&
Educationals with Manolo Mendez, Jenny Rolfe
ISSUE 11/JULY-AUG 2013
Beauty, Strength Power
Baroque Horse Magazine
$7.95 AUD
THE FRIESIAN HORSE Inside: Interview with Carlos Pinter, Dressage with Barrie Stratton, Jean Philippe Giacomini translates Nuno Oliveira & more!
$8.95 NZD
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e i e KFPS Breeding Stallion
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D e s i g n : w w w. L a u r a Z . n e t
Photos: Cally Matherly
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a S FPZV Breeding Stallion
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contents inside 12. The Friesian Horse 34. Royal Carousal Friesians 39. Contemporary Jousting War Horses 42. The Friesian Horse In War
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80 42 48. Nuno Oliveira 52. Australian Friesian Warmblood Horse 58. The 3 C’s of Dressage with Barrie Stratton 64. Drawing a Friesian 68. Riding a Friesian 70. ShowPony Poet 74. Horsing Around 80. W.E Portuguese Way 86. Carlos Pinto 90. Manolo Mendez
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74 98. Breathe Life into your Riding with Jenny Rolfe 100. How to start in Working Equitation 106. The Versatile Friesian 110. To the Heart of a Mustang
ŠBaraque 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.
LETTER FROM
THE EDITOR Issue 11- of Baroque Horse. July-August 2013 (next issue out September)
Editor-In-Chief Danielle Skerman
Welcome to our Friesian feast issue! This is our biggest issue yet with nearly 50 pages dedicated to the beautiful and delicious Friesian horses. This issue is full of informative articles along with some fantastic imagery of the majestic Friesians for you to fall in love with all over again. In the next issue we will continue with an educational article on riding Friesians, so there is still more to come for any keen Friesian lover. We would also like to thank the Friesian owners who met with us at Cabarita beach at sunrise to include us in their weekend outing. It was breathtaking to see so many Friesian horses all together enjoying the fun of a gallop in the breaking waves and some even daring to venture a bit farther! It was also a treat for the early morning walkers to see these exquisite horses enjoying the sun and surf. What a great way to spend a Sunday morning! This has also encouraged us to show how you can enjoy a holiday with your horse and that there are great places that cater for the both of you. If you haven’t considered this before you must read the article to see what you are missing out on. In the NEXT issue of BH the feature breed with be the Lustinao. We have an amazing team member in Portugal (Cátia M Castro), and she will help us put together some exclusive content from this breeds’ origin and show their elegance and beauty. My vision for this magazine was to give all horse lovers something that was different, as I didn’t want it to be just another equine publication, my goal was to create something that I would want to read, drool over the stunning imagery and to keep and enjoy over and over again. I hope you love this magazine as much as I do and encourage you to let me know of any ideas you may want to read yourself.
Join us in our journey and ... go for BAROQUE!
an m r e k S e l l e Dani Editor in Chief
Follow us on
facebook.com/baroquehorsemagazine
pinterest.com/baroquehorse
www.baroquehorsemagazine.com Publisher: Baroque Horse PTY LTD ACN: 159 279 848 PO Box 18002 Clifford Gardens, Toowoomba QLD, Australia 4350 Editor In Chief: Danielle Skerman editor@baroquehorse.com.au +61 404 843 636 Advertising: Patty Taylor advertising@baroquehorse.com.au +61 419 363 635 For Subscription enquiries: Subscriptions@baroquehorse.com.au General Enquiries: enquiry@baroquehorse.com.au
On The cover:
Editing: Linda Rushbrook Design: Danielle Skerman, Cristian Prutescu Photographers:
Cátia Castro,Danielle Skerman, Cally Matherly, Nadeen Davis, Gabi Bietry, Adrian Bozai, Marciele Lewis.
Contributors:
Cátia Castro, Danielle Skerman, Caroline Larrouilh, Manolo Mendez, Jenny Rolfe, Barrie Stratton, Hans Maes, Helen Daniel, Laurie Bell, JP Giacomini, Andrea Michael, Leanne Stevenson, Michaela Wake, Allison Gelfand Sable, Kathryn BaRrett.
On the cover Annette Coester on Gallahan. Photo by Cally Matherly.
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The Friesian – Magnificent, Royal, and Impressive – Black, Flamboyant, Sporty and Kind. With a bit of a
superior look as they are much aware of their history – it has a place in the heart of many people all over the world!
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Friesian Written by
Hans Maes
www.ANZFHS.com.au
THE
HORSE
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f
Royal Carousal
riesians
Located in the beautiful Salt Lake Valley in Utah, Royal Carousel Friesians is home to three magnificent stallions named FPZV approved Stallion Sam. Ster Stallion Gallahan, (invited for 70 day testing) FPZV, and the King, FPS approved breeding Stallion Feike 395 Sport.
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I
am honored to be the dressage trainer for these truly phenomenal stallions. They never cease to amaze me with their willing attitudes, endless work ethic, and athleticism. The owner of Royal Carousel Friesians, Annette Coester, personally runs the facility and oversees every aspect of the breeding and training programs. With acute attention to detail, Annette ensures the highest possible standard of care. I first saw Feike 395 at a local dressage show in the summer of 2000. I had seen many Friesians before but none like him. He is just magnificent to behold with an athleticism to match. He leaves a lasting impression on all who see him. At the time I was training and showing another set of horses but couldn’t shake the feeling that one day, I would be the one to train him. Two years after my first introduction to Feike 395 Sport, that impression became a reality. I had never trained a Friesian before in dressage so there was a significant learning curve to navigate. When I started riding him he was at First Level, training second. To help me solidify a good foundation in our training, Annette brought the very talented Susan Wind-Bouwman in from Holland, Head trainer of Stallion testing at KFPS to work with me. Her indepth understanding of this breed was and continues to this day to be invaluable to the progression of all three stallions. All the good care and training in the world is wonderful but it is these stallions that make this journey all the more exciting. Sam is a highly sensitive yet sensible boy with the highest scores rarely seen in his linear score sheet given by the Judges in Holland just before he was imported with a 92.2% unbelievable. When working with him I frequently compare him to a highly tuned sports car.
Impressive gaits with a high degree of ride-ability make this handsome horse a once-in-a-lifetime partner & Sam is Annette’s equine other half. It is clear they adore each other and make a wonderful partnership. They are now training at the Prix St Georges level with a view to attain the USDF Silver Medal. Sam has effortless extensions and wonderful tempi changes. We are focusing on polishing his collection so that is has a true FEI flavor. Sam passes his matchless temperament and breathtaking movement on to his progeny. If there has ever been a stallion that truly “stamps” his offspring - it’s Sam. To me the mark of a breeding stallion depends on their ability to consistently do this and Sam passes with flying colors. The next couple of years are going to see great things from Sam and Annette. FEI here we come! Gallahan is a highly talented upper level dressage prospect. I will personally be competing on this stallion for the foreseeable future and I’m excited! He is training at 4th level and will be showing at third level this year. Our goal with him is to achieve the five scores over 65% he will need for his approval through the FPZV. He is highly intelligent and loves a challenge. It is worth noting his natural talent for passage. He has taken to this movement with ease and as I incorporate the movement into his training it has had an excelllent effect on all his other upper level work. There is also clearly no shortage of personality with this wonderful stallion and one can be sure his largerthan-life character will serve him well in the competition arena. There isn’t much more to say about the incredible Feike 395 Sport that hasn’t already been said. I rode him recently at a local equine expo and after that experience some thoughts came to mind. Feike is the epitome of everything we all love about
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I think the most important outcome of this event was what the horses came away with. Every horse there truly enjoyed themselves. It was very plain to see them all come alive and treat each new challenge with excitement! We look forward to having Patrick return and teach us and our horses more of these fun skills. a Royal Carousel Friesians is undoubtedly a place where dreams become reality. A breeding program of this stature when based upon the beauty and majesty of the Friesian horse has no choice but to have this effect on all those involved. Our training program being founded upon competitive dressage gives us the facility to experience these horses in other ways as we seek to express ourselves and discover other ancient equine skills that helped form some of the greatest civilizations known to man. David Macmillan (Trainer of Royal Carousel Friesians) USDF Gold Medalist long listed for the Olympic’s representing South Africa, International clinician & winner of over 170 National & International Dressage Awards It is such an honour for K.E.J.A. to share Medieval Equestrian Arts with experienced dressage horses and riders at Royal Carousel Friesians in Utah. It is my goal to bring the modern art of dressage in combination with ancient war horse skills such as light armour jousting and the accompanying games. The clinic participants and their mounts had no previous experience, but did attain a level 4 competency. /This is usually achieved in weeks of training and because of the experienced riders, they were able to move up to level 4 in three days. K.E.J.A. instructs men & women of all ages with a wide variety of equestrian skills. I would like to thank the Colorado State University Jousting Club for their assistance in making The Edge of Magic clinic a success. CSU is the first jousting team sanctioned by a State University in the United States. This the beginning of the sport recognition at a state level and eventually a international status. Again, I truly am greatful for having the experience of working with such unbelievable people and their mounts. Annette, you ROCK! Patrick Lambke CEO/Manager - Knights Edge Jousting Academy – Knightsedgejousting.com 7 time World Champion Jouster Stunt Coordinator several films including, Band of Pirates, Cable Guy, Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Daus Volt, Legend of Pirates, U.S. Special Forces Navy
For information on future clinics contact: Patrick at kejajoust@gmail.com or Annette Coester anncoester@aol.com Broque Tack By: Lisa Oberman www.elsuenoespanol.com
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C
ontemporary Jousting War Horses by Helen Daniel
Dressage maneuvers that date back thousands of years and are based on ancient battle tactics where the horses were an intrical part of the act of war. The fashionable renewed interest in medieval knights and their steeds has given the impetus to many equestrians to try a new challenge. The Knights Edge Jousting Academy (K.E.J.A.) respects the history of dressage on the battlefield and incorporates it into the Medieval Martial Art Equine Games and Light Armour Joust.
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39.
Th
e Friesian Horse has a long and colorful history. Originating in the lowlands of what is today the Netherlands, the Friesian has been shaped to meet the needs of the populace many times over. The Friesian, known as Frisian in Fryslan (Friesland), has been mentioned in the literature as serving as a ‘destrier’ or knight’s horse. (Bouma, Dijkstrat and Osinga)
The Friesian Horse
in War Compiled by Laurie Bell
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riesians were from an area that spread from present day Belgium to the Weser in Western Germany, along the coast of the Frisian Sea (present day North Sea). Fryslan dates to around 500 BC. Later this area extended beyond the borders of Denmark. The people were seafarers, tradesmen, horsebreeders and farmers. They sailed the Frisian Sea and had a trading post in the English town of York for centuries (Bouma, Dijkstrat and Osinga). By 1000 AD the territory was restricted to the north of the Netherlands and nearby Germany. The Frisians built mounds during this time to protect their homes from increasingly high flood waters. One can go back to primitive cave drawings to see evidence of both large and small equines. Bones of both sized equines have been found in the Frisian mounds. The researcher Labouchere groups the two large horses, Equus occidentales (Western horse) and Equus germanicus (German horse) together as one type, Equus robustus (Big horse). The Friesian Horse descends from Equus robustus. Frisian horsemen served in the Roman Legions in what was called the Equites Singulares of Emperor Nero. Horses were known as ‘types’ or by the area
they originated during this period of history, but it can be expected that a horseman would take his own trusted mount to serve with him. Frisian horsemen also served the roman army in Great Britian in 120 AD near Hadrian’s Wall. A tombstone of such a Frisian soldier was found in Cirencester (presently Gloucestershire). photos of Photo of Patrick Lambke on Feike 395 Sport from Royal
Carousal Friesians
Broque Tack By: Lisa Oberman www.elsuenoespanol.com
An infusion of Arabian blood influenced the horse descended from Equus robustus via the Andalusian of Spain in the 1500 – 1600 time frame. This resulted in higher knee action and a small head on a craning neck. (Bouma, Dijkstrat and Osinga)
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Nuno oliveira the greatest equestrian
intelligence of the 20th century
Preface to the book by
Jean Philippe (JP) Giacomini
A
t sixteen, I started my quest for a higher form of Horsemanship. Simply said, I was trying to get a clue on the How-and-Why of what I had been doing on horseback ‘by the seat of my pants’. I had ridden lots of colts, done a bit of eventing, show-jumping and rode (without great success) in steeplechase races. My new passion was dressage and I had trained a few horses to do my bidding, in some approximate way. Prompted by the encouragements of my mentor Georges Caubet, who was one of the early French visitors to the school of the Portuguese classical master Nuno Oliveira, and after a day spent watching Michel Henriquet ride his wonderfully trained horses, I realized that there was more to riding than I had experienced thus far. As a result, I visited Portugal for the first time to study for one month with Oliveira during the holidays. The day I arrived at his school, the Master casually asked me if I knew how to do a ‘shoulder-in’ and I assured him that I did. “Can you do a ‘half - pass’?” I got a little suspicious of where this conversation was leading. With already less assurance, I told him that: “Yes, I have done some”. “How about a circle?”
AN EXCITING NEW BOOK ABOUT THE TEACHINGS OF A MASTER:
“THE WISDOM OF NUNO OLIVEIRA” by Antoine de Coux, Xenophon Press In editing The Wisdom of Master Nuno Oliveira, I found myself running to my wife, also an avid dressage rider and saying to her: “This is the most coherent dressage book ever written.” Unlike what Nuno Oliveira wrote, this book tells us what he actually said, in clinics and courses over a long period of time. Often, when an author goes to write down his thoughts, those are not as immediate, practical, accessible, and stripped down to the essence as they are uttered in a live riding lesson. To our great fortune, Antoine de Coux loved to scribe and took down a wealth of extremely descriptive material during the one-month-long courses Nuno gave 4 8.
in Belgium each year. Nuno’s themes of advice for both the horse’s training and the rider’s education are repeated often, and in subtly different ways. J.P. Giacomini, himself a student of Oliveira and a friend of De Coux has not only excellently translated the well-organized French text but anticipated the gaps in understanding and ‘shorthand’ language used in Nuno’s clinic settings and has generously rounded out the concepts with many excellent notes. This book comes as close to ‘having a lesson with Nuno Oliveira’ as we (who may not have had the good fortune to meet him) are going to get. Richard F. Williams, Publisher Xenophon Press Preserving Classical Equestrian Literature Xenophon Press on Facebook
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All Illustrations by Jean Louis Sauvat, from the book “ Equestrian Sketches”, N. Oliveira and J.L. Sauvat, Belin publisher
In a little voice, I uttered: “I think I can”, preparing myself for some form of rebuke. Instead came his tonguein-cheek, yet sincere, answer: “You are one lucky rider: I have been attempting to ride a perfect circle for 40 years and I hope I will soon succeed”. In this ironic statement lays the entire secret of horsemanship: rather than exclusively pursuing the pride of showing-off one’s talent by performing difficult tricks (or higher levels of
competition), a dedicated rider must always work at perfecting the simplest exercises. Four and a half decades later, I am still studying the aids of the perfect circle and trying to remember how HE did it.
the stud and himself a very distinguished disciple of Master Oliveira. In Alter I rode all the stallions previously trained by Athayde and Dr. Borba, as well as many more colts, following Oliveira’s approach.
This was my introduction to the mind of the man who became my teacher and the inspiration of my professional life. Forty six years later, the translation of this important book brings back to my memory the sentences I heard over and over in the tiny indoor manège of the Quinta da Chafariz in Povoa de Santo Adriao, a few miles from Lisbon. During that first visit, I met Antoine de Coux who was also on his first voyage to the place he would return to for many years. We became fast friends and I later visited Antoine in Belgium. He had a wise attitude acquired through many years on the judicial bench and an inquiring mind passionate about his discovery of dressage. I returned for a year in 1970, which I spent riding Oliveira’s wonderful schoolmasters. More importantly, I had the opportunity to start five young stallions under his daily supervision. This experience instilled in me the fundamental importance of impulsion through forward movement as the basis for all training. Later on, I took a job as assistant trainer at the National Stud of Alter do Chao (where the Alter Real horses of the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art are bred). For nearly four years at the stud, I was the student of Dom Jose Athayde, head rider of
I lost contact with Antoine and it is not without emotion that I read the amazing work of compilation of all those notes he had taken tirelessly during two and a half decades of loyal and attentive study. They contain many repetitions that are used to underline the preoccupation of Oliveira with some fundamental concepts he held dear and it was Antoine’s hope that this system would really etch these ideas in the mind of the readers who had not benefitted from Oliveira’s direct teaching. To help the reader better understand the context of each advice that is not selfexplanatory, I have taken the liberty to insert notes in brackets to clarify the ideas expressed, all based on my own observations of his training. It is my hope that the English speaking readers will find these added notes helpful to their understanding of the work. To paraphrase Norman Maclean’s “A River Runs Through It”, we could say of Nuno Oliveira: “To him, all good things - dressage as well as eternal salvation come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy”. This book is about making the art of training horses a little bit easier for the many admirers of Master Nuno Oliveira eager to know his secrets. Nuno Oliveira was a spiritual man deeply interested in the human condition and in his art, dressage, as a vehicle for the elevation of the soul. If his teaching was inspired by his artistic aspirations and got him lost into philosophical musings from time to time, he never forgot that for him as well as for his students, “art doesn’t come easy”. His teaching was always very practical: a few basic principles we must always remember and a thousand details that take a long time to observe, understand and master. He had learned his craft through a very long and intense practice of training literally hundreds of horses into all the difficulties of Equestrian Art, but also by reading all the French books he found in the library of one of his early patrons, Manuel de Barros. Oliveira’s work was a perfect synthesis of intelligent and selective erudition with an immense experience. It is our luck to be able to benefit from the results of this rare combination.
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The
amazing... 5 2.
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A
ustralian Friesian Warmblood Horse
elegance
Beauty
versatility
and a
fantastic nature
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drawing
a
friesian With equine artisit
Andrea Michael
Owing to their stunning beauty and powerful presence the Baroque horse breeds have captured the imagination of artists since time immemorial. To the equine artist, these breeds could have been created for the sole purpose of being exulted and immortalised in pencil and brush strokes. In this art demonstration I’m going to show how I go about one of my realistic equine portraits. My gorgeous model is none other than Django of Cacharel, a purebred Friesian stallion, his photograph kindly supplied by Tashkent Friesians. While drawing this project I scanned the image frequently so that I could put the images together into a time-lapse video that shows my work process. The video is available on my website if you are curious to see how the drawing took shape over time. My artworks can take upwards of 20 to 40 hours to complete, depending on the size of the work and the complexity of detail. I’ve often been asked if I work from life but I don’t think any animal would be willing to hold still for that duration! So I work exclusively from photographs and have to say that when it comes to portrait commissions, the quality of the photographs is extremely important. When I choose a photograph to use, or I’m sent one by a client, I’m always mindful of the level of detail required in the photograph. While I have successfully (and painfully) reconstructed blurry, grainy, low-resolution photographs into portraits, the outcome will never rival what I can achieve with a clear, well-lit, highresolution photograph. As my specialty is photorealism, I’ve sometimes had to field the question of “Why bother? Why not just frame the photograph?” My response is that, as an artist, I have the ultimate say in exactly how the finished piece ends up. Photographs can often have distracting objects in the background, awkward elements such as stray locks of hair or zippers and tags poking up oddly. Often highlights can be blown out or shadows too deep and these I can fix in the artistic rendering. Ultimately though, I do it because I enjoy the journey—is this not a good reason for undertaking any artistic endeavour? Before I start any project, I open the photograph in an image editing program and decide on a suitable crop that will result in a final drawing that is balanced and pleasing to the eye. The original photo of Django was a full body shot but as I was only drawing his head for this demonstration I cropped out the unnecessary areas. I then made several versions of the image Materials with differing contrast levels so that I had detailed references for the highlight, shadow and mid-tone areas. I used to print these out but after many episodes of printer-induced rage I broke down and bought a tablet to view the images 3H to 8B graphite pencils on. Aside from reducing paper waste (and stress levels!), the ability to easily flick Kneadable eraser between reference images while I work, and use it as an easily portable portfolio, Sharpener has made the tablet an important part of my artistic tool set.
Cotton buds Archival quality cotton rag paper Size: 21 x 29.7cm (8.3” x 11.7”) Time to completion: Approx. 30 hours
Once I have my reference photo sorted out the next step is getting the outlines down on paper. I don’t need very much detail at this point, just a basic “road map” to follow. I use a 3H pencil for this as the very hard, light lead erases easily. I make sure not to press too hard as indents in the paper will affect the shading later on and cause flaws in the finished piece. Once I’m happy with how the outlines look, I erase any extraneous pencil marks or grid lines.
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Working Equitation The Portuguese Way Ar ticle & Photos by
Cátia Castro www.cmcequinephoto.com
Interview with Claudia Elsner de Matos
In Portugal WE fits like a glove to the Lusitano breed qualities, and by maintaining the Portuguese traditions in the outfits, saddlery, it’s a discipline that shows the Lusitano abilities, heart and generous temperament towards the rider. Portugal has been conquering the top titles in WE European and world championships all with Lusitanos: Pedro Torres and “Oxidado”; Eduardo Almeida with “Santo” and “Romário”; Bruno R. Silva and “Trovador Raposa”; Bruno P. Conceição and “Trinco”; Leonel L. Santos and “Sarilho da Broa”. While WE is a well-known discipline in Portugal, it is also beginning to grow in popularity in Australia, New Zealand, and in the United States. WE was founded in Portugal, Spain, France and Italy but quickly spread to Sweden, Germany, UK and Brazil. WE was created to promote the different types of equitation techniques developed in countries that used the horse to work in the fields, on farms and with livestock. João Ralão Duarte is the president of WAWE – World Association for Working Equitation. This Association has been working to promote the WE in the world, its regulations and the traditions. João Ralão says that, “WE is growing in the world, and the WAWE is the head of each country WE Association. In the United States, there are many willing to learn WE, and it’s a country that will have a certain “weight” on the WE evolution. This year will be the first Scandinavian WE championship. Along with Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark, it is good to see many countries now promoting WE. Initially, people called us crazy to start this discipline, but all of our efforts are now producing great results. This is a great a way of showing off this breed and now more people are interested in owning a Lusitano, which is very interesting.” WE is now recognised in the EEF – European
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Equestrian Federation. This is a very important step providing more learning and uniformity of regulation throughout the different countries. The next step is the accreditation of the FEI - International Equestrian Federation; to be considered as an FEI discipline and to be able to participate in the World Equestrian Games. The regulation and uniformity of the WE is very important. BHM went to see Claudia Elsner de Matos, an international WE judge to tell us know more about WE. BH:
Can you tell us how WE began in Portugal?
CE M: WE in Portugal started after the participation of a Portuguese team at the European Championship held at Seville in 1997 and since that date it hasn’t stopped growing and every year a Portuguese Championship is held. BH:
Can you explain a little bit about this discipline?
CE M: This discipline aims to keep the different riding traditions alive and is composed of 4 different trials, namely dressage, maneuverability, speed and cow. It demonstrates the skills and abilities of both horse and rider in different forms. Both have to fit perfectly together as the technical requirements of the discipline demand a very high standard. Beside the competition, Working Equitation is also a prime example of an ethnographic and cultural
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CARLOS
PINTO Ar ticle & Photos by
Cátia Castro
www.cmcequinephoto.com
C
arlos Pinto is a Portuguese rider/trainer who represented Portugal in the Olympics of 2008 with the Lusitano horse, Notável. Currently based in France, this trainer is also best known for his passion for teaching riders how to improve their skills.
BHM: Tell us how horses became part of you life? CP: I was born with a passion for horses. I just love to ride. I was lucky enough to live near Master Luís Valença Rodrigues. Previously, it was Mr. Miguel Ralão’s riding centre, and my uncle had horses there. I was having regular riding lessons. Master Luís Valença, a very nice man, started to teach me and I stayed there for several years. Then I started to ride and teach young horses, then I moved to another riding centre with bullfighters, but my passion was always dressage competitions. At that time, Portugal was beginning to have competitions, and I started to participate. It wasn’t long before I realised that being in competitions was really what I wanted to do. I went abroad to learn more. I visited several countries, but ended up in France, mainly because I speak French rather well, and it was easier for me. Also I had been asked by some French people to train their horses. France has many competitive riders.
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BHM: what is happening now in France in terms of competitions?
BHM: You gave some clinics to Gonçalo and Rubi, how it all started?
CP: France is a bit complicated; it has many riders but not many sponsors to provide support. The number of people who are prepared to invest n horses and competitions is very few; the French aren’t really into that. They prefer to ride their own horses, and they don’t have horses for others to ride, or to ride in competitions. It does require people who like to have their horses in high level and be able to invest in training and competitions. In Portugal you have the same problem; there are very few sponsors. People prefer to keep good horses at their homes for the sheer love of the horse, and to see them shine at their very best in competitions ... there are very few people who invest in that.
CP: I began giving clinics in Portugal some years ago when Gonçalo and Rubi started competing. It is always very easy to have this team in the clinics; Gonçalo is an excellent rider with many qualities and so of course, is Rubi. The horse without a rider cannot function and vice versa. Gonçalo and Rubi are true high level professionals. I’m very happy to be able to contribute my experience and expertise.
BHM: You are established in France? CP: I’ve spent most of my life renting a riding centre in France. But, in about 6 months time, I will begin building one of my own in the south of France. Until now I’ve been quite happy to rent, and save money for horses and invest in other businesses, because a riding centre is a big investment and sometimes it doesn’t pay off. But now I’ve made the decision to build something for me. I will have clients of course and I will build my house and my arena; it’s every rider’s dream to have their own facilities. I want my career to finish in my own home with my own horses.
BHM: You were there at the Olympics with them. How did you feel about that? CP: It’s the Lusitano horse! Because it’s Portuguese, we’re all so very proud to see a Portuguese rider and horse performing at this great level. I will accompany them for 2 more competitions and then we will be at the European championship. The horse is doing really well and Gonçalo is very calm and is never stressed. I see more and more professional riders evolving in a good way, making progress in terms of technical performance, and there will be more horses and riders like them, because lots of people are working very hard. The Portuguese horses have many qualities; the Lusitano horse is a big-hearted horse. We might be experiencing some less favourable economical conditions, but we have the spirit of sacrifice and lots of determination.
BHM: You also sell horses of every level of dressage... CP: I sell horses that have a good level of training and they are all are a great investment. We have horses that are suitable for everyone, from the less experienced rider to the rider who wants to compete at a high level right now. The best time to sell a horse is when he reaches the Dressage Grand Prix level. Competition enables us to evolve, because the competition determines our level. The scores in the competition tell us if we are going well or not so well; if we’re not doing well, we have to do something to improve. We always have to try to do our best, without crossing the horse’s limits. We are always “the best” when we’re at home (laughs) but when we appear in front of the judges, sometimes we realise the horse is not as well taught as we thought, which is very interesting.
The horse without a rider cannot function and vice versa
BHM: You are well known because you teach with such passion... CP: There is tremendous pleasure in riding a horse. By perfecting the horse, improving it, as well as the rider, double the pleasure! When I see people who are satisfied and evolving and having so much fun, the satisfaction and pleasure for me is immense. I teach every day. I love it so much. We all search for something to satisfy our lives, and for me it is to give and to pass on my experience and knowledge; the more I give, the happier I am.
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MANOLOMENDEZ Dressage by Manolo Mendez,
Specialist of in-hand and Classical Equitation with C. Larrouilh
Manolo Mendez was the first Head Rider, and one of six founding members of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art. Based in Jerez, Spain, the school is one of the four classical schools which also include the Cadre Noir in Saumur, the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art in Lisbon. A master horseman with over forty years of experience spanning classical dressage, doma vaquera and jumping, Manolo is dedicated to a soft, sympathetic and thorough training method which prepares horses physically and psychologically for each stage of training from training to Grand Prix and Haute Ecole. For more information on Manolo visit: www.manolomendezdressage.com 9 0.
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As I have discussed at length in previous articles, a horse should not be trained as though its body is divided into three different and unrelated segments. Unfortunately for the horses, I see too many riders who focus on riding either the neck, back or the hind leg instead of riding the whole horse. This results in stiff and blocked horses who are leg movers instead of back movers and in time may develop mild to career ending soft tissue or skeleton problems such as early arthritic changes in major joints including the TMJ, poll, withers, neck, sacrum, stifles, and hocks, restrictions and muscles tears in the biceps, pectorals, ribcage, long back muscles, loin, croup, and hamstrings along with suspensory and tendon problems. These are often accompanied by behavioral problems such as refusing to go forward and bucking or bolting and rearing as well as shutting down or being aggressive and/or developing stable vices.
While I do not believe in training with a focus on developing any one part of the horse’s body, the body does have a lot to say about how it is ridden and treated if we take the time to look at it, touch it, and feel it. With every new horse I meet, I spend the time to observe its body while he is standing and while he is moving. Just by looking at it, I can already learn a lot about how it feels inside as an individual, how it will move, and the reasons why it will not be able to bend well or extend or collect. His muscles patterns, how he stands, and how he organizes his posture and balance will give me the keys to how I must work with him. The rider often asks me how I know so much about their horse before they have even started talking and explaining what their challenges are. I explain to them that if we are willing to take the time to observe and study our horses, we can all draw this knowledge from how the topline and underline are shaped, how the coat feels, how the hair patterns are organized, whether the muscles are plump and full where they are supposed to be, or concave and tight. I show them where muscles that should be small are big and inflamed instead and how there are pronounced or mild asymmetries between one side of the body and the other. In short, I show them how the horse’s body is a map and every detail on the map is a clue as to how the horse has been trained. In the following paragraphs, I will list some of the things I look at and explain what I look for and what I consider good and what is not. I will review the horse’s topline and underline. By topline, I mean all the muscles and skeleton parts that are above the spine - and include the hamstrings and the abdominal wall muscles because in my way
Left hand checking the poll, Right hand cupping the atlas. Note Dinamico’s quiet eye and listening ear.
of seeing the horse, the topline is one long chain of muscles woven into one another that starts right behind the ear of the horse and travels down its neck, over its withers, back and croup, and down to the point of its hocks. I include the underline because it is impossible to look at how the topline functions without also looking at the base of the neck, the muscles that go from the head to the shoulder, the chest and pectoral muscles, the abdominal muscles, and the psoas muscles. You see, a horse really is a whole and even for this article, looking at it in parts is proving impossible. After I have observed the horse, I like to have the rider ride him for me a little, but my analysis is more thorough if the horse is brought to me in a halter without a saddle and bridle. Then, not only can I look and touch him, but I can confirm my impression by testing his elasticity, his looseness, flexibility, and suppleness by asking him to do very simple movements. And I can get an understanding of how he feels inside his body. For example, when I look at the horse’s face, poll, and neck, I look at the horse’s expression, whether it is afraid or content, whether it is tuning me out or is curious, or whether it is angry and impatient. I look at the wrinkles of its nose and the tightness or relaxation of its mouth. I look at where the noseband would lie and if the flesh is marked there or if the hair is discolored or rough under my fingers. I touch the horse’s cheeks, and I feel whether they are fleshy or dry and flat. I lift the forelock, and I look at the two small round muscles horses have on their forehead just above where they sometimes carry a star. Are these muscles even? If not then I will ask the owner if this horse has
had a tooth problem, or I will wait to see the ride, and I may notice a rider that is holding on to one side of the mouth and causing the horse to chew or resist more on one side of its body. I will be likely to find that this horse has contracted and dry muscles on that side of its body, maybe even strides shorter and finds it difficult to bend in the opposite direction. Or I may find that a horse is so unbalanced that he divides his body to use his neck as a balancing rod, causing his neck to flex to the outside and his body to flex to the inside. These patterns will need to be gently unraveled and the horse’s posture gently restored. Trying to force a good posture on a horse that has held himself incorrectly for a long time can be a disaster; we must proceed slowly and without force. In hand I will gently swivel the horse’s head in a “no” motion or have him nod “yes” to check whether his poll has muscles or spine restrictions, then I like to ask the horse to reach with his neck forward, down, and out. Sometimes, I will meet a horse that cannot stretch his neck with an open throat latch anymore, the hinges of the poll and the span of his withers will have been frozen in place by training that insists on curling the head and neck and placing the nose well behind the vertical. That owner will complain that the horse cannot sit. It won’t be able to shorten its body because it cannot lengthen thru the topline anymore and therefore cannot bend equally all the joints of its hind legs deeply enough to lower the croup and allow the front end to become more light. Why? because its neck will have been shortened and will be so tight it cannot accommodate the arc that collection demands of the entire body. As the horse moves up the levels, if the
Checking the masseter area or cheek (where my right hand is). This muscle should feel soft and full, not hard, hollow or rigid. Your horse should enjoy the feeling of your hand on his face.
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91.
How to start in
n o i t a t i u q E g n i Work Ar ticle & Photos by
Cátia Castro
www.cmcequinephoto.com
BH wanted to know what drives people to become Working Equitation riders, and how can people start to practise WE. We have enlisted the help of two experienced Working Equitation riders and trainers: the Vice European Champion of WE, Bruno Pica da Conceição and the current Portuguese Champion of WE, João Duarte Rafael. They will explain for us the basis of this exciting and complete sport.
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BH: What made you choose WE? BPC: My cousin, André Pica, is a member of the Portuguese WE Team, and obviously being a modality that I was identified with, as well as some of my favourite riders, like Pedro Torres, who are also involved in it, it was inevitable that I would choose WE. BH: And your equine partner – Trinco (Lusitano Pure Breed), how did your paths crossed and he was elected to be your horse? BPC: I have ridden horses since I was a young boy, and when I was 15, I told my father that I wanted to compete, and the answer given to me by him was quite simple and direct: “Son, my current life does not allow me to fulfill this desire, but it is agreed that when you reach the age of 18, I will buy you a car and a horse for you to do all the competitions you want.” And so it was. At 18 years of age, in my own car, I drove to Sociedade das Silveiras Stud Farm to see a horse that supposedly could do WE. With the kindness of Mr. Manuel Braga and the riding of Pedro Torres, I didn’t need a lot of convincing and so, I bought Trinco. It is important to mention that Pedro Torres was responsible for putting me, at 18 years of age, with absolutely no experience and no technique, together with Trinco, a 4 year old colt, in WE competitions. colt, in WE competitions.
Bruno
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THE VERSATILE
FRIESIAN ‘Majestic’, ‘luxurious’ and ‘magnificent’ are three terms that are often used to describe the Friesian horse. They conjure up images of the noble creature seen in dreams and in fairytales, but there are three other significant words that are utilised in a more ‘official’ manner when discussing this historic equine. ‘Baroque’, ‘Classic’ and ‘Modern’ are the usual terms employed to distinguish the different types or styles of Friesian horse that have evolved over the ages. Here we will look briefly at each type, present examples and discuss why and how they have changed and adapted to the needs of their human masters. (Please note that these are not offical terms used by the KFPS)
Photo by Danielle Skerman of Tyrus fan Bosksicht with Melissa Van den Berg. 1 06 .
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Written by Nadeen Davis
with the contribution from Michaela Wake and Allison Gelfand Sable
S
ome refer to just “the old and the new”, but when we look at the transition over the years we can clearly see there are three distinct types. Firstly, let us refer to the dictionary and review the descriptions of ‘Baroque’, ‘Classic’ and ‘Modern’ as standalone terms. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word ‘baroque’ is derived from the Portuguese word ‘barroco’, Spanish ‘barroco’, or French ‘baroque’, all of which refer to a ‘rough or imperfect pearl’. Baroque is also explained as ‘a style of architecture and art from the early seventeenth century, extravagantly ornate or elaborate’. In summary for the Baroque Friesian, we could say he is compact and muscular. The term ‘Classic’ as defined by the dictionary describes ‘highest quality’, ‘serving as a standard or guide’, ‘traditional or typical’, and thus the Classic Friesian is seen as the typical build, that is neither Baroque nor Modern. The word ‘Modern’ is synonymous with terms such as ‘not ancient’, or ‘remote’, or ‘relating to the present or recent times as opposed to the remote past’; hence the Modern Friesian is driven by the market demands of modern society. In today’s case, that means a high desire for a sporty mount that excels in the dressage arena, and can be competitive against the dominant Warmblood types. What does that all mean for the Friesian Horse? Those three words in that particular order (Baroque, Classic, Modern) could describe its transition through history, surviving to suit the era, adapting to the historical environment to which it has been born. Being a versatile horse, we can still see examples of all three types today. This is no mean feat, considering that not long ago the breed in its entirety was virtually extinct.
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“Aries”
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When you first touch a wild horse, they are certain you can kill them. And you are close enough to them, that if they lose it, they can actually kill you. So for that moment of first contact, you both are actually putting your life in the others hands.
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Lessons from a
Written by
Kathryn BaRrett heartofamustang.wordpress.com
To gentle a wild horse is a unique experience. You can touch them with ropes and brushes and bamboo poles, but when you touch them with your hand, they can feel your pulse. They know you are alive, and it changes them. My friend and mustang trainer, Lena, put it best. “When you first touch a wild horse, they are certain you can kill them. And you are close enough to them, that if they lose it, they can actually kill you. So for that moment of first contact, you both are actually putting your life in the others hands.” This was exactly what I felt when I first put my hand on the forehead of my twelve year old wild mustang, Aries. Time actually stood still for that moment. Both he and I held our breath and trusted the other. Photos by
Marcie Lewis Www.marcielewisphotography.com
Back in October 2010, I visited the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Corrals to select a wild horse. The horses from this region have diverse origins with a lot of draft, morgan, and quarter horse influences. But unlike most other wild mustangs in the United States, these horses have a gene marker for ‘”Old Spanish” blood. According to a genetic study, the Twin Peaks mustangs have the “D-dek” marker gene that is also found in Kiger mustangs, a type of mustang that has strong Spanish roots. So running wild across northern California are horses that look like they belong in the fields of Andalusia. I was out to find a mustang that would be the star of a film project I was planning. I would publish weekly videos following the gentling and training of a wild horse. American Mustangs are a threatened breed. Because of various political circumstances, their future as part of the American West is not guaranteed. If they are not continuously protected, this unique and iconic treasure will be gone. I wanted to share the story of one horse so that people would see how incredible mustangs are and would be moved to help secure their future running wild. I called the project To the Heart of a Mustang. I had no way of knowing how perfect that title would be. I saw over 1,000 horses that weekend in October, but one horse in
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111.
The Beauty is in the Detail
The ability to create something beautiful, lasting and at ease with it’s environment is a challenge for most of us, but with an artistic eye, a craftsman’s hand and a natural understanding of function it can be done - repeatedly. Hugh Parry-Okeden has been at the helm of Giddiup, building and fencing equestrian properties and developing lifestyle blocks in Sydney’s Hills and Hawkesbury precincts for the past fifteen years. Equine building and fencing is not a business many survive; competitive, fickle and vexed with problem solving, high costs and an array of personalities devoted to their four legged friends. “The competitors come and go” says Hugh, “some of them show promise and some of them challenge us on pricing, but it is a delicate mix to get right”. Hugh is the first to compliment another trade and despite the competitive nature of the business he always has a positive word to say about others. “The market place creates its own order and I feel good about where we sit in that order.”
Giddiup. “He brings a lot of practical farming knowledge and horsemanship to the mix, says his boss. The work at Giddiup is meticulous, the quality high. Many of Sydney’s boutique building companies engage Giddiup to finish off their estates with fencing, gates, latches, doors and barns. All work undertaken is unique to each project, there is no mass production, no short cuts. “We get a lot of enquiries through our website for the cost of a barn” says Hugh “but the simple answer is that we can not tell until we see the lie of the land and hear the customers needs. Every barn is unique. However, that does not mean we can not build to a tighter budget, we just have to discuss the options and work out a solution for the client”. What does the future hold for Giddiup? The plan is to keep building literally says Hugh. We
Giddiup has always understood it’s clientele and the company believes it is because they employ like minded “types”. Those working for Giddiup are all riders, owners, breeders and lovers of horses. Dick Doolin who heads the team recently represented Australia playing polo in India. Dick grew up in southern Queensland in a large farming family and balances his love for riding with his time at
www.giddiup.com.au 1 14 .
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have not had to look too far afield for work to this point but my wife loves the Southern Highlands! Seriously, we want to be able to add more options for our clients, continue to seek best practices in the field and create really beautiful horse properties. Things that last and we are proud of. Hopefully we will be able to manage that”.
Building, F encing & Design
Fencing & Entrances | Barns | Stable Complexes | Arenas Shelters | Wash Bays | Round Yards | Cross Country Fences Irrigation | Property Design
439 Cattai Rd Cattai NSW 2756 Mobile: 0410 637 367
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115.
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