The Art of Natural Dressage

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 4:38 am 
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Ralph, the photos are stunning. What kind of camera do you use? The kind you can change lenses on? What brand?

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 7:58 am 
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@ Anette, thank you :blush:

@ Glenny, ha ha ! Ralph wants to pack up and leave now :green:
He saw a wild reserve which we could buy if we sold the house... :f: :ieks:
Since we left the plain he keeps saying: everything sucks here, I want to go back to africa. He says it like 10 times a day and even mumbles it in his sleep... I really do not know him like this... he seems sad!

Oh good that Frekkie does the jambette!!! Give him a huge kiss and tell him Zephyr said hi, please?

whahaha!!! the car window broke? I can not believe this! You need a witch doctor to clear you from the car window course! :alien:

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 8:25 am 
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Location: Natal, South Africa
Africa has a magnetic effect on many people ... Ralph is welcome back here, of course (and everyone else, without a doubt. This is a good place to start AND-Land.)

Freckles pricks his ears and looks at me very intense if I talk to him about Zephyr ... I told him you had to go to your home and your horses who need you, but that you'd be back one day - quite a long time to wait, though! He made that greeting-snort-breeze-whuffle you identified for me ...

:rofl: Yeah, me and car-windows - what can I say ... :blush:

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 8:28 am 
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Me and Tessa where very much in love...
http://equihof.hyves.nl/album/31705173/ ... _state__=9

It sure does... but why? We have beautiful nature here in Europe... strange?
But it was like I felt more alive in Africa...

Ha ha ! Frekkie...
You know, when we came home, Ralph, Henny and Samantha witnessed how Owen came running screaming at me when I called him!
Gina and Lucky have not let go of me since I arrived...

The curse of the car window... sounds like an interesting japanese horror movie :applause:

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 10:48 am 
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Ralph, the photos are stunning. What kind of camera do you use? The kind you can change lenses on? What brand?


Thank you for the compliment, Karen! I am using a Olympus E500 with a 40-150mm lens. It really makes beautiful pictures :D

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:47 pm 
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Hi Everyone, *waves to all our friends* :giveflower:
Josepha it is interesting you say "But it was like I felt more alive in Africa...
", did you notice any particular energy when in Cape Town? It has been said the Table Mountain is a giant re-energising crystal and a very special place on earth and I noticed that you are particularly sensitive........
Other than that I believe it is the quality of the light in Africa which makes it grow on one so much. Well you will just have to visit again next year, we will definitely be needing you here in about 6 months time. :smile: :horse: :horse2: :horse3: :yeah:

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 2:21 pm 
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:ieks: you mentioning table mountain brings almost tears to my eyes.
When I was a young girl my grand mother told me about an african friend she had. He had written a poem in SA. It was named:
"Ik ben aan arme afrikaan, een arme neger'.
It was about his life as black human in africa where the white people ruled...

She told me he said that the clouds came to table mountain to rest and lay down.
When we drove back to the airport to leave, Glen took a wrong turn.
In doing so, we saw the other side of Table mountain... and I saw that indeed, the clouds came by and lay to rest on table mountain...
It brings chills still (or is it this damn cold here?!).

The only thing holding me here at the moment is my animals and my family... and I am afraid nothing else.
Has Belgium lost his magic for me?
I have to go to the Ardennes as soon as we can to find out...

:ieks: :pray:

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 2:37 pm 
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That is beautiful!
Table Mountain has so many faces, both literal and figurative faces.
I can see it from my house just above Sandy's and it always makes me feel at home.

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 2:41 pm 
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I can now relate to that...
Every time I close my eyes, I see her... the mountain... or the mountains at Kerstin's place.
I was always a mountain's person. Flat areas make me feel touchy...

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 2:51 pm 
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Yes, what is it about the mountains, eh?

When I'm on the plains I look to the mountains and long to be there. When I leave, and go to the flatlands, sometimes I feel physically sick, until I turn home toward the mountains and begin the trip back.

I live in the mountains. They are all around me, though my own land is flat with a little slope to it. I have to look up, from time to time, and take comfort from the mountains around me. I'm already at 1,000 feet, and the ridges and mountains rise easily another 2,000 all around me.

Sometimes I resent that they cut off the rising and setting sun, then I leave, and go to the flatlands, and cannot wait to return. There are partridge, coyotes, bears, rabbits, hummingbirds, bluejays, wildcats, mountain lions, owls, pigeons, and country people. And I'm home again.

Donald

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 2:54 pm 

Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:55 pm
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Location: South Africa, Firlands
well im going to be brave tonight
a friend of mine has a nice quiet horse so she and i are going on my first "outride" in my bitless bridle.
The estate is completely enclosed so it is rather a safe space with not too many scary things...........will just remember to yawn alot!!!!

:rambo: :pray: :f:

im taking the cross over off as she was not responding well to the left turn .....might be my leg but i suspect she did not like the pressure so we will go without it.


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 3:05 pm 
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@ Simone: ha ha ! indeed, yawn!
And remember, there is no naughty horse, only feedback and information for you so you can adjust your body in order to get the result you both want.

Now, when you leave, make sure you do a lot of transitions back and don't let the horses go chasing each other, keep it nice and calm. walk, and short slow trots. Keep it at that for now!
Doctor's orders ;) 8)
You are in excellent sensitive rider, trust your gut.

By the way, if I were you, I would not take lessons for a month or so. Just experiment a lot with what you've realised and it will start making even more sense.
If you get the need for instruction... maybe stick with Sandy for now.
You know, she knows what you want and what you need :)
And other then that, she is a fantastic trainer!

I would advise not to try any other trainer (for lessons, attending clinics as auditor is always a good idea) untill you are very confident about yourself and your horses and even more so, have a vivid idea of what YOU want out of this.
Then you will be able to add new imput from other trainers and filter out what you can not use and adapt what you can.

Advise from the heart from one who has been there, where you where (I know you can hardly believe it, but I too once cried on my horse!).

Big hug,

Josepha

@ Donald...indeed... I can not see hills from where I live, and I have been longing this all my life. Apart from Ralph and my animals, that is the first thing I want to see when I go to bed and wake up!

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 3:08 pm 
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Simone wrote:

im taking the cross over off as she was not responding well to the left turn .....might be my leg but i suspect she did not like the pressure so we will go without it.


oh yes, that is her crouckedness, and there you have the reason while I like the cordeo and the De Pluvinel cavesson/bridle.
Now it is apperent what the problem is AND you can only adjust it with your leg(s) and seat, which is exactly what will help your horse to straigthen out! :)

As opposed to trying to fix it with the inside rein, which will only enhance the crouckedness as you (and many others) did experience.

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 6:25 pm 

Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 6:16 pm
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Location: Strand, South Africa
Hi Josepha,

I finally got time to register and join the forum! I just want to say thank you so much for the clinic and lessons, it was fantastic! I have the saddle fitter (different one this time ;) ) coming to fit saddles on Litchi this Thursday. Hopefully we will find one that fits perfectly. While I felt like curling into a little ball and crying my eyes out on the Thursday, the Friday lesson was great. Litchi and I both had lots of fun and learned a lot.

I also just want to say that it was great meeting everyone else at the Cape Town clinic and thanks to Kersten for organising and to Sandy for letting us use her beautiful arena.

Will definitely keep in touch through the forum!

And Ralph, thanks for the beautiful photos!


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PostPosted: Wed Nov 26, 2008 8:52 am 

Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:55 pm
Posts: 34
Location: South Africa, Firlands
well Olga and i managed to survive the outride!!!

she was a little bit scarey at times and i felt out of control a little but my friend just kept reminding me to yawn and drop the reins.

My 1 problem is that i keep my left rein VERY tight to keep her walking straight otherwise if i drop both reins we go off to the right side all the time.

my Leg is not yet strong enough to push her over (and i doubt she is even listening to it)

she was slow to respond when asked to walk after a few trotting strides and i found i could not make her halt....................

on the postive side she was far more relaxed and calm with only 1 major spook.


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