The Art of Natural Dressage

Hello Everyone

I have been registered to this forum for some time but have not set myself up to receive posts and so my registration slightly faded from my mind. Until Annie telephoned me to ask me about Klaus's trip to the UK in October 2008. I can answer anyone's questions about this event and now since Annie has reminded me I can - I hope - join in with your discussions - although I am humbled by the extraordinary depth of knowledge and commitment clearly shown here.

We live not far from Stonehenge and our principle aim in life is to live as sustainably as possible. We grow as much of our own veg as we can and bake our own bread.
I am the mother of a ten year old son and I share my life with my husband, 3 horses, 16 hens and a bantam cockerel, a german shepherd and a cat.
My horses are my greatest teachers but I welcome input and advice from everyone.
I am looking forward to participating in this forum and expanding my learning.

with my best wishes
Diane

Welcome Diane!

Living next to Stonehenge must be wonderful, it's a very old landscape over there. Are you also able to feed your horses off your own land? It must be great to be able to sustain yourself from your own plot of earth!

What do you do with your horses? I can imagine that you ride our a lot in such fascinating surroundings (much better than living on a dyke and having the choice between going right and going left, and that's about it ).

Welcome Diane!

Sounds you live in a great place in a great way!!


Kind regards

Bianca

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you live in a nice surrounding...have had a holiday there..
we come often in england..oh sorry great brittan..
welcome here

Hi there and welcome!! Great to see you here.

I was looking into Klaus's visit this year and trying to juggle my accounts so I could go....hmm...we'll see! hehehe!

I know Stonehenge...have been there many times as it is less than an hour away from me (by car)

I look forward to hearing more about your horses and other animals and seeing some pictures too of course.

Once again...welcome

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Thank you for your kind words of welcome.

Mostly my horses and I explore Salisbury Plain together - wide open with lots of rolling hills. There is not much agriculture on The Plain - save a few sheep and cows but that is because it is an Army training area! We can produce real bombproof horses and when the army is gone then it is so unspoilt, so many wild flowers.

My horses do live out on grass all the time but my 19 yo mare nowadays needs a bit more food in the winter - which I buy in. They have access to a stream but since it is quite dark and spooky for them to go under the trees I haul out water for them in containers.

I also buy in our beer and wine! Though I plan to try some hedgerow wines one day soon!

lovely to be here
best wishes
Diane

Hi Diane,

You are living the dream Ralph and I are trying to make real in the next coming years

Looking forward to pictures and story... allthough I have not much time lately to participate here, let alone train...
oh wel... all in good time

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www.equusuniversalis.com

Hi Diane,

How wonderful to have you here. I would love to hear more from someone who has worked with Klaus.
I am in the states and it doesn't seem like he is traveling here at this time.
How great that you are self-sustaining, I would love to hear more about your set-up and how you train and care for your horses.

Looking forward to having you participate here.

Leah

Hello Diane, and welcome.

I do hope you'll use this forum to keep us updated on Klaus when possible.

It sounds wonderful where you are with your horses and family.

I look forward to pictures if you would care to, please.

I have a few in my album at photobucket.com

Many are posted there in response to questions so could appear puzzling and mysterious. How to put together a traditional La Jaquima con Fiador Y Mecate in the Californio style, for instance.

Some from my past as a professional, training, teaching, coaching.

If you are interested there's even a little bit about my reentry into the horse world last year and some training I'm doing now.

The guest password is 'haumea'

Donald Redux


http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff51/donald_redux/
guest password is 'haumea'

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

Diane, welcome!

I, too, am in envy of your description of how you and your family are sculpting your lives/world....

And I just looked at the website for your Oct. event; it looks absolutely splendid. I would love to come; don't know if I will be able to do the money thing to get to England then...

I noticed that you were willing to facilitate private clinics for Klaus in other places...I'm wondering how that might work? When you've got a moment, i'd be delighted to hear more about that; I'm in California.

And in any case, I look forward to hearing more about you and your clan!!

All the best,
Leigh

Hi

Thank you all for your warm welcome.

Before I create any kind of misunderstanding I represent Klaus with event organisation. I am not qualified to speak on Klaus's behalf in any respect to do with horses. Klaus's way is quite unique and no one is trained in his approach. I like that this is so. I believe - and from reading other posts on this great forum I happily discover I am not alone - that each of us creates a unique and perfect relationship between ourselves and our own horses. The collision of two unique individuals creates its own unique relationship. That is, for me, the joy of this wonderful endless journey. Along each of our paths we find different threads so we can all create our own tapestry.

I believe Klaus has important things to offer anyone working with horses in any sphere and so I am willing to help, where I can, to facilitate the sharing of his wisdom. That is all I do. Imagine he were a virtuoso pianist. I admire his music. I book the concert hall so others can share the beauty of his music. It does not mean I can play a note! But by witnessing the concert it may inspire me tinkle the ivories in a new way, or with a different feel.

I wanted to participate in this forum because I, in my own right, gratefully discover there are people here I can learn from, and maybe share my thoughts with in a non-judgemental arena. I am especially interested in how our own psychology impacts our horses.

I am very happy to share info about KFH's programme when we have concrete info or plans and I welcome feedback about those plans.

Leigh please do email direct to discuss possibilities for a KFH visit to the US and thanks for the kind words about the website.

My horses are my guides and my friends and, especially now, I feel quite distant from them. August is a time of relaxation for us all and the horses - an arabian ex racing chestnut mare, a connemara x arabian ex show jumper and a gypsy welsh Sec A pony are all hanging out in 5 acres of undulating paddocks and looking as happy as they ever do when I insist on doing stuff with them. Hmmm!

I am living a long held dream and I am very grateful for the opportunity to do so. Thank you all again for the welcome.
best wishes
Diane

I missed this yesterday!

I think this is very exciting! I've recently aquired my first Hempfling material, and I'm hooked! I want more! I want face-to-face! Or fur-to-skin! Whatever! Anyway, I'm in South Africa so I expect I'll have to go to him if I ever can make that a reality!

I'm very excited to hear about your lifestyle. We are at the moment accumulating capital to "run away to the 18th century" in many ways, but hope to make use of certain advanced technology to our benefit (and remaining in ecological balance) with regard to recycling and similar such "green" issues.

I'm very eager to see and hear more from you!

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Glen Grobler

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

Hi Diane:

I will email you! I'm just at the very beginning "oh, wouldn't that be cool to have happen" thoughts...

And -- regarding your thoughts about the uniqueness of all of our journeys -- beautiful!

There is a deep commitment to that philosophy here on this forum, which is one of the things I most love about it. Along with a very gentle, embracive energy and respect for the wisdom and experiences that everyone here brings -- and, by proxy, their horses.

And it's one of the things that I find very appealing about Klaus' work and approach as I learn more about him. As I am wandering on my journey with horses, the farther I get, the more convinced I am that we all are forging our own paths. I have huge respect for people who can say, 'this is my path, this is what I've done, learn from it what you will -- but your path is your own.' Very cool!

Joseph Campbell has a great quote about this:

“If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know
it's not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That's
why it's your path.”

I'm sure that we will all learn from you, too!

Am very glad you're here.

All the best,
Leigh

Beautifully put Diane! I have never had the opportunity to go to one of Klaus' clinics, but watching his DVDs and reading (rereading!) his books have certainly inspired me to tinkle the ivories in different ways and with different feel, and I have gained much pleasure and reward from the result!

Your words on the completeness you sense in your herd when they are left alone to live as horses resonate with me too. It's so much more of a challenge to find meaning for the horse in the horse/human relationship when they have their needs met in natural healthy ways isn't it. Such a lucky thing that we have hands perfectly suited to scritching all the scritchiest places that other horses don't have patience for.
Have you read Carolyn Resnick's book I wonder?

Welcome to the forum and I look forward to you sharing the wisdoms you have found on the steps that have made up your journey so far.

Sue

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I have not sought the horse of bits, bridles, saddles and shackles,
But the horse of the wind, the horse of freedom, the horse of the dream. [Robert Vavra]

Diane, so great to see you here, I'm sure your going to love it, after our chats I know you will be amongst like minded people. I look forward to seeing your horses, oh and of course seeing you for real in October.

Your so lucky to be so near to Stonehenge.....a very powerful place indeed surrounded by all those amazing crop circles, I go there quite alot. I was going to the summer solstice, but it rained so I gave it a miss, what commitment aye!!!

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We never stop learning