Unique Opportunity…deadline July 29th 2012

Long time no see.  Sorry for my long absence….I’m getting divorced and it’s consumed my life for the past few months.  But I will be back in the saddle in a couple of weeks.  As many of you know, I write reviews of educational horse dvd’s on my blog (also on hiatus) and I am a grand horse film enthusiast.  Recently the opportunity was presented to me, to review a horse movie prior to final editing and offer my input.  I was contacted by a young girl in college who is making an indie horse film about a troubled teen who loses her horse, the boy she must trust to help her in the search, and ……ha ha ha…..can’t share the rest of the movie with you….it’s a secret. But the name of the movie is “The last Wild”

Anyways, she is in a pickle and doing fund raising for the final editing so she can finish the movie.  She is in the editing phase working on color correction, sound mixing, and music.  I agreed to share the link to the fund raising campaign with my followers and friends.  She only has 9 days left to raise the funds for film completion.  She is a master of fine arts candidate at UCLA in Film production and Directing.

Now the cool part is…..contributors of any size get a special mention on the films face book page with a blurb, bio, pic, link ….anything you feel represents YOU…..and Larger donations will get actual film credit for you/your company….there are all kinds of perks for donations of all sizes, including a special invitation to the premier screening and reception in Los Angeles.

She also would like to become partnered with Equine Therapy groups and Wild Mustang  activist groups, so if you are connected to any of these great organizations, please get in touch with her.

Everything you need to know is at her site including a small snippit from the film
Click here

I will be writing a "pre" review of the movie as soon as I am done watching it, and another when the movie is completed.

Savvy On
Michelle

DVD Review: * Syliva Burrage ~ Piaffe etc.

Piaffe, Passage, Musical Reinless Riding

I got this dvd, because after my thorough enjoyment of the “Piaffe Revealed” dvd set, since Riz credits this trainer as one of his mentors, I thought I would check it out. What a disappointment. Man I hate this. I honestly do. But as a parelli student, I can guarantee you, you will NOT like this dvd…..and honestly I would hope most anyone else would not as well. I give her props for what she can do, but not in the manner in which she does it. Let me say, she never beat her horse or anything else like that…..but if this were the only way to learn piaffe….I would have to just pass and never learn it. While she stated one of the horses was quite hot and wild prior to commencing learning piaffe, and that learning it has calmed her down…..it sure did NOT appear that she was ready mentally for a grueling lengthy session. When the ‘gentle’ demand to perform exceeds the horses ability…..you get the same results as if you had ‘forced’ him to do it with less 'gentle' methods. And, while she was getting a lofty piaffe in hand, she was not getting the same results in the saddle. Now I don’t have an issue with that per’se……UNLESS…..in the beginning you degrade others for the exact same thing…..and ‘sell’ yourself as the answer/solutiong to the problem…..and…..THEN…..exhibit the same sort comings you say your program circumvents. I also just flat did not agree with her method of teaching passage. Though I have never done it before, so quite obviously am not an expert……like I said before….IF…..’that’ is the way to do it……NO THANKS…..I’ll pass. I went straight to my friend and said if I ever look like that, you better slap me off my horse immediately. With all that said, I did learn one teeny thing in the length of a 1 min span….and that was a stick technique to teach the ‘hop’ phase. It was a good ‘visual’ for me, so I totally ‘get’ that part now, though I may end up doing it differently.


Considering I have seen other ways to teach Piaffe, ways that suit MY style and what I am sure my parelli friends style would be, as well as most likely classical dressage buffs style…..I would like not to give it any stars at all, I have to give it one star….because it is a good example of how I ‘do NOT’ want to look…..but you might glean an idea or two like I did. Again, I have reviewed well over 100 dvd’s in the last year, few have been such a disappointment. Again I just want to remind everyone, this is MY opinion, of the dvd alone, and I recommend if you feel I am not worthy to judge anything…..please review the dvd for yourself and make up your own mind……cuz trust me…..I hate being disappointed like this….I would have much rathered been fascinated and inspired and writen a great review…And truth be told, I have seen parelli students do it WAY better.

Click here get more Info about Sylvia Burrage.

Savvy On

Michelle

DVD Review: *** Riz Ilyas ~ Piaffe Revealed

My most in-depth review!  Wow.....WOW.....I have been chomping at the bit to get my hands on this dvd set.  Normally I will write a seperate review on each volume of a set as I recieve/view them...but since this has been 'unavailable' for rental since the nano second they got it in stock.....I didn't want to share my enthusiasm after getting Vol 1....until I got my own grubby mits on Vol 2.....basically being selfish and stingy, not wanting to alert ANYone else to beat me to it.  A while back I was involved in several online discussions regarding not only the appropriateness of teaching ANY horse of ANY level the Piaffe, but also, the reality of whether or not ANY one could actually do it...even a novice....as the author claims.....then add to that.....IF his style of Piaffe was even 'correct' be it classical or modern, or if it is just a trick for backyard horse enthusiasts.  I can assure you, there is quite a debate over these dvd's.....in every subject known to horsemanship.  You name it...someone is talking about it.  Anyways, when the attacks started.....I defended him....not because I know him or had seen the dvd's (at the time) for my self....but because no  one HAD seen them, nor were any of the discussion participants educated enough to judge a 'correct' piaffe....much less had they themselves ever ridden dressage....bascially.....my stand point was this.....do your research before you judge something.  If you havn't seen the dvd....how on earth can you judge if is good bad or indifferent?  So....I opened my big mouth....and said I would get the dvd's, review them as I do all my dvd reviews.....BUT.......ALSO.....obligated myself to test it out on my own horses  (something I wanted to do anyways) and share my progress as I go along.....and if possible.....get a real novice to join me in my experiment.  For all intents and purposes....as far as dressage goes....I would consider myself a novice.  Others may not....but I do.  Why?  Because:

 #1~Theory~In all my study, in the years gone by, as a scholar, I fall quite short to many many people who have had the resources to study far more intensivly than have.  Though my desire and passion is there, my book worming is just a drop in the bucket compared to the serious intellectual Classical Dressage student.

#2~Expert Mentorship~In all my years, basically I did it alone.  I had few, if any, live mentors to study under.  Most that I found in my area were either not classical or too expensive for my puny budget.  But I did have one that was a bit 'out there' as a human being....but he taught me alot in the few lessons I could afford w him.  Luckily he boarded his horses where I did...and I was able to watch many lessons w other students and watch him ride his own horses and he was gracious enough to answer my MANY questions I grilled him with.  Which had led me to the discovery that many of the great riders are actually quite obscure, and NEVER recieved nor attempted to recieve a gold medal or a blue ribbon of any kind.

#3~Glass Ceiling: I only made it into L3 before my mare foudnered and was retired.  Though I do pride myself on the fact that as a backyard Classical dressage enthusiast, with minimal funds and a $500 TB mare....I made it that far....CORRECTLY...on my own.  Pat Pat Toot Toot......(that's me patting my back and tooting my horn)

#4~Reality Check:  I am now a middle aged woman, ouit of shape and over weight who has not ridden but a handful of times in the last 4 years due to injuries from a car accident....and my horse is a 14yo green rescue TB mare with the equivelent training of 30 "traditional" days under saddle and a "tying up" issue (medical condition...google it).....AND....I don't have an arena....My reality SUCKS....go figure! 

Based on these three things alone, I don't think I could ever consider myself anything other than a novice....in dressage land...though I am hardly a novice horseman....far from it in-fact.  I decided to create a new blog, for the sole purpose of tracking my progress in the experiment to see if the claims could be true.....that anyone could teach any horse to do piaffe.

Click here to follow the experiment.

So anyways, On to the long awaited reviews

Piaffe Revealed ****

Disk 1 ~ Classroom Session ~ Theory and Equiptment
Riz is a great speaker, charismatic and down to earth.  He is humble, not flamboyant and REAL.  He is a real student of the horse, and yet he is not arrogant about his knowlege.  Watching the dvd was like talking to a good friend.  He used common sense language and was never boring.  He went over the body points and how a horse USUALLY reacts when touched there.  He went over useful equiptment, and this was quite extensive in the 'whip/guider' department..  He of course covered the principles, uses and mis-uses of training the Piaffe..  He points out that the Piaffe is NOT the 'end' of the means, rather the 'means' to the end.  And he is not alone in this practice. 

It is a philosphy that I have seen from several French Classical trainers, and have seen them use the Piaffe for many good reasons, quite early on in a horses career.  It is a falacy that only special people and special horses get to do the Piaffe when they are good enough to think about going to the olympics.  IF we remember that Dressage = Training.....and ALL the school movements are excersizes to produce a well rounded and trained horse.....and that the goal....the "END" if you will, is a horse that is light, relaxed, responsive, balanced and obedient......NOT.....Piaffe.....then we will better be able to see the Piaffe in the same light as a 20 meter circle and a 'working trot'......nothing more than an excersize.....Piaffe is the 'MEANS' to the 'END'.....rather than being the 'END' itself.

Unfortunately there was a few areas of the dvd with sound quality issues.  The rest was spot on.  However I discovered the sound issues are not present when the dvd is played on my computer, only when played on my tv with my dvd player.  (but I have never had sound issues w other dvds) Remember that vol 1 is not the 'how to'...it is the pre-requisite understanding needed before the "how to".  I just wish I didn't have to wait now for vol 2.  So for now...this is where I will go to draft mode....


Disk 2 ~ The Arena Session ~ principle into practice

This dvd is the 'how to' and it is quite thorough.  He has deconstructed all the step to train the piaffe and made each step very clear.  It covers 2 pre-requisite exercises that must be in place before you begin the actual steps to start training the piaffe. Those perquisites should be a no-brainer for parelli students because they are similar to tasks in L2 online, friendly and stick to me, though it needs to be done this very specific way so it translates later on when you get to the part where you put it all together. The next two exercises, the leg lifts and goat stance should also be relatively easy for a parelli student due to ones understanding of the porcupine and driving games, though it might require L3+ savvy.  Then you get to the part where you begin to put it all together, and this is where you will truly discover if a 'novice' has what it takes to teach piaffe.  I believe that parelli students will fare better than the average novice, even though he does explain everything from how to apply the pressure, how to release and how to reward.  Feel and timing are needed and those are two things that cannot be bought.  Only father time and mother experience can help you in that department.  He then moves on to doing the piaffe in long lines once piaffe is relatively understood and if you have made it to this point, it is yet another cross road to separate the savvy from the un-savvy.  Parelli Level 4 students have yet another leg up as the driving game from zone 5 is already being established.  I will say, long lining is a bit of an art all to it self, and as he states, it needs to be confirmed prior to doing it with piaffe....for obvious reasons. He then goes into the pillars, though he advises extreme caution here and reminds every one that the pillars are NOT mandatory, but he does go over how to do it safely and sanely should it be something you want to do.  After that, he begins the piaffe under saddle, once piaffe is well established in hand and in long lines.

Now that I have described what he covers in the dvd, let me talk a teeny bit about the quality of his work.  I don't think that any 'natural' person will have any contradictions to what he does or how he does it.  He is a good horseman, kind and talented, and it is all done quite naturally.  Again he is a good speaker, down to earth, no and I sincerely mean NO ego in this man what so ever, it is easy to listen to him talk without my mind drifting or being annoyed. The quality of the organization of the material covered is very good....some minor sound quality issues, though as I stated before, playing it on my computer solved that.  The whole thing is simple in design and concept, yet just because something is simple, doesn't mean it is easy.  When it comes to the 'quality' of piaffe produced, I would have to say it is closer to classical principle than many if not most modern competitive piaffe's.  So for all those dressage queens out there, as a philosophical argument here, I have to say, if you are going to do something 'wrong' anyways (what you will do if you follow many modern riders) why not check this dvd out?  He holds classical principles to a higher and more correct standard, and for the cost of just one lesson with gold medalist, you can get the dvd, and in the end maybe learn more about it than you could in a lifetime of lessons.  Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying lessons are useless, cuz I'm not.  Just saying, I don't think the subject of piaffe as a whole, has been covered before like this.  So if you want to know more about it, this is probably as close to a one stop shop as you are ever gonna get.  The poll is high, nose in-front of the vertical, and the horses are using  their hind ends....that is more than many GP riders can do....even though they SAY they are doing it, they are not.

When it comes to applying very correct classical principles, if you know 'what' they are.....and feel they may be lacking or a bit substandard in this dvd, let me say that as long as you know what they are, you should have no problem adhering to them with this method.....regardless if your classical back ground is in French or German.  I did notice with one horse he could have lifted a bit better from the base of his neck over his topline, but I think it had a tad bit to do with his conformation.  Again, there is NO reason, if you know the classical principles, that you can't tailor this system to your desires.  It is a great road map and skeleton.

Now for the whole 'even a novice can do this'....I kinda went over this a bit, but want to delve just a hair deeper on this.  I "REALLY" think this is going to be based on ones definition of 'novice'....which just may be a highly subjective term.  I stated why I would consider MYself a novice, and to ME it is not the same as a begginer, rather a step above it.  Though websters dictionary, and most people first thought, IS infact....."beginner".  So the more I thought about this, I asked my self....what are the stages of horsemanship?....and where do "I" fall on the scale? So for arguments sake here....lets go with this scale for a better understanding of what I think you might need to be in order to actually do this.

Beginner:  I just got here, where do I start
Novice:  Survived the beginning and ready to be serious
Intermediate:  I know my way around pretty good with little help
Experienced:  I can take care of me and mine without putting much thought into it, it's a habit
Apprentice:  Pretty good now, and learning from a master to teach beginners
Journeyman:  I'm really good now and can teach even the experienced
Master:  An artist

So based on this scale, I am not a novice, somewhere between Apprentice and Journeyman category, but not in the dressage department.  So, do I think a 'novice' could do it?....anything is possible....though I would have to see it for myself to believe it.  I don't know his definition, but the dvd is laid out in simple steps, and is simple enough in theory that anyone can understand it......execution of it is a whole 'nuther story though....isn't it?

I would have liked to see a trouble shooting section with maybe a horse that had not already been taught ANY thing about any of the piaffe exercises.  Though each of the horses he did use, did not do things perfectly, so there were plenty of times he was able to show things that might go wrong and how to correct it, I would have loved to see what the process of day 1 leg lifts looked like.  He did talk about safety ALOT so that is good.

So why only 3 stars?  Well, simply because this is a very specialized dvd, if you have no desire to do piaffe, well then it's not a must see.  But if you DO want to do piaffe....I give it 5 stars because you just aren't gonna find a dvd like this anywhere else.....at least I havn't seen it yet....but I am still looking!

Click here for more info about Riz Ilyas

Click Here to Follow my Piaffe Journey
Savvy On
Michelle

DVD Review: * J.P. Giacomini ~ Endotapping: Basics under saddle disk 2

Endotapping: Basics under saddle disk 2
Well I was not as impressed with disk 2, as I was with disk 1. Not that I was drop dead impressed with the first one. I didn’t feel it shed any more light to the subject and it actually caused me to feel confused and lose some respect too. I was intrigued after the first disk, with the implications of the Endo-Tap being a bio-mechanical mechanism to facilitate a conditioned response to ‘calm down’, and assumed I would see similar results under saddle. However it seemed to me that the technique was varied quickly, and the horse in the second dvd while improved on the ground, she appeared to become more upset and nearly out of control while ridden….though it is my speculation that it was not directly due to the ‘endo-tap’ rather a lack of it or the variation they applied or other things done or not being done. What I don’t understand here, is if someone were to say to me this was one example and not a good one at that and not to judge the whole method based on THIS disk….well….honestly, who’s fault is that? I know I would not want to present something as MY educational material, if it was not a good representation of what I do and am just left dumb founded as to why anyone would show this horse, THIS session as an example of how to do this method. For that reason, I am only giving this disk 1 star, and not even sure it is worth that. Surprising since I felt the first disk had useful ideas, though I felt as I watched it, that if I tried it, I would modify it a little bit…..mainly by releasing sooner when the horse is on the right track….and I am going to see if the method helps with my mustang who has some trailering issues….But I whole heartedly know I would never emulate what I saw on disk 2. Just my honest opinion, and as always when I don’t have a good review….I refer to the author of the dvd to get clarification/explanation. Please also read my review of disk 1 which is far more favorable.


Savvy On

Michelle

DVD Review: **** J.P. Giacomini ~ Endotapping: Basics under saddle disk 1

**** ~ Endotapping: Basics under saddle #1


I have to say I was intrigued by this dvd. I am giving it 4 stars because it is very interesting stuff. Not that I can whole heartedly say I agree with it 100%, but mainly because when you come across something different and not all that contradictory to what you already know….it is useful to see new things and decide for yourself if it is a technique that you can incorporate into your repertoire. I saw him at a horse expo, gosh like 15ys ago, and I don’t remember my impression of him at the time.

One thing that I thought was cool about having studied Parelli as extensively as I have, is that I could really de-code what he was doing….as in…..friendly, porcupine, and driving. He uses a stick with a little rubber ball on the end and taps a horse with it in a rhythmic fashion. Of course that is nothing new to a parelli student….BUT…..what was new and interesting was the timing of the aids and the resulting action of the horse when timed right. As a student who has spent time trying to perfect my timing, I can see ways where I would modify his technique a bit and give a release more often to let the horse know he is on the right track. Now he claims that the technique he uses is a calming one…and it becomes a ‘calm down’ cue that can be used in any situation, both on the ground and in the saddle. The demo horse of course calmed down and quickly learned the aids and was even doing a few beginning steps of piaffe at the end of the session, but he did not take the horse into a new situation to show whether or not it works in a new venue…..but…since it was only one lesson, I would say it is not and ingrained pattern any ways so, really I guess there is no use in trying it. Who know what might be on the next dvd. Because of his understanding of the timing of the aids, when and where to tap the horse….this was a very logical progression to the Piaffe steps and also the Jambet, which will easily become the spanish walk. I also liked his stick because I can see how it would be less offensive to the horse while working on porcupine game. I have seen the Jambet taught by a few other trainers and I was not in love with their more aggressive style, so this was much more to my liking.

He is also clearly a French Classical Dressage Student, not a German one and he makes that very clear, but not in a rude or condescending way. I found that very refreshing. All in all I liked it, even though I am not sure I agree with the calm down cue thing, I definitely like the other applications of his technique. The lesson is with one horse new to Endo-tapping and it appears to be private with the owner in the back ground asking questions and him explaining things to one student.

I will definitely be getting the second dvd to see more, and possibly getting the Endo-stick too.

Click here for more info about , he apparently has loads of stuff to view if you join his club, but his dvd is reasonably priced at $35 and $45 for the stick. But I can’t tell if the the dvd he has for sale is this dvd that I watched because it has a different picture and title, so I think the one I watched is an older one.
The club price is $25 per month, and there appears to be quite a good number of videos to watch on his website if you are a member.  Lot's of video's in the 'undersaddle' section, including lateral work. 

Click here to read an article by  Dr Cindy Reynolds Ph.D regarding a scientific review of the Endotapping method


Savvy On
Michelle

DVD Review: *** Cavalia

*** Cavalia ***

While it was a 5 star perfomance.....you won'd die without seeing it. so it only gets 3 stars.

I was a little disapointed with this dvd, mainly because it just made me want to see it in person, so I could see the whole thing rather than just what the camera was pointed.  It appears to be quite a show, moving and awe inspiring.  Lots of drama, flair and style.  Beautiful horses, beautiful people.....Beautiful imagery and horsemanship combined with death defying acts of acrobatics.  I would be rich if I had a dollar for every time my husband heard me say...WOW!  There were a few behind the scenes...scenes, but not a a whole lot.  Anyways, you won't be disapointed watching it...that's for sure....unless like me....it just makes you want MORE!

If you have no way of going to a tour stop.....this is the next best thing!

Click here for more info on Cavalia...such as tour stops to see it LIVE

Savvy On
Michelle

DVD Review: *** Michelle Dennis ~ Firehorse Inspirations

*** Firehorse Inspirations


Well the title says it all. This is not an educational dvd, but it most definitely is inspirational. Kinda like being at Parelli tour stop. Basically she created it so that people could see what is possible with horses and to inspire you to do more, and the dvd sales help to support the rescue horses in her care. It took her years of filming to gather all the stuff in her dvd and she works with horses mostly at liberty in a wide open field or she rides them bridles or with a home made bridle. She works with up to 7 horses at liberty in this wide open space and I have to say I am quite impressed with her skills. It is well worth the watch that is for sure, especially if you need some inspiration to know…..the sky is not the limit…only your imagination is. It is a joy to see her horses work together as a team and as a herd. You will not be disappointed if that is the kind of thing you are looking for.

Click here for more info about Michelle Dennis

Savvy On
Michelle

DVD Review: 0 stars ~ Michael Bevilacqua ~ Unlocking Learning....

Unlocking Learning and Creating the Relationship
 ~ by Michael Bevilacqua

0 Stars.....SKIP IT !!!

He lost me at "Hello"

I hate having to give bad reviews, but this could quite possibly be the worst horse educational dvd since the inception of the vcr.  So as always, I remind you....This is MY opinion ONLY and by all means, please review it yourself...but when you get done with.....don't come crying to me, because All I will say is “I told you so”.

I am sitting here trying to remember what not only made me want to rent this dvd, but also why I placed it so quickly to the top of my rental que, because I can’t recall ever having heard of this guy before. So, I did a google search. And it quickly became apparent why. He is supposedly one of Alexander Nevzorov’s top students, if not THE top student. So I guess I figured there would be lots of insight into the NHE School (Nevzorov Haute Ecole). While he seems to have some good thoughts on this dvd….those I could stand to listen to and not fast forward thru…..let me just say…..this is a home made dvd with the lowest production quality I have ever seen, and despite how intelligently some people may be able to write, this does NOT necessarily translate into speaking skills. It was torturous to watch, mainly because I felt for the guy, as I am not a very good public speaker myself….though I’d like to think I am better than that. He was constantly just stopping and staring………. looking for his next thought.

Mostly he talked about getting in touch with nature etc…..so when I couldn’t take any more, I thought I would just fast forward to some horsemanship and see what this guy could do with horses…..there was only one or two VERY short video clips. The rest was just snapshots. Now mind you, I have seen all of Alexander’s dvd’s, and while I think he is a bit out there and extremist (so much so that now he no longer advocates riding horses at ALL)….his dvd’s were top quality and his work with horses speaks for itself. He absolutely does do the Haute Ecole at liberty and ridden and does it beautifully so. He may be a pompous ass, arrogant and rude….but he is a horse master and produces a beautiful relationship that cannot be denied. I have also read and studied his website, so I am familiar with his views on horsemanship as a whole…….so…..I would think that his TOP student would be recognizable as that…..not once while watching Michael’s dvd, did I think he was more than just some dude, who decided one day, he would make a dvd about his ‘thoughts’ on horses. I don’t recall him stating he was affiliated with NHE….but then again….I fast forwarded thru quite a bit. I do not know if he is still affiliated with them or not.

So anyways, nearest I can tell, based on what HE chose to ‘showcase’ on his dvd….the only thing he repeatedly showed was a horse doing the Jambet and a few steps of Spanish walk. Other than that, the video clips just showed him ‘attempting’ to do something…such as LEAD a horse at liberty with a Cordeo, and his horse NOT wanting to do it, and him letting the horse just walk away when he wanted. Apparently the horses don’t HAVE to do ANYthing. And I am OK with that philosophy….but when you are attempting to glean MONEY for an EDUCATIONAL dvd……showing next to nothing….????

To what reasons do you give ME….that I should give YOU…..MY………..MONEY???? I would expect to see some thing you can do. At some point, you have to be able to catch it on camera….if not….don’t make a dvd…..stick to books and articles. The whole point of dvd’s are to WATCH something….

To start off, I was feeling really bad that I was needing to write a negative review, but, before I started I did the google seach and when I learned that NHE has quite a niche following….and they are dedicated to the principles so much so, that MY piddly little review is not going to cause a ripple in the pond….so I just want to say….by all means….please see for your self….don’t let MY opnion sway you in the slightest…..just don’t come cryin to me when your done.  And don't expect me to watch volume 2 either....I have NO interest what so ever to slow down and rubber neck to get a better look at the accident.  I have seen what I need to see.

I guess I should feel bad....but seriously.....just like you should have someone 'proof read' you should have someone 'proof view'....and if some one DID do that.....shame on them for not saying something!


Click here for more info on Michael Bevilacqua

Savvy On
Michelle

DVD Review: * Kalman de Jurenak ~ Classical Schooling part 1&2

Hmmm...I could take or leave this dvd.  it has a few good parts and some bad parts.  First, this is regarding German Classical Schooling.  Part 2 had a lovely PSG horse at the very end that was moving like an angel, but....I was not a fan of the rest of it.   Granted part 1 hass a VERY green horse, I feel it can be misleading for the lower end of the dressage population, as the horse is over bent and behind the vertical nearly the entire time. This is, in my book, taboo and needs to be avoided at all cost.  Why?  because of the grotesque deviations from classical schooling in the last 15ys.  You rarely find someone schooling the horse properly with the poll high in front of the vertical.  You either have examples such as this OR a horse crammed back, poll high, nose in front of the vertical, but the underside of his neck is bulging and his back is hollow.  There IS a correct middle ground and it is totally and completely misunderstood.  Demonstrations such as this will give the wrong impression. So, I say steer clear unless you already have the basics well and good under your belt.  In this dvd, the "poll high"  seems to be a far off notion to be achieved toward the end of years of schooling, it is a far off goal, not a principle of the training system.  For this reason, I noticed in the upper level horses, it seemed like they were repeatedly trying to achieve this 'poll high' position only to have the horse fall back to what it has known it's whole riding career.....over bent.  For this reason, I only gave this dvd 1 star, because for me....either poll high IS a principle or it is NOT.  If not....I move on to find someone who does hold it as a the sacred principle it has always been and should always be.  For ME....It is hard enough being at the bottom, failing miserably trying to emulate what is right, I don't need to add emulating doing it wrong into the mix. That's for sure.  For that reason I will not be renting the rest of the series as I have about 200 dvd's in my que right now that I would rather watch.

For more info about Kalman de Jurenak you will need to do a google search yourself, because I could not find a website for him.

Savvy On
Michelle

DVD Review: **** Kathy Morelli ~ Understanding the Neck 1

The System ~ Vol 1

I liked this dvd for several reasons, although I have a 'caveat' at the end.  First it is a good quality media production, it is organized well and has wonderful imagery and excellent video's showing what she is describing. She has a great little hand held wire 'demo' horse where she explains how the dorsal ligament works and why being over bent ( behind the vertical, deep, round, hyper-flexed, rol-kur etc ) not only makes it impossible for the horse to engage properly and keep a pure rhythm, but how all that in turn upsets the horse. 

I think anyone playing with 'the game of contact' (GOC) should watch this because this is along the lines of the German Classical schooling, as well as Linda's style of riding.  But I am noticing that the poll is often NOT the highest point most of the time, with people using the 'GOC'.  IMHO, simply because far too many people just truly can't recognize when the poll is not the highest point.  (don't worry, i am working on a page devoted strictly to being able to recognize this)  And I don't think (but wont know till i watch the game of contact dvd's) it is of primary focus in this method.  So this dvd will give you  the examples and reasons why it SHOULD be a primary focus.

Where the dvd falls short for me, is that she is not particularly descriptive in the 'how'.  She definitely gives you the 'what' you should be doing......but doesn't give the nitty gritty details of the 'how'.  at least not on this volume but possibly on the second volume.  She has what she calls 'the system'...ie: the 'what'.....aka: the TASK which is to 

1. lift the head and neck UP via the reins

2. yield the head and neck forward via the reins

3. drive the hind end forward and under via the leg

4. flex and soften the poll laterally

Thru this 'system' you will gain longitudinal flexion and suppleness and this is a sound, solid and proper system to follow.....but here is the caveat I mentioned at the beginning.

....there is not much by way of the "how"...ie: TECHNIQUE

She does demonstrates the 'lifting' technique that she uses which IMHO is a bit too "forceful" for me and I much prefer Phillip Karl's technique which is much MUCH lighter and more effective.  I think this is where being a PNH student and knowing well the porcupine game and having good timing in your release will counter balance this shortcoming.

I also felt at times the tempo of the walk was hurried and quick, and gave the impression of not being truly relaxed....but that is just my opinion.

***** I think this an awesome dvd for Non - NH traditional German method dressage riders, actually a MUST for them, because this is a great way to move out of the 'deep' brainwashing that has been going on for over a decade.  This dvd will lead you out of that 'trap' and bring you back to proper training, create a happy horse and get you higher scores on your tests.

Click Here for more info about Kathy Morellli

Savvy On

Michelle

DVD Review: *** Rashid, Mark ~ Sitting Trot

*** Rashid, Mark ~ Sitting Trot

I was really not sure what to think of this as I started to write my review. As you all know I rent from giddyupflix.com and this particular dvd is VERY popular and I have waited quite a long time to get it. Occasionally I wanted something else really bad when it was available, so moved it down on my que. But none the less I waited a year to watch it. So I was a little disappointed when I finally got to. I think you all also know how much I really like all of his books and other dvds. In fact I have had many a profound revolution thru his teachings….so I guess I was actually REALLY disappointed with this dvd.

Most has nothing to do with the actual educational info…more like….I am not a blue grass hillbilly so I am not a fan of banjo’s……needless to say….there is quite a bit of banjo being played….nothing the volume control on the remote didn’t cure……

Next was the repetitiveness of the material covered….it was just not needed and become….well….repetitive. There was a bit of sound control issues in that it was hard to hear him talk in the segments where he was teaching a clinic……and unfortunately not hard to hear the banjo during the intersections. Half of the dvd was scripted in a nice quiet arena with a microphone and a student on the ground….scripted for the dvd. I wish the whole dvd would have been in this venue. It was easy to see and hear what they were saying and adding the clips at the clinic was just repetitive and did not add any insight to the subject matter. I would have preferred if his student would have just gotten on a horse to demonstrate the actual in the saddle work.

Then he lost points for the fact that the dvd is suppose to be about the sitting trot and quite little was actually directly related to the sitting trot. If you are not aware, Mark is into Aikido and so a lot of his teachings are based around those principles. Which I like. So it is quite possible the beginning of the dvd where it doesn’t seem to be about the sitting trot…..really is helpful info to know. I found it informative so that was good. BUT…..the 3 minutes of the info on the sitting trot needed to have been expanded. In defense of Mark, out of my deep respect for him, it was something I had never heard of before, thus a totally new concept and I cant wait to try it out and report back on how I do, but really, I wish there was more. Yes it was a simple concept, one that really doesn’t need a whole lot of explanation, thus why I think the repetitiveness of it to stretch out the content. But maybe what could have been shown was students actually trying to do this technique and possibly any struggles they faced and how they overcame them. I don’t know…..all I do know is that it was not my favorite dvd, but if the technique actually helps me sit to my bouncy big strided TB mares trot….well then it was definitely worth it. Because in the end, it is the content of information translated into success, that makes a dvd valuable, not the entertainment value. Though I will say…..charisma, like sugar, helps the medicine go down.

So, here I sit, teetering between giving 2 or 3 stars….and in the end, I am giving it 3 stars because I do think it is worth watching, just giving the caveat that YES you will have to filter a lot to get the unique perspective of how to sit the trot….that no one else has ever said before (not that I have heard anyways).

For more info on Mark….Click here

Savvy On
Michelle

DVD Review: **** Beran, Anja ~ Elegant Dressage Training vol 1

Elegant Dressage vol 1****
What a wonderfully beautiful dvd.  Elegant doesn't begin to describe the beauty in this film.  Several horses of varying breeds and  stages of training are used to demonstrate correct classical dressage.  Anja is a long time student of Manuel Jorge de Oliveira, a pupil of the well-known Nuno Oliveira.  So this is along the lines of French Classical dressage of course.  It covers important topics such as how to develop the body in all stages, and I find it refreshing to hear them talk about the 'movements' as body building, conditioning, strengthening and correcting as opposed to them being the outcome that we struggle a lifetime to perfect for technicalities sake.  For instance, they use the Piaffe as an exercise to build strength and coordination in younger, greener, or spoiled horses....not the highest form of exhibition at a show.  The ideas, concepts and philosophy are clearly seen as art early on.  In that the horse is a blank canvas, and from the moment you take brush to oil and apply your first stroke of genius, your masterpiece has begun.  Granted it will be a very long time before you have a completed picture, but they see the brilliance in each stroke, the brightness of each color applied has meaning from the beginning.  It is not like in modern competitive dressage where the strokes you apply need to make small perfect pictures and then the many small pictures are pieced together to make up the big picture, and once you have completed that, only then are you considered an artist worthy of painting.  Such as this picture of the palomino. 

First each tiny picture must be painted separately, and you cannot make the big picture until you are done with them. 

But in the French Fashion you are creating and working on your big picture from stroke one, and it is clear what your intent is within a few strokes, and everyone can see that BIG picture you are creating.

I have to say, if you would like to see what dressage should look like, and how you might go about looking like that too.....this is a great dvd.  It covers so many topics it is quite thorough both for ground work, in hand work and under saddle work.  I will say that again, it is lacking in the "HOW" so much as in weight, seat, leg and rein aids.  I would again refer you to Phillip Karl, Craig Stevens dvds for more info on the 'how'.


Click here for more info on Anja Beran. 


Savvy On
Michelle

DVD Review: ****Rohlf, Karen ~#1~ Riding in Connection w the Reins

Riding in Connection w the Reins ****


When riding a horse there are more ways that we can get it 'wrong' than there are ways to get it 'just right'.  By sticking to the basics, we will set ourselves up for success. In this dvd Karen demonstrates how to develop a positive connection with the reins in a natural way.  She rides a greenish horse in a rope halter and rope reins. She starts off with a list of pre-requisites, such as the horse already being able to move forward in a free, relaxed, balanced and supple way, and that the horse should already know how to follow a feel rather than brace against it.  And that the rider should already have independent seat and hands and not need to use the reins for their own balance. She reminds us to keep a clear picture of what we desire in our minds, and then decrease the reasons for heaviness and increase the quality of our basics.


She starts the 'lesson' by checking in 'freestyle' (not using the reins)to see if she has control of the horse without using the reins, to stop, go and turn, and the changes between gait.  Also to check for the other basics of calm and listening to the leg during turns on the hind and forehand. Once she had the saddle and halter/reins on, I really like how she goes thru the process of  checking each ingredient before moving on to concentrated riding.  She has a great system for isolating each ingredient she is looking for, before trying to put it all together.


I like her description of 'taking a soft touch' on the reins, in that when you first make that contact how you are not doing so to ask anything of them, and thus they should have no reaction to it.  I also REALLY like her theory of the 'alignment' exercise. In that she does not ASK for the roundness with the reins, she NOTICES it with the reins.  She uses a way of aligning the horse laterally until he FINDS longitudinal roundness.  It is a great natural process of not forcing it, rather setting things up and then allowing it to happen.


There is great debate about being able to properly achieve the sacred principles of dressage bitless, and here we have a great example, that YES we can.  While this dvd is not proof of carrying this on to the highest levels, is is proof that it CAN be done.


So, I highly recommend this dvd for those wanting to ride properly....while keeping it natural and bridging the gap between natural horsemanship and dressage.


For More info about Karen click here


Savvy On
Michelle

DVD Review:**** Sylvia Loch ~ Body and Balance work

Body and Balance Work ****

This was a GREAT dvd. It was simple yet very detailed.  Well organized and compromised just about any movement you want to do with your horse.  It is a classical equitation dvd and covers from the basics to lateral work to flying changes. She has a group of students go thru body awareness exercises on the ground, and during the lecturing shows clips of the students, herself and another trainer riding the movements on horses, showing both the before and after, the bad then the good.  The exercises are for awareness and are simple to do.  It is not complicated in anyway, her concepts make sense and seem easy to apply while in the saddle, which many equitation exercises are not easy to do in the saddle.  I think this dvd will be valuable for any rider, not just dressage riders.

All the riders looked good in the saddle, well poised and balanced and her concepts seem to make positive changes in the students work in the saddle.  She does not leave out the who, what, when, where or how's.  The entire dvd was well organized, flowed easily from one exercise to the next, no confusion in following along and everything seemed like it would be easy to remember from dvd to the arena.

For more info on Sylvia Loch click here

Savvy On
Michelle

DVD Review: 0 stars ~ Dominique Barbier ~ Mastering the Basics

ZERO Stars ~ Skip it!

Mastering the Basics

God I really hate to do this, but to be fair to worthy media, I just cannot recommend this dvd. Before I get slammed with a slander suit, let me remind you, this is ONLY......MY.......OPINION and I am sure there are people, somewhere, who found this dvd helpful. Regarding 'what' I could even begin to speculate. I was highly disappointed on so many levels, I just can't even give it one star rating. I thought long and hard about my ratings definition prior to my decision. 1 star means I think it is "OK" but better stuff out there". Honestly, I didn't think it was OK on any level, and there are 1000's of things out there better to chose from. IMHO

The whole catalyst for my reviews in the first place, was because I am a Parelli Level 4 graduate I was waiting around for them (PNH) to get around to making some upper level stuff, particularly DRESSAGE, and also to see and learn other methods of NH in order to expand my NH knowlege base. I knew I wasn't the only Parelli student searching for compatible information, so I figured as I came across stuff I would share MY opinion of what I found. Period. So while I am far from a Master in either NH or Dressage, I am also far above the average novice horseman and capable of making the determination if something is worthy of me investing my time and money into learning, or something I would not waste my time on.

I am going to grade and review 3 aspects here.

1: How well it will coincide with not only Parelli Natural Horsemanship, but the General world of Natural Horsemanship as a whole.

2: How well it coincides with what "I" understand to be BASIC Classical Dressage Principles, be it French OR German

3: How well it is presented as a media outlet for home study learning, based on presentation and information presented (or not presented) concepts discussed ~vs~ results shown.

1: As far as PNH/NH goes, I felt it was sub par on every level, even compared to watching novice NH students. The horses in the video appeared to be agitated, nervous, and generally not to happy. As an NH student, you will likely feel as I do, that we spent alot of time, energy and heart to produce a happy well adjusted horse and don't want to chance doing things that will upset this mental/emotional balance. Despite this dvd being labeled "basic"...it was not clear to me what was 'basic' about it. He was kinda all over the place....and thus the horse seemed to follow suit. I honestly do not see how an advanced student would be able to understand it....much less a novice. On the one hand he was using very advanced horses and what appeared (at first) to be novice riders. More on this in the dressagy review. I just didn't see much that could be considered 'better' than basic NH. There are far better recomendations I could give to PNH students as a dressage extension beyond the confines of parelli, AND within the confines of parelli. PNH is already, in and of itself, better at doing this stuff, be it French (Pats kind of style) or German (Linda's kind of style)

2: Classical Dressage principles....OY~VAY....I squired one of his books many many years ago. At the time I just didn't 'get' what he was saying and alot seemed "mystical" and I was looking for cold hard technical facts. I was just at the beginning of my german classical study. I put the book down, found many others that were what i was looking for, realized he was 'french' and never picked it back up again. BUT...in all these years, I still believed, albeit in my limited 'french' understanding, that he was indeed a MASTER of the FRENCH classical school. After watching Phillip Karls dvd's.....I was nearly horrified at what my dressage eyes were seeing. MASTER?? If what he showed was indicative of french 'mastery' (which i know it is not) I don't want any part of it. Not only were the students in the dvd's painful to watch ride, so was he. The stirrups were soooo long, and the feet so far in front that they were horribly balanced in the rising trot work and I have beginner students look better than that in a matter of weeks, so to see a supposed master ride that unbalance i was shocked. He suggested that the rider keep her hands ON the saddle, if I recall right, at all times. Not for balance as an un-confident rider, but to 'keep the horse on the bit'... what? WHAT?? Now, as we move on, this is supposed to be a BASICS dvd, yet all the horses are being ridden in a DOUBLE bridle. There was no mention as to why, but I have never seen ANY one use a double bridle on green horses with green riders, which is exactly what i presume at least one student/horse pair to be. And lastly some core classical principles.....The poll 'should' be the highest point at all times, not here my friends, not even close. At times it appeared to be 'deep' if not downright close to 'rolkur' even if momentary....that is unacceptable in any classical school of thought. The horses hind quarters could not directly follow the forehand due to stiffness and lack of control from the leg, on turns the haunches would just spin out like they were on a carnival ride. I can't even get started on the lunging. I will say that when HE rode his upper level horse, things appeared to be a bit better, it was hardly done with principles, style or grace that I would want to emulate. in ANY fashion.

3: Media attributes. The trifecta of shame. PNH has a reputation for producing in depth, top quality, provocative, well organized and formatted media that we parelli students have become accustomed to. Top notch in every aspect. I am not suggesting i am some princess here that cannot see the good in other peoples work. Not in the least. If you read any of my other reviews, you will see that I am hardly parelli biased. I give credit where credit is due. But I won't sit here and give it where it is not due. I usually try to find SOMEthing positive about even the worst dvd's. So I will say that he does state some good concepts in there, but in my opinion what he is saying is not the results shown on the dvd. You know, the words don't match the view. Then there is no congruent format. It is not well organized despite having 'categories' and the intention of material was not clear. It was very confusing as to what the heck I was watching and why. My only saving grace is that I not only am better educated and can just reject his notions and move on. But also that I didn't pay any money for this dvd. I would then have been a disgruntled consumer as well and felt a little on the jilted side wonder how I could in good conscious sell this dvd to someone else. The only thing I can tell anyone at this point in my French Classical Journey (the beginning btw, after 20ys german) is to seek out Phillipe Karls dvd's, I highly recommend them and will be reviewing others soon.

Clearly I am not affiliated with the author of the dvd. So....By all means contact him directly and ask for clarification/explanation of what he was doing, to give him a chance to refute/rebut my review. It is my personal opinion it is what will be needed to understand what was going on in that video anyways. So that is the best place for more info. Click here to go to his website. Maybe things are different now, or maybe they were having alot of problems while filming. He has nice pics on his site. But this dvd is what it is and I stand by my review of it.

On a personal note. Honestly my heart sunk when I saw him in the rising trot. Just goes to show, now matter how many 'fancy' things someone can do, they can still be lacking severely in even the very basic of basics, and that words can be cheap.....but the picture can be worth a thousand words and a million dollars and a lifetime of chasing the wrong rainbow.

Savvy On
Michelle

DVD Review: **** Craig Stevens: Theory of Dressage

Disk 1 ****

Holy Maccaroni.....this is a GREAT dvd for Parelli students.  If you are doing finesse in any sort of fashion, be it in a dressage saddle or western saddle....you really should watch this dvd.  You will not see any pictures or moving video of horses.  It is a theory lesson, regarding why we do what we do, and why we shouldn't do what we hopefully are not doing.  In a short amount of time, you can learn quite a little bit about the French Classical Dressage (FC) style of riding that Pat talks about from time to time.  While it may contradict Linda's "Game of Contact" (founded with German Classical Dressage) it does not in any way contradict PNH with Finesse.  He covers such things as the history of dressage, rein effects, weight and balance effects, resistance effects, half halt, halt by combined effect, rein adjustment, how to hold the rein, and classical seat balance

He states we should never make a rearward retraction, (pull on) the reins, rather only in the halt should we used the combined effect of driving into a solid hand.

I love this saying regarding timing and strength:
"It's not the effect of force, but the force of properly timed effects."

He has a great explanation of whether or not humans are capable of balancing a horse, loved it.
"To modify balance thru suppling excersises to help the horse/rider discover where the center is"

Ride with tact....
Tact: "The application of imagination to sensation"

French:  Never attempt to deal with more than one resistance at a time.  When a horse gets out of balance physically or emotionally, Start with the halt to eliminate resistances of the weight, second: deal with the resistance of force, ie: supple the stiffness....third: then carry on.

German: Ride the horse forward through the resistance into patterns designed to gain suppleness.

In no way am I going to stand up and say every thing he says is a golden rule, simply because at this point I really don't know that much about FC dressage, but honestly whether or not I may agree or disagree, I certainly do understand it all better due to his explanations. His work is supported by French Classical Dressage master Phillipe Karl and Natural Horseman Ed Dabney.  So I am going to say that despite what ever controversy may be going on in the 'modern' dressage world regarding his work, is of no consequence to me, especially since the 'modern' dressage world is most predominantly German Classical at it's roots, if not execution.

Having now watched all 4 of his dvd's, I know he is big on classical equitation gained through suppleing and strength exercises designed to force you to find your balance and the proper seat as opposed to having someone tell you 'put your leg here and your arm here", they can easily be done in a round pen as opposed to having someone lunge you, if your horse is good in the round pen and good with passenger lessons of course. These excersises can be found on disk 1 of the "perfecting the seat" dvd set he has.

I also think this dvd set goes well with Phillipe Karl's dvd's.

Click here for a great article written by Craig regarding French Classical Dressage vs German Classical Dressage equitation.

Click here for an interview with Craig

This video series is no longer available for sale, but you can rent it from Giddyupflix

Click Here for more info on Craig Stevens

DVD Review:**** Phillip Karl ~ CLASSICAL DRESSAGE VOL. 1

School of Aids ****

WOW.....this is a great dvd.  If of course you are interested in Classical Dressage, particularly French Classical (FC). However I could only give it 4 stars for parelli students because French Classical would be somewhat contradictory to Linda's new "Game of Contact" which is more of the German Classical (GC).  I have yet to see her dvd though as it is not yet released.So I really cannot say just how contradictory it is...if it even is at all

I will say that for anyone wanting to know more about FC dressage.....to compare to GC dressage..... this is a GREAT place to start. Also for sure it will go really well for those wanting to do Finesse with western riding.  This is his "basics" dvd and I will say he explains it well, and I learned alot, since I come from a GC dressage background and really never knew, or quite ashamedly admit, never cared about FC before.  But with my current desire to study FC, this was exactly what I needed to understand what the essence of FC is about.  I am thrilled that it is completely in line with my current situation for my horse, and now I can work on doing all this properly as the rein aids are completely and wonderfully explained.

Now, not being a FC expert, having never studied ANY thing about it, I have to ask though, "Is this all there is too it?  Is it really this easy?"  My current FC study, in it's infancy, I keep reading how easy it is compared to GC.  Which makes it way more fun, according to it's fans.  So watching this, having a relatively thorough, albeit rusty, understanding of GC......added to my relatively thorough understanding of Parelli....it was easy for me to watch this dvd and not have any issues understanding what he was talking about.  It was foreign to me due to my GC background, and a bit opposite in principles, so it took me a minute for me to wrap my brain around it to embrace it, so I had to watch it a couple of times simply to access my memories of years gone by at how it could have related to my dressage back then....but once I did, I could see how it not only completely applies to my current green horse, but it is honestly pretty much what we were starting to do naturally on our own.  So this perfectly showed me not only how to do it properly, but how to apply it to each situation of our riding.  His explaination and examples given, completely cleared up how to get the pole high, keep the horse from getting behind the vertical or bit, how to flex the pole, and how to mobilize the jaw.  It was something that was always a mystery to me what FC students were talking about and how different it is from GC as far as contact is concerned.

At the very least, this dvd will show you how to get that poll up and keep it the highest spot. ;)

I totally loved it, and if there are any French Classical Dressage students, true scholars, who are riding above 3rd level........PLEASE tell me.....is it REALLY this EASY?

Click here For more info on Phillipe Karl

Savvy On
Michelle

Muscle vs Mindfullness

So I watched my lame little video.....looked at the title i gave it...'back in the saddle'......thinking.....but my A$$ has been in the saddle over the last 4ys.....what makes it different this time?  truth be told, I have not done anything 'dressagy' for probably 13ys.  just been starting my rescues and green beans....

during that time i have been doing parelli, be it my intial "this is crap, gonna prove it wont work with dressage" to "i'm gonna be a PP"  to "something is wrong gotta bail".  with the car accident, my inferior skills upon my return, my horse hating me and life in general.....i have been on this journey for the last year n half.....since my whole OLL3 audition debacle.....and have noticed many times I thought i had 'figured it out'.

Many times I have had these BFO's....that in retrospect were only mini bfo's.  but i think i have it now....I think I finally found the missing piece....or maybe just figured out how all the missing pieces i have found in the last year...have finally completed some cosmic kharmic picture.

a picture that shows me the death grip i had on what ever it was i was holding on to so tightly.....that it took something pretty big to get my attention.  Maybe I needed that smack to my leg to force me let go with the last finger i had gripping on for dear life.

so i recently watched Mark Rashids dvd "developing sofness in the rider".....and just as his books have given me deep spiritual revelations, his words are so profound to me and this dvd was no different.

he talked about our minds needing to be like still water in a pond, so the landscape around it can be mirrored perfectly in the water.....and if you throw stones in the water....the ripples distort the picture.  and just as in life....chaos in your mind distorts your perceptions of people places and things around you.  or something like that....

so my friend and i have been talking about his muscle vs mindfulness concepts nearly every day for the last week about nearly every aspect of our lives.....and then.....I rode.

so here i sit, watching my little lame dressage video....and it hit me....for the first time in 13ys....i saw a glimpse of ME....and realized i have not seen her in a long time.  i saw the soft me, the mindful me, the peaceful me, the get in harmony and help my horse move right me, the dressage me that i never thought i would see again....

unfortunately i saw the FAT me too....but....i guess you cant have your cake and eat it too.....oh wait...that's how i GOT fat.....so i take that back....i guess you can have your cake and your husbands cake and your kids cake...and eat them all in one sitting while crying in your cereal :roll:

i noticed in this last ride, all the fear, judgement, assumptions, ridicule, self loathing, hatred, pain, and worst of all the ANGER....were gone.  i was at peace with myself, and my horse and i danced.  sure it wasn't perfect....not even by a million to one long shot.....but it was ME and i liked what i saw

it wasn't the me that everyone else told me i had to be, the me that everyone expected me to be, the me I thought everyone else wanted me to be.....I was

ME.....and I was pretty dam OK with it.  I cleared the clutter from my head and followed my own set of rules, tuned everything else out.....and listened to my horse.  Instead of 'upping my leadership' and using muscle (not physical rather mental) and i used my intuition and let nature guide me.  i didn't fight muscle with more muscle....I simply redirected the energy using my mindfulness and we danced.

In that lame little dressage video i also saw something else.....HOPE
Hope for the future....that I do have one and it does include dressage....MY dressage......Rose's dressage.....Nature's dressage and

we will dance again. :wink:

DVD Review:**** 5Mike Schaffer: Right From The Start

Right from the Start****


It is refreshing to see educational dressage dvd's that so clearly show that many traditional and classical riders and their methods are 'natural'.  Most NH'rs think that the NH 'techniques' are what makes natural....well....natural....and they couldn't be farther from the truth.  The TRUTH is, natural is in your mind, it is in concepts and philosophy, not in a stick and a rope. 


Mike has a philosophy that if you start a horse on the ground to accept and give to the bit, before you get on his back, you will save him YEARS of confusion and pain.  I agree with this whole heartedly.  Another of his steps is to release knots in the neck with massage and to supple the horse with lateral movements on the ground before you mount up.  Nothing un-natural about that.  His technique was simple to understand and very well demonstrated with several un-started horses and horses he was re-starting that had years of evasions to the bit. His technique only took minutes for the horse to understand the lesson, because Mike understands.....it's all about the release.  He demonstrated this time and again.  He also shows a rider how to do this, and walked her literally one step at a time through the process, from ground to saddle.  The changes in the horse were nothing short of amazing.  


As for my dressage principles, I feel this is a great tool in teaching the horse to give to the bit, but I caution you, we do not want them so soft, that they travel around over bent longitudinally and behind the bit or vertical.......OR over bent laterally, crooked and falling out thru the shoulder.  This dvd is about 'giving to the bit', so remember, it all starts in the back end, driving your horse, straight, over his back, reaching TO the bit, TO the contact, and ACCEPTING that contact....not about a head set, or avoiding the contact.


I am giving this dvd 4 *"s as I believe very strongly it is a must see for anyone who is about to, or already has, put a bit in their horses mouth, and it is simple, concise, and not convoluted with any other content not related to the subject.


click here for more info about Mike Schaffer


Savvy On
Michelle

DVD Review:*** Egon von Neindorff: School of horsemanship

School of Horsemanship ***


This was a nice view into one classical master horsemans life.  It was a little bit of everything from history of horses and classical dressage, his life's work and his school of horsemanship.  You get to see the master at work with many horses in hand, and lovely riding from his students.  This is not an educational dvd, but in horses, there is always much to be learned just by watching a master crafting his art.  It is like a glimpse into the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, as his principles are similar and of the same high caliber horsemanship.  If you like dressage and you love horses, this is a great dvd to watch, but educationally you wont die without it.


For more info on Egon von Niendorff click here


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Michelle