The Art of Natural Dressage

Hello everyone & Greetings from Australia!
How exciting to find this forum, I can't wait to get started using the methods!
I am lucky to have my boy Hero in my life. My very first horse!
He is a Gypsy Cob x Welsh D, who just turned 2 yo. I've had him for 1 year now & he's the love of my life!
He is agisted on a friend's 10 acres, about 10 minutes drive away, so I see him every day. He lives with 3 other geldings in the big, hilly "bachelor paddock".
He is kind, funny, curious, clever, brave, strong & very, very cheeky! And of course, I think he is the most beautiful horse on the planet!

I have only been back around horses for 2 years now. I had a traumatic experience about 30 years ago, got trapped in a stable with a kicking, rearing, striking TB stallion. I got out in one piece, but was never able to 'connect' with a horse again. I tried, but they would always sense my fear, so they would be afraid of me too!
So, 2 years ago I happened to meet a 'horsey' woman (by chance? or maybe not?) in a supermarket. She had an assistance dog with her (I am involved with this as a volunteer) so we got talking & became friends.
One day while I was visiting her place she put me on her lovely old Arab x SH mare Treasure... she told me later that I looked as if I would pass out, I was so white with fear! I hadn't mentioned my "fear barrier", I just wanted it so much!
Thanks to the sweet, kind & careful Treasure, I've learned to ride again. Very nervously at first, but now we ride bareback, in a rope halter & I'm learning to ride her with just a rope round her neck. She trusts me enough now to show me some of her 'Arab' spirit! She's still got it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been doing as much as I can at liberty with Hero, as well as on a long lead. We've had our first rides recently, with mixed results, LOL!
My instincts told me that somehow we needed to go 'back to basics'... he was showing some resistance & I don't want that. I want him to enjoy himself!
We did some chasing games on the weekend & at one point, in a trot, he flexed his neck & truly collected himself... just a start, but it was beautiful to see!

So, I'm looking forward to being a 'sponge' here & learning as much as I can from you all.
I've looked at Parelli, Hempfling, Bell, and aussie trainers like Steve Brady & Carlos Tabernaberri (my favourite!) and I have found helpful things in all of them. I just try things & if they work for us, keep doing it.
The most important thing for me is to achieve 'unity' with Hero... I don't really have any set goals other than that.
So... let the games begin!

Love & whinneys,
Moyna & Hero

Hi there,
you have been riding a Shirab, they have wonderful movement.
Hero sounds like a special boy.
I am off to look up Carlos Tabernaberri as it is not a name I am familiar with.
So much help, it takes ages to read through the training diaries where very much valuable information is stored. But if you are stuck with thinking through a problem, I bet a lot of people will offer something from their own learning or post a link to a previous mention.
The founders of this site have lots of knowledge and the members have videos and diaries which are a truly amazing testament.
I am investigating Eva and Jutta Weimers http://www.wiemers.at/englisch/index.html as well for their basic handling and training DVD's since I am finding a Gypsy Cob, now gelded but after being an active Daddy stallion and my 2 year old Shire Horse, so different to Thoroughbreds and Arabs, still horses, but not the same approach.
Look forward to your posts.
Susie xx

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Susie xx
http://www.flickr.com/photos/piepony/

Hi Susie,
oooooh, you're getting a gypsy? You will be blessed!

Carlos Tabernaberri is a lovely person... his philosophy is based on being " A Confident, Kind, Consistent Leader"
I have 2 dvd's of his & watch them over & over, Have learned so much!
Not a hint of 'ego' with him & one of his sayings helped give me a lot of confidence as a 'newbie'
he said "success with your horse doesn't depend on how long you've been around them... horses don't read resumes."
Here's his web site:
http://whisperingacres.com.au/

I'd better be off now, have just bought a big red rubber ball & am going to see what Hero thinks of it today!

Will post some pictures of Hero when I work out how,

Cheers, M

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The greatness of a nation & its moral progress may be judged by how its animals are treated.

Thanks for the link. Way past my bedtime, 2.42 am here.
No I am not getting, I already have a Gypsy Cob. He has five foals and is now gelded. Registered with the Gypsy Cob Society, he is or was, homogenous as a sire, has two beautiful blue eyes and is piebald. My older TB helped when Danny was a foal but since put to sleep. So after having had an wonderful arab pony, several Thoroughbreds, bred some foals, been racing etc. Now in my fifties I have draft types. Hero sounds super, he is the same age as my Shire Horse, Arthur was 2 years this year. For the past 30+ years I have only had unbroken, weanlings or homebred horses, so much pleasure and yet even more to come enjoying my last lifetime horses. xx

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Susie xx
http://www.flickr.com/photos/piepony/

Hello, Moyna & Hero,

Nice to meet you.

My departing aversion to the horseworld came from humans not horses. I tired of the pressure on them, which I was rather skilled at myself.

The bits, the spurs, the drive for submission. A wonderful young QH stallion taught me differently. He and I spent days, lazy quiet days, at a horse breeding farm for Appaloosas (which of course left him with nothing to do with the ladies) and we just learned to play. Rather he taught me how to play again as I had as a child with my first horses.

A ended a twenty year career turning him out to spend his life with a band of mares in the high country of Molokai. I see pictures today, 40+ years later, of horses on the island and he of course is in them.

I came back two years ago, in a small way. Just planed to ride, but then was asked to train (a spooky Morgan gelding that I became friends with), then teach, and now have my own Andalusian mare and her filly, who is being raised by the methods I found here at AND.

It is SOOOO very different than I ever was professionally with horse, and very much like I was with my stallion and with my childhood horses. Only --- more so.

From what I've read of your life together it appears you are seeking something very similar.

Enjoy, and hopefully we'll have a chance to compare notes from time to time.

Bonnie, Altea and the Old man, Donald

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

Welcome, Moyna!!

You are our 600th member - congratulations!!

I am looking forward to seeing your pictures of Hero and I hope to read much more about what you are doing with him. So nice that your friend and her lovely horse could help you to get over your fear and I am sure you will have so much fun with your boy.

Warm Regards,
Romy

Hello and welcome, Moyna and Hero.

I'm so glad you have found this place. I joined about 18 months ago with my green-backed warmblood and it has been so fantastic. I now have a teenager horse with a very stable mind. He is definitely a product of this place - always willing to try something new or investigate something scary.

I am looking forward to reading more about you and Hero.

Glen

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Glen Grobler

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

Thanks for the warm welcome, Susie, Romy & Ronald.
Baie Dankie Glen!

So lovely to know there are like-minded people all round the world, working to make happy horses!

Now, if I can just work out how to post some pics for you... LOL!

Cheers, Moyna

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The greatness of a nation & its moral progress may be judged by how its animals are treated.

Here is an explanation: How to post a picture

Welcome Moyna,
Glad you made it! Maybe we can work on this with our Aussie Cobbies! I want to start Annie this way too...
Adie

Oh, I have missed that part before and only noticed it when I watched your pictures. Is there a certain reason why you are riding him already when he just turned 2 yo?

Hi Romy,
I know he is still very young... I'm certainly not expecting him to do any 'serious' work yet.
I just wanted to feel him under me, you know?

He is strongly built & I am very light weight, I won't be putting a saddle on for another year or so, as his shape will change a lot.
I have, from early days, just lay across him & let him wander around, so he has no worries about me being up there.
It's tradition with the Gypsies to start by simply 'hopping on', usually they put the children on first & just 'plod around'.

I'm trying to be very careful not to 'ask too much' from him yet, I never do more that a couple of walks, turns, 'bum' yields, back-ups, at this stage.
They are things he knows very well on the ground, so I'm just seeing if he also understands with me on him.

I would never dream of hurting him or stressing him...
Do you ask because you are worried?

I'm always open to other's advice, as I'm just a learner.
Cheers, Moyna

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The greatness of a nation & its moral progress may be judged by how its animals are treated.

Thanks for the explanation!



No, I was asking because I was interested. All I know about bone maturation and its effects on the age when a horse should be started is only second hand knowledge that I picked up on several occasions. I never really studied anatomy, so I am no expert in this at all, and certainly not the person to give advice or make judgements. I hope my question did not come along like this.

When I started my Summy he was three. We never did much riding in the beginning, but his back is hanging a bit now. I don´t know if this has to do with the early riding or if it´s just the way he is built, but - maybe because I know so little about it - the next time I will start a horse I will follow the more conservative advice and wait until he is four or five. But that´s only my personal way of dealing with uncertainity.

If you are interested in some opinions of people who know more about this, maybe start a thread in the riding section?

Warm Regards,
Romy

Hi again Romy,
thanks for your interest, I appreciate it.
One thing I have noticed with all advice is "ask 10 different people, you get 10 different answers'.
So I listen to it all, think it through, then trust my own instincts.

I'm sure the right age for starting is different for every individual horse, across all the breeds/types.
But your suggestion about bone growth is great, maybe we have some experts here?

Meantime, I'm going to look for the right place to post my news from today!
I got Hero 'interested' in a big way... wooooo-hooooo!

Love & whinneys,
Moyna

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The greatness of a nation & its moral progress may be judged by how its animals are treated.

Hi Moyna,
well despite different advise, I waited until my TB mare was fully four years old before ever sitting on her back. It was worthwhile. My Equine Surgeon/Vet told me to ride her son when he was a 2 year old colt, because he was a big horse and an entire. I backed him lightly at two years and did gentle walks along the lanes when he was 3, then began his arena ridden at 4 as well as building up his stamina and wind for racing. Even so, he was never as strong backed as his mother. He did do his long reining and first few step rides in an open field in the company of an in-season mare with foal at foot, so I think mentally he was quite joined up to come play and be sat on for 5 or 10 minutes at a time.
Like you I am quite small in frame and if I have felt invited, I have climbed on my youngsters, but for 30 to 60 seconds, rewards, cuddles and off. Danny my cob is fully 4 years and there is a possibility that he was a late colt from the previous year and was actually a yearling when first passported. Never the less, I treat him as 4 not 5.
Dr Deb Bennett is one of the most respected on matuartion of the horses anatomy and has a nice easily understood pdf on her website, see Ranger.
http://www.equinestudies.org
http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_200 ... 8_pdf1.pdf

Hope that helps, enjoyed looking at Hero's photos.
Susie xx

P.S. a few photos of my hairy boys are in Inge's topic searching for a picture of a shire.

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Susie xx
http://www.flickr.com/photos/piepony/