Introduction. What is it I am trying to say here....?

Tsaa and good day.I started now my first blog ever. First forgive me that my English is not perfect but my motherlanguage is Finnish and studying Hungarian has not made anything better.

I noticed that specially here in Hungary horse people in general do not know what is "classical dressage". Once I actually got quite an outburst from one of the known dressage rider after mentioning that I do prefer classical. He shouted quite madly at my face something about studying history and seeing all these curb bits and spurs. He said that classical is even more cruel than modern.

Well, good that even he knew modern competition dressage to be cruel... The reason for his outburst is a mystery. Especially weird I find it cause this happened during Arthur Kottas-Hedelbergs clinic. We all know that Kottas IS from Spanish riding school,right? And thats quite classical. Right?
Cruel?
Now-a-days, yes a bit.
Now-a-days quite awfull to watch. There is only few young ones who ride with invisible aids and are nice towards the horse. Last time visiting, I unfortunately saw one piaffing with crossed front legs and other with crossed behind legs. (The horse, not the rider.:))
This is most propably due to financial trouble which the school had been having, causing horse training to be forced faster and mistakes happening. This caused Kottas to leave also, if I understood right. (Please, mister Kottas, if you are reading this, correct me if I am wrong.)

True Classical riding is not cruel. It is art. It is for the horse. It builds up a beautifull, sensitive, elegantly moving horses being one with its rider and leaves you with a peace in your mind after being part of it.

Now, Mr. X from Kottas clinic, (You know who you are:)) all those spurs and curb bits in those historical pictures... the curb was ridden with one hand only, hanging and the spur was not even touching the horse. Right?

That is quite a different picture wich we see in modern dressage, curb pulled through, spurs kicking the sides of the horse, overflexed, "rollkur", kick here, whip there, oversalivation, twitching tails, hard hands, over strecthed frontleg movements, broken diagonals in extended trot=show trot, stiff backs, weiving, hoovering, forced piaff, shortened necks, ewe necks, under muscled backs, overmuscled shoulders, dry mouth, etc. etc. etc.

That is cruel and unfortunately many horse owners think that is the right and only way to ride.
They study from the more experienced ones and copy. And those experienced ones can be real "professionals" in competition dressage.
I dont blame you. Been there. Done that.


I hope to get here to Hungary a possibilty some day to get to know the real classical way. The lightness.
And you, who think that "f***k this blond hobbyrider, I have seen Anky and Isabell and those sure can ride and win metals etc. Want to see you going with your hairy lipi to olympics.",I can only advice to open your eyes and mind. I tried "your" way. Maybe you could now try "mine".

And if Anky feels good, great. Does anyone ask from Salinero?
(And Isabell, if you are reading,I do love your collection of saddle cloths. )


I also do need to point out that true classical is NOT sircus trics: spanish walk, jumps, false passage etc. and then after being "all so classical ",you can go on pulling your horses mouth and kicking him with your bran new star spurs. Explaning that he is behind vertical cause "this is wherehe is in balance." Oh,comoon, "in balance, for heavens name..."


No, classical is something quite different.



To cut this crap short:

-Do not believe everything what I say. I am on my way to find "the truth" also. There are soooo many other, older, vicer, more experienced and just unbeliveble fantastic riders in the world to explain classical dressage better.

- I give you a list of my favorites to study,to have a peak, to make your mind if Mr.X was right, to start your lifelong journey if you feel its right.

-You are wellcome to read my blog, my strugle and thoughts here in Hungary with the horses I train. I post you some photos, maybe videos, swear words and comments on what I see and feel.

- I want to make clear that my aim is not to hurt anyones feelings and am apologising allready now, if ever doing so. Especially Mr. X. ;)

- You can start classical dressage today. You do not need a hundred thousand euro horse imported from Germany, whose breeding is Sandro Hiphhop x Rabbit the Golden piruet.
You can start with your hairy nolla-register gelding and turn him into a swan.

-And if you think "Gimme one reason why I would bother following your blog?", I will give you few:

I am not a complete beginner. I graduated from horse husbandry school -94 in Finland when double studying a diploma to a riding instructor at the same year.
At -97 I graduated from Sweden to be a horse chiropractor/ acupuncturist and couple of years ago I graduated from the veterinary university.
I have seen and worked over years with quite a few horses who hate their work. Are in pain and suffer from several locomotorical problems due to bad riding. My main interest is lameness, decreased performance in sporthorses, back pain and especially healing plus avoiding these problems by right training. Classical.


Here, dive deep, some of my favorites:

www.truemner.net/xenophon/
www.anjaberan.de
www.sustainabledressage.com
www.bentbranderup.dk
www.classicaldressage.com
www.enlightenedequitation.com

There is a lot more.

I also have to mention Dr.Gerhard Heuschmann and his book "Open wounds". Amazing.
And since you started reading, you can pick some Nuno Oliveira, Philippe Karl, La Guerniere, Baucher, Alois Podhajsky, Richard Hinrichs, Henriquet etc. :) There is several dvd:s from these people also available.

To finish smart:

Horse is not made for dressage, but dressage is made for horse.

:)