My Future: My Journey

by Yvonne Welz ©2008
March 2008

Yvonne riding Belle, March 2008

I reached a turning point in late spring of 2007. In May, my 4 year old warmblood mare, Belle, bucked me off. It seemed relatively innocent: she simply spooked, and took off bucking, just an “accident.” I went flying, and was knocked unconscious -- with my helmet on! My major injury was my hip, which was severely bruised, and took a month to heal. It was my first real injury in my 21 years of riding.

I didn't have any emotional trauma from it, thank goodness. That was something I was worried about, because I have never had any serious fear issues about riding. I was back in the saddle for a short (but painful) walk only 4 days after the injury, but I didn't really start riding for about one month. I was tentative for a short time, but then everything was back to “normal.” However, it wasn't normal - it was like I had the sense knocked into me. I realized there was a problem going on with my horse, and I didn't really understand her as well as I thought I did.

Yvonne riding Belle in First Level Test 1, Nov 2007

Over the previous few months, my young, extremely talented, extremely good-natured mare had become increasingly resistant as I began asking for harder exercises. I was advised by highly reputable trainers that it was absolutely necessary to demand that she engage her hindquarters more at this point in her training (keep in mind, she was ONLY 4 years old!), and directly address her natural crookedness issues right then, period. The more I attempted to do so, the more problems began cropping up. Sometimes she would totally stop and refuse to go forward at all. Other times she would kick at the whip, or buck. And then she began to act spooky at odd times, which was not typical for her. I now recognize all those things as “feedback.” She was trying to tell me something! (These days, I would not hesitate to question - or even criticize - a trainer who asked me to do anything that caused conflict with my horse! Don't be afraid to stand up for your horse - that can be a hard thing for a student to do, but you DO know what is best, if you listen to your heart.)

I reflected back upon that day of the bucking accident. She had given me two “warnings” before the buck, two small spooks that I didn't recognize at that time as signs of impending explosion! How could I become more connected to her? How could I learn to read her better? How could I gain her trust more completely?

I had long questioned some of the training practices that I saw so commonplace, but that I did NOT employ, such as tight short side reins while lunging, adjusting the position of the horse's neck with the reins while riding (as in shorter and higher), and extreme aggressiveness with the aids in order to “sharpen” up the horse's responses, as well as overuse of whip, spur and all aids in general. While I had done my best to avoid that "aggressive" style of training, it existed all around me. The quickest way (but not the best way) to make progress is to force the horse. In competitive dressage training, this force is sometimes done in a quiet way, but it is still force by any definition. I reevaluated everything, and began avidly studying the works of dressage masters who preach against all use of force, such as Walter Zettl.

I wanted to know what was going on in my horse's mind! And then one thing led to another, and I stumbled upon the Parelli Horsenality concepts. This was like a breakthrough for me. I had to learn more. I soon began studying the Parelli Natural Horsemanship Levels programs, and their Liberty & Horse Behavior Course. I was also able to participate with my young mare in a Parelli introductory clinic. Through all this work, I began to understand this horse better and better, and our harmony greatly increased. I applied this new-found knowledge to my other horse, and a better relationship bloomed there, as well. I truly appreciate all the pieces of information I have gleaned from a wide variety of resources.

After all those initial problems (probably caused by too much pressure on a baby horse, and me listening to bad professional advice), I gave my mare lots of time off from the saddle - with lots of groundwork. When I started riding again, most of it was on a loose or long rein, in a long and low frame. She was very happy when ridden like that, but not so if I tried to put her into a normal "working" frame. I listened to her closely, and allowed her to have an opinion. Through this listening to her, I finally realized that she was, at that point, uncomfortable in her saddle (which "seemed" to still fit - but alas she had grown since the professional fitting), and switched to a new, wider tree, with a Cavallo Saddle Pad underneath. She was delighted that I finally understood what she had been trying to tell me. All the difficult exercises were now easy; she could round her back and hold herself in a correct carriage. She was mentally happy because I had finally figured out how to communicate effectively with her, and she was physically happy because her saddle fit.

Dressage is my passion, but it is so much more than just the show ring. It is the relationship. That's what it has always been about for me.

In my future, I will continue to explore the fusion between gentle, classical dressage training, which develops the horse's body, and the "natural horsemanship" type philosophies which focus more on the horse's mind and emotions. In so many ways, the two concepts overlap and become one -- with the good of the horse as the priority. The dressage of the future?

"Natural horsemanship and classical dressage, done correctly, are so similar that it is easy for us to understand each other."--Walter Zettl

Yvonne riding Belle, August 2008

Yvonne riding Kendra, January 2008

For others interested in exploring horsemanship, here are some books and websites that I highly recommended:

I still read A LOT, including the classics. You can revisit them over and over, and find new discoveries, as your perspectives change. I particularly enjoy Reiner Klimke, Udo Burger, Waldemar Seunig and General Decarpentry.

I currently have 3 favorite authors that I have found most useful and applicable to my daily training:

1) Paul Belasik - you can see a listing of his books & video here: http://paulbelasik.com/Books.htm Everything he writes is a gem. I am particularly fond of the out-of-print masterpiece, Dressage for the 21st Century. He is a true modern classicist, an expert rider all the way through airs above the ground, and best of all, he is masterful writer who can express the nuances of our relationship with horses like no other. Yes, I'm a big fan.

2) Dr. Andrew McLean - He runs the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre, and promotes the use of animal behavioral sciences to help develop our training systems to be more effective and more humane. His simple, direct approach has helped me, as a trainer, more than anything else I have ever tried. It blends seamlessly with both classical horsemanship and natural approaches. I highly recommend his book The Truth About Horses, and his DVD/Book set, Academic Horse Training.

3) Dr. Gerd Heuschmann - This outspoken German Vet is willing to take on the establishment to promote better welfare for horses. That is simply irresistible to me! He is a man on a mission: to expose the dangers of rollkur and hyperflexion and all the ridiculous "new" ways of dressage training, and turn us instead back to the tried and true ways of genuine classical horsemanship. Both his book, Tug of War: Classical versus "Modern" Dressage, and his DVD, If Horses Could Speak, are must-see for everyone.

Other favorites:

Dressage, Naturally with Karen Rohlf
Karen is highly educated in both Grand Prix dressage and Parelli Natural Horsemanship. She can perform upper level dressage movements both with tack, and also without any tack at all. I highly recommend her book/DVD set.
http://dressagenaturally.net/

Liberated Horsemanship
Animal behaviorist Bruce Nock, PhD, shares his insights on horse training: tactful communication and gentle training based on modern learning theory and the natural behavior and instinct of horses. Don't miss his books, "Ten Golden Rules of Horse Training" and "Ride For Tomorrow."
http://www.liberatedhorsemanship.com/

Horses for Life online magazine
Fantastic resource for the best in classical riding, as well as controversial articles that rock the boat! Every month they ask the "hard questions," critiquing how horsemen care for and train horses, examining both moral and contemporary issues.
http://www.horsesforlife.com/

Walter Zettl
One of the world's living legends, a great master of classical horsemanship. I highly recommend his books and DVDs, as they offer the clearest explanations of the details of classical riding available anywhere. His method is simply the German classical system of riding, at its very finest. The horse is treated with great love and respect at all times, and is pushed "to the limit" for progress, but never overfaced.
http://www.walterzettl.net/

Equine Studies Institute
Founded by Dr. Deb Bennett, Ph.D. - James & I actually attended her clinic back in the 90's, and it was very enlightening. She has some excellent biomechanical information, and there are lots of free resources on this website, including a public forum and many articles in the Knowledge Base. Some of the information might be initially confusing to a newcomer, but it is quite deep and layered, so worth restudying often. She is a big advocate of the teachings of Tom Dorrance and his followers.
http://www.equinestudies.org

Jane Savoie
Jane is simply the greatest dressage educator of all time! I highly recommend ALL of her books, videos and her Happy Horse Home Study Course. She breaks down the exercises and explains even the most confusing concepts in ways that everyone can finally understand. Dressage becomes attainable for every horse and every rider. Her training methods, all based on the German classical system, emphasize constant reward, and create a structured, consistent format for your everyday training.
http://www.janesavoie.com/

Yvonne riding Belle, May 2009

Yvonne riding Kendra, May 2009

(November 2009)