The Art of Natural Dressage

Hi everyone.

Several weeks ago we have done our last show (with the wings and the white dress) again.

This time we perfomed two nights somewhere in the middle of the Netherlands, on a place where disabled people get the opportunity to ride. A year ago we did a little show here to, and the people there told me during the weekend that our show that year ago inspired them to create this horse spectacel.

I did the show wich I perfomed in september as a memory to a dead frend. This time with a different song, because it wasn't supposed to be the same show of course.

The movie is from the second night.
The first night was a bit better. At the end of that show he was laying down like he is supposed to, without rolling over. Also the show itself was better, it had a bit more calmness. I wasn't feeling well this second night and during the show I noticed being slow in my choreography. Sjors was also very tense. When looking good, you can see two litte bucks and some walking trough my signals. Still the show went well enough

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t426M1Tcl54

It was still beautiful and made a lump in my throat! Perhaps Sjors thought the choreography needed to be Spiced up a little? The rolling at the end made me smile, and really, that is good since I almost started crying before that. It was just lovely! You must be so proud of Sjors!

I can see he still thinks everyone should hold their applause though!

Thanks for sharing another very special video!!!!! You are So brave for performing like this. My friend Paul, who does performances as well as giving clinics, will tell you that no performance ever goes as planned, so you always have to "roll" with whatever the horse gives you (small pun!).

haha, yes According to Sjors the choreography is gone to be speeded up!

You're frend is right
Every show is another, no performance is the same.
It is just my critical look, trying to get better each show. The camera doesn't show it, after his rolling I ended the show by laying down and make a bow, trying to participate on what is happening and letting loose the original choreography. I think that participating is even the hardest part of perfoming.

thanx for the compliments again
I hope more shows will follow. At this time we have little break, just enjoying tha riding the forest and having fun. Somewhere next year maybe we will do a few perfomances again.

I'm realy, realy proud of my little , but though sooo big horse

for the website I made a page with photo's.
Thought now I could also post it here
It are stills from the movie, so the quality isn't very high.

... that I've been here.
A lot has changed. But.. we did find a home!
I live on a room in the city now, from where I can finish my study. Sjors is stabled a half our driving from this city.

At the stable we met a girl who became a very good frend. A few weeks ago there was a horse event. We both took part in a kind of race. The second race I knew I wasn't gona win for sure, so I decided to take off my bridle and try to complete the race, and we did!

Here a movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8iElycx8fo

wow, that's fantastic. That's exactly how I'd like to ride, I envy you.
I don't know too much about riding it sure looks like your horse was really into this race and wanted to win (maybe it is my imagination) but he looked so attentive.

Realy nice to watch. Congratulations!!

thanx a lot.
In fact he was a bit scared for the audience. That is why he walked away over his shoulder, trying to get back to the other horses on the field behind. But I tried to solve that gently, and just ride on. he didn't gave me the feeling he wanted to win the race, but he did give me a good feeling about the control and working toghether. I was statisfied, though it always can be done better.

This movie shows very well his tail swinging. He has always been doing that. Maybe somebody can give me advise?

i say the same wow!!
you did great..and that even with an audiance, loud noise, flags etc. jee you did realy great.
sorry did not watch the video so good to look at his body language..but when i have some more time.
ill take a better look.
But i think that the people have never seen this before during this kind of events.

We humans, under varying conditions, have all sorts of compensatory twitches and tics. Often they are only acquired habits from when the activity, done in the past, was more stressful because it was new.

New things often provoke anxiety until they become more familiar.

If one has such tics or twitches, such as chewing on a lock of hair, cracking one's knuckles, bobbing one's toe up and down, tapping the desk, sucking one's teeth, (haha, without even noticing until it was over, I just caught myself doing that last one), etc. there are ways to get rid of the habit.

Your horse is likely not even noticing he's doing things with his tail, and in fact, as some claim, those little twitches of ours can help us focus and concentrate better.

So you might want to consider whether or not you want to suppress tail twitching in your horse.

If you aren't competing, where that behavior would be points off from a judge, then it could be just another endearing, if peculiar, trait of your horse, signaling when he's trying very hard to understand something new you are introducing to him, and carried over to the same activity later as a simple focusing habit.

If you are determined to remove it, break down the elements and shape. In other words, give a terminal signal to the horse and reward him, as in click training, when his tail is still.

Donald R.

_________________
Love is Trust, trust is All
~~~~~~~~~
So say Don, Altea, and Bonnie the Wonder Filly.

Thanx a lot Donald for your comment!
I've been reading it quickly, and I think I understood most of it. Later on I will take a better look.

Everything you write sounds so logical.
And it's true he does the tail swinging less at home (less stress) and he swings his tail more when we practise something new.
He also swings his tail when I'm working with him from the ground, so it's not just when I give pressure with my legs when I'm riding him.
When we go for a ride outside, he almost doesn't swing his tail (or is this because I give less signals to him then? )

Here, with the flags, the audience etc he was a bit nervess. And trying to get all the little cirkles right I was forced to use more pressure with the signals I gave with my legs (and al little bit with my hands). I immediately recognise it when I give more pressure in the way he swings his tail. More agressive. But still.... I don't think he is mad about doing this. That's what I was worried about.. is he swinging his tail because he feels himselve to forced? Or more a habit, or tic.
I think the last, and I hope so

i have watched some better, i don't think to worry about that. And more after what you write that he does it do also at home during some difficult work.
So completly normal
i can not find anything agresive from you or the horse. Only that he is a bit stunning about his environment. And you lead him through that difficult part. So he trusted you and did what you asked for.
So be proud! No worrys

When I watched this, and your previous video of the show you did with the "angel-wings" I had the same reaction both times.

WOW! I wish I could do things like this with my horse! That is (I think) so far in our future that it sometimes feels impossible.

You and Sjors are an inspiration to me, and if one day I can maybe do half as well with my horse/s as you do now with your horse then I will be very proud of myself!

_________________
Glen Grobler

Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled. Anon

thanx all.

Some reactions amaze me.
When riding Sjors I feel free. I've never been scared, with or without a bridle, it's just coming home.

Leading him on a rope gives the same feeling to.
He is my very best frend.
But working with him in freedom is something different.
He does everything I ask him (faster, slower, different direction), but always keeps a distance of at least 5-10 meters. When walking with him in freedom, he follows me for a while and then go's his own way. When he turns and faces me, he just stands still, with his eyes on me, like he is waiting for me. When I walk towards him, he keeps standing still and when I ask him to walk with me , he does. (for a while )

I don't think there is something terrebly wrong in our communication, I think we both feel happy and trust eachother. I don't mind it very much, we do other things very well.

But it is still a dream for me, to play with him without a rope. Runnig with him following me, like some other horses on the video's and photo's here.

makes it special that some people admire us, who I do admire on my turn.

The thing to remember when you are getting advice about your horse is that no matter how logical it may read or sound in the end your observations are the ones to pay the closest attention to.

I can be quite logical, and at the same time quite wrong. It's happened before, trust me.

At the end of your post you say,



Those observations and speculations are far more important than my theorizing at a distance.

The only thing I can add to your commentary as quoted above is a suggestion that, only if you wish to reduce the tail swinging, you make a plan to deal with the issues you believe are related to it.

I guess I'll fudge a bit and add one more thing. There is a concept called Eustress (sp).

It has to do with good stress. That is the stress that we often even put ourselves to, just as you did by entering in that event with your horse.

Am I right?

Could he have been reading your stress through your cues and the increase in pressure you were presenting to him?

There is a concept in SATS called intermediate bridging signal that can be used to increase the energy of a desired response.

I am currently experimenting with it to draw more energy from Dakota a horse I'm training, and my dog, Rio.

It seems to be working some of the time.

Just a thought.

Donald R.

_________________
Love is Trust, trust is All
~~~~~~~~~
So say Don, Altea, and Bonnie the Wonder Filly.

hey donald thats a good one...some good thinking...