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Quiebro with Kate |
I grew up on a farm in Cornwall with 40 horses I
still live in Cornwall have three children eight Lusitano horses
three dogs and
a busy life. I have been very lucky to have had the opportunity to
study with several world-renowned Natural Horsemen: Ken Faulkner,
Pat Parelli, Ronnie Willis, and Frederico Saramago, who is based in
CaisCais near Lisbon. Frederico is a classically trained horseman
whose family have been horsemen for generations. He has been
teaching and advising internationally for many years. At any level Frederico can both encourage and inspire, giving confidence to both
horses and riders. He is very approachable loves people horses and
to have fun. At our first meeting he said “Your ideas on
horsemanship are a million miles away from the ‘Portuguese Classical
Way’”. He made me question my beliefs, and I began to test some of my
natural principles. Four years later, lots of lessons, and heated
discussions Frederico and I are still friends and work together and,
dare I say, ‘agree’ on some aspects of horsemanship. After all there
is only one way ‘The True way’. He has since become a partner in my
business ‘Bluehorse’ forming a combination of Natural and Classical
techniques. |
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I am now aware that Natural and Classical are not a
million miles apart, if done correctly, they are in fact closer than
even Frederico would like to admit. As with any tool put in the
wrong hands or used incorrectly, one can do more harm than good. Classical riding works because it has stood the test of time, works
without fear or force with the horse and not against it. Classical
riding is concerned with the acquisition of a classical seat this is
a deep balanced seat. The same could be said of Natural Horsemanship,
though in natural horsemanship there is not such focus on the seat
as an aid at the beginning. More attention is paid to the rider
developing an independent seat. Horses form the link between nature
and man, and allow us to experience some of the more natural
qualities of life: power, nobility, grace and beauty. |
My daughter, Rebecca, and Frederico training Romero to do
Spanish walk. |
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Ticao, a 5 yr old stallion, the most left brained horse I have
ever come across |
Unfortunately
horses can be dangerous, unpredictable, frustrating, scary,
expensive and mind-bogglingly confusing. Understanding this link is
‘The Art of Horsemanship’. The word 'natural' has many connotations. In the right context, ‘natural’ means working with, and understanding
the horse’s own nature. We can learn the language of the horse,
thereby improving our relationship and performance. Without this
mutual understanding, we can only dream of attaining the level to
which we aspire. |
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Whatever we call it, taking time to develop our
horse will result in gaining trust and partnership, which, will lead
to a relaxed horse capable of performing to the best of his ability,
unlocking his nature, to work with us as opposed to against us. Horses have the gift of teaching us the very thing we need to learn,
constantly testing our individual strengths and weaknesses, as they
do in the herd. |
Tipico |
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As a prey animal, a horse can read our emotions and
react accordingly depending if his survival is threatened. Being
aware of the effect that we have on our horse can lead to better
communication and partnership. This can be obtained through
groundwork, teaching a horse to move away from pressure (normally
they move into pressure), developing dexterity and muscles without
the weight of the rider. As a modern classical rider would say, to be
a classical/natural equestrian is a position in life, a way of
being, one of the slowest and most frustrating but rewarding art
forms. Our reward is an inner sense of an achievement and harmony
that is felt between horse and rider. No amount of prizes can
satisfy that feeling. Classical/natural horsemanship done well has
the horse’s best interest at heart both psychologically and
physically. I believe the two are not a million miles apart
but compliment each other forming a more complete education for both
horse and rider. More information
Kate Mably |
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