Alteza

Chanel nº 5

“The future is in the Mares” w w w. bar o q u e hors e m ag az i nE.com

3.

LUSITANO FUSION CREATING EQUUS CONNECTIONS

Lusitano Zaire, Gonรงalo Carvalho at the Olympics and at home training Rubi AR (horse not for sale)

Have your dream lusitano hand picked for you by an Olympican!

4.

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Dreaming OF OF A

Lusitano?

Have your dream lusitano hand picked for you by an Olympian!

If you have been wanting to import/purchase a Lusitano but didn’t know where to start or who to trust?

IF this is you then we are here to help you!

Olympian Gonçalo Carvalho and BHM editor Danielle Skerman have teamed up to help you find your dream Lusitano.

Together they’ll find the right partner for you to suit your wants, needs and dreams.

www.lusitanofusion.com | enquiries@lusitanofusion.com | +61 404 84 3636 w w w. bar o q u e hors e m ag az i nE.com

5.

CONTENTS I ss u e 1 6 j u n / j u l 2 0 1 4 6.

w h a t ’ s

i n s i d e

10.

Nicholas Fyffe

16.

Lesson no 2 Master Luís Valença

20.

Piber meets Vienna

22.

Understanding Ulcers with Dr Kerry Ridgway

28.

Hot Topic Anthony Pelling and Sylvia Loch

32.

Ride Happy, Ride Safely

36.

Enchantment

By Katarsyna Okrzesik

44.

Baroque Horse Beach Ride

50.

Holiday Review

52.

Dressage Fundamentals Barrie Stratton

58.

Pilates for Riders

62.

What does 'On the Bit' really mean?

58.

Naturally Classical meets with Aikido

72.

Stallion Profile - Picaro PM

76.

Stallions at Stud - Australia

On the Cover: Blanka Satora with PRE stallion Escudero VII Photo by Katarsyna Okrzesik

E d i t o r s

I

remember watching a dressage event with a good friend of mine. One particular flashy horse come out, and once the horse popped into extended trot you could hear many in the crowd gasp with wows. The reason was that this horse had very high, elevated impressive front legs. However, my friend and I were not terribly impressed. You see the horse was not actually on the bit, and was not engaged at all. When looking at a trot, you also need to look at the cadence and action of the hind leg. This particular horse was moving very slowly—in fact, it actually slowed right down for the extended trot. The hind leg wasn't lifting far off the ground and wasn't even stepping into this front tracks; it was actually about 20cm behind this. With a novice horse this would be one of the first

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things we look at, and we should still be looking at even when one reaches the higher levels. - It was a poorly trained false action of a trot. Simply put, the horse was NOT on the bit.

The fact that many in the crowd thought this was spectacular made me realise that it might be a good idea to cover what all this means.

It’s very easy to get caught up in what feels like flashy movement, but remember to look at the whole horse. Look at the hind legs and how are they tracking. Look at the spine: is it strong or hollowed out? Look at the neck—a toplevel trained horse shouldn’t have a bulge under the neck. Even look at the stomach: it should be tucked up and not like he’s had a few good beers!

All this has inspired me to help people get the correct information, and we’re ever so dedicated to

N o t e

bringing this to you. This is my pet passion, and I hope you enjoy this enlightening journey with me with our first article on this called, “What does ‘On the Bit’ really mean by the sisters, Gabrielle and Camille Dareau, from France.

I'm sure I’ll upset some people by all this, as some want you to think horses that move like the flashy horse I described are awesome, when really their trainers need to stop taking shortcuts (trick training for dressage) and not be afraid to re-assess how to do things and try a kinder and more correct way of training.

Skerman DanielleEditor-in-Chief

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Cátia Castro, Danielle Skerman, Master Luís Valença, Barrie Stratton, Anthony Pelling, Sylvia Loch, Melanie Griffiths, Gabrielle and Camille Dareau, Jenny Rolfe, Rita Galloway, Allison Thomlinson.

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8.

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Publisher: Baroque Horse PTY LTD ACN: 159 279 848 PO Box 18002 Clifford Gardens, Toowoomba QLD, Australia 4350 ©Baroque Horse Magazine AU. 2011 All Rigths Reserved. No part of this publication, editorial or advertisement, may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The content of the advertisements within this publication is the responsibility of the advertiser. Although due care is taken in the preparation and publication for all advertising material, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any errors or for any consequential effects. Opinions and statements made by others in submitted text may not be the same as those held by either the publisher or the editor.

20 -23 NOVEMBER 2014 • MELBOURNE SHOWGROUNDS

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United Kingdom

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Don’t Miss the Unparalleled Line Up of International Clinicians Tickets on sale

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July

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9.

Nicholas Fyffe

Chasing THE

DREAM

Interview by Danielle Skerman Photos BY Debra Jamroz

W

ith big hopes and dreams in December 2010, Nicholas Fyffe, a 28 year old Aussie, took the big leap to move to Wellington, Florida, in the United States. This was after two years of training in Germany under top international riders, which included Martina Hannover Sternberg, Ulla Salzgeber, Hubertus Schmidt, and Catherine Haddad.

There in the USA, the young, talented, and eager Aussie fell in love with the Iberian horse.

Nicholas grew up in a small country town in New South Wales (Australia) called Finley. There, he had an equine-loving family with both his mother and grandfather being successful racehorse trainers.

Naturally, Nicholas got an early start riding at a tender three years of age with his first horse, a Shetland pony all of 8.5 hands high. His love for horses continues to this day.

Nicholas started his equine career as a keen eventer competing internationally at three-day eventing. In 2003, after spending a year training in Germany with Martina Hannover, competing at the international dressage shows, and the whole experience of the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Nicholas made the decision to focus solely on pure dressage. “That year, I had a series of falls whilst eventing as well as my horses undergoing some injuries, so my love for the sport wasn’t as strong. Watching top-class combinations like Ulla Salzgeber and Rusty, Beatriz Ferrer Salat and Beavalais, and Nadine Capellman and Farbenfroh, completely inspired me. It was there and then that I redirected my goals.�

In 2010 Nicholas relocated to Wellington, Florida and for over a year was the assistant trainer to top international rider Oded Shimoni, based at Stillpoint

Pic: Nicholas and Faisan AT, owned by Dr Allison Tait.

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Farm. Nicholas is also the rider and trainer of the talented PRE stallion, Fiero HGF, originally owned in full by Robert Dover. Nicholas now splits his time between Canada and Florida working with his partner, Canadian Olympian David Marcus. Since his arrival to the North America, Nicholas has shown all levels from three year old stallion classes all the way through International Grand Prix. He is currently listed on the Australian National Dressage Elite Squad, A Squad and Futures squad with three different horses.

Baroque Horse magazine editor Danielle Skerman spoke to Nicholas about what he’s been up to and what’s on the cards for his future.

BH: How and when did you get your first ride on a PRE? NF: In 2011 I was working as Oded Shimoni’s assistant, where we were based at Stillpoint Farm. Robert Dover is also based at this stable where he kept his then-rising three year old colt, Fiero HGF. Robert knew that I had started many horses in Australia and Germany and asked me to start Fiero under saddle. I had a great connection with Fiero from very early on. We were a great fit and Robert was happy, so I’ve ridden him ever since!

BH: Have you ridden, or do you ride any other baroque breeds? (Friesian, Lusitano, lips etc.)

NF:Many years ago, I was riding with Martina Hanover Sternberg in northern Germany. She was training many riders from Portugal at the time and there were quite a few Lusitano stallions there that I rode.

BH: What is it about the PRE’s that you like the best?

NF: There are many qualities that I find so appealing about the PRE. They are certainly very intelligent and I find very intuitive horses. They can be very sensitive, which I find a huge plus—but to be really honest, my favourite quality is that they are so comfortable to ride. I always say that I could

Pic: Nicholas and his PRE stallion Fiero HGF 1 2.

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ride ten Spanish horses with the energy that it takes to ride one big Warmblood. It is not physically hard work to ride them, and they are generally so nice and smooth to sit on. My lower back certainly appreciates this.

BH: You once did three-day eventing. What was it that drew you into dressage on its own?

NF: I always found dressage interesting despite being initially focused on eventing. In 2002 I was a working student for an international rider who rode both disciplines at the highest level. He made the Australian Dressage team for the World Equestrian Games held in Jerez, Spain. Prior to this we were based at The Rehbeins’, Groenwohldhof in Germany.

Here I witnessed dressage sport at the highest level and was fascinated and inspired. The actual WEG in Jerez was a phenomenal event to be involved with, too. Here I saw many beautiful Spanish horses perform, but never in my mind really thought that I would one day be riding them in international dressage competition.

BH: You have three PREs in your barn at the moment amongst your Warmbloods. How do you find transitioning your riding between the different types? Do you find you have to ride the PREs differently?

NF: Honestly, no. To me they are dressage horses being trained for top sport regardless if they are Oldenburg, Hanoverian or Spanish. Every horse has his or her own weakness and strengths. My job as a trainer is to improve the weak areas and develop their strengths. I try to ride and train in a very systematic and clear way that should translate to all breeds. The goal is sound, strong, motivated and happy horses for top sport. I find that I start the Spanish horses exactly the same way that I would start a Warmblood horse. Like all dressage horses, each is unique but the general system is the same. Sometimes the young Spanish horses initially develop a little faster under saddle, as they are quite compact and strong compared to the bigger Warmbloods that are still finding their balance.

BH: They say the Iberian breeds are best at collection; however, they lack in extension. Have you found this to be true, and if so how do you combat it?

NF: I certainly agree that the Spanish horses that I have been fortunate to train are very strong in collection. I also have to say that Fiero HGF has a great extended trot by nature. He was purposely bred as a dressage horse. His sire Grandioso is a top international dressage horse. I am fortunate that my Spanish horses are all bred by informed and educated breeders that breed for dressage. A dressage horse must be able to both collect and extend. The breeders see this, and I feel the horses seem to be going in the right directions for international dressage.

BH: So would you say that saying is less relevant nowadays with the well/purpose bred Iberian horses?

NF: I feel that a well-bred horse is a well-bred horse whether it be Iberian or not. I still firmly believe when you are searching for a top dressage horse, if you source a horse that was bred and produced exactly for dressage, you will likely increase your odds for success. Of course I know many variables and exceptions to the rule. I know of a wonderful bullfighting-bred stallion out of Brazil that is proving himself as a nice dressage horse. And of course many jumping horses turned dressage. However, you need to take all of the factors that a dressage horse requires into consideration and weigh them. On top of this to me, the most important detail, regardless of anything else, is simple. It’s the partnership and connection between the horse and rider. It works or it doesn’t.

If it is particularly strong, some weaknesses may be more easily overcome.

BH: Being in the serious side of the dressage world, how do you now find the reception is to competing on a Spanish horse?

NF: Every single international judge at a CDI has been very fair and encouraging in the scores for my Spanish horses. I have never experienced anything negative or discouraging

towards competing on a Spanish horse. Occasionally, but not often, at national shows, I have received scores that I felt were less than fair whilst on Spanish horses. However, to be perfectly honest, I have this issue with Warmbloods too and I can put it down to lack of education of the judges.

I am confident that when I show a great Spanish horse on the international stage, that I will receive the scores that are deserved. These judges are incredibly well educated, heavily scrutinized, and they have to answer for their actions. To them, 80 percent is 80 percent, whether it’s Fuego or Valegro.

BH: You are a proud Aussie and still have many Aussie connections here. Do you think you’ll ever come back to compete on Aussie soil?

NF: I would love to. I always see myself back there eventually. It's my home and I am very proud of my country.

It's just so far from everywhere else. For me, to make it to the top of my game, doesn't fit in with living in Australia right now. It's 4 years since I competed on home soil. I really have no idea when the next time will be but I hope it will happen eventually. As much as I miss Australia, my life is settled here now. It took time but I have a wonderful support network around me. I am fortunate to be a part the Shantal Rox Syndicate that secured such a top quality horse for me.

I also work closely with Debbie Witty of Trilogy Saddles and my horses have never felt so comfortable. Mette Larson of Metlar Saddlery and Neu Schule Bits of USA and Canada has outfitted all of my horses in the state of the art bits too. It takes time for a team to develop around you. I am so fortunate and appreciative. It would be very hard to start over again.

BH: Do you have a favourite horse in your stables? If so, who and why?

NF: I have no favourites but I really do have a great connection with Fiero HGF. He’s six now and a boy genius.

I’ve been riding him for three years, and we know each other very well. As a professional rider, I know that, sadly, horses come and go, and Fiero is my longest partner since arriving in

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13.

the USA. That relationship that only develops with time is very special, and I look forward to riding him every day.

He is so intelligent and talented. The movements are so easy for him. Now it‘s just a case of passing the time and keeping him happy. He understands just about everything from the Grand Prix so my job is to wait until he’s strong and ready. It’s a luxury position to be in.

BH: What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of the Iberian horse?

NF: The strengths of the Iberian horses are that they usually have enough talent to reach the highest level in dressage, yet they have a character that is still suitable for an amateur rider. This is a difficult combination to find.

BH: No great weakness that you can really see?

NF: Well, I don’t see many Iberian horses with careers like Damon Hill. In saying this I mean horses walking for 10, winning at the World Championships for young horses and then having successful international Grand Prix careers. I certainly believe that the Spanish and Lusitano horses thrive at the upper levels when they are more mature and able to show the fruits of their strength in collection. I use the young horses’ classes as a good experience and to set my horses up for the upper levels. The World Young Horse Championships are not my personal Olympics. The Olympics are and there you ride the Grand Prix test, and that is what I train for. I have a strong conviction that these horses, in the right hands, will continue to reach the top of the sport. They will never replace the Warmblood, but why should they?

It makes dressage so much more interesting. Like in the days of Anky V’s Isabell. Their horses and riding styles were completely different in so many ways but they were neck and neck on the scoreboard. I am lucky that I started riding dressage at the time that I did. The Spanish Team medalling at the WEG in 2002, horses like Invasor, Fuego and Grandioso are already paving the way. Australia selected Lusitano on the dressage team at the 2008 Olympics, and I was listed on the elite squad last year on a PRE…The good horses get good scores, so I feel very confident to prepare Faisan AT and Fiero HGF for the international levels.

BH: What is your future plan for you and competition dressage?

NF: Currently I plan to continue to divide my time between Wellington, Florida and Campbellville, Ontario, Canada with my partner, David Marcus. I have two horses that I think are very exciting for my future that I own or part own. Fiero HGF and a 10 year old Oldenburg mare, Shantal Rox. Shantal is just about ready for her first international grand prix and Fiero has been performing strong in the FEI six year old tests. I don’t show him often because he is so well behaved on the shows and although only six, behaves like quite a seasoned competitor. Next year, he can start to show internationally at small tour, and then my job is to listen to him and he will tell me when he is ready to do the grand prix. I certainly would like to represent Australia at a major championship but for me, the journey there has to be enjoyable too. We all know things can go wrong with horses at the last minute so I try hard to make sure that I‘m still loving the day to day. David is certainly looking for selection on the Canadian team at the World Championships this year and I look forward to supporting him through that. I’m in a fortunate position that the support runs both ways. We have similar riding styles and keep each other’s horses going when each other is away. Daily, we both have eyes on the ground for each other and understand each other’s stresses. I love the Canadian summers and Wellington winters. What more could I want?

Pic above and below: Fiero HGF, Nicholas and David

Pic below: Nicholas and Faisan AT, owned by Dr Allison Tait.

Here at BHM we would like to thank Nicholas for taking the time to talk to us. We thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to an exciting future for Nicholas. a 1 4.

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www.nicholasfyffedressage.com

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15.

Master

Luís Valença Photos and translation by Antonio Mendonça

FIG 1

FIG 3

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FIG 2

FIG 4

FIG 5

LESSON Nº 2 Following the first lesson where the horse was introduced to:

FIG 6

• The voice communication • The acceptance of the fix reins • The transitions on the horse’s movements, and • The stop on the circle line (it’s in this line that the horse must wait for us when we move in his direction). So, on that first lesson the horse accepted us as work partners.

T

oday’s lesson is about the whip contact on the horse’s body and the signals that this will transmit to him.

Facing the horse (FIG. 1) with the fix reins wider than on the anterior work at the lunge and before, and with the same measure, we will make the horse move in our direction by giving him little touches with the whipe (FIG.2) on the horse’s body zone where the legs of the rider will work later (FIG.3).

FIG 6

FIG 7

The rider facing the horse with a light contact at the lunge (FIG.4) walks backward, and the horse at the touch of the whip must go forward calm and straight (FIG.5).

Then to stop the movement we must put the whip near the kidneys applying some pressure (FIG.6), at the same time with the “positive voice” we are going to stop the movement of the horse. As soon as the horse stops we must stop the whip contact. If the horse moves we do it again till the horse is

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17.

FIG 8

FIG 8

FIG 8

quiet and calm. We should use the voice to caress him.

So, we have 2 types of touch with the whipe, one to produce the movement, the other to stop it. If we join the voice we have already 3 codes to communicate with the horse. We must repeat it several times until the horse understands what we are asking him.

Starting from here we are going to work the most important parts of the horse, the hindlimbs and forelimbs.

We begin having the horse advance to us, (FIG.7) then we give him the inflexion and with the whip we make the hindlimbs rotate to the opposite side of the inflexion (mobilization of croup) (FIG. 8).

If there is any resistance from the horse we stop the contact with the whip and we start again.

On this exercise the rider must recede lightly and never go forward to the horse. He must mark 3 lanes/ lines on the ground: 1- The foots of the rider 2- The forelimbs 3- The hindlimbs When the horse executes some steps of this exercise we must do

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FIG 9

FIG 9

the same for the opposite side (FIG.9).

This lesson starts to lighten some stress and to mold the horse’s spine. At the same time, it will mobilize the hip joint on a lateral movement.

When this exercise is achieved we start to open and close the circle.

8 to 10 lessons will confirm this exercise.

Then we can start to

FIG 10

mobilize the shoulders of the horse: for that, the line of the rider will be the widest, followed by the shoulders and finally the croup. To aid the horse, this must be executed with the hand near the face of the horse pushing the head and the shoulders to rotate around the hindlimbs (FIG.10).

mobilization of croup.

During this lesson we must not stress the horse but help him to understand what we want. Through these exercises they should stimulate the movements of the hindlimbs and forelimbs and annuling without coercive reaction.

The results of this work are the pillars of all future teaching of the horse. a

Finally, we must return to the previous exercise of the

FIG 10

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19.

piber meets

VIENNA

The popular programme with the up-and-coming stars from the stud Spanish Riding School Vienna, July 8th – August 3rd, 2014

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hilst the famous white Lipizzaner stallions enjoy their summer break the brood mares and their young foals will come to Vienna bringing with them their light-hearted high spirits.

All over the world, the Spanish Riding School and its Lipizzaner stallions are famous and loved – but not everyone is familiar with where the horses come from and what actually happens before the young stallions come to Vienna for their training. With our summer programme “Piber meets Vienna” which takes place during the School Stallions’ well-earned summer break we would like to give our guests the opportunity to learn more about what goes on at our stud.

From the very beginning, the Lipizzaner was not only predestined for the High School of Classical Horsemanship, the horses were also always bred for their outstanding qualities as carriage horses.

This summer programme therefore not only shows a delegation of brood mares with their delightful young foals but also various historical carriages and traditional uniforms.

Managing Director Elisabeth Gürtler: „This summer programme offers the unique opportunity of gaining an impression of the Federal Stud Piber and our valuable mares and their foals. Of course we sincerely hope that not only the Viennese but also guests from abroad will be inspired by our horses.”

The Spanish Riding School is one of Vienna’s most popular tourist attractions. But in addition to this the School is a prime example of how a “classic” sight which is the embodiment of tradition can present itself as a contemporary attraction.

This special summer programme is presented in both German and English.

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“Piber meets Vienna” July 8th – August 3rd, 2014, daily except Mondays from 11:00 – 12:00 hrs Ticket prices depending on category: from € 10.00 to € 40.00 For further information and reservations: Ticket office of the Spanish Riding School Michaelerplatz 1, 1010 Vienna Tel: +43 1 533 90 31-0, E-Mail: office@srs.at

Piber meets Vienna_3_c Spanish Riding School_Julie Brass - Kopie

all tickets for “Piber meets Vienna� for all Australian residents showing 20 % discount on their passports at our counter

Piber meets Vienna_2_c Spanish Riding School_Julie Brass - Kopie

Piber meets Vienna - c Spanish Riding School_Herbert Graf

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21.

Understanding

by Dr Kerry Ridgway (USA) internationally recognized Integrative Veterinary practitioner

....and what's all the fuss about

U

lcers in the digestive track are more than just the latest “disease du jour.” Thus far, for a problem that has been recognized for about 20 years, we are still seeing and understanding only the tip of a metaphorical iceberg.

More than two thirds of the iceberg is still not visible and much is still being discovered about this ulcer “iceberg.” We do know that there are, basically, only two kinds of horses – those who have ulcers and those who will have ulcers!

We should all recognize that gastric and intestinal ulcers are literally a slow or non-healing acid burn - a burn such as if hydrochloric acid was splashed on your face. The horse’s ulcers are a combination of this hydrochloric acid, as well as volatile fatty acids and bile acids. In horses, the acid burns holes into the lining of the stomach, small or large bowel.

The acids may burn a crater deeply enough to cause bleeding or even burn through and penetrate the gut. When the acid burn craters do heal, they can create scar tissue and strictures, especially in the small intestine that may lead to colic.

Twelve Good Reasons to Understand GI Ulcers in Horses: 1.

Ulcers increase the risk to the horse’s health, safety and welfare

2.

Ulcers increase the risk to the rider’s safety and welfare

3.

Ulcers cause loss of performance and competitive edge

4.

Ulcers can upset or interrupt an entire competition schedule

5. Ulcers are very expensive to treat and to resolve – recurrence is common

2 2.

6.

Ulcers cause many “behavioral” problems

7.

Ulcers set up many muscle, myofascial and chiropractic issues

8.

Ulcers increase risk of injury and lameness as a result of number seven (Musculo-skeletal problems

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9. Ulcers increase the risk of colic and diarrhea problems

Changes in behavioral patterns:

10. Ulcer stress may deplete the immune system and

make a horse more susceptible to disease

11. Ulcers often create “hard keepers” and cause weight loss. The result – an unthrifty horse. (However, some horses with excellent weight also have ulcers)

12. Toxins released from altered gut flora increase a risk of laminitis/founder

When horses develop painful and restricted movement associated with excess muscle tension, and poor ability to use the spine – resulting in pain - they cannot perform at the desired level. They are, thus, more prone to injury if pushed to jump higher, run faster, suddenly change direction, etc. In the case of cross country eventing, show jumping, racing, cutting, gymkhana, marathon competitive driving and other high performance demands, the risk of injury is greatly increased. A body in pain is always at risk and increases the likelihood of a fall.

Needless to say, a fall is always potentially dangerous for both horse and rider.

Signs and symptoms associated with ulcers The reader may be familiar with some of these signs and symptoms. Others are less well known, but may serve even better to make one aware that a horse may be experiencing ulcer pain.

The horse may react by becoming more resistant to going forward and responding to the normal aids. It may kick out, rear or buck when asked to go forward.

It may respond by becoming more irritable in general, but specifically to being groomed or handled. Some progress to the point of being aggressive. Particularly in chronic cases some “turn inward” and appear dull and disinterested – sort of “the light is on, but nobody is at home.”

Performance Issues and Body Pain Issues in Ulcer Cases: Very importantly but not as commonly realized as it should be, body pain goes hand in hand with ulcers.

Whether arising from muscles, chiropractic problems or from joints, pain is inextricably associated with impaired performance. The form that the issue takes is, of course, variable, but may include reluctance to jump in good form, running out, bucking or refusals. It is not uncommon for the horse to buck after a jump. Similarly horses may be reluctant to go down hill. In such cases (including the horse landing after a jump), when the stomach has been compressed by the viscera (abdominal contents) the acids in the stomach are splashed up and onto the non-glandular portion. This portion of the stomach is more susceptible to acid damage than the glandular portion (that portion secreting the acid.)

Performance horses, for example may refuse to take a specific lead or to perform a rollback or pirouette, slide, etc. w w w. bar o q u e hors e m ag azi nE.com

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Due to the consistent muscle pain patterns found in ulcer cases, the horse will cross canter or refuse to pick up a specific lead. Often these horses do not come through in the hindquarters (especially the right hind). They are often restricted in the shoulders due to a consistently found neuromuscular pattern that tightens the fascia over the muscles of the shoulder and wither pocket area. This myofascial contracture limits the ability of the muscles to lengthen and shorten appropriately. The result is pain and develops into a consistent pattern of vertebral dysfunction (chiropractic problem) in the wither vertebrae. Other consistent findings include chiropractic issues in the thoraco-lumbar area (the transition zone from the thorax vertebrae to the loin vertebrae). There is also a consistent pattern of pain and dysfunction where the lumbar vertebra joints articulate with the sacrum. Vertebral joint dysfunction is defined, basically, as an inability of joints to move through their full range of motion. Loss of joint motion results in pain and lack of power to use the back well.

One very important muscle that is frequently dysfunctional in ulcer cases is the Psoas (pronounced “SO-as and is actually a group of 3 muscles). Taken together, this group represents one of the largest and strongest muscles in the body. Its function is to stabilize and protect the pelvic girdle from damage. This is the group of muscles that prevents a racehorse from literally fracturing its pelvis when it bolts from the starting gate. The Psoas muscles are usually intimately involved in chronic sore backs in both horses and people.

When there is Psoas muscle pain the pelvis and croup muscles cannot function well. The croup muscles

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then go into spasm and are painful to palpation (touch). Understanding this, it is easy to visualize significant loss of performance ability.

What can you observe when you look at a horse with ulcer problems?

1. Weight Loss: That, of course, depends on the severity and duration of the ulcers. However, even in somewhat less severe cases horses are moderately down in weight. Recent history often indicates that it is hard to keep weight on them. Hand in hand the horse may show some loss of muscle mass and top line.

2. Eating Patterns: In observing the ulcer horse’s eating patterns, you may notice that it has become a slow or picky eater. Some will literally walk away from their hay and/or grain. It is common that they may nibble hay, but refuse grain. (Some horses with ulcers will continue to eat like a proverbial pig) 3. Appearance: It is also commonly observed that the hair coat, especially, over the thorax (chest) is duller than on the neck or hindquarters. (not every horse will show this pattern) 4. Resistance to Grooming: Many horses with ulcers do not like to be brushed on the bottom of the chest and abdomen. They may even kick out if touched in the area of the sheath or mammary glands.

5. It is very important to note that some horses may be in good flesh, have good appetites and still have ulcers in their digestive tracts and have musculo/skeletal issues and performance related problems that are consistent with the ulcers.

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6. Horses with chronic ulcers may show poor quality feet Presumptive Diagnosis by Palpation: General Considerations: In medicine, the term “presumptive” or, also called, “tentative diagnosis” is used until a diagnosis is actually confirmed by a medical professional.

Having said that, a rider, trainer or body worker using the techniques that follow will be much more aware and can convey the need for examination by a veterinarian.

Palpation is the touching and feeling of tissues with the goal of identifying structures that are not normal. The only tools needed are your hands/or fingers or a not-so-sophisticated tool like the blunt end of a ballpoint pen or more ideally, the cap from a hypodermic needle. The goal is to identify small points or areas that are painful and see them be manifested by a flinch response. Hard or deep pressure is not necessary to elicit such responses in a horse with ulcers. Stick with a moderate pressure.

So, What Can Be Identified? The flinch response can be used to identify reactive “trigger” or “acupuncture” points. It can be used to identify painful muscles and even to identify chiropractic issues in an individual vertebra or identify the chiropractic pattern commonly in ulcer cases. The pressure applied with the needle cap in some locations is done with the point and on other locations with the side of the needle cap.

You should always touch any area on a horse first with the fingers, or stroke the area with the palm of the hand, so as not to surprise the horse and elicit a false response.

Know your horse, it may be showing signs of being in discomfort.

Places to palpate: In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the Stomach Meridian runs down the bottom side of the so-called “strap muscles” at the base of the neck.

The lower one third of this “strap” muscle (The Brachiocephalicus) is nearly always reactive in ulcer cases when pressure is applied using the side of the needle cap. Do not use the tip of the needle cap as a false response may be elicited. The horse, if not first surprised, should not flinch from the amount of pressure that you can comfortably tolerate on the palm your hand. For this to be indicative of ulcers, it should be equally reactive on both the left side and the right side.

Acupuncture Points: In all cases of using these five points, the reactivity (flinch response) must be present on both the left and the right side of the horse. As described in this article you do not have need for an indepth understanding of acupuncture or to know the exact anatomical point location.

Point 1. Using the tip of the needle cap (after first using finger tip pressure), examine an acupuncture point that refers to the Stomach in TCM (The point is BL 21). This point lies at the rear border of the last rib. If one follows the rib’s curve well, there is not a need for pinpoint accuracy in location of the acupuncture point. If the horse has ulcers, a marked flinch is noted when the tip of the cap is stroked downward from the spine along that rear border of the last rib.

The flinch will occur as the needle cap passes over the point about a hands breath out from the spine.

Above: Diagnostic test points

Point 2. The next point to be examined lies at the same distance from the spine but at the border of the next rib forward. The palpation is repeated in exactly the same manner as above. This point refers to the TCM Spleen (BL 20). The TCM Spleen is associated with the pancreas. The pancreas secretes the enzymes necessary for digestion of fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Therefore, in TCM it is considered the key organ of digestion and works with its Chinese Medicine partner, the TCM Stomach.

Points 3. The next two points to be examined for the Stomach and Spleen are called “Alarm Points.” The first is a secondary “alarm point” for the Stomach. (Use the tip of the needle cap after first stroking with the tip of the index finger.) This point is located on the bottom of the chest about four or five inches behind the elbow (ST 11). It is in a soft depression where the chest muscle (the Ascending Pectoral muscle - on each side) blends into the bottom of the chest wall. A mild to moderate pressured stroking motion from the bottom center rearward again makes it unnecessary to have the point accurately pinpointed.

Point 4. The Spleen “alarm point” is located where the next to last rib joins the cartilage that leads to the sternum (LIV 13). The sternum is analogous to that row of bones that is on the front of a human’s chest. The bone/ cartilage junction is approximately where the abdomen starts to curve in toward the midline. This point can be quite reactive and palpating first with fingertip pressure is indicated for safety’s sake.

There are several other points with which to strengthen the presumptive diagnosis of ulcers and help distinguish foregut from hindgut ulcers (or both) that are better described by demonstration; but if the strap muscle and the points described are all equally reactive on both the left and right sides of the horse, the indications are very strong that ulcers are present somewhere in the digestive track.

I recognize that many persons do not learn well from the written word alone no matter how hard I try to put the descriptions into words, it may require the help of a veterinary acupuncturist/ chiropractor to demonstrate and teach the location of the points.

As a veterinary acupuncturist and chiropractor, I then, after checking all the “test points” on the neck thorax and abdomen, use an acupuncture treatment protocol that is indicated for acute gastrointestinal distress.

The protocol I use treats only points on the limbs of the horse and none of the test points are needled. If all of the test points become non-reactive the presumptive diagnosis is very much strengthened. This diagnostic treatment also provides a good base from which the healing effects of conventional ulcer medications are given a boost.

Myofascial/Neuromuscular Patterns: There are patterns in the fascia (the fibrous covering over muscle) that can also be used as further evidence of ulcers. Testing is best performed by a person is trained in “neuromuscular release” and “myofascial release.”

However, with instruction, the

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procedure for this specific use can be readily taught to a layman.

The Wither Pocket Muscles: The other area readily evaluated with the needle cap is the “wither-pocket”.

This is the pocket where the pommel points and panels/bars of the saddle rest behind the shoulder blade. Begin the stroking from the top of the “pocket” just behind the scapula (shoulder blade).

Commence the exam with the fingertips and exert a light pressure then gradually stroke with more pressure. Continue stroking somewhat rearward to the bottom of the “wither pocket.” The exam can be better executed using the flat side of the needle cap (not using the point of the cap).

A horse that does not have ulcers (or saddle fitting problems) should be able to tolerate the degree of pressure that you can readily tolerate when stroking the side of the needle cap against the open palm of your hand. The reaction in an ulcer case may be present on both the left and right wither pockets.

Remember, even though the “pocket” is almost always reactive in ulcer cases this procedure as an only test is not adequate to say that the horse has ulcers, since it may also indicate poor saddle fit. It has more significance when viewed along with e.g. “ulcer point” sensitivity

Conclusions: Gastro-Intestinal ulcers are a serious, difficult and expensive disease problem.

Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are extremely important. The good news is that with the information provided in this article you, the reader, can be much

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more aware and pick up on the evidence much earlier.

Regarding the value and validity of this method of diagnosing ulcers, I have experienced a greater than 95% accurate positive diagnosis response.

This is based on horses that have been confirmed ulcer positive by diagnostic ultrasound or confirmed by a positive response to Omeprazole (GastroGard) therapy. Endoscopic diagnosis is limited to diagnosis in only the stomach and a small portion of the small intestine. In a retrospective university autopsy study of 565 horses, 45% of non-performance horses and 65% if performance horses were found to have ulcers in the hindgut (specifically in the Right Dorsal Colon). These cannot be picked up by endoscopic examination. This explains why one may find the points and patterns described in this article reactive in spite of a negative endoscopy.

Another very interesting and surprising fact has surfaced over and over with the author’s ulcer cases.

When the horses are treated with acupuncture as part of the diagnosis, not only do the “test” points become non-reactive, much of the body pain (muscle and chiropractic) issues resolve or are significantly mitigated.

When this is found to be the case, my protocol is to perform additional acupuncture and chiropractic therapy prior to starting an ulcer medication.

This type of Integrative Medicine approach has done a remarkable job of returning ulcer horses to full performance and competition capabilities usually within six to ten days. Some cases do require a follow up with acupuncture and chiropractic to resolve remaining or recurrent

chiropractic and muscle issues.

Ulcer occurrence can be greatly reduced with management and feeding.

As a veterinary practitioner, I am very interested in prevention of recurrent ulcers as well as prevention of first time cases.

You have to remember that Gastrointestinal Ulcers are a man-made disease, and we need to take into great consideration, prevention, therapy (all types) and environmental aspects, such as stress minimization. Such stress mechanisms are encountered with transportation, competition, weaning, separation anxiety and housing. The reader will also need to address the concepts of feeding for prevention of ulcers, but also, as part of the treatment.

A de-mystifying research on the various medication therapies, as well as on the alternative herbal treatments, will be necessary to assess the validity of the many modalities coming on the market every day! a

Dr Kerry’s books and DVD’s can be purchased on his web www.drkerryridgway.com/zcart/index.php

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Traditionally in the baroque horse community the mares are the breeders and the stallions and geldings are the working/ ridding horses. Now, more mares are getting pulled out of the paddocks and been given the opportunity to prove themselves under saddle.

BHM talks to Sylvia Loch and Anthony Pelling about their experience and thoughts on it all.

with Pre Mares in Spain

By Anthony Pelling

As the evolution of dressage in Spain continues, the mentality of breeders and professional riders has also progressed extensively. Evidence of this is how many purebred PRE mares are coming into the spotlight on the main dressage circuit. Typically the PRE mares have only been used for breeding. The only way their quality was really determined was by presenting in the morphologic competitions and by their foals. However, times have changed. Breeders have recently begun investing in training high quality mares for dressage. As a professional rider myself, I believe this to be an excellent step in the right direction for proving bloodlines. The quality of movements in dressage is very important. However, the trainability of the horse is a major factor in achieving success in dressage. Biologically a foal gets 50% of its genetic makeup from the stallion and 50% from the mare. However, in some cases it is apparent that the mare can influence up to 75% of the foal’s physical, mental and behavioural capabilities.

This was one of many reasons why we chose to begin training and testing mares for their qualities. It not only helps the breeders make more educated decisions on

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breeding, but also can give more information to clients when purchasing young horses from these proven lines.

I am currently riding a very talented mare.

Saqueadora is an eight year old mare from Yeguada Candau. I began training with her from when she was four years old. The decision to break and train her was one in which to change the direction of the stud from morphologic competitions to performance in dressage.

Yeguada Candau has stallions being used all over Spain in numerous breeding programs. The sons of these stallions have been very successful over their carriers in dressage. Saqueadora comes from a famous line. Her father was champion of Spain numerous times in morphologic competitions and twice champion of Spain in Functionality.

He was trained and competed by Rafeal Soto in Grand Prix for many years. Thus, he adds more fuel to the fire to test the sons and daughters in dressage. I have ridden her in competitions for four years with great success and frequent wins in the FEI young horse competitions. Our latest victory was a bronze medal in the national finals for the ANCCE cup in Sevilla at SICAB. She has a great talent for piaffe, passage, and changes. We are currently training to compete this year in PRE Saint George. It will be her first year in this level.

However, I am expecting big things from her.

Whilst training Saqueadora I have found that as talented as she is, there are a few little things that make mares a lot different than geldings or stallions. Personally, when I am training and competing with stallions I find them a lot easier to read. Their behaviour and reactions never seem to be too much for me to be able to interject and keep them focused. A mare can be quite the opposite. Saqueadora, for example, can be a little unpredictable. A cause of this perhaps can be day-to-day hormone fluctuations. Sometimes keeping her attention and being able to get her to react to my aids in the correct manner can be a real challenge. I try never to argue with her, as in her mind she is always right. Annoying her is never a good idea, as I do pay for it. I always remember the little saying, “happy wife happy life,� and we seem to get on just fine.

However I believe that the pros definitely outweigh the cons. I have experienced some of my greatest equestrian moments with Saqueadora. The direction that the Spanish breeders are taking with their mares by competing them in dressage is definitely a positive one. Improving their breeding herds is not only helping the future of PRE horses in dressage but also elevating the breed as a whole..

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My very first experience of riding an Iberian was on the back of a Lusitano mare over the hills of Odelouca. Her name was Andorinha meaning ‘swallow’ or ‘swift’; she was jet black and beautiful.

I had been living in Portugal for a couple of years, working in the burgeoning discotheque industry around Lisbon and the Algarve and there had been no time to ride.

I had attended a couple of bullfights in Cascais and Lisbon and the horses had taken my breath away, but apart from one sit on a friend’s stallion further up the coast, there had been no riding.

Those days past when I competed, Pony Clubbed and taught riding to children and adults on my own ponies and hunters seemed a lifetime away. What the Portuguese did with their horses in the bullring seemed like something out of a film – horses of a bygone age of daring, chivalry and procession – and not at all what I was used to. It all seemed thoroughly out of reach. . . or was it?

That first hack on Andorinha changed

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my life. Not only did I fall in love with her, but also the man to whom she belonged, Major Henry Loch – an ex-cavalry trainer who was 29 years older than me and who had served in World War II far away in Egypt where horses were still used to spy out enemy lines. As I rode the mare, he rode in front on a very well behaved stallion and it was the mare who pranced along as we covered ten miles of eucalyptus lined trails in those Portuguese hills, high above the river valley.

As visits to Henry’s picadeiro became a regular occurrence, I was set to work on improving Andorinha’s balance and gaits. She had been broken as a driving mare – a common practice for mares in those days – as gentlemen did not ride them. As well as the hacking and riding in straight lines, I was to ride nothing but circles for the first 6 weeks.... half ones, big ones, smaller ones, ones which spiralled in and out, and so on. To start, she was very high stepping and short in her gaits and not the most comfortable of rides, but all that was gradually to change. It took me a while to realise how clever Henry had been setting me what

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at first had seemed a slightly boring task.

The realisation that in a simple circle is all and almost everything you need to know about schooling, transformed my scholarship and humbled me. Words like ‘bend’ so glibly used before began actually to mean something; ‘inside leg to outside hand’ became a reality; ‘moving the horse away from the leg’ or ‘into the leg’ became second nature. People talk about riding stallions, but there is nothing quite like riding a sensitive mare who knows nothing, to teach the serious riding student.

Since then – we are talking about the early l970s, just before the Portuguese Revolution - we have been blessed with several good mares. The first Andorinha became ‘my horse’ even after we’d been married and had about a dozen horses at our riding centre which, by this time, had moved to Loule. Here I schooled all the young horses, but with Andorinha we were discovering the higher airs together and it was a joy. Teaching my own horse her first piaffe was a moment of sheer elation and like everything memorable in one’s life, I can still remember the exact spot where it happened. Perhaps all

students new to teaching the advanced movements should start with a mare – as stallions do not always appreciate being muddled by the mistakes that are bound to be made along the way.

It was the stallions who taught me the feel, the mares who put up with my early fumbling attempts in practice.

Sadly, we lost Andorinha when we moved the school to the UK, but shortly after Henry’s sudden death in l982, I discovered Andorinha II. I had actually been looking for a stallion, but I found this nicely conformed, but clearly switched-off Alter Real mare standing alone in a box behind the stands at the Lisbon Show. She was so disinterested, I felt compelled to ride her; also I might be doing friends in England a service as they were looking for a very quiet Lusitano mare and she was certainly very quiet.

To cut a long story short, my quest for a stallion that year came to nothing!

By the time we shipped this Alter home - she was the first in England – she had put on weight and muscle, and was taking an interest in life again. There was something very special about her eye and something in her demeanour which touched my heart. My friends wanted me to school her on for them, but I think we both knew that Fate would overrule these ideas and she was destined to stay with me. She became my very special horse and with her wonderful temperament, my small daughter Allegra could lead her out to grass without any fear of barging – despite her love of English grass! Andorinha

II went on to compete in British Dressage, winning 2 championships under International judges although at only 15.3 h.h. she did not find favour with everyone. At the Spanish and Lusitano Breed Shows, things were rather different. She became a super star, even beating one top stallion to take Best of Breed one year with Dr Borba officiating .... ‘But Sylvia, the Portuguese never allow a mare to win over a stallion!’ ... I’d been told. It’s nice to break the rules!

I always remember how many people mistook my mare for a stallion whenever we took her to a demonstration. In those days, I would travel three horses – the wise old Palomo, a stallion, the young gelding Espada my up-and-coming horse, and our mare Andorinha. With her wonderful collected movements, her passage was to die for, she had developed a fantastic crest and looked more like a stallion than any of them.

Among the many demos we did up and down the country, she appeared twice at The Royal Mews and once at Gleneages and it was always the same.... ‘Isn’t HE gorgeous!’ as she stood patiently for photographs.

But demo-ing and competing apart, this mare along with all the others we had ever known, were the most wonderful schoolmistresses. Henry had loved his mares just as much as his stallions and made little distinction between them except the mares were always ‘Girlie’. Riders at our Lusitano Equitation Centre in Suffolk still remember the mares - Macaca, the

peaceful, hot little Flamenca, talented Serrana who jumped as well as she did dressage, and in Portugal there’d been Palmela and Rainha – whose changes were exemplary.

Finally when my daughter fell in love with a big Luso mare Queijada in her late teens, it was of little surprise that she too turned out to be an absolute lady in the stable. However, at 16.3 h h and quite wide for a Luso, she had enormous power and grew rather too big and boisterous for my daughter.

She features in my latest book THE BALANCED HORSE and due to her impressive gaits, we decided to let her go on loan to a professional yard in order to compete in the south of England and represent the breed alongside the Warmbloods. I have always believed it important to show that mares can be every bit as talented as stallions and in so many ways it is easier to keep them.

I think it very important that people keep an open mind, when they choose an Iberian horse - be it Lusitano or PRE. Not everyone suits a stallion and not every yard will have them.

Mares are definitely an option and even the Portuguese are now riding them! Ever since I first set foot on Portuguese soil, the mares have held a very special place in my heart. With gentle, skilful training, they can turn out to be very rewarding for whatever purpose you use them. Soft backed and soft of nature, you will never be disappointed. SL a

www.sylvialoch.com

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Article and photos by

W

CĂĄtia Castro

hat a pleasure is to ride a horse. And yet, for all this pleasure there is a price to pay before we ever leave the stable. We must plan the training, coordinate veterinarian visits, farrier work such as trimming the hooves; we must provide the food and treats, the tack, the arena floor. The list goes on and on, but another important aspect of working with horses that is frequently ignored is the safety and security of the horse and the rider. Today we will focus on the rider’s security.

In your riding centre/stable make sure you have the emergency contact numbers for all riders. If a rider has some important allergy or relevant medical information, ensure it is noted. Maintain the emergency contacts in the area (such as ambulance; hospital; fire department; police) so in case of a fall/injury someone in the stable can immediately telephone the emergency line and the rider’s emergency contact person. Make sure this contact list is in a highvisibility area, near a telephone.

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In case of an injury, stay calm, evaluate the situation and keep the victim(s) safe. When you call the emergency line be sure to provide the following information: •

Your name

•

The type of accident

•

The person’s gender

•

The person’s age, or approximate age.

•

The injury that you see.

•

Whether the victim is conscious or unconscious, whether or not they know their name and the current date, and whether or not they know what happened.

•

If the victim has a relevant medical disease/ allergy.

•

The address of the accident, and reference points with clear directions so the ambulance can get to the victim as fast as possible.

Follow the emergency operator’s instructions, and keep yourself and the victim calm. Make sure victims have no obstructions to their breathing. Don’t move victims; don’t take their helmets off, unless you see that the helmet is blocking their breathing.

or even a week later.

Of course, the best way to enjoy riding is to prevent an accident from happening.

So how can we prevent accident? There are many ways. We can name a few: 1.

Wear a well-fitting helmet when you ride (use helmets tested under the standard for equestrian activities). There are plenty to choose from. It should be lightweight, ventilated, and in your correct size. If you have a fall with your helmet, even if the helmet looks undamaged, there may be damage in interior places you won’t see, so you replace it with a new one. This way you keep your head 100% protected.

2.

Wear well-fitting, appropriate riding clothes, like boots with flat soles and a heel so that your feet cannot get trapped in the stirrups; long riding pants or jodhpurs; riding gloves (different kinds for winter and summer); and a body protector for your ribs and organs.

3.

Use a rubber band stirrup bar in your stirrups, and keep your heels down.

4.

See that your horse’s tack fits properly and is all in the correct place.

5.

Check your horse’s behaviour before riding.

Sometimes even a cold or a hot day can change the behaviour of an ordinarily calm horse.

6.

Rub your hands over the horse’s body and see if he shows signs of pain. Horses in pain may act up when we ride.

7.

Keep your arms and your legs close to your

Have someone to catch and take care of the horse(s).

If the victim hit their head in the fall, even if they feel all right, the victim should be checked by a doctor immediately for hidden injuries. Some concussions have symptoms that appear later in the first 24 hours,

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body. Relax your muscles and keep your elbows and hands at correct angles.

8.

If you fall remember to stay relaxed, duck and roll away from the horse. By rolling you will have less pain on impact. Keep away from the horse’s hooves and body.

9.

After a fall, talk with your trainer about what happened so you both can analyse and see what it can be done to prevent it from happening next time you ride.

10. If you fall with no injuries, and if you feel you are prepared, get back in the saddle and ride.

11. Follow the doctor’s instructions and ride only when the doctor say it’s ok. Sometimes getting back on the horse before our body is ready could mean a regression or delay in our recovery.

It’s always a good idea to have at least one person around the equestrian centre who has taken an emergency first aid course. Also have an emergency first aid kit for riders and another for horses (for the horse kit you can ask the vet for advice on the products to keep on hand).

Stay safe, take care of your horse and enjoy your riding! a

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Enchantment Rhiannon

Godess of Wings and Hooves

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Photography By

Katarzyna Okrzesik www.photo-e qui ne .c om

Blanka Satora Horse: PRE stallion Escudero VII Costume: Karolina Gac Okrzesik Model:

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BARO QUE HORSE

By Allison and Hayden Thomlinson Photos By Lisa Green

Group line up

Robyn Thiessen and Ausome Medianoche

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Carly Romeyn, AllisonThomlinson, Robyn Thiessen and Pam Bjork Billings

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y husband and I had this great idea— granted we had the idea separately and now it’s a daily conversation about who came up with it first—that it would be fantastic if we could get a bunch of people at the beach with their Baroque horses and then throw in a photographer for good measure.

To be honest, we didn’t actually plan anything past arriving at the beach and ogling everyone’s pretty horses, but that didn’t seem to bother anyone in the slightest. New friendships were made and old friends caught up—it was mentioned on more then one occasion how nice it was to catch up with everyone without the stress of a show keeping us on our feet.

We settled on a date, March 8th 2014, which was an effort in it self as we had to give everyone enough time to get ready but then also get it done before the last of the nice weather was gone. Next was getting the word out—thankfully Facebook is an amazing tool for letting a huge amount of people know about something. We created an event and then just had to sit back and wait for the day to arrive.

Our photographer for the day was Lisa Green, and she had her work cut out for her—the weather wasn’t blue skies and sunshine (which would have been perfect for trying to capture the moving subjects— most of which were black). Instead we had overcast skies and sea spray. The only thing that did work in our favour was that I had managed to get the tides perfect—so we had a fair bit of beach to ride on. Lisa

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Birgit Kossman and Wilbert van Gelder

Allison and Hayden Tomlinson

Robyn Thiessen and Ausome Medianoche

Louise Rathjen and 'Twin Rivers Manolo'

Group meeting..

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Hayden Tomlinson on The Carrock Hector

Allison Tomlinson on Valiente B

Zoe Robertson on Lisha of IFB and Karl Mischkulnig on Afke Van Dulve

L-R: Kate Buckler, Allison Tomlinson, Robyn Thiessen, Carly Romeyn and Pam Bjork Billings

also invited her photography classmates along for the experience and at one stage I think I counted six different lenses being pointed at us.

The lovely ladies (and gentlemen) who made the trip down to the beach were fantastic. Especially notable was Julie Mischkulnig from Twin Rivers Stud, who drove an impressive three hours with her crew from Warrnambool to Barwon Heads so she could be included. Her team comprised Birgit Kossman, who rode the impressive Wilbert Van Gelder, Karl Mischkulnig, who was on the stunning Afke Van Dulve, and Zoe Robertson, who was on the darling Lisha of IFB. Not to be forgotten or overshadowed are the other riders and handlers who came along for the fun. In no particular order—except I’m going to put my husband and myself first because I can—Hayden Tomlinson

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on The Carrock Hector—holding his own along the purebred Friesians; myself on Valiente B—more commonly referred to as ‘The Pony Boy’.

There was also Robyn Thiessen with Ausome Medianoche, who is the most photogenic horse around, Kate Buckler on Kiaglen Porche—bringing some ‘colour’ to the variety; Carly Romeyn rode the lovely Brisa Del Mar, Pam Bjork Billings was on the divine Bona Vista Rhapsody, Gemma Veal rode Rikeltsje, Dave Veal was on The Carrock Jazz and Savannah Louise Rathjen brought her amazingly quiet boy Twin Rivers Manolo for the experience.

In total we had 12 horses that made the day not only possible, but also a huge success. We hope next time we can get even more people together and enjoy some better weather. a

“Serio” owned by Ruby Goodsell

Subscribe Today to not miss out

www.baroquehorsemagazine.com

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Holiday Review • w h at a r e t h e y r e a l ly l i k e ! • Clarendon Forest Retreat

I Clarendon Forest Retreat is a scenic, luxury retreat.

Our eight cottages are spread over the 1000 acre property, offering unique and stunning country accommodation in NSW. We are pleased to be pet friendly and offer gorgeous horse back rides through the property or into the neighbouring national state forest.

Bring your horse or ride one of ours!

Clarendon Forest Retreat 02 6554 3162 150 Coates Road Possum Brush NSW www.cfr.com.au

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s situated about 3.5 hours north of Sydney on the east coast with a short 20-30 minute drive to the beach. It’s ever so slightly off the beaten track, but when you get there you feel as if you’re in a large, secret, country oasis. You break through the tree-lined, sealed road to arrive at the property clearing of green rolling hills that seems to be fenced by nature’s forest.

Last year I took my family for a bit of a road trip, and on the way we stopped by and stayed at Clarendon Forest Retreat. And what a treat it was. The accommodation was four-star all round with different sizes to suit your needs or desires. We stayed in the Talawahl eco lodge, the one of two accommodations that you have your own paddock in front of your cottage (house!) where you can bring your own horses. The whole property is just gorgeous, from the two-story house to the romantic sandstone chapel that you can stay in. I honestly can’t rave enough about this place; it ticks all those boxes for a fantastic country holiday.

Beautiful scenery, comfortable and homely yet still luxurious accommodation, with plenty to do, including spa, tennis, pool, trekking and horse riding—just to name a few. All this sort of information is on their web if you want to know more www.cfr.com.au I would recommend it absolutely, and I look forward to going back again sometime as we enjoyed it so much. The best part is that if you’re getting away for a long weekend, you don’t have to leave your animals at home! Pets are welcome! How great is that, pack up—animals and all—and have a wonderful getaway with friends or family! Well worth the drive.

Jindaby Equestr Resort

Jindabyne Equestrian Resort

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Jindabyne Equestrian Resort

ur journey continued to Jindabyne Equestrian Resort. At an altitude of 1,120m, it is a hidden gem just downhill of the famous ski slopes of Threadbo National Park. The resort is surrounded by captivating views of the Australian Snowy Mountains—how exciting is that? When we visited, it was winter so it was only a short drive to visit the snow, or even go to the snowy mountains that were the scene for the Aussie classic movie, The Man from Snowy River.

Jindabyne Equestrian Resort is really well set up for horses.

There are stables with day yards, a massive 80x30 indoor arena and also features 2 outdoor 20x60m Dressage arenas, 2 Large Roundyards and an 80x40m ‘rodeo/all purpose’ arena! You can also take your horse for rides on the 200+ acre property. They have accommodation available for all your budget needs with two comfortable bedroom self-contained apartments located at the Resort Lodge, motel-style rooms at the Resort Lodge and Resort Centre, and for the budget conscious, there is Horseshoe Lodge.

Jindabyne Equestrian Resort

We had an absolute blast there. The staff and management were friendly and obliging. My kids even had fantastic one-on-one riding lessons that were kind to both horse and rider, and lots of fun for all involved. They offer Equine Education, trail rides, lessons clinics and camps for both adults and children for all levels of rider. Competition events often held there include dressage, showjumping, reining, Western, yard dog trials, and campdrafting, with many more planned for the future. I’ve been told that it’s also a great place to get married, and I’d believe that with the iconic scenery. Besides the activities at the Resort guests can enjoy the myriad of things our mountains have to offer from sightseeing, fishing, swimming, water-skiing, sailing, golf, and mountain-biking to bush walking, depending on the time of year.

I highly recommend a visit here with or without your horses! If you take your horses you can rest easily at night knowing they are safely tucked away in the comfortable stables! Great staff, great location, great equine facilities… what more could you want?

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The fundamentals which lead to correct paces and movements and how to recognise such work

Photos by: Jess Lapia and Michael O’ Grady.

Part 7 of the 3Cs of dressage

By

C alm, Confident & Connected

Barrie Stratton

Full time international dressage coach and trainer National ‘A’ level Dressage Judge, Judge Educator and Mentor

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Andalusian, Clydsdale cross Josh, with an uphill canter, supple poll and quiet contact

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Fabuloso supple through body, head and neck

The horse’s suppleness is of prime importance This quality should be easily recognised when watching a well-schooled horse. Although a horse may demonstrate it understands the movements of perhaps canter pirouettes, tempi changes and half passes, if they are performed without suppleness and fluidity then grace of the performance and harmony between horse and rider is limited. Throughout training from basic Novice work through to the fully schooled Grand Prix horse, developing and maintaining the looseness in a horse is an essential priority.

Benefits of having a supple, loose horse These qualities allow the energy originating from well engaged hindquarters to travel through the horse’s swinging back, to the neck, poll and jaw, all of which are without tension. The hindquarter joints are thereby being allowed to flex without constraint.

This flexibility, particularly of the fetlocks, clearly has a positive impact on the degree of elastic suspension shown in the trot and canter.

Recognising characteristics of these correctly moving horses.

Due to the superior suppleness, developed strength and subsequent confidence the horse has in its own ability, the elastic suspension of the correctly schooled horse gives the impression that even difficult move-

ments are being performed with apparent ease. In collected paces the neck is flexible and well arched, carrying itself with the poll at the highest point. The under muscles of the neck are soft and the horse has a well-developed muscular top line. The paces are characterised by a….

•

•

Walk performed in a marching fashion with a clear four time beat. It should always show regular intervals between each beat and be without tension.

Trot which is elastic and with good impulsion, which can be recognised by a clear moment of suspension between diagonal steps. The same rhythm should be maintained in trot paces from collected to extended.

Note: It is important during the gait of trot to observe that the movement of the fore and hind legs reach equally forward. If the horse has acquired a stiff back through inappropriate training methods and has extravagant front leg lift, unmatched by the hind leg reach, then that horse can be classified as a leg mover, rather than that of a back mover that has been schooled to be supple.

•

Canter of three beats followed by a clear moment of suspension with all four feet off the ground before the next stride begins.

The cadenced steps should be regular, light and with each stride showing an uphill ten dency. The poll should remain supple.

Part 7 of the 3Cs of dressage 5 4.

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C alm, Confident & Connected

Barrie coaching Marlene on Fabuloso who is developing collection in the canter.

Transitions demonstrated by the supple well-schooled horse

pace without any intermediary steps, when ridden in harmony by the rider.

The supple, correctly schooled horse who has developed respect and trust in its rider will give well defined paces directly into and out of transitions, both from one pace to another as well as when changing gait. There will be no intermediary steps or loss of balance or rhythm. Some outstanding examples resulting from this unique harmony between horse and rider are transitions from canter to passage and extended canter or trot into a calm, collected or extended walk, again with no intermediary steps. I have personally greatly enjoyed this part of riding over the years with some of our horses confidently doing near perfect transitions from

Schooling methods which lead to confident, supple and well engaged horses

• Extended canter to extended walk (Toolman) • Piaffe to levade to ballotade to passage (Mozart) • Canter to levade to canter on the other

lead (Kodiak) • Canter to Spanish walk to passage (Kodiak) • Canter to passage to canter

(Kodiak, Mozart and Toolman) • Passage to Spanish walk to passage

(Kodiak and Mozart) • Spanish walk to canter to Spanish walk

(Kodiak and Mozart) In fact, Kodiak (a Quarter horse/TB/Arab cross) could perform any movement, or transition in gait or

Part 7 of the 3Cs of dressage

The way the horse is ridden significantly contributes to the quality of the paces. As I have said in previous articles…

• The rider’s torso is their strength • Their arms and legs are mere accessories If the rider forces the horse then tension will result.

The rider’s hands should never pull backwards, and there is no exception. It always results in a stressed horse. The rider’s legs need to be soft and as with the hands, need to be precise with their application.

Combined with skilled riding, all schooling should be systematic and well planned. The horse’s wellbeing needs to be a priority. As work becomes progressively advanced, the horse should grow in confidence and so remain calm. They should display a keenness to commence their work each day in the arena if treated well and thoughtfully.

Lateral work to develop responsiveness and suppleness This may initially be done at the walk and trot, including exercises like leg yield, shoulder in and half pass.

As the training progresses and the horse’s confidence and ability grows, movements such as lateral work in

C alm, Confident & Connected

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Fabuloso in a well engaged uphill canter with a supple poll and good connection

Fabuloso with front and back legs reaching equally forwards

canter and the introduction of passage and piaffe will help a horse learn to lighten their forehand and load their hindquarters.

Taking the horse out of their comfort zone

neck, poll and jaw onto the riders hands, as observed at the beginning of this article. The horse happily accepts the contact of the rider’s hands on their mouth via the reins.

Another way to enhance the impulsion, cadence and suppleness of a horse is to skilfully ask your horse to do some exercises which are the opposite to their preferred way of going. Proceeding progressively in this way, while not over challenging horse and rider, most often results in a looseness and impulsion which can give that ‘wow’ factor.

Positive and negative ways to develop paces

Exercises in opposition….“Let nature be your guide”.

Two simple examples are, if the horse tends to fall into their right shoulder, then do shoulder-in on the left rein. If they like taking their hindquarters to the right, then perform travers left. Depending on the horse, the optimum result may be achieved in either trot or canter. We therefore need to carefully observe any benefits from this procedure and adapt to each individual horse’s needs.

Stretching into a longer lower frame In addition, throughout schooling at all levels it can be beneficial to allow the horse to stretch their neck down and lengthen their frame, particularly during trot and walk. Some horses benefit from work like this in canter as well, but with others, they can become unbalanced and place excessive weight on the forehand. During this exercise, the horse’s nose ideally extends clearly in front of the vertical. A looseness in the horse’s body and strides follows, and that looseness should then be preserved when the reins are shortened for schooling in a more collected nature.

The end effect of such positive schooling.

Through this method of training, we arrive at having horses which are said to be ‘over the back’, and ‘into the bridle’. In others words, the energy from the well engaged hindquarters travels through a swinging back,

Developing suppleness along these lines has long lasting positive physical and psychological effects on the horse. The gait of canter and the previously mentioned stretching exercise (particularly in trot) are dynamic, with the horse stretching its long back muscle in a very natural way. This is in contrast to the rider using extreme positions of the head and neck such as the roll-kur, which over stretches the horse’s back causing it to become over tensed, difficult to sit to in the trot, and resulting in the horse becoming a leg mover. We find that horses trained that way may have extravagant movement coming from their front legs, which reach more forwards in the trot than do the hind legs, which have become constrained.

Conclusion Coaches and riders need to be patient, focusing on the importance of the quality of the paces, which in trot and canter should be elastic and fluid with a degree of suspension appropriate to the level of the horse’s schooling. As always, the horse needs to remain calm, confident and connected at all times. a Barrie Stratton As a professional coach and trainer, Barrie has guided riders and horses to achieve Grand Prix level dressage and compete successfully at National Championships, CDI-N and CDI-W competitions.

The above text is © Barrie Stratton 2014 Landline: (08) 8370.9809 – Mobile: 0400.639.909 Email: barrie@thestrattonfamily.com Website: www.academyofdressage.com.au Find us on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/academyofdressage

Part 7 of the 3Cs of dressage 5 6.

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C alm, Confident & Connected

Barrie & Sarit a St ratt on

Sarita at ‘Imagine a Horse’ Texas

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P: +61 8 8370 9809 - Sarita on 0408 084 777 - Barrie on 0400 639 909

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FOR Riders

by Melanie Griffiths

Exploring the principles of the Pilates Method.

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Definition of the verb Relax – to make or become less anxious (Augarde, A. J, 1981)*

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elax is an often overused term in today’s language, it creates a certain anxiousness within me the minute the word is used, quite the opposite of what it means. It is often used as a well-intentioned directive – ‘now relax’…but how? Most people struggle to relax on demand, especially if they are challenged with new body movements. I prefer to think we need to find a certain inner control, which leads to calm to perform our everyday movements be it with the horse, home or work…we have to somehow find the time to discover how we move, breath and function daily. Use these Pilates principles to help you discover a deeper understanding of your own movement patterns.

Please refer to article Pilates for Riders in Issue 14 Feb/March 2014 – Baroque Horse Magazine for more information on Pilates.

In this article I will explore the six principles of Pilates. Joseph Pilates drew these six principles from many areas yoga, boxing, acrobatics, and dance to name a few.

I have added two more – Alignment and Intuition, which I feel important today and relative to horse riding, and guess what…

RELAX, is not one of them!

I have used two simple tasks that are performed daily (usually rushed) to explore the six plus two principles - hanging the washing out and saddling a horse, both require similar movement patterns and muscle activation, practice these simple tasks encompassing all the principles before you add more challenging repertoire.

Injuries sometimes occur performing simple tasks like these; we are at a loss to know why this has happened to us. We may go to the gym and work out, ride horses every day and look and feel in pretty

good shape, so why have we put our back out? It is not the task itself that created the injury but maybe more a build up of poorly performed tasks over time that culminates in an injury.

Concentration: My personal favorite as I believe it is impossible to attain other principles without first having concentration. Practice simple tasks like saddling your horse or hanging the washing out, note how your body moves which muscles can you feel whilst carrying out these tasks? Remembering that your mind controls your body if you do not have this important connection then you may be at risk of injury, developing poor postural habits and this could possibly inhibit your riding.

Control: It is important to have conscious muscle control for overall movement and wellbeing, you have explored how your body moves performing the simple tasks mentioned above. Now, revisit these tasks using control ask your body to move and engage the muscles needed to perform the task, explore the feeling of being in control of your movements. Be mindful of your control, remembering your movements serve a functional purpose.

Centering: We now need to think about simple movements like moving arms or legs originating from the centre or our core. These are the muscles, which make up the area between the ribs and the pelvis including the back, hips and glutes. Revisit your simple tasks and ask the centre/core to move the arms to lift your saddle or hang your washing on the line, this will create a good strong foundation for your body to work from, thus improving balance and alignment.

Fluid/Flowing Movement: When we have mastered the centering we can then

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perform our simple everyday tasks with a certain gracefulness. In creating this we aim to move lightly and gently, avoid stop start jerky or heavy movements, walk lightly on your feet and try to imagine each movement flows into another like a dance. Try placing your saddle on your horses back with the utmost care and lightness; imagine your horses back is made of glass. Move softly or ‘dance’ from side to side slowly tightening the girth gently in a fluid motion. Or hang your washing out imaging each piece of clothing is fragile and will fall apart if handled heavily. When we start to move in this fluid way performing simple tasks it eventually becomes more autonomous and we can then approach more difficult tasks with greater ease and less tension in body.

Precision: Moving our bodies with precision is necessary for the correct muscle activation, think of performing your simple task as a quality movement, it has a purpose and each movement should be a thoughtful precise and exact. Take time to perfect more quality movements throughout your day.

Breathing: Necessary for life, the first that happens as soon as we are born. But how many of us breathe functionally? The universal sign of stress is shallow breathing we only use the top part of the lungs and the breath becomes fast and short. This can also happen with asthmatics and other breathing disorders.

Breathing is an exercise in its self, and needs to be practiced slowly and carefully. Without the correct breathing technique your body will struggle to function, you may become tired easily and everyday simple tasks soon feel like arduous chores.

The other two…

Alignment: correct alignment occurs when each bone is aligned creating a neutral position for each joint. It is sometimes difficult to maintain this, especially when you add complex movement patterns like riding a horse. In saying this we should never stop striving for the whole body to be in alignment, good alignment increases structural efficiency.

Try simply walking down the street with your whole body in alignment see how long you can maintain this posture without force or compromising the other principles.

Intuition: In the modern service world we live in it is sometimes difficult to tap into that intuition we were born with. Listening to your own body and acting accordingly can sometimes be forgotten, we may attend a gym class or riding lesson and be encouraged to work beyond what our bodies can cope with, coming away feeling sore or uncomfortable (spare a thought for your horse if you feel sore after a strenuous riding lesson how does your horse feel - he had to carry you)! Explore your body’s own limitations, know when things don’t feel right and use your own intuition as your personal trainer.

When you can integrate these principles into your daily life successfully, the next step is to add more challenges, slowly, be it in your Pilates practice or riding your horse. a *Augarde, A. J. The Oxford Dictionary.

Oxford: Oxford UP, 1981. Print.

Feedback and questions are warmly invited mels.pilates@optusnet.com.au or

facebook . co m / m elaniegriffithspilates

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What Does

‘On the Bit’ Really mean?

Article by Gabrielle and Camille Dareau

T

he horse being on the bit, or engaged, is a fascinating physiological phenomenon that can apply to all horses, in all spheres, and should be the basis of all riding. In fact, it could easily be said that this is the most important thing that you can understand about riding.

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ngagement protects the horse, providing the strength and suppleness to carry the rider comfortably. It protects the rider because it creates the unity that puts the horse under full control. It gives rise to a whole realm of wonderful sensations between horse and rider, and is the means for the athletic development of the horse’s movement, giving it beauty and expression.

Engagement, commonly known as the horse being on the bit, is not an additional quality acquired by advanced dressage horses—it should be present to a greater or lesser degree at all levels of a horse’s training. The physiology behind this particular way the horse can carry himself, known as ‘engagement on the ring of postural muscles’, is now wellunderstood, thanks, principally, to the fascinating work of Deb Bennett, Ph.D. The biomechanical dynamic resides in the synchronized action of specific muscles groups throughout the horse (see diagram on next page).

When working in engagement, the horse feels to the rider like it ‘locks on’ to this postural ring, and the locomotive muscles can then relax rhythmically, giving suppleness and expression to the movement.

There is a characteristic softness in the contact (in no

way initiated by the rider’s hands) and, at the same time, a feeling of the horse reaching towards the contact. The whole horse lifts underneath the rider, giving a unique sensation of weightlessness, and the absence of the significant unbalanced forces that the horse (and gravity) normally exert on the rider.

Characteristics of the horse correctly engaged on the bit: •

The abdominals engaged lifting up the belly and the spine

•

The pelvis tucked, lowering the croup and bringing the hind-legs further under the horse’s body

•

The neck arched, but in a forwards-stretching, or ‘telescoping’ way, showing a delineation of the muscles midway up the neck, with the corresponding softening of the under-neck muscle, and relaxation of the jaw.

•

One of the most reliable signs of true engagement is, in trot and trot-based movement, the perfect unity of the hind leg and foreleg of each diagonal pair swinging forwards at the same angle. The following illustration shows how this can clearly be identified on a photograph.

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The Postural Ring The muscles and structures in the horse’s body which make up the ‘postural ring’, as identified by Dr. Deb Bennett Ph.D. The principle dynamic here is the combined stretching of the long back muscle and contraction of the abdominal muscles. This has the effect of lifting the horse’s back under the rider, like a flexed bow, providing both a strong support for the rider, and permitting the transmission of energy through the horse’s body from the haunches. A full description of the physiology of the postural ring is given in Dr. Bennett’s article ‘The Ring of Muscles Revisited’, available online.

Drawing by Gabrielle Dareau.

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2

The unity of the diagonals in trot and all trot-based movements (including piaffe and passage) is one of the most reliable visual signs of correct postural engagement. At all stages of the stride, even when the knee is at it’s highest, the angle of the canon bone of the hind-leg should be the same as that of the forearm of the opposite forelimb, as shown by the parallel red lines in this picture.

Why ‘on the bit’?

The reason this whole-body phenomenon is usually described as the horse being ‘on the bit’ is that when the horse engages onto the ring of muscles as described above, the neck arches and the jaw relaxes, giving the rider the feeling that the horse is softening onto the bit as opposed to resisting against it.

Unfortunately, because this effect in the horse’s mouth and head-carriage is one of the most obvious signs of engagement, often riders focus on achieving it on its own, usually by ‘fiddling’ or playing with the reins, or worse, simply pulling against the horse’s mouth (modern sportshorses bring their head in easily when the bit is pulled, where an ‘ordinary’ horse would normally resist).

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Although the extravagantly raised foreleg, which has become desirable in modern dressage, is spectacular, it is at the expense of the purity of the gaits - a fundamental principle of dressage that is a basic requirement in the FEI regulations. When the foreleg is lifted much higher than the hindleg of the same diagonal pair, the horse's spine must be dropped to permit this posture. The haunches are disengaged, and the hindlegs work out behind the horse's body instead of carrying forward underneath it.

This focus on the front-end of the horse is a completely futile approach, because the correct softening of the horse on the bit happens only as a result of what the horse is doing with the rest of his body, and on its own it has no significance or benefit to either horse or rider. The double bridle also has an artificial softening effect on the horse’s jaw, making it easy to disguise resistance in the contact resulting from lack of engagement.

Misconceptions on the HeadCarriage.

There seems to be a growing fixation in dressage on applying certain rules to the horse’s head carriage—for example, the idea that work is only correct if the ‘poll is

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the highest point’ and the nose is ‘in front of the vertical’. This is probably in reaction to growing awareness of controversial training practices such as rollkür, as people try to find a fool-proof way of discerning correct work.

However, this concern with the way a horse holds their head and neck is misplaced, because it is simply not a reliable sign, on its own, of the horse’s state of wholebody engagement. An engaged horse may well, as a result of the longitudinal stretching of the spine, bring the nose slightly behind the vertical, or have a low, round head carriage where the poll is not the highest point. This may be the result of conformation, or just the normal lack of postural strength at lower levels of training. Equally, a horse who is working with disengaged

haunches and a dropped back can very well have a ‘correct’ head carriage—this is, indeed, exceedingly common in competitive dressage.

The crucial distinction lies in whether the rider is allowing the horse to offer the head-carriage that is a direct result of postural engagement, or whether they are trying to control and place the headcarriage in any way—whether high and above the vertical, or low and round.

Just as many riders want to get the horse round in front with the bit, they may also attempt to use it to ‘lift the horse up in front’, however true elevation of the forehand has nothing to do with the rein contact—it is a gradual gymnastic development which comes about as the haunches are gradually able to lower and ‘sit’ more, cantilevering the forehand up, without any loss of the longitudinal stretch of the spine.

Gabrielle Dareau and Odette, a thoroughbred who was rescued from a horse sale after her racing career. Although her conformation is not adapted to dressage, developing her postural engagement still has the power to lift her off the forehand, and allow her to move in a balanced, supple and graceful way. This is because engagement on the ‘ring’ is a physiological phenomenon that applies universally to all horses, with positive gymnasticising and therapeutic effects, in stark contrast to forceful training methods that break the horse down over time.

In dressage, appearances can be so very deceiving.

It is very easy to confuse, for example, a correct longitudinal stretch at a lower level of training with the horse being ‘on the forehand’. This is because the eye is drawn to the fact that the horse is dropping the head down low. However, we should learn to focus, instead, on the activity and reach of the hind leg as a sign of truly balanced movement. A horse working on the postural ring can drop their nose right to the ground, when on a loose rein, without in any way becoming ‘on the forehand’, because the hind legs step sufficiently far underneath the body mass to keep the centre of gravity back towards the haunches.

The current trend in modern dressage for highflailing front legs is actively promoting horses that are on the forehand, however much it may appear to be the contrary, because they have lost true engagement of the haunches provided by the unifying force of the postural ring, and the hind legs are abandoned out behind.

The profound effects of engagement on the bit.

When the horse works properly engaged on the bit, it not only makes a profound physical transformation on him, it also has a remarkable effect on the horse’s mental state. When the horse starts to carry himself using his postural muscles, at the same time connecting with the rider’s postural engagement, this goes hand-in-hand with the release of tension. This is a release not only of the physical tension the horse has when he carries a rider out of balance, but also of the mental tension that is very often present with horses, who are essentially prey animals, and therefore easily stressed when they are not in the security of their natural herd environment.

The amazing thing is that when you put a horse on the bit correctly, not only are you connecting to that horse in a profound way, but you are asking him to give himself over to you in a whole-body way.

This letting go of the natural way a horse balances

Camille Dareau and Hope, a TB x ID/Hanoverian. Hope was only a young horse when, with her previous owner, she began to rear and refuse to go forward. She was difficult to handle and had panic attacks regularly. Working in engagement was a therapy for her to the point that she adored going to the arena. Her confidence in every area of her life grew so much that she transformed into an open and easy horse to work with.

in movement is comprised principally of the yielding to the rider’s leg in order to bend round turns in the opposite way as he would naturally, and the giving up of the natural flight reflex required for the horse to be able to come off the forehand and shift the centre of gravity back.

When the horse hands his body over to the rider in this way, and he then feels the security that this balanced way of moving and connecting to his rider gives him, this brings about a profound mental shift in the horse in that he releases his need to defend and protect himself, because he senses a great safety in the connection with his rider. In a way, as a rider you have become his ‘herd’: the security of a trustworthy leader that allows him to relax on a deep mental and emotional level.

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Left: Gabrielle Dareau and Phoenix B, a Dutch warmblood who suffered a spinal injury as a youngster, and for whom training in postural engagement has been greatly therapeutic Right: Camille Dareau and Hope

The important point here is that in correct riding, you earn this trust and voluntary submission of the horse in a physical or gymnastic way, by showing the horse that he is safe in balanced motion.

We don’t believe that you can ever achieve this level of mental calmness through training the horse by conditioning his mind, as is the methodology of many natural horsemanship methods, and many dressage training techniques. Horses are extremely physical beings; everything about their mental state is related to how they feel in their body. In domesticating horses we have (for the most part) removed them from the physical security of the herd, and then in riding them we have upset their natural way of balancing in motion, so, in riding, it is therefore only by giving them back the physical security of the balanced connection of engagement on the bit, that we can give the horse back his natural lack of tension, and maybe even create something more profound.

This is why the whole management of a horse is so relevant to his training. If a horse has a great deal of tension accumulating in him from an unhappy existence outside of his work (for example solitary confinement to a stable) then it will make it all the harder to for him to release this tension and give his body over to you in his work.

Interestingly, we have found that this kind of stress often manifests itself as tight holding in the horse’s diaphragm, the part of the body where emotional tension is often stored. This creates a direct barrier to his coming on the bit, which requires a relaxed diaphragm for the right postural engagement to take place. Unfortunately it seems to have become the fashion in modern dressage to see tension as a desirable aspect of performance. Not only is the tension resulting from an unnatural lifestyle not addressed, it is actually amplified by forceful riding, and this is rewarded by competitive success. The original relevance of dressage was to train a horse to be calm enough, and trusting enough of his rider, to

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be able to be ridden into battle. It’s hard to imagine the dressage stars of today being capable of that...

How does the rider get the horse on the bit?

This is one of the most important questions in riding! Why? Because it concerns the basic transformation that ideally all riders should be making (to an appropriate degree) to all horses on a continuous basis, no matter what their riding discipline is. It is all very well knowing what engagement is, but far more important is to know how to create it, and what it actually feels like when your horse is on the bit. To achieve engagement, the rider first needs to acquire postural strength, begin to develop flexibility in the right joints, and most importantly lose the reliance on the reins for balance and control. Then an understanding of aligning (straightening and bending) the horse can be achieved, along with the skills required in the seat to modify the horse’s weight bearing and longitudinal stretching.

In fact we have come to the realization that in order to engage the horse, the rider must engage their own body in a very similar way, using the same core strength and the suppleness of certain joints to connect to the horse. This is part of the beautiful symmetry of riding when it is understood as a unique gymnastic art. This engagement of the core muscles brings the rider’s pelvis into an orientation with the horse’s back that is very different from the way that we naturally sit on a horse, and the way that is often taught in dressage instruction.

When you acquire the ability in your own body to bring the horse on the bit correctly and consistently— not just in fleeting moments—it is a huge empowerment which takes your experience of riding into a whole new realm. When riding is broken down into its essential elements—how your body really influences the horse’s—and then built back up into an

www.happy-horse-training.com

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effective whole, it loses the mystification and misunderstanding that often makes trying to improve your riding frustrating or boring.

Whether you are inspired by competitive or Classical dressage, or simply want to improve your riding in general, it comes down to the same principles. The gymnastic harmony that can be achieved between horse and rider through good riding is an amazing phenomenon no matter what the context.

Riders (no matter how experienced) who feel for the first time the unity with the horse that they discover through engagement—the apparently simple matter of putting the horse on the bit—are often profoundly moved by the experience. For us this is what riding is all about.

Available exclusively on happy-horsetraining.com, The Gymnastic Rider ebook is a comprehensive step-by-step guide to building your ability to achieve engagement on any horse. The process of developing the seat, leg and postural influence necessary for engagement explained in the book, is simple enough for any rider to achieve, but the fundamental elements of it are counterintuitive for most riders. This explains why so few riders and teachers practice and understand correct engagement, and resort to the usual methods of controlling the horse with the bit.

Reference: Dr. Deb Bennett www.equinestudies.org/ring_revisited_2008/ ring_of_muscles_2008_pdf.pdf

'Happy Horse Training' is founded by sisters Camille and Gabrielle Dareau, based in the South-West of France. Through their website, writings and teaching, their goal is to provide an information resource and community promoting holistic horsemanship - a progressive approach to the care, management and training of horses that is truly in the interests of the horse's welfare, with no overriding commercial or competitive concerns. They are passionate about the benefits for both horses and humans of pure, gymnastic dressage, and developing the understanding of this beautiful art-form. www.happy-horse-training.com w w w. bar o q u e hors e m ag azi nE.com

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Naturally Classical

m e e t s w i t h Aikido

by Jenny Rolfe

INTRODUCTION Life changed quite simply one day as I was riding my Spanish stallion Delfin. Within a moment of listening and inspiration, my thoughts were transformed about how I perceived the horse, and his amazing capacity for communication. This path for me began as Delfin responded to a breath. This led me to search for a deeper understanding of how breath-heart-energy can become a powerful connection between horses and riders.

My learning curve has been inspired by my love of horses which has led me to delve further into the martial arts, yoga and Tai Chi. All encompass the significance of controlled breath energy which leads to deeper empowerment, balance and harmony in body, mind and spirit. This is the place where horse and rider can truly connect on every level.

I have spent some time exploring the scientific evidence from Heartmath, an organisation based in California, which carries out ground breaking scientific research into the power of heart-breathenergy. This evidence explains why our coherent heart rate will give security to calm a horse and how chaos in our heart rate will create a mirror for his fear and flight response. Our heart rate responds to our emotions so if we create awareness of our feelings and heart rate we can maintain a more coherent state.

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WHERE THE MIND GOES THE CHI WILL FOLLOW Within Eastern culture, controlled energy is known as ‘Chi’ energy which can be used as a vehicle for healing and also within the martial arts. In China there is an old saying ‘Where the mind goes, the ‘chi’ will follow’.

This energy can have a huge impact on our relationships and often when we feel ‘on the same wavelength’ with another, it is created by a connection of ‘chi’. Chi energy can be used to enhance healing normally through a state of meditation, which allows healing energy to flow through the hands and fingers. It is good to remember these possibilities as we caress the neck of the horse to help him to calm and release tension. If we are capable of healing and giving out therapeutic energy, the horse will immediately receive this and it can become part of our day to day relationship with him. This type of energy awareness will help to build a very deep bond of security and connection.

THINK AIKIDO One of my students has studied over years and is now an Aikido black belt instructor.

We have been looking at the many parallels between the art of developing Ki energy through Aikido and my own path of both study and teaching.

So let us take a look at some of the similar concepts: Aikido was founded by Morihei Ueshiba

who was a student of various martial arts. His philosophy was to create not simply a fighting art but a way of purification and bringing together of mind body and spirit in accordance with the principles of nature and the universe. This resulted in a place of ‘energy in harmony’ and is this not the goal of the rider to combine with the horse at a place where energy and harmony can meet? The student of Aikido may take a whole lifetime to feel and understand these principles and as with Classical horsemanship every day is a further step of discovery. One basic principle within Aikido is to try and maintain a straight and central line within the body. We so often feel in discord losing the strength of our strong centre as soon as we move. Straightness and balance for the rider are so influential for the horse, who will be carrying either a stable, balanced weight or an unbalanced, un-centred rider.

When we begin to understand personal alignment and the development of a strong centre, we can add the power of breath awareness to enhance balance, self carriage and stability for a rider. There are many basic techniques in Aikido which sound familiar to the rider such as, the stability of the body, changing the balance and leading the energy. This study has much to do with body awareness, discipline and exploration of technique.

The challenge for the student, as with riding, is to create this feeling of stability and balance, yet control tension which would otherwise create restriction in movement.

Both Aikido and riding require fluidity and control and the essence of this art is created with steady rhythmic breathing to sustain the power and energy flow.

As the student progresses, the focus on technique can diminish as a greater and deeper power takes over. The mind of the student can focus on feel and empathy. If the technical dimension becomes the major focus, the student will be unable to dig deeper. Yet, with much practise and patience the art

form can be created. It is similar to an artist who prefers to create a picture of inspiration rather than a product of say painting by numbers.

Within Aikido practise the student will begin the grasp the principles and the body will move in accordance with the principles. For the rider, this is a similar practise. For instance, the rider may feel balanced when the horse suddenly decides to take a pull on the reins, moving away from balance and taking the energy forward. If the rider has grasped the principles, she will move according to the principles and take a deeper inward breath to re gain balance. This is the way to create harmony, balance and stability for horse and rider. The art of Aikido encourages the student to view the other person with an open heart and no ego. This entails finding some empathy with their situation, the power they use, their balance emotions. This will not be found by eye contact only or through the intellectual mind but rather through an awareness from the heart.

AWARENESS FROM THE HEART This awareness from the heart, is well described and documented by Heartmath as breath-heart-energy. I demonstrate and teach this connection from the heart, with my Iberian stallions. The lessons of Aikido will help the rider, to empathise with the horse, observing the energy and emotions they are using. Is the energy borne of fear and flight or joie de vivre and pride.

Is the true nature of the horse revealed within his movement? We can create energy which originates from the breath exhaling from our lungs. Add to this the power gained by contracting the stomach muscles to push the breath out.

At the same time the breath has rippled down through the spine of the rider creating a pelvic release. This energy when felt by the horse, is a connection creating energy and impulsion. This natural release of energy from the rider creates a desire to move forward from the horse. Professional athletes in many sports already co-ordinate their

breathing with their movement without thinking about it. Of course, they will only really think about it if they become professional, and by that time, they will have gained the wisdom and power of this focus on breath connection.

In Aikido, breathing techniques are taught from the beginning to enable the student to become more sensitive to deeper slower breathing.

In martial arts the moment of inhalation is considered to be inherently weak and an opening for attack. The exhalation is the time for energy and release of inner power. Interestingly weight lifters never stop focusing on their breathing as with this concentration comes more co-ordination of power. The rider is certainly looking to gain more co-ordination and fluidity of movement. I see the power of focus on the breath- as a place to become more subtle rather than a place of physical strength.

BREATH RHYTHM When athletes are running, they will focus on a system of breathing to assist both the distance and the speed. For instance after running on the flat the athlete may run up a hill and change down a gear. The stride may shorten and the breath rhythm will alter to assist the change in gear and effort. In Aikido it is important to breathe in rhythm for instance for slow exercises the breath is slow. For a faster movement the breath will be faster and then a controlled deeper rhythm of breathing will help the student to calm down and relax again. The influence and breathing of the rider will be mirrored by the horse.

Heart rate will influence breathing so when we control our emotions and keep calm with coherent breathing we can begin to gain the trust of the horse as a worthy herd leader.

Breath control within riding or Aikido is not about false breathing but rather gaining more awareness of breathenergy-flow in a natural way to enhance our co-ordination. This will increase not only power but balance and self control

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and help us become more subtle riders. I teach riders a sequence of exercises from ‘Top to Toe’ about posture, core breathing, self carriage and balance plus a deeper awareness of where tension may be held. When we sit on the back of a horse we are sitting on his nervous system.

He will feel every nuance of our movement and change in balance.

We will not need to use our legs strongly against the rib cage of the horse, but tune into his energy through control of our core, seat and breathing. Aikido demands concentration of power directed towards a specific point. For instance when power is directed towards the big toe, fixed to the floor, you gain power through your hips. This initial connection ignites the power which will accelerate the spring action of the knee.

The ideal within Aikido is to use a small amount of power for maximum effect. This is true for the rider as if we try to match ourselves with the power and strength of the horse, we have no chance as we are so much weaker and smaller. With this in mind it would seem a good idea for the rider to use a small amount of energy and power to gain a maximum response from the horse. The power of breathenergy gives just that place for connection. Within riding we learn how one tense joint may affect the whole of the body.

For instance excess tension in a lowered overstretched ankle will create tension through the whole leg of the rider. If the wrist of the rider is tight then the flow of energy down the arm becomes restricted. This in turn will inhibit natural posture creating tightness in the shoulders and the upper torso. It is easy when we strive too hard for perfection to become more focused with the ideals in our mind. This makes it hard to maintain physical co-ordination and spiritual serenity.

HARMONISE YOUR KI. ‘Ki is the mastery of balance which can be felt when all components of posture, energy, breathing and timing come together. ‘Ki’ is the matter of the whole universe and what controls it. When we harmonize with the universe we naturally become in perfect balance whether in the practise of aikido or riding.

With dedication, the student of Aikido can learn to see, feel, experience and read energy, as equally the student of riding can find a similar feeling of empathy with the horse.

Our connection with the horse will

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become like a wave of energy. We can influence the way the horse breathes which has a huge impact on his freedom of movement and co-ordination. If you are riding a tense horse , try relaxing with a deep sigh and keep focused on steady deeper rhythmic breathing. The horse will soon become your mirror. Take a walk by the sea and watch the waves.

Some build up slowly with greater volume and strength, unleashing great power. Another wave may be lighter, only drawing up and releasing a more steady flow of water and energy. Our breathing can be similar and in a natural way can influence more greatly our connection and communication with the horse.

This will result in movement which can flow like a river. We do not want to create a dam of resistance, where energy cannot flow. It only takes one joint to be clenched, for example a hand and wrist and the effect will ripple throughout the body.

PHILOSOPHY FOR LIVING The philosophy within Aikido is to yield to the spirit of the other student and in this way you grasp his spirit. It is not about winning or losing, it is not a contest. The purpose of Aikido is to realize harmony, through rooting the principles of technique deep within. Much of this philosophy applies to our life. When we take an aggressive stance, the other person is forced to defend themselves whether against physical or verbal attack.

Remember that when we attack or become aggressive we are not in a state of heart coherence so our heart-breath-energy is transformed- from coherence to chaos. Just as this change in energy is felt by all animals we know people feel it too! Have you ever walked into a room where two people are having an angry exchange? Tension is literally in the air!

My understanding of horsemanship is to understand the spirit of the horse and through discipline and awareness, root the principles of technique deep within, with no thought of conflict. When we can harmonise our ‘Ki’ we can harmonise with the universe which means we will feel in balance on every level.

The desire to just ‘be’ in the moment of heart-breath-energy awareness creates a harmonious path for both the Aikido student and Classical rider- both pursuing a personal journey – a way of realising truth from the heart, personal balance and harmony

with the universe.

Jenny is a Classical Trainer teaching the art of breath-heart-energy to enhance harmony between horse and rider.

References from: ‘Breathe Life into Your Riding’ by Jenny Rolfe ‘Ride From the Heart’ by Jenny Rolfe www.naturallyclassical.com.

‘Total Aikido, the Master Course’ by Gozo Shioda The Heartmath Solution by Doc Childre and Howard Martin www.heartmath.com

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Picaro PM A c h i e v i n g

t h e

d r eam

A moment with Rita Galloway on her stunning Spaniard Picaro PM

The story behind our purchase of Picaro PM

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e were already breeding Spanish horses on our stud farm in North Queensland when I was browsing the internet one day and happened upon what I thought was a buckskin purebred Spanish horse for sale in America. It turned out it wasn’t a buckskin, but the prospect was enough to set me searching worldwide to learn more about dilute Purebred Spanish horses and where we could get one to complement our breeding programme and introduce something completely new to the breed in Australasia. I learnt about cream colour genetics and knew that if we were to pursue our dream of breeding dilute (buckskin & palomino) Spanish horses then we needed a double dilute (ie perlino or cremello) colt/stallion. Hours of research and emailing followed. I made contact with different agents around the world but was told each time that what we wanted just wasn’t available—anything known to be on offer was inferior in quality and extremely expensive.

Quality was definitely not something we were prepared to compromise on as we were anticipating a certain amount of negative feedback with regards to introducing the colour to Australasia (e.g. ‘he’s just been bred for his colour’ and ‘that’s not a purebred Spanish horse’). Exceptional movement— both straight and elevated—absence of grey genetics, faultless morphology, double cream genetics, the ability to sire palomino foals, typical Andalusian temperament, breathtaking presence and being true to type were all vying equally for top position on the ‘must have’ list. And the expense? Let’s just say I have a truly AMAZING husband with an eye for quality!

At this point we were almost swayed by the offer of an absolutely spectacular palomino colt but discovering him led us to the Paco Marti stud in Spain and my hopes and dreams were restored. So, undeterred and with my long criteria list in hand I booked a trip to Spain and lined up viewings of numerous colts across the length of the country.

I saw some lovely horses but lots of average ones too, and none came close to ticking all the boxes—until, of course, I reached Paco Marti’s stud in Valencia.

A number of quality colts were presented, including our most promising candidate to that point, who was just a few weeks old—but on further investigation, his colour DNA didn’t fulfil our criteria. Then Picaro PM was presented, my heart skipped a beat and the world stopped spinning…Eureka!

Unquestionably we’d found THE ONE! (We actually ended up purchasing two mares in foal and one with a filly at

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Picaro PM foot, also from Paco Marti, but that’s another story.)

PS Hubby reckons that’s the last time I’m allowed to go shopping, alone, to Spain!

Picaro's colour briefly explained (ggEeAaCrCr):

DOB: 13th January 2009 Height: Currently 15.2½hh (EMH 16hh) Colour: Perlino (ggEeAaCrCr) Sire: Revoltoso XXIX Dam: Doctora XXXVII

Whilst readily seen and accepted in the Lusitano breed, cream genetics are historically acknowledged as always being present in Spanish horses; however, until the recent increase in colour genetics knowledge and the use of DNA testing to verify the parentage and an individual’s coat colour, the recognition and acceptance of dilute coloured horses meant they were excluded from the studbook. Fortunately the cream gene can remain relatively ‘hidden’ (e.g., studbook entries can be found as ‘golden bay’) and it has therefore withstood the test of time—resurfacing, and being accepted into the studbook just over 10 years ago.

There are various dilution/modifying genes which get passed from generation to generation in horses (e.g., pearl, cream, grey, etc). The cream gene acts by diluting the red in the coat to gold (not visible on the black) and is therefore responsible for producing buckskin and palomino horses.

Put very simply, a bay horse with one cream gene is a

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buckskin and with two cream genes is a perlino. Similarly, a chestnut with one cream gene is a palomino and two cream genes is a cremello. A black with one cream gene is a smoky black (burnt buckskin) and with two cream genes is a smoky cream.

Picaro PM is genetically a bay horse with two cream genes—a perlino.

However, what makes Picaro PM that much rarer is his combination of base colour genetics (EeAa) which enables him to be able to produce palomino progeny plus the fact that he has no grey genes. (Many of the potential perlino stallion prospects we looked at were found to have hidden grey genetics). At the time of purchasing Picaro PM all our research led us to conclude that there were only two PRE horses in the world with his particular genetics (his sire being the other).

With two cream genes Picaro PM

is guaranteed to pass on one cream gene to every foal, regardless of the dam’s colour—but that’s where the certainty ends, as far as colour goes!

The combination of genetics between Picaro PM and the mare result in a wide variety of coat colours from the rich, coppery tones of a smoky black through the golden dapples to the light cream hues. None of Picaro’s foals will have his blue eyes/pink skin unless the mare is already carrying a cream gene (i.e., is a buckskin/palomino/cremello or perlino herself).

and elevated movement. Whilst the character of the foals is significantly shaped by their dams and their social upbringing, Picaro’s influence has not disappointed us as we are seeing a lovely soft nature in his foals. Obviously, all Picaro’s foals have inherited a cream gene and, with the dam’s influence, there’s been a huge range of colour hues from light through to the dark. We’ve also noticed a difference in the way the foals’ body structures are maturing— they all seem to grow with a lot of bum high times!

BH: What traits does Picaro PM pass on to his progeny?

BH: What is his personality/ temperament like?

RG: Undoubtedly all Picaro’s foals have a certain stamp in their type and overall quality of conformation, but it’s particularly noticeable in the improvement to the hindquarters. We’re also consistently seeing more expressive

RG: The first thing that comes to mind is his incredibly affectionate and gentle nature, but he is the epitomy of what I love about the Spanish horse— noble, charismatic and with oodles of presence. Of course, he knows he’s beautiful and does show off to the girls at times but he’d rather be relaxing alongside his closest friend, a special young mare or watching over his foals in the adjoining paddocks.

BH:

The word that describes Picaro best?

RG: There are so many words that I could use here but ‘Majestic’ would be as good as any—and it also represents what Picaro is to the stud and everything we do.

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Picaro's career highlights: Unfortunately our remote location, resources (time, manpower) and our commitment to all our horses, not just one, means we’re not well positioned to take Picaro to many shows so he’s only ever been to three shows, the annual two day Mareeba All Breeds Horse Show—once each as a two-year-old, a three-year-old, and four-yearold. To date he remains unbeaten, in both his (open company) colour classes and breed specific classes. As a three-year-old he also took out Supreme Led Exhibit.

Some of Picaro PM’s Prodgney

The first of Picaro’s progeny are now just starting to make an appearance in shows further south in Queensland and in Victoria. So far, from three outings they’ve achieved ‘Reserve National Champion Junior Spanish Female’, ‘National Champion Junior Spanish Gelding’, ‘State Champion Junior Spanish Female’, ‘State Champion Junior Spanish’ and National level ‘Progeny Group’ Winner.

Whilst Picaro doesn’t get much opportunity to get to the bigger shows we’re expecting his progeny will continue to represent him very well.

BH:

What are your long term plans for Picaro PM?

RG: From its conception, the aim of our stud and breeding programme was to breed purebred Spanish horses so that more people could enjoy owning this truly magnificent breed of horse. We saw the purchase and import of Picaro PM as taking our commitment to the next level with regards to quality and as an opportunity to bring something very new, rare and special to the gene pool here in Australasia. Picaro PM has exceeded all our expectations as a sire and he will, most certainly, continue on as our primary stud stallion.

Although we primarily concentrate on breeding purebreds, there has been strong interest in using Picaro PM over Warmblood mares to improve movement and temperament to suit the dressage and performance market. With that in mind we have purchased two WB mares, and their first Picaro foals are showing good potential, both being sold at a young age.

Recently turned five years old, Picaro PM will soon be started under saddle; however, under our current circumstances we don’t foresee he will be undertaking a competitive ridden career although we’re always considering his best options. We have given serious consideration to relocating him down south with a professional rider for that purpose but it would mean we’d be parted from him and it also involves a certain amount of risk. As you could imagine no amount of insurance could replace him! He is, after all, our oncein-a-lifetime, horse in a million who’s special for so many reasons.

In the meantime Picaro PM enjoys a comfortable lifestyle being turned out every night into his 2 acre paddock and coming into his rubber-floored, fan-cooled stable by day. a

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AT

STUD

A U S T R A L I A PART 1 OF 2 ISSUE SHOW CASE

FRIESIAN HORSE STUD Breeding for Conformation Temperament & Character

TWIN WILBERT VAN GELDER (BB1 Purebred Friesian Stallion ~ 16.1hh) Available for service by chilled semen ~ $1,100 Includes: GST First collection ready for dispatch (subsequent collections $220 plus freight) LIVE FOAL GUARANTEE

Animado Azul

SPANISH STALLION REG AHAA SO1405

Available to outside mares $800 Service Fee plus Handling Fee $250 Showing great form over jumps and a wonderful attitude to work, Animado Azul started eventing in 2013 and is confidently competing at 80cm height and progressing through the levels.

Competing in a range of events, from Horse Trials to Dressage and Working Equitation, A. Azul is always a gentleman, always willing to try and has a huge presence under saddle.

Youngstock currently available for sale Payment plan available TAC Located in South West Victoria, Australia E: TwinRiversStud@bigpond.com Ph: 61 3 5565 1774 www.TwinRiversStud.com

Helping your Friesian Dream become Reality

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Contact Marg Anderson 0417 526 453

Animado Performance Horses Geelong Victoria Australia

Is proud to offer the 2013 Australian National Spanish Champion AUREON LP (IMP) at stud for the 2014 breeding season

Aureon LP offers wonderful new bloodlines to breeders in this country.

His sire, Limbo VI, is the son of the only elite graded stallion in Spain, Ermitano III. On his dams side Aureon LP is a grandson of the black CaliďŹ cado dressage stallion Carlo-Seni.

Aureon LP is beautiful, sensible and functional. His movement is straight, elevated and expressive.

He will be available by chilled semen only for the month of September. Following this, we will have frozen semen available.

$1600

Purebreds $800 Partbreds

For further information please phone (03) 5425 3268 or email bramerespanishhorses@yahoo.com We eagerly anticipate the arrival of his ďŹ rst foals later this year. Young stock will be available for sale.

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Established in 1972 and the only Association in Australia to hold the stud books for the Purebred Spanish Andalusian, the Australian Andalusian, the Partbred Andalusian, the Hispano-Arabe and the Purebred Iberian (this registry is shared with the Lusitano Horse Association of Australia)

FOR INFORMATION ON THE BREED

Contact Andalusian Horse Association of Australasia (inc) PO Box 266, Torquay, Victoria, Australia 3228.

Telephone: 61 5263 3402 Email: ahaa@iprimus.com.au www.ahaa.org.au

Harmony Hills

ErnEsto Glen lomond Horse stud

Bay pure SpaniSh Stallion born in 2005 standing approx. 16hh Sire: Mayville lodge lionheart Dam: andaluka aranxa

Competing elementary dressage.

2011, 2012, 2013 Qld champs hi point, Qld Supreme champion ridden Andalusian 2013.

2014 national show hi point ,2014 national movement award.

1st in 3.3 at national show 2014. 1st also in senior hack, horse and handler, and barrel race.

Web: www.glenlomond.com.au Email: contact@glenlomond.com.au Tel: 07 46 30 9785 7 8.

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Lusitano

HORSE ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALASIA

THE LUSITANO HORSE ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALASIA WAS FOUNDED TO PROMOTE ALL ASPECTS OF THE LUSITANO BREED IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND Help is available in a number of areas * ADVICE FOR PROSPECTIVE OWNERS ON FINDING A SUITABLE LUSITANO * INFORMATION ON PAPERS AND REGISTRATION AND MEMBERSHIP * LISTS OF BREEDERS INTERNATIONALLY IN PORTUGAL, BRAZIL, U.S.A, AND GREAT BRITAIN * IMPORT RESTRICTIONS AND INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT

LUSITANO HORSE ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIASIA E-MAIL: info@lusitano.com.au PH: +61 2 4887 1042 PO Box 1857, Bowral NSW 2576 Australia

lusitano.com.au facebook.com/lusitanohorseassociation

CIMMARRON FRIESIAN SPORTHORSES QUALITY FRIESIAN WARMBLOOD FOALS FOR SALE BUCKSKIN FILLY: Avari fan Cimmarron FWB BLACK FILLY: Maikoda fan Cimmarron FWB

For Bokke’s ad, BB1 Purebred stallion from imported bloodlines Sire Age B (imp) dam Anna (imp) DOB: 22/11/2008 Modern Build Friesian

Service fee

$880.00 LFG

PHONE: 0417 035 293

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AlegriA Serio

Alegria Serio 0 0 2 , *$1 EE

DF

STU

DOB: 2004 Grey PRE Stallion Height: 16hh Breeding: Andaluka Magicoso x Alegre LXIX Studbook: ANCCE, AHAA, PREAA

SERIo IS AN AbSoLutE joy to RIdE, tRAIN ANd CoMPEtE. HIS fRIENdLy, PEoPLE oRIENtAtEd NAtuRE MAkES HIM A CRowd fAvoRItE wHEREvER HE GoES. wINNER of NuMERouS SuPREMES ANd CHAMPIoNSHIPS IN HALtER ANd RIddEN. CoMPEtEd wItH GREAt SuCCESS IN tHE dRESSAGE ARENA wItH HIGH 60S - 70% SCoRES.

*Stud fees:$1,200 plus collection and transport fees. AI only (fresh and chilled) Live foal guarantee

Contact: Ruby Goodsell Phone 0490026617 email: rubygoodsell@hotmail.com

PICAROPM

a N o t h e r ho r Se Proudly presenting

RARE ANd bEAuTIful buCkSkIN PROgENy fOR SAlE sired by our sensational imported PRE stallions,

PICARO PM ANd RAyAdIllO Sg RAYADILLO SG

MAJESTIC SPANISH HORSES ..

a N o t h e r St u d

Nth Qld T: 07 4093 1042 majestichorses@bigpond.com | www.freewebs.com/majesticspanishhorses 8 0.

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He will steal your heart...

Ali Baba

Puro Sangue Lusitano 16.2hh Bay Stallion

Temperament * Versatility * Power * Versatility * Collection * Versatility Height, presence and paces. Intelligence and courage.

Ali Baba is sired by one of Portugal's best breeding stallions - the Grand Prix trained Hostil. His dam lines are famed in the bullfighting ring.

A Lusitano is a horse like no other.

hartstone equestrian

Hartstone Equestrian Ltd Raglan, New Zealand www.HartstoneEquestrian.com w w w. bar o q u e hors e m ag azi nE.com

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Pure Iberian Stallion P/SP 003 Chapelhouse CENTAURO. Dk bay/brown black, 16.2hh DOB: 19.01.07 Sire: Irreal (imp Portugal & competed at Grand Prix Dressage) Dam: La Querencia Pamperita.

$880 LFG DANIELLE PH 0404843636 DANIELLE@DIRECTSHOTS.COM.AU

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Prepare now for cooler weather Lined Soft Touch™

Style 2250 • Brushed microfiber with moisture management technology • Keeps the hands warm while wicking moisture away for comfort • Great grip reinlock™ pebble palm • Machine washable Color: Black Unisex Sizes: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

All Weather® Winter Lined

Style 9000 • Schooling, training, limited exposure • Aquasuede palm for all weather grip • Thinsulate Lining on back of hand and thumb • Machine washable Color: Black with Black and White Wristband Unisex Sizes: Child's Universal 4/5, Ladies Universal 6/7, Ladies Large 7½/8, Mens 8/9, Mens Large 10/11

Aquatack® Winter Lined

Style 9500 • Unlined reinlock palm • Thinsulate lining on back of hand and thumb • Machine washable Color: Black with a Black and White printed wristband indicating winter lined.

Unisex Sizes: Child's Universal 4/5, Ladies Universal 6/7, Mens Universal 8/9, Mens Large 10/11

See your local tack shop, saddlery or contact: BOORANDI SERVICES/SSG® GLOVES for locations • Phone/Fax: 02 49 300 793 Check out www.ssgridinggloves.com for more styles.

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We do not sell directly to the public.

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