Horse education
by using real body language deepest trust and highest mutual respect
According to the classical education scale – rhythm &
suppleness – the goal is a well balanced, relaxed and peaceful horse
that can present its body – even with a rider – in an absolutely free
posture. Horse and rider thereby achieve a level of trust that goes
far beyond the norm.
The emphasis of free training with the horse is on
promoting its physiological well-being. The horse should be brought up
to its movement potential in every aspect. That means bending,
absolutely free posture, balance in anatomically correct movements and
fostering strength and endurance.
We want to make the horses beautiful. It's all about
bringing the horses into their own potential. That, within their
framework, they move anatomically correctly and gracefully. And in our
eyes, a horse moves gracefully when it moves in an absolutely free
posture or self carriage and when it can move in a coordinated way.
What is the
secret of the language of the horse?
Of course, one must have a love of horses and dealing
with one another with respect. But also the ability to articulate
clearly and simply with one’s body.
The horse is a sensitive gregarious animal, which
instinctively flees from danger. It reacts to any slight movement or
change in body posture of its handler. It reacts immediately to the
slightest non-verbal signal – in the herd as well as in the company of
humans.
In order for the horse to understand the human, you
need to move purposefully, that you need to be able to speak real body
language. That means that just only the purely information the horse
really needs must be communicated so clearly and exactly that the
horse does not have to think about it.
Body language is a language indeed. But it is only a
language when more than one life form understands it. We do not teach
horses to do things. We do not condition them. We learn for ourselves
to articulate so simply and clearly that the horses understand what
they should do.
Every horse understands body language. The main problem
is, that merely because I move does not mean that I am speaking body
language. Self awareness and well balanced self carriage while
maintaining absolutely natural posture are prerequisites for fine,
clear non-verbal communication.
The basic principle is the same whether working from
the ground or from the saddle. It has to do with not disturbing the
horse while it is doing what it should do. It has to do with passing
on pure information in its clearest and finest form – non-verbally and
without imposed dominance.
It has to do with articulating so clearly and
understandably using the own body that a horse understands what to do
and how to do it. And thereby we train horses and bring them up to
their potential.
We don't tell the horse what not to do, but what it
should do. It has to do with the dialog, not a monolog.
If I
should start to correct my own mistakes on the horse then the end
of any communication has been reached
It has to do with trust and
respect but mutual It takes two to say "yes" but only one to say
"no"
We want to make
the horses beautiful
That, within their framework,
they move anatomically correctly and gracefully.
That they are powerful and
healthy
During ground exercises with the unfettered horse –
whether it is “Circle Exercises” or “Gymnastisizing Guidance
Exercises” – any variety of movement commands at whatever intensity
desired can be freely combined to achieve a maximal and
physiologically reasonable incentive for the horse to exercise.
Thereby, human and horse achieve a relationship of trust that
goes far beyond the norm. And the horse is challenged both mentally
and physically in equal measure.
The classical
education scale - rhythm and suppleness
HJN-Riding is for the fine art of equitation and the
fine art of riding it is a philosophy, a philosophy of life.
For us, real art of equitation means to tell the horse
– without manipulation and the finest of aids – what it should please
do and how it should do it. It is about not to disrupt the horse while
it is doing what it should. Any aid that is a little too much – and it
takes very little – is already a disturbance. And with every
disturbance, I make it harder for the horse to understand me and to do
what I would like it to do.
To help the horse understanding what it should do so
that, even when being ridden, it carries itself and bends in its
natural free posture, carrying out the lessons beautifully and also
keeps healthy.
The method applies equally to all riding styles.
Regardless of whether riding English, Spanish, Western or any other
style, it is based on communication. Riding is always based on
balance, communication and trust. And based on this it is relatively
easy to specialize in a particular riding style.
HJN-Riding is all about more. It is about trust, but
not trust alone. It is about communication, but not exclusively. It is
about a holistic, harmonious system of physiologically founded horse
education based on communication.
Watch the Video (04:43 min) "Theme:
Riding with a Independent Seat:
"Weight cues - aid or disturbance" The Exercise:
Riding a corner (= actually a quarter of a
volte) in correct stellning and bending without using the inner rein:
Watch the Video (10:00 min) "My
most beautiful moments with my fourlegged friends in the open
countryside, forrest, dessert and prairie..." Riding Without imposed dominance, characterized
by the deepest trust and the highest mutual respect,
training-physiologically substantiated, from loving clearness:
Watch the Trailer (17:50 min) from the
DVD "HJN meets Lipica"
Communication in its purest form -
Experience horse education and body language on the highest level -
communication in its finest form:
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