Horse Breed: The Bodacious Baroque

BOOK REVIEW

The heart of a horse

Well-known author and journalist Candida Baker speaks to AMANDA MAC about life’s lessons, communicating with animals, and her latest book.

Wthout the company of horses and other creatures, great and small, our lives would be infinitely poorer – a subtle message that weaves its way through the pages of Candida Baker’s intriguing new book, The Heart of a Horse.

Candida’s love of horses has been lifelong. As a young child, she had a dream. “I told my parents that when I grew up I wanted to be a writer, live in the country and have horses,” she tells me. And that’s exactly what she’s achieved.

After a childhood and adolescence spent in the English countryside, where horses were always a feature, six months with a Royal Shakespeare Company theatre tour led a by then 20-year-old Candida to Australia, where she rode horses whenever she could, and experienced a strong knowing that this was to be her future home. She emigrated in 1977 and what followed was life at full throttle: marriage, children, a busy city career editing and writing for a wide variety of newspapers and magazines, culminating with six years as editor of The Weekend Australian Magazine.

But circumstances changed and it was time to reassess – a process that eventually led Candida to the Byron Bay hinterland, where she now lives with her second husband and her equine companions: her beloved Jewel; Taz; Sapphy; Tyra, Eva, and a little Brumby, Sparrow, the only boy in this otherwise all girl line-up.

In the book’s prologue, Candida recalls the first time a horse ‘spoke’ to her. It was the first of many such conversations, and the beginning of a spiritual awakening. Acknowledging the way in which horses and other animals have taught her so many important life lessons, she says it was this idea of ‘open’ communication that prompted the experiences that found their way onto the pages of The Heart of a Horse, a book which was conceived and written during her threeyear stint as editor of HorseVibes.

Over the years, numerous horses have woven their way through Candida’s life, along with various cats, dogs and other assorted animal visitors, all of whom in one way or another played their part in stirring a curiosity: “I felt that they chose me as much as I chose them, and I began to wonder about what seemed to be synchronicities, the odd coincidences, and the telepathic nature of my conversations with animals,” she explains. “I’d been writing fictional short stories that had an animal at their centre, and I’d used some of the psychic events that I’d experienced. I thought if I was going to write about these things, why not tell them as they really happened rather than disguising them as fiction.”

Initially Candida felt resistance to the idea – she thought people wouldn’t believe some of the more ‘far out’ events. But as she continued to write, she discovered a voice that suited what she wished to share. “In a way this book was a little like coming out of the psychic closet. And then when I’d put together enough of the stories I wondered whether my publisher would be interested, and obviously they were,” says Candida.

It’s hard to sum it up, but I’ve seen over and over again that when I’ve given a horse the chance to show me its response to my energy ... some sort of magic happens.

It says much about changing perceptions that while not so very long ago The Heart of a Horse would have been firmly pigeonholed within the Mind, Body, Spirit genre, it now sits comfortably in the mainstream.

The tales in this book are engaging, thought-provoking, insightful and tender. They also eloquently illustrate the spiritual path that Candida has travelled. “I honestly believe that if you’re really serious about understanding and communicating with animals, particularly with horses, you have to get to the point where you realise that you’re working with energy. I think that horses vibrate at a higher energetic level than us,” she explains. “It’s hard to sum it up, but I’ve seen over and over again that when I’ve given a horse the chance to show me its response to my energy, or for me to understand the energy its giving me, some sort of magic happens.”

Candida has observed that in much the same way dolphins and dogs can recognise a sickness in someone, horses are equally adept at ‘reading’ us. “If you introduce a child with autism or a health issue to a horse, the horse will usually do something quite miraculous and will drop their energy to meet the situation,” she says. It was observing this phenomenon that led Candida to become an Equine Facilitated Learning practitioner, practicing equine therapy with her little herd and her clients.

Among the fascinating characters in The Heart of a Horse, and there are many, you’ll meet Beau, the girthy Anglo-Arabian whose arrival was full of coincidences, Mama Tawny Frogmouth; the renegade dog who radiated love; and Jewel, Candida’s heart horse, who returned home after seven long years away.

Quite simply, this book is a truly wonderful read. You owe it to yourself to explore its pages – with an open mind. As Candida suggests: “One of the greatest lessons animals teach us is to get in touch with our intuition. Much of their language is a secret to us, but if we can drop past our own conditioning and believe that we can hear them, then they will reveal their world to us, and sometimes even beyond their world.”

Other than being entranced by this book in a can’t-put-it-down kind of way, I noticed the hint of an ethereal something else that permeates its pages: perhaps it’s a sense of hope, healing and reconnection – and what more could you ask for in the midst of a chaotic COVID world. MAIN: Candida and Eva, a muchloved equine companion. LEFT: The cover of Candida’s intriguing new book, The Heart of a Horse. Candida Baker has just completed a novel and is now working on a new book. She runs a small equine charity, Equus Alliance and regularly posts to The Horse Listener, her popular Facebook page. The Heart of a Horse is available from bookstores, or from Booktopia either in hard copy or electronic format.

Lucio Do Rei: Noble Shadow Baroque Horse Stud’s stunning Cremello Lusitano stallion (Image by Rachael Walker Equine & Pet Photography).

HORSE BREED

Bodacious horses to baroque your world

If you’ve seen the 1989 cult classic Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, you’ll know that ‘bodacious’ means extreme excellence. But do you know what ‘baroque’ means? Happily, CHRISTINE ARMISHAW does.

Abaroque horse is one of a group of breeds that owe their characteristics to a particular type of horse that became popular during Europe’s Baroque period.

With their flowing manes and tails and extravagant leg action, they’ve been the darlings of the movie world for years: think Braveheart, Robin Hood, Merlin, and of course the magnificent horses who played Gandalf’s Shadowfax in Lord of the Rings. Many a scene in ‘period’ movies includes fancy black Friesians or alluring grey Andalusians. But while their good looks and great hair makes for epic movie magic, there’s historical merit to why these specific breeds play feature roles.

The big four

During the Baroque period, from the late 16th century to the early 18th century, art and music became elaborate and grand, and horse riding evolved into an art form.

Selectively bred for centuries, the best known of these bodacious baroque beauties are Andalusians, Lusitanos, Lippizaners and Friesians, all of whom are characterised by a certain look: strong bodies, powerful hindquarters, flowing tails, convex to Roman noses, and arched necks adorned with luxurious manes. and had an aptitude for performing haute école classical dressage movements, including the capriole, levade and mezair, sometimes referred to as Airs Above the Ground. During this era, watching these great steeds dance a ‘ballet’ was the entertainment of choice for a royal court.

Smooth moves and ravishing good looks were not the only baroque calling cards. These majestic equines were also selected for their intelligence, strength and stamina. Often used as war horses, charging into battle took a certain level of courage. War horses had to be brave, bold and fearless, all traits the baroque breeds are still known for today.

There are also less commonly known baroque types, including the Frederiksborger, Ginetta, Kladruber, Menorquín and Murgese, but here we will delve into the big four and discover how these classical creatures came to be.

Andalusian (PRE)

Originating in the Spanish province of Andalucia, Andalusians are descendants of the Iberian war horses of Spain and Portugal. The Spanish now refer to their horses as Pura Raza Espanola (Pure Spanish Horse or PRE). Much of the rest of the world refer to them as Andalusian. However, the Andalusian Horse Association of Australia’s studbook also titles them PRE.

An animal of great beauty, they range in height from 15.2 to 16.2hh. Viewed in profile, the Andalusian or PRE displays a body made up of curves. The head

EA coach Elke Schoeberl schooling Jan, the 2019 National Champion Ridden Andalusian owned by Josep M. Gudayol-Dausa (Image by Sunshine Photography).

features a large kind eye, a straight or slightly convex nose, a broad forehead, and well-placed ears. The arched neck and well-defined withers lead to a short, strong back, rounded off with powerful hindquarters. The thick tail is set low and matches the silky mane. No feather is found on the legs. Most are white or various shades of grey, with some bay or brown, and a handful of black, chestnut, dun or palomino. Today there are no broken colours, although in the early history of the breed spotted horses were accepted.

Typically calm in temperament, these proud Spanish horses are sensitive and particularly intelligent, responsive and cooperative, learning quickly and easily when treated with respect and care. They show expressive and high knee action and, as riding horses, are particularly suited to collection. They have a great talent for haute école movements, including the passage, piaffe and Spanish walk.

Lusitano

The name Lusitano comes from Lusitania, the ancient Roman name for Portugal. This breed also shares Iberian war horse ancestry, dating back to when Spain and Portugal were joined under the Iberian Union. However, the Portuguese Lusitano and the Spanish Andalusian became independently recognised breeds after the two countries went their separate ways.

The special traits of the Iberian war horses can still be seen in their Lusitano descendants. In modern Portugal the Lusitano shines in the bullring, where they are required to be bold and courageous. The role they play in bullfighting is perhaps one of the most important factors in their breeding and selection process. While their job description does not require them to be as calm or docile as an Andalusian, they are still kind, willing and generous, and are noted for their intelligence. an almond-shaped eye and small ears that curve slightly inwards at the tip. The Lusitano has a deep chest, a powerful neck and sloping shoulder which makes them look extremely majestic in front. While still round in appearance, the quarters are not large, but the loins are wide and strong and the hocks long. Well-developed gaskins and longer than usual cannons and pasterns allow for deep flexion and make for an extremely powerful horse. The predominant colours in the Lusitano are grey, bay and chestnut. The average height range is 15.2 to 15.3hh.

Lusitano stallion Ali Baba and Grand Prix dressage rider Jodi Hartstone of Hartstone Equestrian (Image by Elke Hartman).

The Lusitano has a deep chest, a powerful neck and sloping shoulder which makes them look extremely majestic ...

Lipizzaner

The Lipizzaner (or Lipizzan) horse is named after the Austrian imperial stud at Lipizza, near Trieste, Italy. The breed was first developed in the 1500s by crossing the best imported Spanish horses with local Karst horses. Tradition is strong in this breed, even down to how the horses are named. The colts have two-part names. The first part is that of their sire’s foundation stallion line, one of the eight original stallions, and the second is their dam’s name. In the case of foals from the same parents, Roman numerals are added to the name for differentiation. Filly names are shorter and usually end in ‘a’, reflecting the Italian heritage of the breed.

Lipizzaners are of comparatively small stature, averaging 15 to 16.1hh. Another noble breed with a convex or Roman nose, they have a large jowl and attractive, expressive eyes. These horses tend to have short, cresty necks, a long back, a well-muscled body and very powerful hindquarters. Adult Lipizzaners are