oh! where did all the messages go that were posted on our msn Horses & Dressage group relating to this thread?
http://www.sustainabledressage.net/rollkur/index.php
IMHO ,,,issues relating to "rollkur" do not only relate to dressage ,,, what about the techniques used in warm up areas of show jumping & other competitions ,,, one (me) cannot help but wonder what happens to these poor equines at "base camp"!
Samstag, 29. August 2009
Montag, 24. August 2009
The Story of Hirohito's Horse
The Story of Emperor Hirohito’s Horse
by Judi Daly
Prior to and during
The symbol of the white horse caught the American imagination. Early in the war, United States Admiral William (Bull) Halsey vowed that one day he would ride Hirohito’s white horse through the streets of
At the end of the war, the public was clamoring for Admiral Halsey to ride Emperor Hirohito’s horse, as promised. The Reno Nevada Chamber of Commerce commissioned a saddle, bridle and martingale decorated with 166 silver pieces for Admiral Halsey to use on the horse. The members of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe contributed a pair of buckskin beaded gauntlet gloves to be used with the saddle. These items are now on display at the
Halsey did ride a horse, but he wasn’t Emperor Hirohito’s white stallion, who remained private property of the Emperor. Instead, he rode another horse that was supplied by Major General William Chase, the commander or First Calvary Regiment. After reviewing the honor guard of the First Calvary Regiment, he mounted the horse and rode slowly around the bivouac area on the outskirts of
The American army had their very own rodeo expert, Lt. Joseph R. “Dick” Ryan. He had already organized two rodeos for the troops in Grafton and
The rodeo was held on Armistice Day, November 11, 1945 in
What the crowd didn’t realize was that this was not the horse that Emperor Hirohito was seen riding most of the time. That horse was Shirayuki (White Snow), and he wasn’t even an Arabian. He was actually a stock horse that was purchased in the
Hatsushimo wasn’t even the Arabian that the Emperor was later seen riding. Hatsushimo had a gelded brother, Hatsuyuki (First Snow) that the Emperor preferred to ride because he was gentler. When this horse died in 1957 at the age of 23, he was immortalized as a sacred horse at the great
Japanese sources claim that Hatsushimo was too high strung for parades and military inspections and was given to another member of the Royal family and eventually ended up in the Japanese Racing Association Stables where Ryan found him. Later, the Imperial household stated that the Emperor never even owned Hatsushimo. Rather, he was owned by
About a month after the rodeo, it was reported that Hatsushimo was sold to Lt. Ryan. Until this time, it was prohibited by the military for the soldiers to take animals back to the
The mere fact that it was the Japanese Racing Association, not the emperor, that sold Hatsushimo is proof that he didn’t belong to the Emperor. Why were the rules about importing animals to the
Hatsushimo was supposed to go through the Panama Canal and arrive in
Soon, Ryan took his horse on the road. He formed the International Rodeo and Thrill Circus. He also appeared at American Legion membership drives, at veteran’s hospitals and state fairs all over the country.
He ran into problems in
On October 5, 1947, the Los Angeles Times reported that the 20-year-old horse was left in
Ryan stated that he was not able to sell the horse because of a promise he gave to his superior officers and the sons of Emperor Hirohito. Certainly, he had no intentions of selling him, but once again, he got into legal problems. Charles McKinley and Paul Hobrock in
Hatsushimo came back to life in the fall of 1949 looking very different. He was still white, but lost some of his Arabian refinement during his reincarnation and a few years of his age. Ryan toured with the new Hatsushimo at least until 1963. In 1972, Ryan told the Albuquerque Tribune that the horse was still alive and well at an undisclosed location on the east coast in the care of a retired colonel of the First Calvary Division. If he was 20 in 1947, he would now be 45 years old. This is not impossible, but certainly very unlikely.
Ryan continued to tour with his own stunt show. He had a horse, British Wonder, who would jump almost anything, including cars, kitchen tables, beds and a 6-foot ring of fire. British Wonder was either a Thoroughbred or an American Saddlebred. If you arrived early to the show, your children could get a free pony ride from Admiral, a Welsh Pony that was in “The Wizard of Oz” and “Gone with the Wind.” He was still touring with Admiral in 1975. This would make the pony over 40 years old. Once again, this is possible since ponies generally live longer than horses, but not likely. More unlikely, pictures showed Admiral with a blaze on his face, but in the movies, he had a star.
Ryan himself told many stories that are hard to verify. A native of Canada (though his mother insisted he was from Detroit), he claimed he rode a horse across the country as a teenager, rode in rodeos, was a stuntman in over 100 movies (Including “Gone with the Wind” and “A Day at the Races”) and TV series and broke a lot of bones. That he was a bold and courageous man is proven by the stunts he preformed on British Wonder. In addition, it was reported by the Canberra Times in
Regardless, in photos, his horses always looked healthy, well fed and comfortable. Never was there a negative word written about how he treated his horses. There is no doubt that he cared about them, and that speaks volumes about the man.
Sonntag, 23. August 2009
Trot
Is there a way to influence which diagonal your horse will pick up in the trot? For example, in a Pas de deux, if you wanted both horses to match, how could you do it?
{{kisses}}
Romy
Lipizzan Center South Africa
Lipizzaner Center South Africa
In the Austro-Hungarian Empire, several noblemen bred Lipizzaner. This included Count Jankovich-Besan. As the Russians approached, he decided to move the horses from his native Hungary to his parents’ estate in Bavaria. Some of the horses were moved, pulling carts and wagons through miles of snow and others were moved by rail.
The railroad was a target for heavy bombing and a 300-mile journey took six agonising weeks. There was also the ever present danger that the troops would requisition the horses for food. Accordingly the horses were painted with paraffin and oil so that they would appear sick and unhealthy, unfit for human consumption.
After the war, however, conditions in Germany were still difficult and Count Jankovich decided to move the majority of his horses to England, where they arrived at Christmas in 1946 and were sent to Lord Digby’s estate in Dorset. In 1948 Count Jankovich moved to South Africa and the horses soon followed him to settle at Mooi River in Natal, again at Christmas.
Major George Iwanowski
The history of the Lipizzaner horses in South Africa is so closely linked to the life and times of one person. Major George Iwanowski, a polish immigrant, single-handedly launched the tradition of the performing white stallions in South Africa.
Iwanowski was born on his family estate, Lebiodka, in Eastern Poland. He graduated from the Warsaw Agricultural College and wrote his diploma papers on horse breeding to obtain a Master of Science degree. He spent two years as assistant director of the Polish National Stud Bogusławice, whereafter he completed cavalry school and joined the 1st Lancers Regiment.
Then the Second World War broke out and he had to fight for his country. After the war, Major Iwanowski was commissioned by the Polish army to take over the SS stud, Lauvenburg, in the Rhineland. He spent two years at the stud when politics again interfered. Poland had been “sold” to the Russians and would become a communist state, subservient to Moscow. In a desperate move to escape the nightmare that was sure to follow, Iwanowski packed his bags and moved to South Africa.
On his arrival in Johannesburg, he set out to meet horsey people who could be instrumental in helping him find employment. It worked and after an initial stint at a stud farm in the Karoo, he returned to Johannesburg where he and Josy Hicks formed a partnership and started Centaur Stables, which later became the first home of the Lipizzaner team.
The Major met Count Jankovich-Besan who invited him to his stud at Mooi River and offered him his first Lipizzaner stallion, Maestoso Erdem. Due to the natural trainability of the Lipizzaner, Erdem was soon performing some of the more difficult dressage movements and impressing at shows all over the country in both competition and displays.
It is interesting to note that Iwanowski was not only a dyed-in-the-wool dressage rider, but also jumped and competed in horse racing at the same time. Many steeplechase riders later become top dressage riders, but seldom, if ever, had one rider managed to win a dressage championship and a hurdle championship in the same year - something the Major managed!
Building the team
Following the success of the displays put on by Erdem, the Major began to build a performing Lipizzaner team. These were all stallions who belonged to other riders, pupils of the Major, but who performed together as a team. It was at about this time that the Major met Colonel Hans Handler, at the time the second in command at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, in Rhodesia, who gave him his first lessons in High School riding and accepted an invitation to visit his school in Johannesburg.
His input into putting together the still rather informal displays – both in organising and choreography, was invaluable. This gave the Major the idea of forming a permanent Lipizzaner team for public displays.
In 1962 tragedy struck when Erdem broke his leg. They managed to save the horse though, but his performing days were over. He was retired to stud, but sadly sired only two foals before dying of a mysterious illness. The Major did not appear on a Lipizzaner in public for almost two years.
Fate intervened. Count Jankovich-Besan’s stud was in financial trouble and the horses needed to be sold or find their way to the butcher. Angela Irvin and her husband Jack, the managing director of National Chemical Products, bought some of the horses and move them from the stud at Mooi River to the NCP farm at Waterkloof, also in Natal.
Major Iwanowski was set with the task of finding homes for the other horses. He proposed to the Irvins that all their young colts be sent to his school for training and that they form a team known as the NCP Lipizzaner team to publicise the company’s products, which included horse feed. This was the first step towards realising the Major’s dream of having his own team of dancing white stallions – an ambitious feat as not even in England had a Lipizzaner team been formed.
The training of the young stallions progressed. The public flocked to the performances in droves. The shows became more and more spectacular with the riders donning the formal attire and some of the elaborate period dress of past centuries. Side-saddle displays captured the elegance of days gone by and is unique to the SA Lipizzaner show, as in Vienna they only have male riders.
Apart from the Major, all the other riders were women. Some of the original riders in the team were Mietie von Hartesveldt, Margie Widman, Ann Sutton, Lynn Jarmen, Gill Meyer, Anne Webb, Ania Glintenkamp, Eva Sydow, Carol Kretszchmar, Maureen Quinn, Helen Dagliesh and Valerie Welsh.
Going from strength to strength, the team’s efforts were rewarded when they were invited by Colonel Handler to visit the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. This proved to them that they were on the right track and that the Lipizzaners in South Africa were here to stay.
Major Iwanowski celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this year (2007) and the SA Lipizzaners proudly put on a special performance in his honour, with many of the people and riders that were originally involved. As he now lives in Poland, he was unable to attend, but a video of this event was sent to him as a special tribute from the team in SA.
The Lipizzaners today
SA Horseman visited the South African Lipizzaner Centre, situated at the Lipizzaner Hall on the KEP (Kyalami Equestrian Park) showgrounds, owned by THS, in Kyalami, north of Johannesburg. The horses were being exercised and trained by their riders every morning and the school was a scene of activity.
One could distinguish the younger horses by their still dark coats and the snaffle bridles they were being ridden in from the older and much whiter horses in their traditional Viennese bridles with curb bits.
The Lipizzaners in South Africa are the only performing Lipizzaners outside Vienna, that are endorsed and recognised by the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, as our performances uphold their high standards and are based on the traditional principles and training methods and have not heeded the popularity-pull to become “circus displays”.
We were told enthusiastically that a crop of new colts had arrived from the stud farm that had recently been moved to Clarence to the farm of Karel de Bruin, after having been moved around quite a bit in recent years. This consists of a herd of mares, out of which they aim to have an average of four colts per year. The stallions are of course all stabled at the Centre – all 30 of them! They don’t call it Boystown for nothing!
The training of the young colts will start by running them loose in the undercover school, where it will soon be obvious to the trainers which horse has been chosen by the group as the leader. This is important, as he will be the horse to focus on and give the initial voice commands to, the one whom the other horses will follow.
Not until they officially start their lounging work, will the horses be one-on-one with a human, but all work will be done in this way, in a group. This running of the young stallions is incorporated into the performance and gives the horses the chance to become used to the idea of performing in front of an audience from an early age.
The audience is asked to participate in this training of the youngsters by being absolutely quiet and at times being urged to clap gently and at other times more enthusiastically. To hear this about the training of these magnificent show horses, puts it just a little into perspective. They are trained to become the absolute masters at their art, the showmen that they are.
Of course, as approximately four new colts arrive every year, it is impossible for the Centre to keep them all. Some are inevitably sold on. It is, however, very rare for one of the older performing stallions to be sold, but it has happened in the past and will no doubt happen again when there is an overflow of stallions.
The horses live according to a very strict routine, with training for half an hour every day during the week, hacking out on Saturdays and the performance on Sundays. Mondays are for relaxing and going into the paddocks. The horses are also competed locally at shows to maintain credibility among the riding community and to uphold standards.
The standards for their performances and training too are very strict and are dictated by the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, from where a representative visits the Centre once a year in order to keep these standards in place and to offer assistance when needed.
Fight for survival
The Lipizzaner shows are accepted as a feature of the SA equestrian landscape. However, few of us are aware of the struggle they have been fighting for survival. The Sunday morning performances alone cannot support the horses and they regularly travel the country to give displays and do corporate functions and events. With the changes in the country, sponsorships have become scarce as there are too many other pressing social needs that need support.
It became clear that in order to ensure their survival, the Lipizzaners would have to start giving, instead of taking – to run the Centre as a business, instead of a charity. Thus the South African Lipizzaners formed an alliance with the Reach For a Dream Foundation, enabling them to attract sponsorships for their continued survival, as well as to help many children in need.
Special performances and charity events in alliance with Reach for a Dream, will be put on and sponsorships and donations can be made. Companies can sponsor a specific horse for the amount of R5 000 per month, which will provide for the upkeep of the horse and a percentage will go to Reach for a Dream to help a sick child. The sponsor will get exposure from his generosity, which will serve as an advertisement for his business.
One company that has already come on board, is Theo’s Projects. They already sponsor a horse and have also approached the Lipizzaners with another offer – they are developing an equestrian estate outside Bronkhorstspruit, called Reverie Estate, which will offer an upmarket equestrian centre and competition facility, including indoor show arenas, show grounds, as well as polo fields, shops and an equestrian museum. There will be a lodge for guests, as well as privately owned half-hectare stands.
They have asked the Lipizzaners to endorse this new facility, to give their input, expertise and to lend it credibility and have in return offered the SA Lipizzaners 18 hectares of land at this facility. Through all of this, the SA Lipizzaners also aim to promote equestrian sports in this country as a whole.
Lipizzan Center South Africa
Freitag, 21. August 2009
New Lipizzaner training centre, Heldenberg NÖ
I thought H and D denizens might be interested in a press notice which appeared yesterday on the SRS website. It describes plans for a new year-round training centre for the Lipizzaner based in their summer quarters at Heldenberg, outside Vienna, where up to 30 young horses will be trained. The link to the original article is here .
I was surprised by the plans to increase the number of horses in training at a time when there have been suggestions that the number of Lipizzaner foals bred at Piber should be reduced - as mentioned in this article in the Kleine Zeitung last week.I hope this will not prove to be the case. Has anyone here ever visited Heldenberg? I would like to go but it is a difficult place to reach on public transport (I have the same problem planning trips to Piber). The press release mentions that visits and tours to the new facilities at Heldenberg will be possible so perhaps the transport in the local area may be developed to make it easier for visitors to get there.
0.08.2009 -
Ab Frühjahr 2010: Aubildungszentrum am Heldenberg
Seit dem Jahr 2005 verbringen die berühmten Lipizzanerhengste der Spanischen Hofreitschule ihre „Sommerferien“ am Heldenberg im niederösterreichischen Schmidatal – etwa 45 km nördlich von Wien. Ab dem kommenden Jahr werden auch ganzjährig junge Hengste am Heldenberg ausgebildet!
Das so genannte Sommerquartier am Heldenberg im Weinviertel in NÖ war bisher zumeist nur wenige Wochen pro Jahr in Betrieb – von Anfang Juli bis etwa Mitte August, wenn die berühmten Lipizzanerhengste der Spanischen Hofreitschule ihre Sommerpause dort verbracht haben. Schon lange wurde aber nach einem geeigneten Platz gesucht, um mehr junge Hengste für die Hohe Schule der Reitkunst ausbilden zu können. Etliche Standorte in Wien und Niederösterreich waren im Gespräch. Aufgrund der bereits vorhandenen, modernsten Infrastruktur ist die Entscheidung nun endgültig zugunsten des Sommerquartiers am Heldenberg gefallen. Um einen ganzjährigen Betrieb zu ermöglichen und um langfristig bis zu 30 junge Hengste dort ausbilden zu können, ist es notwendig, die vorhandenen Stallungen winterfest auszubauen und eine Reithalle zu errichten.
Generaldirektorin, Dkfm. Elisabeth Gürtler: „Der Ausbau des Sommerquartiers am Heldenberg gibt uns die Möglichkeit, eine noch höhere Qualität der Ausbildung sicher stellen zu können. Bisher mussten wir jedes Jahr aus einer Herde von etwa 20 jungen Hengsten im Alter von 3 Jahren eine Entscheidung treffen, welche vier Junghengste wir nach Wien an die Spanische Hofreitschule holen und ausbilden. Durch das größere Platzangebot sind wir ab dem kommenden Jahr in der Lage, bis zu 10 oder auch 15 junge Hengste in die Ausbildung aufzunehmen, und können dann nach dem ersten oder zweiten „Schuljahr“ die absolut Besten für die Spanische Hofreitschule selektieren.“
Fixe drei Standorte der Spanischen Hofreitschule:
Der Ausbau des Standorts Heldenberg zu einem modernen Ausbildungszentrum hat keinerlei Einfluss auf das Gestüt in Piber und die Lipizzanerzucht. In Piber, das ideale Zucht- und Haltungsbedingungen bietet, werden die Lipizzaner seit 1920 gezüchtet.
Wirtschaftsdirektor, Mag. Erwin Klissenbauer: „Alle drei Standorte der Spanischen Hofreitschule – in Wien, Piber und am Heldenberg erfüllen spezielle Aufgaben, die untereinander nicht austauschbar oder ersetzbar sind. Die Zucht in Piber ist essentiell für den Fortbestand der Spanischen Hofreitschule und ihrer Lipizzanerhengste. Die barocke Winterreitschule in Wien ist der historische, unverwechselbare Rahmen für die klassischen Vorführungen der Hohen Schule der Reitkunst und das Sommerquartier und künftige Ausbildungszentrum am Heldenberg ist unverzichtbar für die Erholung der Hengste und ein wichtiger Qualitätsgarant für die Ausbildung. Langfristig wird dadurch auch der vollwertige Aufbau einer zweiten Equipe möglich.“
Um für das Gesamtunternehmen Spanische Hofreitschule-Bundesgestüt Piber eine möglichst solide wirtschaftliche Basis zu garantieren, wurde bereits im Jahr 2008 ein neues Unternehmenskonzept erstellt. Dieses sieht eine ausreichende Anzahl optimal ausgebildeter Pferde vor, um auch bei Auslandstourneen Vorführungen in der Spanischen Hofreitschule in Wien anbieten zu können.
Baumaßnahmen am Heldenberg:
Bereits 2009 wird nach Abschluss aller Behördenverfahren mit dem Ausbau begonnen. Zunächst erfolgen die nötigen Isolierungsarbeiten, um die Stallungen mit den 81 Boxen auch im Winter nutzen zu können.
Noch im Herbst soll mit dem Bau der Reithalle begonnen werden. Diese wird die international gängigen Standardmaße aufweisen und soll auch 300 Plätze für Zuschauer bieten.
Touristischer Nutzen für die Region:
Die Region Schmidatal wird jedenfalls davon profitieren, dass ab dem kommenden Frühjahr ganzjährig Lipizzaner am Heldenberg untergebracht sein werden. Besichtigungen und Führungen in den Stallungen werden während der gesamten Saison möglich sein. Fix ist auch, dass es einmal pro Jahr eine klassische Vorführung am derzeit schon vorhandenen Open air Reitplatz geben wird.
Donnerstag, 20. August 2009
SRS question
First 3 pictures of horses braided and decorated. What occasions would this be done.
{{kisses}}
Romy
Added foto's 249,252,253,254, courtesy Marcia
Mittwoch, 19. August 2009
The Camargue Horse
The Camargue Horse is a small rugged intelligent animal renowned throughout France for its strength and versatility. Over the centuries it has survived the extremely harsh environment of the Rhone Delta, exposed to extremes of hot sun and insects in the summer and the cold of the legendary Mistral wind in the winter.
It is an ancient breed and was probably indigenous to the area in prehistoric times. However, like most ancient breeds its early origins are impossible to state definitively. Certainly, it bears a strong resemblance to cave drawings at Lascaux and Niaux dated c.15000BC. In terms of proportion, it also relates to the remains of prehistoric horses found at Solutre during the 19th century, which are estimated to be as much as 50,000 years old.
The breed is probably best known throughout the world for its colour, but in fact the foals are born black or brown, with only a white star. The famous white coat does not start to develop until after their first year. They have large heads with a flat forehead and a tendency towards a Roman nose. They also have a short neck, deep chest, compact body and well jointed strong limbs with broad based hard wearing hoofs, meaning they seldom need shoes. The mares are usually smaller than geldings or stallions. They have a low set tail, and well-developed hindquarters.
The Camargue has a very distinctive action - the walk is long, high-stepping, and exceptionally active, but the trot is so short and stilted that the horse is rarely ridden at that pace. However, the canter and gallop are extraordinarily free. Agile, sure-footed, and possessed of high courage, the Carmargue horse works the bulls in the area as instinctively as a sheepdog controls a flock of sheep.
Traditionally the Camargue horse is the every day companion and work horse of the "Gardians" who tend the herds of black cattle in the Camargue, but the association goes further than just working companions and no saint's day celebrations in the area would be complete without the spectacular processions and games organised by the Gardians and their horses.
The Camargue conserves its energy for action - this is why, at rest, it often appears relaxed and sleepy. Sensible, lively, agile, brave and with great stamina, it can withstand long fasts, endure bad weather and complete long journeys.
The agility and stamina of the animals has been recognised outside the Camargue, and these small horses are now used for:
Horseball and other equestrian games, dressage, high school, driving and long distance riding, which is now very popular in France.
Their calm unflappable temperament makes them ideal for teaching every branch of equitation. Their versatility and size also makes them the ideal family pony.
Origin: France
Colour: Grey
Height: 13.2 – 14.2hh
Conformation: A coarse, heavy head, short neck and upright shoulders. They are deep through the girth and have good backs.
Dienstag, 18. August 2009
Who is it?? Rider and horse or just horses
lip6. This is a new card for me. It was taken about 1970. Can somebody help with a horse & Rider name Please, hopefully I can come back for awhile. I have missed everybody.
Marcia
Montag, 17. August 2009
Horse & Hound - Editors Choice - 6th August 2009
The following text is shared with kind permission of the Horse & Hound - http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/
"How times have changed in the dressage world! Take a look back at the gold medal-winning performance of Reiner Klimke on Ahlerich at the 1984 Olympic Games. While the horse's movement is far less dramatic than today's top dressage horses, it is a clear picture of harmony between horse and rider with the poll at the highest point throughout and impressive levels of relaxation.
Enjoy!
"How times have changed in the dressage world! Take a look back at the gold medal-winning performance of Reiner Klimke on Ahlerich at the 1984 Olympic Games. While the horse's movement is far less dramatic than today's top dressage horses, it is a clear picture of harmony between horse and rider with the poll at the highest point throughout and impressive levels of relaxation.
Not only have the standards of performance changed, the type of horse has also moved on. Ahlerich is a lighter framed horse compared to the powerful warmbloods seen today at this level."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKbqokuTzh8&feature=PlayList&p=0C292CE88BDDE949&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=16 -Reiner Klimke wins gold at 1984 Olympics
Enjoy!
"DAS GLÜCK DIESER ERDE...". The horse as a courtly motif in art
| Start: | Mar 6, '09 |
| End: | Oct 18, '09 |
| Location: | Kunstmuseum Lichtenstein, Vaduz |
Horse breeding was an important source of economic and socio-political prestige for the House of Liechtenstein, especially as of the 16th century. Horses from Liechtenstein were much sought after for use in exchange for works of art, they were popular as diplomatic gifts and in this connection – solely from a material viewpoint – were of great value. In their hey-day, the studs in Eisgrub, Feldsberg and Lundenburg had between 600 and 800 animals, including working horses, most of them valuable thoroughbreds which were prized above all for their strength.
The high standing of the horse can also be seen in the Princely Collections. Johann Georg and Philipp Ferdinand von Hamilton captured the unmistakable Liechtenstein horses in almost life-size, and many of the House’s rulers had themselves portrayed on horseback. L. de Witte highlighted the beauty of the horses in precious small painted copper panels, almost like miniatures; the great pride of the horses’ owners is evident, as is the considerable effort invested in caring for them.
The exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein showcases the many and varied depictions of the horse in the Princely Collections. Paintings, sculptures and prints communicate the great passion of the princely family for fine horses. These works of art bear striking witness to the past, and their close observation enables us to estimate the meaning these noble animals used to have.
The exhibition “Das Glück dieser Erde …” is organised by the Liechtenstein Museum in Vienna, and curated by Dr. Johann Kräftner, Director of the Princely Collections, Vaduz and the Liechtenstein Museum, Vienna.
Sonntag, 16. August 2009
Budweiser Clydesdales
The Clydesdale Breed
Farmers living in the 19th century along the banks of the River Clyde in Lanarkshire, Scotland, bred the Great Flemish Horse, the forerunner of the Clydesdale. These first draft horses pulled loads of more than 1 ton at a walking speed of five miles per hour. Soon their reputation spread beyond the Scottish borders.
In the mid-1800s, Canadians of Scottish descent brought the first Clydesdales to the United States where the draft horses resumed their existence on farms. Today, the Clydesdales are used primarily for breeding and show.
The Budweiser Clydesdales
The Budweiser Clydesdales have been the symbol of Anheuser-Busch for more than 75 years. They were formally introduced on April 7, 1933, to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition for beer. August A. Busch Jr. and Adolphus Busch III. presented a hitch of horses to their father to celebrate the day. To their father’s delight, the hitch thundered down Pestalozzi Street carrying the first case of post-Prohibition beer from the St. Louis brewery.
Hitch Requirements
To qualify for one of the hitches, a Budweiser Clydesdale must be a gelding at least four years of age. He must stand 72 inches, or 6 feet, at the shoulder when fully mature; weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds; be bay in color; and have four white stocking feet, a blaze of white on the face and a black mane and tail.
Hitch Locations
Traveling Budweiser Clydesdale hitches are based in St. Louis, Mo.; Boonville, Mo.; Merrimack, N.H.; and San Antonio, Texas. The Budweiser Clydesdales can be viewed at the Anheuser Busch breweries in St. Louis, Merrimack and Ft. Collins, Colo.
The Budweiser Clydesdales also may be viewed at Grant’s Farm in St. Louis and at the following Anheuser-Busch theme parks: Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va., and Tampa, Fla., and at the SeaWorld theme parks in Orlando, Fla.; San Diego, Calif.; and San Antonio, Texas.
The Clydesdale Dalmatian
On March 30, 1950, in commemoration of the opening of the Newark Brewery, a Dalmatian was introduced as the Budweiser Clydesdales’ mascot. Now, a Dalmatian travels with each of the Clydesdale hitches.
The Budweiser Clydesdale Stables are home to approximately 35 Clydesdale mares, stallions and foals. Anheuser-Busch has one of the world's largest herds of Clydesdale horses and owns approximately 250 nationwide. Grant's Farm, where up to 15 foals are born each year, is one of the breeding operations for the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales.
Only the finest Clydesdales become part of the Budweiser teams. The physical requirements are strict. The ideal Budweiser Clydesdale should possess the following characteristics:
• The full-grown Clydesdale should stand 18 hands (about 6 feet) at the shoulder and weigh between 2,000 and 2,300 pounds.
• The ideal horse is bay in color, has a blaze of white on its face, a black mane and black tail.
• Most important, the Clydesdale will have white feathering on all four legs and feet.
• All hitch horses are geldings, characterized by their even temperament and stronger, more natural draft horse appearance.
Donnerstag, 13. August 2009
Empress Elisabeth of Austria
Elisabeth had difficulty adapting to the strict etiquette practiced at the Habsburg court. Nevertheless, she bore the emperor three children in quick succession: Archduchess Sophie of Austria (1855–1857), Archduchess Gisela of Austria (1856–1932), and the hoped-for crown prince, Rudolf (1858–1889). In 1860, she left Vienna after contracting a lung-disease which was presumably psychosomatic. She spent the winter in Madeira and only returned to Vienna after having visited the Ionian Islands. Soon after that she fell ill again and returned to Corfu.
National unrest within the Habsburg monarchy caused by the rebellious Hungarians led, in 1867, to the foundation of the Austro–Hungarian double monarchy. Elisabeth had always sympathized with the Hungarian cause and, reconciled and reunited with her alienated husband, she joined Francis Joseph in Budapest, where their coronation took place. In due course, their fourth child, Archduchess Marie Valerie was born (1868–1924). Afterwards, however, she again took up her former life of restlessly travelling through Europe. Elisabeth was denied any major influence on her older children's upbringing, however — they were raised by her mother-in-law Princess Sophie of Bavaria, who often referred to Elisabeth as their "silly young mother."
Elisabeth embarked on a life of travel, seeing very little of her offspring, visiting places such as Madeira, Hungary, England and Corfu. At Corfu she commissioned the building of a palace which she called the Achilleion, after Homer's hero Achilles in The Iliad. After her death, the building was purchased by German Emperor Wilhelm II.
She became known not only for her beauty, but for her fashion sense, diet and exercise regimens, passion for riding sports, and a series of reputed lovers. She paid extreme attention to her appearance and would spend most of her time preserving her beauty. She often shopped at Antal Alter, now Alter és Kiss, which had become very popular with the fashion-crazed crowd, as described by the famous 19th-century writer Richard Rado:
“Everyone, from the most wealthy, to the upper middle class… almost every woman visited the shop. The shop's name even extended beyond the country’s borders… Elizabeth of Austria-Hungary (Sisi), wife of Francis Joseph I and Queen of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, was also among its clients.
Her diet and exercise regimens were strictly enforced to maintain her 20-inch (50 cm) waistline and reduced her to near emaciation at times (symptoms of what is now recognised as anorexia).
One of her alleged lovers was George "Bay" Middleton, a dashing Anglo–Scot who was probably the father of Clementine Ogilvy Hozier (the wife of Winston Churchill). She also tolerated, to a certain degree, Franz Joseph's affair with actress Katharina Schratt.
The Empress also engaged in writing poetry (such as the "Nordseelieder" and "Winterlieder", both inspirations from her favorite German poet, Heinrich Heine). Shaping her own fantasy world in poetry, she referred to herself as Titania, Shakespeare's Fairy Queen. Most of her poetry refers to her journeys, classical Greek and romantic themes, as well as ironic mockery on the Habsburg dynasty. In these years, Elisabeth also took up with an intensive study of both ancient and modern Greek, drowning in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Numerous Greek lecturers (such as Marinaky, Christomanos, and Barker) had to accompany the Empress on her hour-long walks while reading Greek to her. According to contemporary scholars, Empress Elisabeth knew Greek better than any of the Bavarian Greek Queens in the 19th century.
In 1889, Elisabeth's life was shattered by the death of her only son: 30-year-old Crown Prince Rudolf and his young lover Baroness Mary Vetsera were found dead, apparently by suicide. The scandal is known by the name Mayerling, after the name of Rudolf's hunting lodge in Lower Austria.
After Rudolf's death, the Empress continued to be an icon, a sensation wherever she went: a long black gown that could be buttoned up at the bottom, a white parasol made of leather and a brown fan to hide her face from curious looks became the trademarks of the legendary Empress of Austria. Only a few snapshots of Elisabeth in her last years are left, taken by photographers who were lucky enough to catch her without her noticing. The moments Elisabeth would show up in Vienna and see her husband were rare. Interestingly, their correspondence increased during those last years and the relationship between the Empress and the Emperor of Austria had become platonic and warm. On her imperial steamer, Miramar, Empress Elisabeth travelled restlessly through the Mediterranean. Her favourite places were Cap Martin on the French Riviera, where tourism had only started in the second half of the 19th century, Lake Geneva in Switzerland, Bad Ischl in Austria, where she would spend her summers, and Corfu. More than that, the Empress had visited countries no other Northern royal went to at the time: Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Malta, Greece, Turkey and Egypt. Travel had become the sense of her life but also an escape from herself.
On 10 September 1898, in Geneva, Switzerland, Elisabeth, aged 60, was stabbed in the heart with a sharpened file by a young anarchist named Luigi Lucheni, in an act of propaganda of the deed. She had been walking along the promenade of Lake Geneva about to board steamship Genève for Montreux with her lady-of-courtesy, Countess Sztaray, when she was attacked. Unaware of the severity of her condition she still boarded the ship. Bleeding to death from a puncture wound to the heart, Elisabeth's last words were "What happened to me?" The strong pressure from her corset kept the bleeding back until the corset was removed. Only then did her staff and surrounding onlookers understand the severity of the situation. Reportedly, her assassin had hoped to kill a prince from the House of Orléans and, failing to find him, turned on Elisabeth instead. As Lucheni afterward said, "I wanted to kill a royal. It did not matter which one."
The empress was buried in the Imperial Crypt "Kapuzinergruft" in Vienna's city centre which has for centuries served as the Imperial burial place.
Mittwoch, 12. August 2009
Emperor Hirohito
In the months following Hirohito's meeting with MacArthur, stateside newspapers printed stories that confirmed the emperor's abasement. To a surprising degree, the status of Hirohito's infamous white horse was a subject of considerable interest. During the war, the horse served for U.S. commentators as a symbol of Hirohito's power and role in Japanese expansionism. Prelude to War, an OWI-produced film about Japan's road to Pearl Harbor, depicted Hirohito (as one review of the movie described him) "in solemn seriousness on his white charger at a review of Japanese military might." Admiral William Halsey had capitalized on this image, famously pledging to ride the horse through the streets of Tokyo after the war. In postsurrender accounts full of symbolic undertones, the New York Times and Los Angeles Times covered the fate of this animal that was seen as part of Hirohito's connection to military life. An American Army lieutenant appropriated the horse and ostentatiously paraded it during a staged rodeo in November 1945. "Hirohito's white horse ... has been ridden by an American," exclaimed one newspaper. Over the next weeks, the New York Times reported the lieutenant had taken full possession of the horse, and in early January covered transportation of the animal to the United States.
The REAL "horse whisperer"
if anybody has problems with "handling" a lipizzaner mare, just call cosmo, the little cavalier king charles spaniel. i never saw a little dog bulliying a horse like that ! :D
Montag, 10. August 2009
Training aids....
I'm interested to hear other's views on training aids, particularly side reins. I have been thinking about them a lot recently!
I used to use side reins routinely on the lunge, because that's what I was taught to do. I've also used a pessoa - the horse this was actually useful on was my old tb x, who fractured his pelvis some years ago. It improved his proprioception a little, he liked to trail his hind legs just a wee bit too much. I've also experimented with chambons & de gogues.
Then I started to question things more, and decided to ditch the gadgets. So far I haven't felt the need to use them at all on my young horse, I did plenty of in hand work off the bridle before he was backed so he knew all about the bit and how to respond to a few different rein aids.
I have actually been disobedient and gone against my trainer's advice on this point - he told me to use side reins on the lunge before backing to get him used to a contact, but I didn't feel comfortable with it so I didn't... Trainer came back for a clinic in May and was really pleased with my horse's progress, so I didn't confess to not using the side reins!
I have a pair of plain leather vienna reins and did actually put them on my horse once, on the lunge, just to see what he would do. He normally lunges quite well, like most Lipis he tends towards a high head carriage but he's learning to use his back more and normally lunges in quite good form with no auxiliary reins. With the vienna reins loosely fitted, he immediately went hollow and resistant, he just did not like the feel. Which is quite strange, as he is fine with rein contact and aids under saddle.
My current thinking is that even the plain leather side reins give a fixed feel to the horse, nowhere near the responsive and educated feel that a good hand gives to the horse. So what does the horse learn from this contact? Does he learn to lean a little, or to tuck his nose behind the fixed feeling? The side reins with elastic or rubber inserts can only give a more inconsistent feel - the rubber donuts bounce horribly and the elastic I do think encourages leaning and a harder mouth.
So why do we use them? I just don't understand using them to educate a horse about contact, because it's surely better to do that from the ground. What does a side rein do if the horse tries to lean, snatch, hollow, overbend, etc? Nothing! The rider or handler can correct that immediately. And on the lunge, even on a trained horse - the fixed and unmoving contact of the side rein cannot be anything like a rider contact. Do the horses really need it? What happens if we leave the side reins off - is there an immediate difference in the horse's way of going? If so, what does that tell us about his training and his understanding of the way he should be using his body?
I'd be really interested to hear thoughts on this, especially from people with lots of horses in training. I'd love to have a yard full of horses I could experiment with, but sadly, I don't! I only know what mine have taught me, and what my pupil's horses teach me. But I'm still learning, still have a lot to learn, and could be barking up completely the wrong tree.....
A very silly question....
But I thought this was the best place to ask!
I'm going to an evening performance at the SRS in September and have seats in the parterreloge. Is it cold in there? I know a lot of display arenas like that can feel really cold when you're just sitting down watching, and being a typical girl, I am wondering what to wear!
Thanks 
Mittwoch, 5. August 2009
Viennese Imperial Stables ~1900: Men in side saddle!
The Imperial Stables in Vienna (nowadays the "Museumsquartier", across the "Kulturhistorisches & Naturhistorisches Museum"), kept almost 600 horses for the daily use of the imperial court. Here the famous grey and black Kladruber stallions for the official ceremonies were stabled. But also hundreds of Lipizzaners for daily luxury carriages. And brown Kladrubian crossbreds for common transportation, and Noriker for heavy transports.
Also the riding horses of the imperial court were stabled and trained here, including the riding horses for the noble ladies. And who trained those horses for side saddle...? Right, the male riding staff ! (Leader of this riding staff was a Oberbereiter of the SRS)
Please find some unique pictures, which I found in the archives of the Federal Stud of Piber, Austria
Dienstag, 4. August 2009
Miracle of the White Stallions
Miracle of the White Stallions is a 1963 film released by Walt Disney starring Robert Taylor (playing Alois Podhajsky), Lilli Palmer, and Eddie Albert. It is the story of the evacuation of the Lipizzaner horses from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna during World War II.
In WWII Austria, Col. Alois Podhajsky sets out to protect his beloved Lipizzaner stallions and make sure that they are surrendered into the right hands. It is known that Patton is something of a horse fancier and might help, if he sees the stallions perform.
Robert Taylor - Col. Podhajsky
Lilli Palmer - Vedena Podhajsky
Curd Jürgens - Gen. Tellheim
Eddie Albert - Rider Otto
James Franciscus - Maj. Hoffman
John Larch - Gen. Patton
Brigitte Horney - Countess Arco-Valley
Philip Abbott - Col. Reed
Douglas Fowley - U.S. General
Charles Regnier - Gen. Stryker
Fritz Wepper - Rider Hans
Guenther Haenel - Groom Sascha
Hans Habietinek - Innkeeper Hager
Philo Hauser - Dispatcher
Michael Janisch - Refugee Leader
Max Haufler - Engineer
Robert Dietl - German MP Captain
Erik Schumann - German Capt. Danhoff
Helmuth Janatsch - Intruder
Michael Tellering - Stryker's Adjutant
User Comment (imdb.com):
This exceptional live-action Walt Disney adventure-drama might have benefited from a warmer actor in the lead role, but Robot Taylor (pun intended) nevertheless brings strength and conviction to the part of an angry but caring man. The supporting cast is uniformly excellent, especially Lilli Palmer and Curt Jurgens who supply a depth of emotion to a dry and unsentimental story.
The film works the family-oriented animal interest of the Lippizan horses into the framework of a dramatic and often suspenseful wartime adventure. One needn't be a horse-lover to be caught up in the story and end up caring about the animals which in this film are symbols of art, grace and beauty surviving a war-torn world. The audience is teased with glimpses of the stallions at play and in training and learns to appreciate their value so that the full-blown horse-show finale comes as a welcome joy.
The well-produced movie was filmed on location in Austria and is handsomely photographed. There is a gripping battle scene and adults will be impressed with the maturity of the entire project.
User comment (allmovie.com):
In a rather confusing and slow-paced manner, this wartime drama about a real-life dilemma is meant to highlight the dedication of Colonel Alois Podhajsky (Robert Taylor), the instructor at a prestigious Vienna equestrian school. The colonel is in charge of the safety and health of the royal Lipizzaner horses and he has a serious problem. He has not been able to secure German permission to leave for a safe haven with the horses and, at the same time, he has to get them together with the Lipizzaner mares in order to continue the species. The trouble is that the mares are in the hands of the enemy. And so the colonel sets out to get the horses through a German checkpoint, and convince General Patton (James Franciscus) to help him with his mission.
Sonntag, 2. August 2009
Lis Hartel
Lis Hartel (March 14, 1921 – February 12, 2009) was a Danish equestrian athlete. Hartel became the first woman in equestrianism to win an Olympic medal when she won silver medals at the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics in dressage. She accomplished this feat despite being paralysed below the knees as a result of polio and required assistance on and off her horse. She has had a large impact on horsemanship in Denmark. She also was given a lot of credit for starting the movement for therapeutic riding schools, in fact one in Holland is named the Lis Hartel in honor of her.
The Danish Equestrian Federation announced that Hartel had died on February 12, 2009. She was 87.
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