August, 2007 - part one

AUGUST
FROM THE EDITOR
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Write in about:
‘What is your
favourite
horsemanship tool
and why?’
Send your entry to
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August Competition
embroidery and screen printing. Her
business ‘Naughty Horses’ is advertised
in this issue.
Hi Everyone,
Well I have been making the most of
having some quiet weekends and
enjoying going out for some trail
rides with some friends. It has been
fabulous and there is nothing like
enjoying the great Australian bush to
ease away the tension.
My young horse Spirit has been
unwell and after some blood
tests we discovered that he had
a stomach infection and is also
anaemic. I am happy to report though
that he is improving, thanks to the
wonderful help from Michelle Wein
from Equine Therapy Natural Solutions.
We have a new member on our team,
welcome Anna Lynch. Anna brings
with her an enthusiasm for Natural
Horsemanship and also is very creative,
with many skills including ceramics,
Disclaimer: Articles that appear
in this publication are not necessarily
the opinion of Natural Equipment or its
employees. This publication is subject
to copyright and may not be reproduced
without the written permission of the
publisher. Natural Equipment does not take
responsibility for author inaccuracies.
Anna will be helping out with packing
orders, manufacturing the equipment
and also any other job I can find her to
do…anything so that I can get out and
ride more ☺
Danny and I recently attending the
Hawkesbury Horse Expo, this was put
on by the Kellyville Riding Club and they
did a great job of organising the event.
We combined with the International
Horsemans Institute where Tony Lander
did some demonstrations each day. It
was great to see so many enthusiastic
horse people and to catch up with friends.
We did 2 free basic kit giveaways and
congratulations to Nicole and Alana-Leigh
on winning!
You can read more about the Expo in this
issue. Next month I am attending a heap
of events….I will be away a lot ☺ so I
am looking forward to writing about the
courses I will be attending and also the
events I will be a spectator at.
Keep on having fun with your horses!
Cheers, Lee
Mail Bag...
Hi Lee,
I know you probably get snowed under with book suggestions and reviews but I couldn't
resist telling you about this book. I have been buying horse books a lot in the last 2 yrs
(always looking for truly 'natural' books of course) and many of them have had good points
and have given me food for thought and helpful ideas but this book by Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling appropriately called 'Dancing with Horses' is really beautiful and inspiring. He makes
certain that one understands that it is the journey that is the really important part about whatever goals we set and not the goals. His ways of communicating with and teaching horses are
not always the same as I have been taught but his principals are the same.
All I can say again is that it is a really beautiful book.
Regards, Karen
Editor Note: Thanks Karen, we now have this book available. I too loved this book, plus we also have the
dvd. Klaus is coming out to Australia in December, see last newsletter for more details.
My First Experience of Riding a Horse.
My first real experience of riding a horse was about as close to liberty riding as I have ever come when I think about it. I had wanted a horse for as
long as I could remember so at the age of 9, my parents sent me to a 7 day
camp to learn how to ride a horse. I was paired with a 13.2hh Skewbald
pony whose name was Toby, but they called him Lil’ Nippa, for the obvious
reason. There were around seven other girls at the camp, and we were
shown how to put a saddle and bridle on our ponies, told to get on and all
let loose in a big paddock! The ponies were quite used to this situation and
would all trot around whilst their riders bounced all over the place and after
a while of doing this I asked the camp organiser’s husband how to make
my pony canter. He said to get him into a trot and then kick him and he
would canter.
Fortunately, this method did get the result I was after and although he had
a saddle and bridle on at the time (apparently for the purpose of steering)
the direction in which we went was entirely up to Toby and we cantered
around in a circular shape and back to the fence we had come from. It was
the best feeling I had ever had. Once the camp was over the camp organiser was selling out and my parents brought Toby home for my 10th birthday. I started to learn all about owning and caring for a horse and enjoyed
six years with Toby before he was peacefully put to sleep at the age of 16.
He taught me many many things about horses, but the feeling of that first
canter was still the best, and one I have experienced only a few times
since. At the age of 34 I have seven horses now and spend as much time
with them as possible but I don’t need to canter on them to get that feeling
anymore. A cuddle on a sunny day is all that’s needed .
Natasha Hodgman, Tassie.
“I have organized an
For some time now, I have been asked to do another Introduction into Natural Horsemanship
Introduction clinic on the
and the 7 games course. To help you, I
17th & 18th of September,
have organized an Introduction clinic on the 17th
(a Monday and Tuesday) to be
& 18th of September, (a Monday and Tuesday) to be held at
held at Exeter Farm
Exeter Farm Braidwood. The clinic will run concurrently with
Braidwood”
Owen Gwinn's Cow Camp, so loads of lovely like minded students further along the program will be there to help and inspire you along. They all started where you are starting now.
Although I have had a huge amount of interest for this clinic. I have found it intriguing however,
that only a few people have committed to coming along. I am writing to offer my support in helping those of you who want to come but can't . I am wanting you to be honest with yourselves about
your reasons why, and only you can answer this one. Some of you can genuinely not make it, but
for some of you it may be that you lack confidence of something new. I want to share with you that
this is okay! I too was once someone who had this thought. This thought - I can tell you now, got
me no where very fast, until, I finally swallowed my fear/uncertainty and listened to someone who
had been there before me. By taking the leap I was then finally able to reap the benefits of this program, a program that trains not just the horse but the human as well so that we can learn to handle
our own horses instead of giving them to someone else to handle and train.
This program firstly builds the horse and human's confidence, then is in itself, a
full training program from the beginning until as high as you want to take your
horse and your self in any chosen discipline. And so, turns out to be a darn
sight less expensive than getting the trainer all the time. We become
the professionals !! That's COOL !!!! Its really not hard at all, we just have to
take the plunge and start at the beginning.
So for those of you who can answer honestly if it is in fact fear that is holding you back, then I encourage you to take this small risk to get you and your horse to Exeter Farm Braidwood, where the
both of you will reap big benefits! I am wanting to encourage you as I know what a fantastic time
you can have with your horses, just as I learnt when I took that small (or as you may see as being
BIG at this point in time) step forward. Know that I want to be there to help you in any way possible. So feel free to contact myself for more info or any questions you may have. If in fact, the distance is to great to get to Exeter Farm Braidwood, which is in the southern tablelands, then I really
want to encourage you to reach out to the instructors closest to you !!!
I do so look forward in hearing from you.
Kind Regards
Camilla Davidson
Natural Horsemanship
02 48461002
0429 461 002
[email protected]
Well, I can finely write in and report we had a great Saturday NH
Fun & support day @ Bungendore for the month of August. With
the last few months having to be cancelled due to good rain, we
enjoyed catching up with everyone's news of what they had been
doing over the winter and to enjoy our horses.
We had about 14 students attend. We also welcomed some newcomers. It was great having them come and they were so keen
and eager to learn. We enjoyed showing them what to do and they
were noticeably impressed.
Not so many photos taken as we are always so busy having fun
and riding out with our horses, we managed to shoot a few during
lunch as we didn't have the brilliant photographer Niki Van
Buuren who does such an incredible lovely job with our photos.
The next NH Fun day will be held on the 8th September @ Bungendore show grounds, all very welcome. I always look fwd in
meeting new people with their horses and enjoying the regular
students.
Kind regards,
Camilla
Distributor for
Double Diamond Halters Co.
Check out Double Diamond Halters Co. website, they stock the Buck Brannaman Collection
and many great horseman use these products.
We are now able to offer any of these products.
At present you will need to email or phone an
order in, however we are currently updating
our website so that website ordering will be
available in the future for these products.
www.doublediamondhalters.com
Email: [email protected]
Equine Therapy Natural Solutions Now introducing
Barefoot and Freeform
TREELESS SADDLES,
as seen on
http://www.horse-connection.com.au/index.html
“Horseman’s Experience”
An exciting new 3 day course incorporating a combination
of horsemanship, concepts in cow working and colt starting
demonstrations. A great way to learn new skills, try new
experiences and gain a foundation of knowledge for all
types of horsemanship.
22, 23 & 24 Feb 2008 - Hunter Valley, NSW
Juliette Rodowicz t 02 4998 3358 e [email protected]
22, 23 & 24 March 2008 - North Eastern Victoria
Jayne Glenn t 03 5777 3831 e [email protected]
Good horsemanship is good
horsemanship and should not be
thought of as a fad or a style
David has over 20 years of experience from starting young horses and
dealing with horses with behavioural issues, to teaching people the
foundations of horsemanship. His expertise has been showcased
throughout the world at international shows and events.
His strengths are the beginnings and development of a foundation on
a horse. The better the preparation and foundation the better the
outcome. Laying a foundation for performance is the best preparation
for success for both horse and rider.
Now you have the opportunity to take part in one of his great courses
as he returns to tour Australia & New Zealand in January - April 2008.
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND TOUR - COURSE CALENDAR
date
location
course
enquiries & bookings
26 & 27 Jan
QLD - Dysart
2 Day Advanced
Wendy Davidson
t 07 4958 2729 m 0400 434 811
e [email protected]
9 & 10 Feb
16 & 17 Feb
Tasmania
2 Day Introduction
2 Day Intermediate
Jacqui Smythe
t 03 6248 1795 m 0409 928 393
e [email protected]
22, 23 & 24 Feb
NSW - Hunter Valley
A Horseman’s Experience
Juliette Rodowicz
t 02 4998 3358
e [email protected]
1 & 2 Mar
NZ - North Island
2 Day Intermediate
Jock, Ivana & Lee Roddick
e [email protected]
4 & 5 Mar
NZ - South Island
2 Day Introduction
Sarah Tunnicliff
t 07 8255034 m 0274 221 994
e [email protected]
7 & 8 Mar
9 & 10 Mar
NZ - North Island
2 Day Intermediate
2 Day Advance
Jock, Ivana & Lee Roddick
e [email protected]
14 & 15 Mar
16 Mar
QLD - Bundaberg
2 Day Introduction
1 Day Intermediate
Helena Botros
t 07 4153 4299
e [email protected]
22, 23 & 24 Mar
VIC - North Eastern
A Horseman’s Experience
Jayne Glenn
t 03 5777 3831
e [email protected]
5 & 6 April
7 April
QLD - Mackay
2 Day Introduction
1 Day Intermediate
Kiley Tolsen
e [email protected]
For information on the above courses please contact the names listed or you can contact David by email: [email protected]
Good horsemanship is good
horsemanship and should not be
thought of as a fad or a style
His relaxed manner, comfortable presence and ease in front of an audience has meant that David’s
expertise has been showcased throughout the world at international shows and events, including:
to the Dubai Royal Family, Burghley Horse Trials ( 4 star, premier 3 day international event), Horse of
the Year Show, Your Horse Live, The British Horse Society’s annual spring instructor’s conference and
Equitana Asia Pacific.
This year David has given demonstrations at “Gatcombe”( a 3 day event in the United Kingdom)
and at “Princess Anne’s estate” plus, he will again be appearing at the ”Burghley 3 day event”
and “Your Horse Live in the U.K.”
Over the years, David has had the opportunity to meet and train with some of the best horsemen in
the world, such as Ray Hunt, Mike Bridges, Craig Johnson, Martin Black, Pat Parelli and many others.
Meeting Ray Hunt while attending college was a pivotal point in David having a career with horses,
as was the meeting of Pat Parelli while on an exchange programme to America, riding and training
cutting horses. Riding cutting horses and the starting of young horses was one of the best ways to
gain a lot of experience in a relatively short period of time.
Pat played an enormous role in the development of David’s horsemanship expertise, teaching
methods and presentation abilities. Through an involvement with the Parelli organisation, over
a time frame of 15 years, extensive focus and training was given in the areas of horsemanship,
horse training and the teaching of people.
David’s strengths are the beginnings and the development of a foundation on a horse. A Solid
Foundation is about the preparation and building blocks for the future, it’s about getting a good
start in life to then go on and build a future. With horses it is about getting a horse to where they
are self confident and understanding of the task at hand. Perhaps it is trailer loading or having
their feet trimmed or shod, maybe it’s being saddled and ridden for the first time.
The better the preparation and foundation the better the outcome. Laying a foundation
for performance is the best preparation for success for both horse and rider.
David will be running courses in Australia and New Zealand
January to April 2008 - Details on previous page
David’s new website to be launched soon
In November 2003, David was part of the team invited to The Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace to
demonstrate Natural Horsemanship to Her Majesty the Queen, which would be nerve racking for
most. David impressed all involved with his relaxed manner and aptitude for horsemanship.
www.davidstuart.com.au
David has over 20 years of experience from starting young horses and dealing with horses with
behavioural issues to teaching people the foundations of horsemanship. With a huge amount of
experience working with horses and people all over the world, David has visited the continents
of Australasia, North America, Europe, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. This
has involved helping amateurs, professionals and professional organisations within the equestrian
industry, enabling them to become safer and more competent around horses, giving them a
foundation to build on.
NNHC 2008 CALENDAR
The Nambucca Natural Horsemanship Club Inc, a
local horse group on the mid-north coast of NSW,
has produced a professional 2008 calendar. With
members photos and photography, we are pleased
to offer this great calendar for those wishing to
promote natural horsemanship and capture the
essence of our equine friends.
Book your copies now for Christmas for just
$20.00 + postage.
Contact Cheryl on 02-6569 3244 or
email [email protected]
DO YOU WANT TEMPERAMENT AND VERSATILITY
OMAR MORGANS
Standing: Twinhill Ronaldo imp NZ
This versatile 5 year old
Pure Morgan Galloway
stallion has won or been
placed in several Led,
Ridden and Harness
events.
At the recent Australian
National Morgan Show
he won Reserve Pure
Morgan Entire in Hand
Exhibit, Reserve Ridden Pure Morgan, Dressage EFA
Preliminary 1.4 71.2%, Preliminary Dressage EFA test
1.3 70.8%, Working Hunter Mount Open, Western
Pleasure Mount Open, Western Reining Open and
Horse in Harness.
He also won the very converted Mary Woolverton
Silver Buckle Versatility Challenge
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Contact: Deborah Gorman
Telephone: (02) 4848 0068
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.gormanhorse.com.au
N S W.
BITLESS BRIDLES – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
Until a few years ago there used to be very few choices if you
wanted to ride without a bit in your horse’s mouth. There was the
western style bosal, the mechanical hackamore or the rope halter,
mostly used by western riders, showjumpers and endurance riders
in that order.
But now, with our awareness that horses don’t need a bit to be
controlled, we are faced with a huge choice of bridles that use
various means of action to put pressure on the horse.
This article will look at the more readily available options and why
they would be used or what purpose they are better suited to.
Lets start with the plain rope halter. These usually have two knots
either side of the nose, a larger knot (the Fiador) below the chin and
2 loops to connect a lead rope or reins to. The rope they are made
of can be either thick (10mm) or much thinner (as fine as 6mm) and
their severity increases with the smaller diameter sizes.
The rope halter works well in the hands of a skilled horseman provided it fits well. The fit can vary
according to the maker, as just about anyone can construct these if they have a pattern. Quality fit is
seen in the Parelli, Natural Equipment, Nungar Knots and Lodge Ropes halters (from my own
experience).
This is where the issues begin, as badly fitted rope halters can be quite ineffective, mostly due to the
noseband being too large. This allows the loops below the fiador knot to contact with the neck when
the reins are pulled tight, so then the reins are putting pressure on the neck rather than the nose - (see
photo below).
Other issues which relate to the comfort of the horse are; heavy clips that are attached to a lead rope
that has been tied into reins will swing about when the reins are loose, causing friction on the horse’s
nose; the left-over rope from tying the headpiece is so long it swings back and forth at faster paces,
flicking the horse in the eye area. It’s quite easy to tie or twist the loose end around the throat section
to keep it from doing this.
Also, tying the halter knot above the loop rather than around it can cause the knot to loosen, or be
difficult to undo if pulled very tight.
A common mistake made when fitting a rope halter for riding
is positioning the noseband too high. This allows the knots to
rest on the facial nerves, causing not only irritation but pain,
that in turn causes the horse to ignore pressure. The noseband
of the halter should sit at least 5cm (2”) or approximately three
finger widths below the cheek bones to be effective. If your
horse has learned to ignore the pressure from the noseband,
then dropping it a little lower until it rests just above where the
hard bone begins over the nostrils, will give you more effective
leverage.
Photo: Noseband too high and noseband too large, making
both halters ineffective with two reins.
The downsides to riding in a rope halter apart from those issues just discussed, are that they can
cause a lot of pain in rough hands, and can wear hair and skin off in this situation. They don’t allow
much room for error in fitting them.
Next is the natural hackamore or rope hackamore, which
is virtually the same as the rope halter in construction,
except for a larger noseband to accommodate a mecate rein
knot, for the natural hackamore has a looped rein and a
lead rope all in one.
They can be very useful for trail riders and farm workers,
as you always have your lead rope ready to use. They are
better for riding than a rope halter and clipped lead rope, as
the knot doesn’t tend to swing around so much under the
horse’s chin.
Photo: A well fitted natural hackamore with the lead rope
tied safely in a quick release knot to a string on the saddle;
so it will break free if accidentally hooked on something.
However the downsides are that the weight of all that rope can cause discomfort for the horse even to
where a ridge will appear on the nose from constant pressure over a long period of wearing it.
Also, badly fitted natural hackamores have the same issues as rope halters. Another major problem is
the reins can easily cause a wreck if the horse steps through them while grazing or drinking, as they
are generally tied shorter than lead rope reins. It is essential to always double loop the reins around
the horse’s upper neck, or take the reins over the head when you are dismounted to avoid this
problem.
Following in the rope line is the rope side pull bitless bridle
which is essentially the same as a rope halter except there is a
ring incorporated in each noseband knot .
This allows reins to be clipped on which is slightly better than
a rope halter in that they generally don’t get caught up against
the neck as they do with a lead rope.
However, using one rein can cause the noseband to twist
around, reducing its effectiveness. (see photo).
Again, this bitless bridle can cause some of the problems seen
with a rope halter if it is not fitted correctly.
Another trap is that sometimes a rider is tempted to clip the
reins onto the loops below the fiador knot and this results in
turning that knot inside out, causing a real mess if you don’t
know how to re-tie a fiador knot.
There are leather versions of a side pull – these would be a
preferable option to a rope version in my opinion, as the
noseband is generally fitted closely and therefore much more
effective.
A side pull bitless bridle is denoted by the ability to just affect the nose - there is no pressure on other
parts of the horse’s head.
Before we leave rope products, the latest type of Bitless Bridle to become available is the Light
Rider Bitless Bridle which has been invented by the author in her quest to find a simple, light
weight, kind and effective piece of head gear to ride in.
It is an adapted side pull but differs in that it has a sliding chinstrap that releases to a loose strap
when the rein is released.
This allows the horse softness and freedom to move its jaw
(for drinking and eating if needed) so is very suited to
endurance and trail riders, or pleasure riders who like to allow
grazing in between training tasks.
The action of the chinstrap when pressure is applied causes
the horse to seek relief by yielding to the pressure, giving very
good control with one rein or two.
Other features that ensure comfort for the horse are a covered
noseband and soft chinstrap. The most useful feature is that
the bridle quickly converts to a halter and lead rope, making it
handy for endurance where a rider might want to run beside
their horse and for ease of vetting, and for a trail rider who
might need to negotiate an obstacle on foot or train their horse
over a new obstacle.
A combination of rope and leather is found in the Jeffrey’s Bitless Bridle. With a double rope
noseband and rope that goes up to the poll for the reins to clip onto, this bridle puts pressure on the
poll and the nose if used in the way intended. Some riders prefer to remove the rope pulley system
and just use this bridle as a side pull, as such, seems to work equally effectively.
The most replicated type of bitless bridle would be the crossover style, originally developed by Dr
Robert Cook. This bridle has a more traditional look and is often made in leather and synthetics that
look like leather.
The bridle works on the principle of a ‘whole head hug’ action where pressure travels through the
reins, along the cheek straps and over the poll. The reasoning behind this design is that just as a horse
is sensitive enough to feel a fly landing, it can and will respond better to a bridle that applies minimal
force. Because the pressure is dissipated over the whole head, rather than concentrated in any one
area such as the bridge of the nose or the poll, it is, according to Dr Cook’s research, virtually
impossible to cause pain with a correctly designed and properly fitted crossover bitless bridle.
The noseband of this bridle must be positioned reasonably
low and firm to be effective.
The pressure releases when the reins are relaxed although
the noseband stays the same.
No-Bit Bridles and Nurtural bridles are both slightly
modified copies of Dr Cook’s original. They differ in
materials and design. The Nurtural has a round keeper
under the jaw that the crossover straps go through, and a
stiffened, rubber-gripped noseband. According to Dr
Cook, these additions may reduce the design’s ability to
act as a gentle whole head hug.
The crossover bitless bridles are more readily accepted in
performance events (except dressage, where only bitted bridles are ‘legal’). They look more like a
traditional bridle and seem to be readily accepted without any specialised training by most horses
used to wearing a bit. From personal experience, I found some horses may need time to adjust to the
feel of the ‘whole head hug’ and to understand direction, particularly young horses.
However, many horses used to ‘giving’ to a feel will be very responsive to the pressure of this bridle
because it allows for very clear communication without pain. Whilst over-flexion can occur when
such a horse is ridden with a heavy hand, it also means that horses that may have leaned or ‘sucked
back’ from a bit to avoid pain can be re-schooled to accept very light aids without the need for a bit.
There are many more styles and types of bitless bridle available internationally – you only have to do
an internet search to see the vast array. Most work on the principle of reins attaching somewhere
close to where a bit would, which is the main difference from the rope, mechanical and bosal halter
or hackamore.
Prices vary enormously from $50 to over $200 depending on the materials used and the style so it
pays to shop around and look for the product that is going to suit your needs best.
Light Rider Bitless Bridle
It’s a halter & lead
•
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•
•
•
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•
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Now it’s a bridle
Get a soft response from your horse with rein/chinstrap release.
Very light weight so it feels good for the horse when worn for long periods.
Converts to a rope halter & lead in seconds, ideal for endurance or groundwork.
Allows eating and drinking – nothing to undo.
Easy on and off – very adjustable.
Covered noseband for comfort. (Brow band also available for good looks).
Comes with 2.6m or 3m black reins in – small (pony u. 12hh), medium (large
pony to arab), large (cob to th’bred) sizes or extra large (warmblood/draught).
Colours: black, blue, red, green or purple halter and black or matching reins.
Only $99 incl. postage within Australia.
Order by email: [email protected] or post the form below to:
Natural Horse World, 46 Wattle Lea Lane, Golden Valley. 7304. Tasmania.
OR pay by credit card at my online store – www.naturalhorseworld.com/shop.htm
Pay to Natural Horse World by cheque, money order or direct deposit.