July 2011 Newsletter by Dressage Naturally

July 2011 Creating healthy biomechanics and stronger partnerships through combining natural horsemanship principles with the art of dressage... Karen Rohlf

never underestimate the potential for harmony & lightness to improve in ways you cannot yet imagine

Welcome back to the Temenos...

“Much may be done in those little shreds and patches of time which every day produces, and which most men throw away.” ~Charles Caleb Colton

Temenos is an ancient Greek word. It refers to a sacred space that has no limits, where special rules apply and extraordinary events are free to occur.

This Month • Q&A • Ancora Imparo • Discount Code for Webshop: ‘ summer10 ‘

July 19-21 Finding the Sweet Spot Vigne Farms vignefarms.com

Santa Cruz, CA Contact: Shelley Candelario shelleycandelario@yahoo.com

Clinic schedule: CLICK HERE

3 days Sweet Spot, 3 days Upward Spiral, 3 Days Advancing Private lessons

The Mendip Stud Somerset, UK Contact: Stephanie Gaunt

email: stefgaunt@yahoo.co.uk Sept. 16-17 Spots Open!

July 22-25 One Spot Open! Upcoming Clinics:

August 17-26

Upward Spiral (Smaller group format) Vigne Farms vignefarms.com

Santa Cruz, CA Contact: Shelley Candelario

shelleycandelario@yahoo.com

2 days Focusing on Connection,

Sept. 18-21 Spots Open!

4 days Upward Spiral (smaller group, more private attention)

Lindstrom, MN Contact: Sally Taylor Phone: 612.616.2550 email: zazz@aol.com

Auditors Welcome At All Clinics!

New Search Tools in the Classroom Searching for videos or topics in the D,N Video Classroom just got easier! There are several ways to find what you are looking for. From the Video Menu Tab you can now access an index of all video titles by month!

Here’s what some people are saying about the Classroom: “I love your pictures and "formula" of the sweet spot. It makes it easier to have a focus for the session--and it helps to problem solve. You demystify dressage and becomes way more fun and achievable!!!” “Karen makes a formerly complicated subject (for me!) so naturally uncomplicated!!” “Hi Karen, Many thanks for the excellent videos which give me a visual idea of the movements and with different horses.” “Thank you so much, Karen, for this month’s GREAT Videos! I can't wait to go back and play with it! I will now have more confidence in myself to help her through this! Thank you so much! This is just GREAT!” From the Video Tab you can use the Search bar to type in a specific word or topic.

dnc.dressagenaturally.net

On the Welcome page you will see a list of key words. The larger the word, the more videos on that subject!

This & That Well, summer is in full swing, here in Florida... It is a time to play smarter, not harder. I know not everyone is experiencing such heat right now, but it can be dangerous, not just because you could get over heated, but there are other issues, such as anhidrosis (when the horses stop sweating). So we have to be quite careful not to stress their systems mentally, emotionally or physically. When playing with or riding it becomes more important to be aware of your time and learn to become efficient in your preparation. Sometimes we can get caught in our same old patterns for warm up or doing the same exercises we like, way beyond when they have served their purpose. Now we are just doing them to be doing them. But if you arenʼt aware you will find your horse is ʻcookedʼ before you even got to the thing you really wanted to play with! Your warm up wonʼt be the same in the summer as it is in the winter... The muscles are already warm, for sure, so it is more about getting their minds fresh and ready. It is also important not to over-do it because so many soft-tissue or overexertion injuries come from being tired... I have to find ways of keeping my horses progressing even if, between the heat and the travel, I cannot keep them as aerobically fit. I do my best to focus on keeping them in a good mental state; curious and engaged.

Golden Pheasants Standing on Right Legs. Twice a week we do Tai Chi here with Marcel teaching me, dana and my friend, and fellow trainer, Sharon. What a great exercise to develop your balance, awareness, breathing, feel, connection....

Next Monthʼs Classroom Videos: Next month the videos in the Classroom will be: • Sweet Spot on line with Atomic... Using more range to find the sweet spot you want • Being at liberty with Natilla and Solana... A session where I talk through being at liberty with these young horses to set them up for a positive future with me!

Another tool that is often overlooked is • Connection... Monty is a teacher and how much can be accomplished at the schoolmaster as new D,N instructor, walk. It is a great time to focus on the deBreanne Peters rides him to demontails of the walk. You can do transitions in strate going from ʻwhateverʼ to conand out of it, change the temp or length of nected! the stride, change the posture, work on flexibility, on improving the connection. Walk is an excellent gait to improve the lateral work in. It is the only gait where each leg moves independently so you have a great change to really go in deep to their suppleness, coordination and alignment!

Hmm, this looks a little like Tai chi, too!

Discount in Webshop: Just for you! Enter the code:

summer10 during checkout in the webshop and get 10% off your order! The code is good until September 1, 2011

Feedback: Hello Karen, My name is Charity and I am a Parelli professional and lifetime student... I have been studying your DVDs closely and reading your book. I wanted to send you a big thank you for your research and making your personal knowledge sooo transparent and accessible !! Attached is a picture of my amazing partner Parker and I this week after about 2 weeks of playing with your concepts.... I think it was the nicest "feel" I've ever experienced with him.... Please know that you have helped us so much and touched our journey! Thank you again! ~Charity 2 Star Licensed Parelli Professional

All the horses had their mouths strapped shut and I was just wondering what the reasoning for it was? All the horses in the clinic were quite advanced, not sure if that has anything to do with it or not. I'm sure it's not a natural horsemanship barn that I was at, but it has left me quite confused on what the purpose of the strap around the mouth is for. Thanks for any info you may have Lisa

Question:

A: Hi Lisa, Re: The nosebands.... a correctly fit cavesson (room for 2 finger's width minimum, and with no dropped noseband part) can be to prevent the bit from sliding through the mouth in the unfortunate event that pressure must be put on just one rein for too long... it is the same reason why western or people who ride with no noseband may use a lip strap. The rationale for a dropped or tight noseband is usually something like: 'to prevent the horse from opening his mouth to evade the bit"

My philosophy is that if the horse is supposed to be licking and chewing the bit Hi Karen, and so to strap it shut is in conflict with I wanted to thank you for all putting tothat. But of course we don't want a horse gether such a great source of information. that is gaping his mouth trying to avoid I'm a Parelli student and have to admit I the bit.... But in my philosophy, if the never "got" the whole dressage thing. The horse wants to do this, then it is a valuway you explain in simple language is so able piece of information that tells me refreshing and down to earth! about his balance, trust of my hands or thoughts about what is happening.... and Arrogance doesn't have to be associated as a trainer, then I want to know this! with dressage. Quality, integrity and a natural approach how wonderful! We want a softly closed mouth with a reSo thanks again. ~Linda S

Q: Hi, I am new to Dressage and trying to learn as much as possible. I recently took in a clinic at a local barn and even thought I really enjoyed the clinic I noticed something that made me just question the barn.

question it.... The dressage bridles come with the crank or flash noseband and that is what everyone wears so it 'must be the right tool.'... So not every student who wears this bridle has a bad intention, but they still don't realize they are cheating themselves and their horses of something better. So good for you for asking the question! I hope this answer helps! ~Karen

Recommendation: David Lichman has a series of podcasts that is growing. Check them out by going to his website. If you register with your email, you will be alerted when new podcasts are up on the site. I have been a guest on a couple of the ones already in his library, and we just recorded a couple new ones that will be out sometime in the near future!

New Assistant: I am happy to have a new assistant here in the Temenos, Marcel Dou Roig. Some of you may know him from Dancing With Horses, and some of you may know him as a guest presenter in my courses here at the Temenos, and some of you may know him from the Video Classroom! In addition to assisting me with taking care of the horses, he is teaching Dana and I Tai Chi. We are working on some clinics to do with him here in the fall, so stay tuned for that, and meanwhile you can check out his new website (still a work in progress but you can get a good idea).

He has a unique and varied expertise that laxed jaw that can move... and we want gives him great ability to increase our the truth! A horse that is trying to avoid skills of body awareness (and much the bit by opening his mouth is still trying more). to do so even with a noseband tight.... it just makes it so most people can't see the mouth open and so they can pretend all is well instead of letting the horse 'speak' and tell them that something is wrong with the moment or the training and thus having the opportunity to make it better. Unfortunately it has become the 'normal' equipment so most people don't even copyright 2011 temenos fields, inc July

Ancora Imparo

“Clocks slay time... Time is dead as long as it is being ticked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life.” — Charles Caleb Colton “Ancora Imparo” is what Michelangelo is quoted to have said upon finishing the Sistine Chapel. It translates: “I am still learning”

or the money to do some of the things I wanted to do. BUT if I just went ahead and did them anyway, somehow it would work out! I realized that the Universe was not going to come up to me and say: “Hey Karen, hereʼs a block of time and some money to go to something!”

the trip. I booked it for a date several months away, put down a small deposit and made it happen.

That may sound extravagant, but it is not... The plan worked out be“I donʼt have time”. We can all recause I am pretty conservative late to this. We have all said it. with money... If I put down even a “There just isnʼt enough time”. But small deposit on something I will time is a funny thing. It can slow do what ever it takes to not lose it! down, it can speed up, it can stand Years ago I saw an organized trip And somehow it worked. I made still. You may be thinking: “not in Utah that was a week of moun- the time, I made adjustments so I really, these are just figures of had the money. When I looked at speech, just reports of what it feels tain biking in Canyon-lands National Park. At the time I was work- what really needed to be done to like sometimes, but it is not realing as hard as I possibly could for make it happen I realized that I ity”. And you may be right, but I as many hours as I possibly could was willing to do that. also know that whatever your and I barely was paying the bills brain thinks is true... is true for each month. I knew I didnʼt have So this is not about being frivoyou. the time or the money for the trip. I lous. it is about being realistic. If I also knew I really wanted to do it, had said: “I really want a yacht” A long time ago I realized that I felt it in my heart... so I booked and I really looked at what would there would NEVER be the time copyright 2011 temenos fields, inc July

be required to actually make that happen, I probably would see that in fact, I really didnʼt want a yacht if getting a yacht meant the long list of things I would have to give up or change or do. So right away I can change from thinking: “Oh, I really want a yacht but I just donʼt have the time or money” to thinking: “you know, right now, all things considered, I really donʼt want a yacht!” (or maybe my answer would be: “you know, I really DO want a yacht and there is no way I can get into one doing what I am doing now, working where I work now, so its time to change my life!” This is supposed to be an essay about time, not money, but for many of us time IS money. They are both commodities that seem concrete and inflexible, but in reality they are extremely subjective and ephemeral. Things that cost a lot of money can be useless and things that cost nothing can be extremely expensive. Things can increase in their value and price until they become ultimately expensive in which case they are priceless. Time speeds up when you are having fun until it is so much fun that it stands still. You can work for years to become an overnight success. In a crisis, time seems to slow down, yet people will later report how their entire life changed in one instant.

something that doesnʼt require money, but just time: I would like to clean out my office from top to bottom and update its organization. That could be taken as fact. I could also easily say that I donʼt have time right now to do it. If you followed me around you could also take that as a fact. I stay pretty busy! But it is not a fact. There is the time to do it. I just donʼt want to do it! To do it right now would mean I would have to get up earlier, stay up later, not do something else for a day or two that I am already doing. I would have to sit down and mentally change gears and have to think about a lot of things I donʼt feel like thinking about. So, you may be thinking: “yes, this is just semantics, this is what I mean when I say I donʼt have time”. But in my experience, it FEELS very different to tell myself that I donʼt have time to do something, versus when I admit to myself that I am choosing not to do something. “I would really love to clean my office but I simply donʼt have the time.” Makes me into a bit of a victim. “If I was presented with time, I would do it, but everything else I do takes all my time away from me so, alas, I cannot do the things I want... big sigh”

Sometimes when I phrase it differently I end up realizing that I actually DO have the time, I am simply avoiding something uncomfortable, procrastinating, or I am being just plain lazy. Nothing wrong with that, just seems better to own it! Why do I bring this up? Because I hear the phrase: “I would love to ____ but I donʼt have time” a LOT. I hear myself think it and I hear my students lament over it. See if you can catch yourself the next time you hear yourself saying it; see if you can pause and re-phrase it in a more truthful and empowering way... Just a game to play, but it could have some interesting results. If you can own that you are making choices not to do something, then it will make it more possible to make a choice to do something.

Is there anything you have been wanting to do for your horsemanship journey that you think you do not have time for?

“I would like to clean my office but I really donʼt feel like doing it right now.” or “I need to clean my office So am I saying that whatever I but it is not a priority at this point.” dream that I want I can have? Is closer to the truth, puts me in Well, yes I do believe that. The key the position of power over my own is to listen to what you really want! circumstances, and allows me to Letʼs take another example, with hear myself make that choice.

Endorsed Dressage, Naturally Clinicians Breanne Peters & Shelby Hume

I am proud to introduce Shelby Hume and Breanne Peters as the first new clinicians endorsed to teach the Finding The Sweet Spot of Healthy Biomechanics 3-Day clinic. The curriculum is set by me in a tried and true format to learn the first and most important steps in finding physical harmony while preserving and enhancing the mental and emotional harmony. I am so excited to add these two individuals to the Dressage, Naturally Team!

Shelby and Bre will be available for clinics beginning in August, 2011. Shelby will be available within the United States and Bre will be available in Canada.

For information about clinics with Bre or Shelby, please contact Sally Taylor at: clinics@dressagenaturally.net My traveling clinic schedule is filled for 2011 and is filling up fast for 2012... And I simply can始t be all the places that I would love to be. Sending Bre and Shelby is the next best thing. If you are curious about Dressage, Naturally, have wanted to have a clinic with me, but I am not available, or you want to prepare for a clinic with me in the future... Breanne and Shelby are great options! It has been so wonderful to see all the interest already! I know you all will love them!