Natural Dressage for Fun!

I think it is important these days to speak out on behalf of Dressage as it is under fire right now. I want to draw positive attention to the fact that there are some very progressive people out there (Yours Truly included) who are successfully integrating Natural Horsemanship with Classical Dressage principals. At it's most progressive this movement is bringing bridless collection to the realm of possibility.
I want people to understand the Dressage can be fun for the horse and rider and still is in my opinion one of the corner stones of all horsemanship. All training starts with a good connection between the horse and the human. The next part is endless patience and a "takes as long as it takes" attitude. 3rd is the moment of possiblity. This is the moment right after you do something with your horse and you allow a moment for processing, spontanaeity. Which in turn often allows you to make the most "right" decision next. Most so called "mistakes" are made out of reactionary haste and general rushing and impatience. This causes people to make possibly too harsh or inappropiate responses to their horses behavior. If we can learn to slow down our whole interaction with our horses, It becomes WAY more fun and relaxing for both of you. Learning is actually accelerated because of the space allowed for it. This applies to whatever your doing or not doing with your horse.
So back to the Dressage. Dressage by definition is designed to optimize the horses athleticism and suppleness. It is designed to help the horse carry us more efficiently and balanced which in turn is better for joints, muscles and soft tissue. It helps a horse be more symetrical in the use of his body (provided you are symetrical as well). It is by my own definition Yoga and Pilates for horses WHEN applied with the philosophies outlined above. The horse should receive a mental and physical benefit from it. Obviously, forcing them into unnatural positions for any length of time is about as beneficial to the horses wellness as it would be for us if it was done to us. I always look at training that way. How would this feel to me if it was being done to me. Food for thought.

FDT

Some things never change...

Elsa napping on her hay pillow then and now some things never change...in a good way. Oh and I added my mop for good measure...

New Video: Highlights from our Liberty Demo

Here is a small glimpse of the demo we did at BackAcresFarm.com a full DVD of the 2 days is available Click here to contact me

October 26th Radio show on NHN

Join DC and I for another fun informative show October 26th at 7pm eastern standard time. We will be discussing Liberty work and how important it is and my experience with Carolyn Resnick's Waterhole Rituals.

Listen to Nhn on Blog Talk Radio

Mercury and me ride bridless for the second time and...

This is my second attempt at bridless riding on Mercury. We did Awesome! I achieved my goal of Bridless jumping! I just can't believe we did it on our second try! This is only the beginning...

October 30-1st follow up Waterhole Clinic Info

Hi all,



Here is a summary of the clinic schedule and outline. There's also links to accomodations and a list of things to bring if you are attending with or leasing a horse. We are offering 3-4 lease horses to work with on site for a fee of 50.00 in addition to the 250.00 clinic fee if you can't bring a horse but would like to work with one hands on. It will be completely beneficial to learn this method on any horse even if it is not your own. You will learn to apply it to any horse you may work with in the future. PLEASE let us know if you plan to lease or bring a horse as soon as possible so we know how many spots are filled and lease horses available.



Friday:

Please arrive in time for the start of the Lecture and demo at noon and to settle your horse If you are bringing one before that, It is important to get the horses as settled as possible before we start working directly with them on saturday. If you are leasing a horse from us, you will be paired with your appropriate horse for your skill level. You will work directly with your own or "leased" horse on the second day. Friday we will observe herd dynamics, watch demos and discuss theory and practice of the Waterhole Rituals.



Saturday:

We will work in our designated pens with our horses on the first and most important ritual Sharing Territory, Liberty grooming, and Reciprocol Movement. Some may proceed on further to Saying Hello and beyond. some may spend more time on this stage.





Sunday:

Continued work from the previous day, each day starts with "Sharing Territory" to renew connection. Then saying Hello, Taking Territory, Eye Contact, Leading from behind, Companion walking, and Liberty Dance, Go Trot



What you should bring:
Whatever feeds you normally give,
Any foul weather gear, Warm clothes, gloves ( there is a lot of slow work so dress warm! you can always take off layers) a Horse blanket or warm blanket
Some type of extra special treat like carrots or apples chopped at least 5lbs (if you horse has special dietary needs please bring something else) something they can eat a lot of safely
Some type of light folding chair
A book or note or drawing pad
A dressage whip, driving whip, long twig, or reed, Bamboo
Some type of good curry grooming tool
Hay for your own horse




Here is links to accomodations in the area:



http://www.bbonline.com/ma/plainfield.html



Hotels.com

put in Plainfield, MA in the search at Hotels.com



Here is the Barn info:



Back Acres Farm

27 Broom Street
Plainfield, MA 01070
Phone: 413-634-5686



for more info or questions contact:

Farah

fdt@fdhorsetraining.com

Upcoming Clinic! October 30th-1st Waterhole Ritual based Liberty work

Hey all! I am pleased to be putting on the first in an on going progressive series in the spirit of Carolyn Resnick's Waterhole Rituals. Christian Gundermann will be co-hosting with me at Back Acres farm in beautiful Nothern MA. Christian works with Parelli Natural Horsemanship and is also a graduate of the Waterhole Rituals Insider circle. Back Acres farm offers a number of very progressive clinics including James Shaw on October 17th and 18th. Check out their site for events. They also offer boarding, an indoor and plenty of turnout. On October 26th at 7pm eastern, I will be doing a radio show on my experience with the Waterhole Rituals with DC from the Natural Horse Network on her Horse Talk Radio show if you'd like to hear how this method can improve your connection and horsemanship on every level. Your horse will want to be with you and work with you in a way you never thought possible! This method is the foundation to all other methods and training and should be done as a prerequisite for any discipline you pursue. Watch the videos that I post here to see what can be achieved when you learn to Dance with your horse! I was able to not only dance with my horse, but also ride bridless for the first time! Clinic space is limited to 6 horses and owner combos and unlimited auditors. Participating with your horse will be just $250.00! plus $25.00 day boarding for the 3 days and $25.00 a day for auditing or $60.00 for the 3 days. You can chose to ship in if you are local. If you are interested please contact me to reserve your space and get the questionaire to fill out. Please no stallions and it is strongly suggested that you bring a horse you are comfortable with and you find easy to work with. More info to come...stay tuned...

FDT