To all horse lovers from top performers in their discipline to backyard riders. To all of us who would like to achieve true partnership and harmony with our horse - DO NOT miss this wonderful opportunity to learn to become a true leader to your horse. To earn your horse’s trust and respect is a wonderful achievement. The rest follows. As one of the great horsemen once said : “Horses will run faster and jump higher out of heart and desire.” (Pat Parelli)

DAVID STUART

5* Instructor in Equine Ethology and Natural Horsemanship

Master Class Tuition and Demonstrator Young and Difficult Horse Trainer

… now based in the UK is currently touring Australasia, conducting workshops for beginners and those who are advanced in their levels of Natural Horsemanship skills and Horse Behaviour. David will be returning to us to hold a 3 day course (theory, ground skills and riding skills which will consist of a 2 day beginner’s / refresher course and a 1 day intermediate course) based on the principles of Natural Horsemanship and a deeper understanding of the horse’s mind and behaviour. Course Dates : March 14th and 15th 2008 (Beginners and refresher) March 16th 2008 (Intermediate) Course Hosts : Phoenix House Ass. Inc. Bundaberg, QLD Location : Whistler Cl., Sylvan Woods, Moore Park (Bundaberg Area – QLD) Accommodation: To be arranged individually, reasonable rates (Inquiries to Sandy Browne at Beach Side Real Estate Moore Park Beach, Ph: 41598588 – reasonable rates) Catering: By Zest Café and Restaurant at Moore Park Beach will be provided during the day. Cost :

• Course cost for 3 days (Beginners – Refresher and Intermediate) $399 AUD • Course cost for 2 days (Beginners – Refresher only) $299 AUD • Course cost for 1 day (Intermediate only) $199 AUD • Ground levy $8 per night (feed supplied) • Auditors/Spectators: $45 per day • Early Bird Rate: $359 for 3 days, $269 for 2 days and $179 for 1 day for

participants: book and pay by or before 12th of February 2008 Booking and Deposits of $100 are required to secure position. In case of cancellation, deposit will be non refundable after 18th February 2008.

The venue of this course is suitable for the summer days. Tall gum trees provide the so much needed shade. Sea breezes are frequent and the blue waters of the Pacific are only a short trail ride away. For those who prefer wheels, only 4 minutes separates them from our glorious, 17 km long beach. What a way to spend your break!!! Course bookings to be finalised by 29th February 2008

Good – better – best, never let it rest. Make your good better and your better – best!

Troy Henry

To book please contact: Denise Williams PH 07 41534299 working days from (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM) or email: admin@basas.org.au or Helena Botros PH as above or email: helena@basas.org.au PTO for more information.

Below left: lateral flex. Pretty handy, when you need to stop your horse. How well can your horse do it? Below right: riding in halter with one rein. Just flick the rope over your horse’s head to change leads…..

Above: Theory is the necessary foundation before practical work begins. Above right: teaching the horse yield to pressure on the ground Right: Helping a skeptical horse to trailer load.

If you would like more information about David Stuart, please go to: www.davidstuart.com.au Please note: All fees are payable to Phoenix House Ass. Inc. as per info overleaf. Please contact us during our working hours to register. Places are limited.

About the organizers We are a specialist counselling service who incorporates Equine Assisted Therapy in our therapeutic intervention programs. David Stuart’s workshop is designed to benefit horses and horse owners everywhere and is therefore open to members of the general public. You are invited to take up this rare opportunity to build a solid foundation for a wonderful partnership with your horse.

Highlights from the last year’s workshop (10th and 11th March 2007):

At last! An online Directory for the Horse World. Local

information for local horse owners. ♦ Free listing offer! Be quick!

♦ Free events Calendar! ♦ Free Photo Gallery.

The more people and businesses listed on this site the better it will be for you – the horse owner. Tell your friends and horse service providers. Pop it in your ‘Favourites’ and

check it out now.

www.horseservicedirectory.com

www.horseservicedirectory.com

Give away to a knowledgeable home: "FLASH"

I have recently acquired a lovely two year old buckskin colt of unknown breeding (Arabian X seems to be my guess) that I would like to go to a good home. He has previously not had a lot of human contact and has basically just been sitting in the paddock. He is about 14hh and quite nicely put together. He has a very sweet nature and is a very social little guy. I have been slowly getting him used to being touched and am nearly at the stage of being able to put a halter on him... I have played a lot of approach/retreat and friendly games with him. He really is a clean slate and will need some one with good experience to carry on his training. I think he deserves a better life than just being a paddock ornament and I'm not in a position to do anything more with him myself.

I am prepared to give him away as he is or sell for the cost of having him gelded first.

Photos available on request.

Please contact me via email amy.smith@dewr.gov.au

or on 0413 591 554.

Location– ACT.

Just thought I would share this with you all as it may help out some of your students in motivation or thoughts for 2008. I came up with an idea the other day for around my place with setting up some obstacles. Firstly I decided to draw on paper an arena area with obstacles on the outside. I got out my trusty pen and paper and off I went. After sitting on it for a few days, I could see this would be great inspiration and imagination for me and my horse and maybe others. I looked at what I already had at my place and started to use my imagination. This at times can be pretty limited but I am working on it all the time. I had some barrels and needed more, so that was my first thing. I already had four barrels that had brackets on them and some plumbing pipe for jumping, a large log, some other smaller logs and an old crate. The crate still needs fixing to make sure it is safe for the horse and/or me to stand on. I also have a tarp I can use and am now looking for an old large tractor or truck tyre. I saw some Cavalettis in Parelli's Savvy magazine so decided to make up some of those. A couple of T pieces and 90mm pipe at 5ft (1.5 metres) long. I made up four of them and placed them 3ft (0.9m) apart. They are not that high but good enough for walking or trotting. This distance is best for walking and if trotting then they can be moved to about 5ft (1.5m) apart. This also depends on the size of the horse and their own walk or trot length, so adjusting to suit the horse is easy; just move them, no weight in them at all. I have two trees on the outside of the proposed arena and obstacle area so have decided I will need some nice thick streamers to put between the trees or the other option is to get two star posts and put plumber’s pipe over them and connect the streamers at a height to suit the horse. I can also use the trees for sending the horse around and back again once they reach the end of the rope as one of the "games".

Off I went to get additional barrels from the council recycle section at $5 each. I now have two jumps at a low height approx 30cm (not adjustable at the moment, and working on that next), four barrels that I can either put together or separate in the middle and have two either side, three barrels in a triangle for sending the horse through, an L shaped log for backing and turning as well as side step a large log for squeeze and/or stepping over or side step, four Cavalettis for walking or trotting, a tarp for desensitising and to stand on, and two gates around the area for backing my horse through (or maybe my horse might have had enough and want to leave).

I now have to get a tractor/truck tyre, finish off the crate, and get some streamers.

My obstacles are set up and look great. Now for the arena. I was watching a DVD and loved the way the arena was set up. I am now looking at how to set mine up and work out the measurements of their timber sections around the arena. I have the space for a 60m x 20m arena and the obstacles are already set up around the outside. I did this last week and it is looking great. Just a few finishing touches and out with the horses. This week after checking out my own "excess Xmas weight" of a few kilos I decided that as I have been walking for the last two weeks (I also play touch football and am very unfit) that I would check out the obstacles and see how they may work for the horses. To my surprise they worked well for me!!!! They are great, I step or jump over the log, then walk or jog the Cavalettis, side step or back through the L shaped logs, walk or jump over the two jumps, do a figure eight through the drums set up on the ground (two each side with a gap between), a figure eight in and around the three barrels and walk in and around the two trees, then continue for a second time or third. Once the rest of the obstacles are there I will be able to use the tyre for stepping up and down a few times, use the crate for walking or jogging up and around, and walk through the streamers. So much more imagination there for me or anyone. So easy to set up and from being at other people's places, reading magazines and seeing what others have; this was fantastic to draw from. What an invention, with imagination, my very own obstacle course. Might let the horses use it soon as well. Maybe even find someone near me who loves "natural" and wants to come and test it out (once the EI

Motivation and Obstacles by Kim Page

is cleared up in my area; I am still in Red Zone, bummer). Good bye kilos from me, muscle build up for me and my horse, great exercise for both of us, time with my horse, learning as I go what side of the "paddock" they are on, bonding, trust, respect, love, caring, and admiration that this was started on paper and now we all benefit in some way on my own property. Thanks to those people I get inspiration from personally and who prompt me when I need it. They may not know who they are but they are there for me, if I don’t drive them nuts. Now for the motivation to get out there and use the obstacles and when the arena is set up then test that out. I still have my trusty round yard for other things. A bigger property would be nice!!!!! But that is dreaming... :)) or winning Lotto! Maybe I did win Lotto when I took the time to set up my own arena and obstacles.

Happy New Year to all; enjoy the knowledge you gain from within yourself and others, it is priceless!

Update from Kim-

"I have continued to walk and at times jog, hop, skip, or jump over the obstacles. They are great. I have been thinking about other things that can be added to my course, and those are hula hoops, tyres, ropes on the ground, skipping rope, witches’ hats and so on. There is so much thought process going on. As I walk lately I have realised that from the beginning a few weeks ago I was "stomping" the ground as I walked. My walk was really heavy. I began to think about this and wondered why I had not noticed it before. It was my "mind", maybe anxiety, giving myself a timeframe or any number of things. I began to work with my mind and what I tell it. I wanted "weightlessness" in my stride. It did not matter if I was walking through long or thick grass, it was how I managed my way of thinking and to not only have that weightlessness, but also add in focus. I started to walk a lot lighter and my focus was not on "timeframe" (to get it done within a time) but on where I was walking, how I was walking and how well I did this. I would walk around the paddock, over and through obstacles but take no short cuts. I would find a stick, clump of grass or manure to walk around (not cut in front of it). This focus has given to me so much more each time I go out into the paddock. It has given me purpose and it feels good. I feel that if I am short cutting in my paddock, am I also doing this in my own life (yep, this happens). I have a clearer mind and more dedication to not stop doing this or make it a short lived part of my life where I have been known to stop or give up or short cut things.

I have been also focusing on my driving (a car) where I realised that I can be tense or anxious. Have you ever noticed when you are driving if you are tense in your legs, butt, lower back, shoulders, neck or head, even breathing? I have! It took a while but I now realise that driving into bends, around corners, up to intersections, up and down hills, I was tense. How do you brake in a car... are you tense, how do you hold your arms, neck, head... well, it made me realise that the same goes for working with my horse. Now with my weightlessness, focus and ability to understand more of my own body and the way it is on a day to day basis when I am walking, jogging, playing sport, driving or sitting at work, this will help me gain a better knowledge when riding. I know I sit too tight in the saddle, I grip with my legs, I end up with sore ankles after a ride, I don’t relax, and I have sometimes sore shoulders... I now have my own solution - weightlessness and focus. There are surely more things I can add to this but at the moment I will maintain this for a while and build up on other things in the future.

I now will concentrate more on my ground and riding skills with my horse. What have I been doing to them for so long? I had started to look at my riding last year and had started to discover a different balance for myself when in the saddle. I am still looking for ways to improve this all the time. I have had feedback from my horse and never understood why this was happening. My poor Thoroughbred who I have had the best relationship with for six years now on the ground skills (but not riding; this did take a while to become successful with him) and that riding him is a nightmare from my point of view. It was pointed out to me over the weekend, not to give up on him or myself; do point to point with him starting off with short distances and then increasing. It is great to have the support of others that have experienced some of what I have. Thank you to these lovely like-minded people who are willing with all their hearts to give that little bit of advise and support. I did test my Appy out on Sunday with the Obstacles and it was fun. He loved it, he became more willing to enjoy the time with me and do something different than grazing. I noticed a lot in him. I even started some Level 1 ground skills with him, something I have not spent a lot of time on him with. He seemed very responsive, which amazed me. I thought I would have a battle, now I know about thought, don’t think that this could happen if I have not tried it first and then see what the result is before judging. I am now going to read up on more imagination and ground skills that I can do, whether it be Level 1, 2 or 3 and apply them when the time is right for me and my horse and develop a solid foundation. From this I can improve my balance, weightlessness, time, knowledge, focus and efforts when I decide to ride. The clinic I am attending in March will assist both of us, so looking forward to a great couple of weeks then. This will definitely be another time for weightlessness and focus."

Naughty Horse is now offering embroidery and screen printing on all our product range.

We are also offering embroidery on your horses rugs, weather it be your horses name,

image of a horse or business logo. We also have a wide range of products for

you and your horse or for that horse lover in your life.

Please phone, fax or email for a full colour catalogue and price list.

Contact: Anna Lynch

Ph: 02 4355 1147 Fax: 02 4355 1167 Email: sales@inthedoghouse.com.au

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We have a range of rugs, if you would like your horses name on the rug we can do it, or if you have a stud and you would like your stud name on the rug just give us a call.

DON’T IGNORE ANIMAL CRUELTY

The Federation of Animal Welfare Societies( "1800 Animal Cruelty Hotline",) has introduced, and is operating a free service throughout Australia for the purpose of the community reporting anything you see or believe to be cruelty. Our representatives in Victoria, includes a retired RSPCA Senior Inspector/Coordinator of 20 years experience,(Barrie Tapp) and, a life time in animal cruelty investigations, dedicated to animal welfare and protection. If you see or hear anything even if you don’t think it is worthwhile REPORT IT. You can remain anonymous if you wish. Since August 2006 there been over 700 cases reported to this number. As the drought worsens, we are in desperate need of food donations and, in particular the state of Victoria. We will accept any quality feed such as hay, chaff or the likes. If you have a suggestion for to set up a "pick up point" anywhere in the state please call us, on 0409144803.

Free call 1800 751 770

Cruelty Hotline 24 Hours.

The subject of barefoot horses and the advantages or disadvantages over shod horses has been well documented by many experts. What could I possibly have to say that is not just regurgitating what has already been said? The only original thing I have to say is my own personal experience. This experience now covers 23 years that consists of working hard on horseback, playing sport on horseback and maintaining their undercarriage. It is one thing to read what the experts say but it is another thing to experience the truth for yourself. In my interactions with other horse owners, I see the whole range from highly successful and happy barefoot devotees to severe sceptics and everything in between. In my hoof care business; I see a range of satisfaction as well. I am not too proud to admit that I have even had a couple of clients that went back to shoeing. The truth for those people was that it does not work for them. In my personal life, I have been lucky enough to experience the living proof that barefoot works and the harder the hooves work, the more successful a barefoot routine can be. The contention that “my horse does too much work on hard going to be barefoot” evokes my time spent up north. I lived and worked stock for years in outback Qld on stations where we did not shoe. The harder the terrain and the harder the work that the horses were doing, the better their feet were. Day after day the horses would work hard mustering sheep or cattle up and down rocky, boulder-strewn hills. It was goat country and if the goats led the sheep into the hills, there was plenty of hard riding to retrieve them. Is there any terrain that is too rough for barefoot? Yes, terrain to which the horse’s feet is not conditioned. Many of our horses lounge around in soft paddocks most of the time and then suddenly they are taken out to ride on much tougher terrain than their paddock. It takes a little effort to keep our horses feet conditioned, but no more than we should put into keeping them fit enough to ride. Note that the endurance-riding crowd seem to be having the most success with barefoot horse keeping. I must mention my vet mate who grew up in the Flinders Ranges. He is an advocate for keeping horses’ feet bare. He tells me the feet of their stock horses handled most conditions. There was certain country however, where they felt the need to shoe the front feet. That country wore pads off the work dogs’ feet if the dogs were not “booted”. Most of us will never be able to conceive of how rough that country is. Notice that even here the back feet were not shod? The contention that we wear their feet down too quickly is resolved by the fact that under tough conditions, with all hoof mechanisms working effectively, the increased blood flow enables the hoof capsule to increase growth to compensate for greater wearing. Having argued that barefoot is possible in the conditions that most of us are faced with; that leaves the question of whether it is practical. From what I observe, the question of practicality comes down to our own personal situations. We all have busy lives and the convenience of a shod horse, ready to go anywhere, is enticing. Just as convenient though is carrying a pair of boots when we ride to get us over those spots that the horse feels too tender for. Some people regard boots as a nuisance but how much more does a horse that throws a shoe ruin your ride? Aside from regular proper trimming and conditioning, the other factor that contributes to a successful barefoot horse is nutrition. In the area that I live and work now, in southeast NSW, I do not see many truly hard, compact hooves. The hard-core barefoot devotees are the exception. The Bega Valley is traditionally dairy country and horses pay dearly for that fact. I see many overweight horses and ponies and the compromised white line of laminitis is common. Of course, seedy toe is a subsequent issue as well. I see that the people who are ambivalent about barefoot (or have even gone back to shoeing) are not on top of their horses’ nutritional requirements. There is not one simple solution and there is no need for us to become barefoot Nazis (even when we know we are right!). It is plain to me that boots, where necessary, cover the issue of convenience. Proper nutrition is also something well covered by many experts. Most people are doing their best. I just wonder if we were in our horses’ shoes (so to speak) whether we would chose horseshoes for the convenience of the owner or whether we would ask for the alternative.

John Houghton E: houghton@mcmedia.com.au

P: 0406769682 John Houghton services the far south coast, the Bega Valley and inland to Canberra with his barefoot hoof care.

Is Barefoot Practical? By John Houghton

Dressage, Naturally with Karen Rohlf

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

photo: Peggy Finnerty

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

Welcome back to the Temenos...Temenos is an ancient Greek word. It refers to a sacred space that has no limits, where special rules apply and extra-ordinary events are free to occur.

This month...After a lull in activity from the Holidays, things are revving up here in my Teme-nos! The January Workshop already took place and after some actual freezing tem-peratures (!) earlier in the week, beautiful, perfect weather is back.

I have added a Youtube player on my website, so now you will not miss any new videos I post. Currently there is one of me and Monty playing with collection and one of Atomic playing soccer!

Carlos was not happy about the 2 days that went below 50 degrees.

That wasn’t part of the deal of living in Florida!!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Ashlyn Pumphrey has joined the team here, along with her 2 horses; you will meet her in this issue.

The D, N Reins are a big hit, more hats and visors are now available, and the book is still... moving forward....

I got a visit from JoAnna Mendl-Shaw and her new group of dancers, more on that inside.

Inside there is another Q & A from the Natural Dressage Forum

If you would like to submit a story or a ques-tion please email it to: karenrohlf@dressagenaturally.net to submit it.

If you didn’t receive this newsletter directly and you want to:

subscribe: k2@dressagenaturally.net

unsubscribe: k2@dressagenaturally.net

Dressage Naturally website: CLICK HERE

Info on clinics: Contact K2

~ J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 8 ~

Copyright 2008, Temenos Fields, Inc January

Dancing in the TemenosA ‘Temenos’ is a place where special rules apply and magical events are free to occur...this was especially true this past weekend when I got a visit from JoAnna Mendl-Shaw (Dancingwithhorses.org) and her new troup of dancers.

My horses and I helped Jo play with ideas for scores (un-choreographed situations) and to help them further their horseman-ship abilities. Atomic obliged by giving a demonstration of how much we can ac-complish at Liberty without a lot of actual control! He stepped dramatically into a feed-tubs, circled barrels, jumped jumps, leapt in the air, circled around me, went sideways over logs, not to mention chased a cat! And I was able to show how even in a situation where things are not in perfect control, you can preserve harmony by go-ing with the horse; (he’s not leaving if you are going with him!)

I love what JoAnna is working on these days...her dancer’s abilities with the horses is excellent; she has spent time with Linda Parelli, some of her dancers have their Level 1 and it shows! She is putting a focus on creating situations where the dancers, the horses and the horseman all have pa-rameters, but need to problem solve in the moment. It is less about a ‘perfect routine’, and more about an true sharing of the moment...no mistakes... only possible outcomes....Hmmm sound like a philoso-phy that can help with horsemanship oh yeah, and life in general?

Whenever I see a common thread between seemingly different worlds, my nervous system starts ringing little bells that tell me this is something important!

D A N C E P R A C T I C E

2 copyright 2008 Temenos Fields, Inc January

In playing with Jo and her troop, he lines became blurred between the equal but unique energies of horse, horseman, and dancer.

Monty loved the part where he moved slowly and intricately around the dancers in close proximity...(maybe that was be-cause if their arms were out he could stop and get a free hug and scratch!)

Jedi had the best time, prancing around with light feet and a big smile on his face. He quickly decided to become part of a ‘herd’ of dancers led by me!

I always enjoy time with the dancers; it is so inspiring to see the grace with which they move, and how much they can em-body the energy of the horse, deepening the connection between horse and hu-man. I am always playing to increase the freedom of movement and expression in my horses, and I got a good reminder this weekend, of how much freer and more expressive I could be.

Dressage, Naturally Reins(click here for the Dressage, Naturally Store)

“I own lots of rope reins. I have the Horseman's Reins, the Sport Reins and Fluidity Reins, and they all have their purpose and lots of great attributes. However, I can honestly say that I love my DN Reins the best for Finesse riding. The leather ends are not only beautiful and classy looking but also very func-tional in that they are quiet and steady. They have a totally different feel to them than my reins with metal clips which I didn't expect. The metal clips are a bit noisy feeling and bounce around on the bit, but the leather keepers are quiet and steady. I didn't even realize my rope reins with clips bounced until I rode in the DN Reins. I love the fact that they are black which means they always look clean and, even better, they don't look like rope reins even from a short distance away. I feel this is important to anyone who might like to blend in a bit with those using traditional leather reins while still giving all the benefits of using rope reins. I also want to add that the rope that they are made from is not the squishy, cheap yacht braid but the tight, firm yacht braid that we all love because it has so much life. I love my DN Reins and thanks to Karen for coming up with such a wonderful in-terface between the Normals and Natu-rals.” ~Peggy Finnerty

Hats and Visors are also now available on my website... The Book/DVD...still in post production processes....see page 7 of this newsletter)

P R O D U C T R E V I E W

Copyright 2008 Temenos Fields, Inc January 3

Ask Karen: A(nother) question from the Natural Dressage Forum www.naturaldressage.2savvy.com

Q: Karen, After seeing your wonderful video on

YouTube it seems only natural to ask

about getting suspension and collection

online (it seems more attainable than

the bridle-less pirouettes!). We can as-

sume that lots of transitions help, but

how do you - or rather, how can we -

achieve higher levels of suspension and

collection online? What are the steps or

some exercises we can play with once

the basic communication has been

achieved? What should we be looking for

in the emotional and physical response

of our horse (which also bring thorough-

ness into the picture)?

Thank you for your always insightful an-

swers. We are patiently (well, trying to

be patient!) awaiting your book and

can't wait for the discussions it will cer-

tainly bring!!!

CLICK HERE to see the video

A: Hi everyone! Another great question! And as usual one that in-volves several layers of answers...(but

then again, most questions with horses do, don’t they?!)

Collection, suspension and elevation (‘uphill-ness’) whether on-line or in the saddle, in general can be achieved in 3 ways:

1. By asking the horse for it. This in-volves setting up a signal, an aid, a ‘half halt’, a postural change...that the horse understands as a direct communication and so he makes the change. He will make the change immediately, and may make a change that is bigger than he can sustain.

2. By doing a transition or some sort of maneuver that will cause the horse to make the desired change. He will make a change to regain and sustain his best balance possible for him on this day. You don’t necessarily use a signal, just choose to do a particular transition or pattern that will help him maintain his balance and light-ness. If you do this well, you will no-tice a difference at the end of the ride.

3. By investing in correct posture and gymnastics in such a way that over time he develops more carrying power. This is the sort of change you don’t necessarily notice every-day, but you will notice his capabili-ties increasing and your friend that hasn’t seen him in a month will no-tice a big change.

Of course ideally you are doing each of these three. But I am sure you are thinking: ‘well, what aids and what exercises do we do?’ And that is a long answer...but...here is what is im-portant to me:

With a good foundation as a given...having horses moving freely forward with an engaged, active hind leg, good impulsion (in the dressage and NH sense of the word), a released, free spine (that is a result of alignment and balance) and calmness (commu-nication about relaxation) are the most important starting points. From here I makes sure that there is a postural communication between me and the horse...That my body embodies what I want the horse to do...they are primar-ily reading your body anyway...you might as well be conscious of it! So I make it meaningful to them... if I soften my spine, versus if I stretch tall and sink through my tailbone (collecting myself). If I want shoulder-in on a cir-cle (a very collecting exercises) around me, I do in my body what I want the horse to do.

Transitions such as walk to canter, canter to back up, to shoulder-in or to smaller circles are very collecting if you pay attention to the weight shift and the readiness of the horse to move forward and back...really looking at the lack of hesitation, quality of the let-looseness to the suggestion. Watch for the feet to initiate the for-ward steps, and that it is not just the weight falling forward and the feet moving just to keep up, or that they aren’t pushing out the back with their hind legs, or lifting themselves for-ward with their necks. You will have to look at your own timing and your own posture or body language. No recipe of exercises will help unless you look for these qualities and adjust your tim-ing and positioning to achieve them.

Transitions to higher energy or longer strides can end up being collecting if you have a horse that tends to forget

Q & A

4 Copyright 2008 Temenos Fields, Inc January

to use his hind legs. This is an exam-ple of Option 2. above, instead of us-ing stronger aids, you simply choose to make transitions or changes in the pattern at a moment that will best cause your horse to make the gymnas-tic change you desire.

If you can play between a stretched, let-loose, free forward gait...and transi-tions to back up and total relaxation, then you will see the horse offer mo-ments where he is ready for all...he is loose in his spine, active and ready with his weight back...they may only last for a moment or two, but make them feel important and gradually build them. Imagine if you can mix and match these ingredients just by changing it in your body?! Your horse could be stretched, you could add en-ergy while still stretching, then keep the energy and elevate the posture, then if he gets tight, can start to stretch maybe an inch or two, then back uphill again, then release it and let him just flow and stretch again....a nice picture, huh?

What is that, you want more specifics? ;-) When you watch the video on Youtube, in the beginning I am walking along stretched and relaxed, then transition to a canter pirouette...I changed my posture from stretched to collected, added a canter rhythm, and turning. (an example of option 1, above: I gave specific aids that my horse under-stands. I worked on each one of those aids separately and got them to such a high degree of sensitivity and coordi-nation, that now he understands how to do them all at the same time.)

The reason the pirouette turned out in such good quality is because I have

been riding using option 3. above...and so have a horse with a strong hind end, a strong, elastic back and good posture through alignment (as seen in all the stretching). This is why he is able to sustain the collection in the pirouette for so many strides. I don’t have to talk to him about posture dur-ing this pirouette, because he takes care of that himself, as it is the best way to get a confident, keen pirouette accomplished, and he is willing to do it!

Also in the video you see Monty col-lecting at liberty...this is a product of several things. One is that I have a good enough draw that I can add en-ergy and he stays... [in the moments I have on video at least, ;-) ]... When he wants to stay and I add energy, one place for the energy to go would be into speed, but the other is it goes into elevation and expression in his gait. In this case he is matching my uphill posture and so the energy goes into being more up hill. A lot of that really is natural...horses will tend to respond to that if we haven’t taught them not to listen to our posture! But some of what I am getting is from a signal up with the stick above the withers to support what my posture is asking for and to ask for even more...you will see I am not really tapping, but more am drawing up with the stick... I have taught him to jump up from this...but also it is a pretty natural re-sponse and I think of it mostly as an extension of what my posture is doing...getting tall and lifting.

I put all the stretching in that video to highlight something that is very important...that everything comes from and returns to relaxation.

I hope this helps. Thank you for the great question and thank you for al-lowing me to share what my horses have taught me.

It’s funny, but I have heard that some

straight dressage people criticized the

video saying “but he’s not uphill when he

is stretching” well... I am asking him to

stretch and release from collection in that

moment! He is in enough balance to

stretch without speeding up or losing

general balance. And I certainly thought I

demonstrated that we have the ability to

come up hill anytime I want...sigh...I tried,

on the video to show many

ingredients...free movement, stretched

spine, carrying power, natural posture,

connection with the reins, strong hind leg,

maintenance of rhythm, trust, communi-

cation, harmony and general good-

boyedness. Don’t worry, Monty....we know

you’re perfect!

~Karen

Q & A

Copyright 2008, Temenos Fields, Inc January 5

Ashlyn, Loxley and Massidor join the team at Temenos Fields.

Hello everyone, my name is Ashlyn Pumphrey and I am now-working for Karen, while support-ing my two horses. I am originally from Lake Ridge, Virginia and heard about Karen through Marj Cassetta, a trainer educated in the Parelli system, located about an hour away from me.

Last August, I made a trip to Ger-many to check out a working stu-dent opportunity. Well, I hated it. But, I didn't leave empty handed. I had fallen in love with a three year old Westphalian gelding (Loxley) that couldn't keep his big eyes off of me. When I asked the owner why he was stuck in his stall, she repeated "he is crazy and he has been in there for 4 months now." I was stunned. How could anyone

ignore him? Well, being brave I ventured into his stall, and what I found was a very sweet and wor-ried horse. I knew I was in for some work, and I was told to find a "cowboy". Luckily I found some thing better, Marj Cassetta and Karen Rohlf. Loxley has trans-formed in 3 months into a com-pletely different horse and I am excited to see his potential. I have another horse (Messidor) who I have been competing FEI Young Riders with, but have been unsuc-cessful in correcting his flying changes. I have been to top train-ers all along the East Coast and no one has took the time to under-stand my horses willing to please personality and that the fact of he thinks he is doing changes cor-rectly. With Karen, I hope to ac-complish my goal of getting Mes-sidor up to Grand Prix and further-ing Loxley's education and trust.

Welcome aboard, Ashlyn!

T E A M T E M E N O S

6 Copyright 2008 Temenos Fields, Inc January

It’s true, I was born 6 weeks late... It’s not too surprising, I expect I was pretty comfy in there. Warm, interesting sounds, free food, weightlessness, got to kick things and people thought it was cute....

When I asked mom what it was like, she said: “Well, it got hard to pick things up off the floor, and I knitted an afghan to make the time go by.” So I guess it wasn’t so bad for her, ei-ther; she could throw stuff around and other people would clean up after her... And she got to do arts & crafts... must have been like being at summer camp!

When I learned of this, it made me realize: It’s been a pattern in my life..I tend to stay in situations just a little longer than I really want to... Its a tricky thing to know when to stick with something and when to move to a new plan. There have been plenty of times that I really want to do something, but I just can’t seem to mobilize... not from lack of desire or ability...I just catch myself ‘stalling out’ and can’t seem to figure out how to take the next step. Or I feel like I am pushing to get some-thing done and it just simply won’t material-ize in the timing that I want.

One baby & book that refuse to be forced out before they’re good & ready.

It can be very frustrating! I fight with myself or find myself wishing I could blame some-thing or someone else. But maybe... it is just the Universe taking care of things.

The Dalai Lama says to remember “that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck”. Xenephon said that: “Anything forced cannot be beautiful.” Well, in that case I sure am glad my mom didn’t induce!

When I was ready...I popped right out: “It was easy”, Mom said. Even the doctor commented that when I came out, I looked like a baby that had been out for 6 weeks. So I guess just be-cause I hadn’t shown my face to the world at the time that everyone was expecting me, it didn’t mean I wasn’t developing, improving, maturing, working out all the details..making sure everything was just right - that the world was ready, the stage set. I guess it’s only natu-ral that the Dressage, Naturally book (like its author) will be born only when she’s good and ready... and it will be worth it. ~K1

. . . W H E N S H E ’ S G O O D A N D R E A D Y

Copyright 2008 Temenos Fields, Inc January 7

“And you didn’t look at all like a lizard, like most newborns do!” ~My Dad, describing what I looked like after finally being born... 6 weeks late.

Being aware is great. Being aware of our thoughts as they stream through our consciousness in an endless procession at some amazing number during a twenty four hour period can be a bit mind boggling. But it can all make some sort of sense if we detach our selves from these thoughts and just observe. No emotion, no reaction, no feelings. Instead, we just look and learn. Another question connected to ‘our’ thoughts is: how do our thoughts affect those around us? ‘Those around us’ include the horse, of course. I have absolutely no doubt that our horses are so in tune with our thoughts that they can read us not like a book but like a billboard. “All in your imagination” you might say. Exactly! For example, if we are smiling on the inside, our four legged friends are all over us. They like being with us and they help create magic moments that make us want to shout about it to the universe. Or if we are walking around in turmoil, with dark clouds swirling around above our being and dark emotions sitting deep within us, then where are the horses? Mine don’t want to know me when that happens. But I don’t take it personally anymore. I take it as a signal that I have ‘issues and energy’ that I have to fix. Horses read us. They read our thoughts and they react to the quality and intent of those thoughts. Absolutely positively. Once a teacher asked me; “Glenn, what is your horse thinking about what you are doing”? My quick and typical response (for an unsaavy horse person) was something like “How the heck would I know” (or words to that effect). And she said (and I knew she really meant it) “well, if you want to be a horseman you’d better figure it out and quickly!” What is the horse thinking? What kind of a question is that? How do we humans know what is going on in that rather large head? Where do we start to figure this sort of stuff out? I mean they are horses. They operate in a different realm. They eat grass and don’t speak English. How can we figure out what a horse is thinking? Well it seems that being quiet and listening is a great place to start. It appears as though listening is an important component of communicating. Maybe the most important component. Listening is even more important than reading. Reading the horse used to be the ‘go’. And it still is important but listening works better. Yeah, well, the two can be used together for super effectiveness but when push comes to shove, just stop and listen. When we stop babbling on (apologies to any brooks out there) or being busy and listen with not just our ears but with our whole being, we can hear and understand what the horse is thinking. And that can be an experience full of wonderful (and/or confronting) surprises. ‘What is the horse thinking’? This is a BIG question I often ask myself when I am with them - especially when I meet a new horse or when I am trying to achieve something new with a horse that I already know reasonably well. And then the conversation begins and progresses. I listen, they speak, I speak, they listen, and life is good. Well it is good once you get used to the fact and accept that you are in different waters. Teaching and learning are straightforward, the ‘job’ gets done easier, the new task is learned, the hoof is trimmed, the horse is moved to another area or loaded in the float, the bot eggs are removed, the drench is administered and so on. Related to the question above is another big BIG question. This one I find slightly more challenging. It is – “What does the horse think about ME?” Oh oooh. Can of worms stuff, this one. And for simplicity we should, for the moment, just skip over the “what do I think about ME”? and concentrate only on the horse’s thoughts. This can be really uncomfortable territory once you go there. Or it can be very revealing and exciting. So if ignorance is bliss for you and you don’t feel too happy outside your comfort zone, then move on to the next article. But if this strikes a chord with you, go out into the paddock and look your horses in the eye and ask “What DO you think about ME?” Then listen.

More Big Questions By Glenn Wilson

Another teacher, when having a conversation with his teacher and friend asked: “People say I’m just having a conversation with myself and not with God at all.” And his teacher replied “You are Neale, you are.” And maybe that is truly what it is all about. Listening to yourself; listening to your thoughts or listening to the Universe. It’s all out there according to some creative quantum physicists. Every thought that ever existed is in a great big pool of thought and every now and then we experience or choose one of the thoughts to make our reality. Is it the horse talking or is it just my imagination? Or something else? Anyway back to reality here. The horse. At a simple level, the horse will tell you what he or she thinks about you. They will either walk to you (GREAT!), walk away from you (not so great), totally ignore you (the grass is way more interesting just at the moment thanks), or they may just stand there and look at or through you. Hmmmmmm. Stand and look at you or through you. When they do this it’s the perfect opportunity to have a conversation with them. Just ask yourself (or them) ‘What?’ And then listen. If your mind is clear, surprising things can then pass through it. Thoughts and ideas that may seem so left-field just flow through your mind. And you may just be beginning a real conversation with your horse. And when you allow that to happen, all the really BIG questions you ever had about horses (and life) may have answers. Neat huh? Another very interesting area we could question and learn about is horses’ moods. Do you know anyone who has the pleasure of owning a horse who always seems to be in a bad mood? Conversely we probably all know someone whose horse/s is/are always a treasure to be with. Might even be ourselves. Do horses get headaches? Do they have off days? Are they suffering from PMT or sexual frustration? Do their bellies ache every now and then and do their feet hurt? And can they feel on top of the world some days? Happy and content as. And how well can we read all these variations in our horses if we can’t even read and have empathy with our partners, children or fellow human beings. Getting back to horses (again). Say when we are booked in to do a special NH clinic, and the day draws closer, the anticipation builds in us (even though our horses don’t even know ‘cos we didn’t bother to tell them) and the horse has a migraine or is just feeling off. How do we know? What do we do? Load them up, head off, unload them and get into the clinic. And the horse behaves in a way that makes us slightly embarrassed. Do we then sit it out and let the horse have time out to get better? Not usually but it could be just this type of situation that occurs and we haven’t had the empathy, understanding or communication with our horse to know how they are feeling. Time to listen to the horse and understand that they have feelings too. They have their good and bad days just like us. Asking questions has become a regular feature of my life. From parental accounts, I began doing it at a very young age (normal) and going on recent form I’ll be doing it for quite a while yet. I need to understand ‘Why’. I want to know if there is a better way. I enjoy discovering ‘How’. I am fascinated with understanding and I love learning. Mind you, asking questions often challenges others to explain, and sometimes justify, why things are the way they are. Sometimes these ‘others’ have not asked questions themselves and so find themselves defending something with little understanding of just what they are defending. Understandably they may feel challenged or threatened or even insulted by such an inquisition. Their choice. But as I have discovered I needed to learn to be nicer and more respectful, I try to ask politely and to back off early so not to cause a negative reaction. The great thing about this polite and respectful approach is that it also works very well with horses. It is almost as if it was designed for horses. So that gets me to conclude that if it works for horses and humans, the next BIG question may well be; are we that similar? © Glenn Wilson January 2008

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