The Art of Natural Dressage

Sixty years ago I received my first horse. I'd ridden others, but this was my own. My very own, and he lived behind our home out in the middle of farm and dry flat country. I could go out there any time I wanted to be with him. To saddle up and ride out if I wanted, or -

So what did I do mostly?

The same thing, that sixty five years later, I catch myself doing a great deal of now - watching.

So what fascinated me today that did way back then? Well, for example:

Watching a horse graze or eat hay. It's the lip, you see. That amazing ability to use it like a hand. If it had fingers on it WE might still be swinging from trees, and the horse might be exploring outer space.

Donald

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

whahah! that is great Don and very recognisable

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www.equusuniversalis.com

hahahaha.... i already can see it in front of me.
Great...

I spend hours watching Freckles "wash" things with his top lip and tongue. Sadly, his favourite target is my car. He will stand for a long time and alternately flex and extend his neck like a pendulum so that he can swish that upper lip back-and-forth over a surface making a rhythmic "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" sound while he wiggles his lip a bit. In between periods of swishing he will lick and bite the object. I can see he enjoys exploring textures like this.

It is an excellent exercise to build up his neck muscles nicely.

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Glen Grobler

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

I'm always fascinated by Beau drinking, he put's his tongue out just a tiny bit and uses it like a straw. It curls to be hollow in the middle and then he slurps his water. And when he stops and lifts his head in between his drinks he has tis very funny face with the cute tonge hanging out just like my cat used to do when I disturbed her licking herself I love that look...

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Horseriding is an art

My horse is a beautiful living sculpture

Oooo...get pictures, get pictures! We want to see.

Donald, Altea and Bonnie Cupcake.

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

I wish I could show you, but then I have to borrow my mothers camera first and then get Beau thirsty at the right time

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Horseriding is an art

My horse is a beautiful living sculpture

This reminds me of the way Swa is used to drink, I think your horse does the same. Then I mean especially the tongue hanging out part. Swa drinks very silent, you can't hear him. I've got pictures of Swa after drinking! So I'll show them here.

Not the best picture I've got of it, but I'm happy I found it already after a few minutes of browsing through the thousands of pictures I have of Swa. It looks so cute!

yeah that is exactly what Beau does cute isn't it
he can drink silently too, but he likes playing with water and making funny noises

nice to see that other horses do this too!!!

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Horseriding is an art

My horse is a beautiful living sculpture

Swa is too cute. LOL

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

Haha, thank you!
I was always wondering why I never saw other horses drinking the way Swa does. But now I know there are also others! I'm not sure anymore, but I think Swa's former shetlandpony mate also has this habit.

How can you not want to kiss and smoodle that adorable muzzle?
Very cute pic.

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Annette O'Sullivan

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. - John Lennon

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Diego's Journal
There's no more looking back - no more grey skies black.

I think movement of this area or rather the dexterity of use has to be partly a result of experiences or rather opportunities to learn. There are definitely some horses that are mouthier than others and obviously the negative punishment by owners will roll over to a certain extent when the horse is at leisure. It would be ineteresting to observe horses that have access to groom buddies and those that don't. Ones that are positively rewarded (by freedom) after opening a gate/ unhitching a lead rope etc are sure to try again.
When "Pie Pony" did her muzzle experiment it was hard to find how little study can be found on this area of the horse. One of the concerns is of course the lack of information the horse is hindered from having by wearing one.

Good thread Donald, even if you thought it was fluff......(naval).

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Annette O'Sullivan

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. - John Lennon

What I figured is a really big difference in Ruphina examinging an object with her nose (which is first putting your nose on it... and then strike over it quite strongly and when she 'grooming' me.
Last week she did it for the first time, I saw her nose searching for a place to groom and I was preparing for some big time hard and heavy grooming, and I didn't expect such a gentle touch.

And after this topic... I've started this whole new obsession with horse lips

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kirsten
time is what you make of it