The Art of Natural Dressage

Haha...there are none that I know of who would actually do it in Public without a bridle. A few muck about at home playing without bridle. One of the more advanced moves in a public bullfight is when the bullfighter has two Bandarilhas (the spiked dart), one in each hand, and thus must ride to the bull and manoeuvre to spike it riding without holding the reins. To make the practice for this they sometimes either ride without bridle or with the reins loose on the horses neck. They sometimes tie the reins to their belt if they cannot ride with no bit being used.

The lady pictured is Patricia Pellen (who I think is French?) her website is at http://www.patriciapellen.com/

I am pleased that those of you who watched Merlin enjoyed the film. I was a little apprehensive to post it as bullfighting is a very contentious issue amongst a forum of obvious animal lovers.

I go to bullfights in Portugal and have friends who breed the fighting bulls. It is a very big deal there and I know that the bulls have a very nice life up until the last 30 minutes or so Very occasionally a bull that has fought with a lot of spirit, and is not too badly injured will be saved for breeding but mostly they are killed humanely after leaving the ring. The sentiment at a Portuguese bullfight is in the glory of life not death and Machismo (as is the case in the Spanish equivalent). It glorifies the horses, the horsemanship, the bravery of the bulls and their young men and tradition.

After the mounted bullfighter has shown his skill a team of Forcados come into the ring and 'stop the bull by hand' This is the bulls chance to get his own back. For those who would like to learn a little more this clip of documentary film about Forcados is interesting and in English and shows some of the attitude of the Portuguese towards the sport.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYve1nbIhng

Note the leather covers on the bulls horns. A lot of people never get close enough to see these and accuse them of cutting the ends of the horns because from a distance they look cut. If the horns had been cut the bulls would not spike the horses or men with the horns which would be too sore. This form of abuse has been seen in Spain although it is forbidden.

Thank you for the information. You have a wonderful wealth of knowledge, it's fun to read!

Haha, so if you don't mind more questions... how do they train bullfighting horses? I have to say they are some of the lightest-moving, collected, agile, responsive, amazing horses I've ever seen. Is it a combination of Domo Vaquero and dressage? How do they get the extreme sensitivity?

Thanks!

_________________
"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com

Of course I didn't enjoy the bull's situation, but the courage of the horse "stole my eyes" - at one point he canters backwards and sideways at the same time!

I wouldn't support bull-fighting in any shape or form, but I have no problem with another person choosing differently. Our choices are between us and ourselves (and maybe God - depends on you.)

If their training methods can have value to me (after being de-pressurised) I would be very interested in learning more.

_________________
Glen Grobler

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

I have watched them training, but do not have the whole picture obviously. There are a few films on YouTube of training.

Basically they train the horses in the classical tradition, but with a higher degree of collection from an early stage and introduce either the double bridle or pelham with two reins very soon. The extended paces are not much practised and the emphasis is on collection and the agility to move in every of the 6 possible directions and their combinations with quick reactions.

Four year old horse with a small calf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaz60Xi5FCI

Not sure where this is from but it is obviously an older more highly trained horse having a workout
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXI-5Jck9gw

They keep a 'tame' cow or two and get the horse accustomed to working around the cow who makes only small attempts to chase. They use the carreton (the cow horns on wheels) which a man pushes towards the horse. It can have a platform of cork wood into which the rider practices stabbing the spears. As the horse becomes stronger and better trained they progress to bigger, older and gradually more aggressive bulls until they find the horse capable of public performance.

The public bullfights are graded according to levels of both bulls and riders. I am not sure how this system works though.

As I have said, the Lusitano horse has been selectively bred for these qualities that you so admire, and the training just enhances and shapes their innate talents. A young colt put in a field with a young bull will chase it and harry it himself without any encouragement because the instinct is so strong in them. Horses of other breeds can also have the required qualities. Arabs, Quarter horses and obviously Spanish PRE's are sometimes used.

The other sport that uses similar methods of training for high degrees of collection is Working Equitation. It is gaining popularity throughout Europe and South America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J75hWF4MiI

The Portuguese have a Working Equitation display team who tour throughout Europe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSRPrFyBcn4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPK9FWqRjug

I hate the bullfighting and the dangers that it puts both the horse and the bull (obviously ) in, but I love the Lusitano and the Working Equitation. It's such a shame that over here nobody has heard of it, or practices it! It's so full of ideas, and I tend steal some of their moves and exercises with obstacles from Working Equitation for AND with the ponies. Who then of course turn it into entirely different exercises, but who cares.

I can't find it at the moment, but somewhere back in time, we discussed this video here.

Tiga, I too would like to know where the bridleless photo came from? Who is it? One of my goals would be to ride Doma Vaquera or Doma Classica or Garrocha (or all of the above) bridleless.

I knew of the split between Lusitanos and Andalusians..but also refer to both breeds (or mixes thereof) as Iberian.

Here is the discussion: Bullfighting

I have put the link for the bridle-less rider, Patricia Pellen, in a previous post in the thread.

The Parelli Instructor Berni Zambail does a very good bridle-less garrocha display with his big chestnut horse. I have seen him do it but I do not know of any publicly available film. I could only find some of him taken a long time ago making bridle-less polo practice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq__qebnMck

That's fascinating! I'm sure you will do it.

My ultimate goal is to ride/train a "bullfighter" with their sheer presence and agility... but without the bull... and without a bridle. Maybe will not happen, but it gives me focus and a place to move towards. It kind of scares me with its sheer magnitude, but what is that phrase? "Shoot for the moon, and if you miss, you'll simply land among the stars."

Thank you Tiga, for the great info. I'm looking forward to watching the movies!

_________________
"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com

Tiga, thanks again for all the video links. I had fun watching them! I really like the working equitation as well.

Ack, so I re-read my post, and maybe it's just me, but I feel like I came across as kind of prideful... sorry, didn't mean it that way at all. I shouldn't write posts late at night!!

On the subject of Spanish disciplines, are there good books, videos, websites, etc about training them? (Like, Miriam, you mentioned Working Equitation has given you ideas for exercises -- did you just watch videos of it? Or do you have books?). I've looked some, but can't seem to find any...

Or maybe the books are all in Spanish and that's why I can't find them.

_________________
"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com

I saw videos of it, the first on a Lusitano breeding farm in the Netherlands, but I think I've also seen videos of it on Youtube. Maybe 'Working Equitation' will give you some results over there?

You are welcome. Tiga and I have competed in Working Equitation in England and it was good fun. It was just as I was getting into NH and we were invited to be on the Great Britain team to go and compete in Europe but I didn't really have the finance to accept and I started to dislike entering any competitions so I declined the offer.

I would like to do it again but in a much more NH way, but it will probably never happen.

This is a nice performance at last years WE European Championships held in the UK for the first time. I attended and was privileged to witness it. The quality of the film is not brilliant but nice to see, remember that the reins may only be held in one hand

David Oliveira and Orario http://www.clipshack.com/Clip.aspx?key=885CBC92CB111C9F

I am going to do just that august 3. I have organised a clinic of DV and Garrocha with cloris & Piropo here from the forum.
I will not be participating with Don Jamie though, it will bring back to much bad memories for him, but I will of course participate with my O-master




Well I have to say, having a horse like that, Ex Rejoneador Don Jamie has taught me more then I can say, Indeed and I am ver thankful.
My seat and aids were reduces to practically not being there anymore... And I have received so much understanding of classical Dressage.

But the pain in Jamie's soul will alas never leave him nor will it ever leave me again...
For you can take the horse out of the corrida, but you can never take the corrida out of the horse...

_________________
www.equusuniversalis.com

Oh, please post a report and pictures! That would be wonderful to see.

You say it's a clinic? So will you be teaching others AND, or is it more of a demonstration?

_________________
"Do you give the horse his strength?"
~Job 39:19a

www.cambriahorsemanship.com