Who and where is this?

Terri Wagner posted this photo on her site. Thank you Terri!

Who is this?__ New Foto

I came across this picture from the Deutsches Bundesarchiv. The photographer is listed as "unknown".
It is dated Januar 1932 and this is the description with it-
"Vollblut und beherrschte Kraft ! Ein Hengst der weltberühmten Wiener-spanischen Reitschule in wundervoller Gangart."



If anyone knows who it is and where it was taken, I would love to know.

Romy

2nd foto-
"Die weltberühmte Wiener spanische Reitschule will demnächst in Deutschland gastieren! Morgenarbeit der weltberühmten Wiener spanischen Reitschule, dessen Leistungen bsher unerreicht sind."

Date September 1930

Source Deutsches Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archive), Bild 102-10347

Author o.Ang.

1962 foto-
Old signature: 12598
Original title: Bundespräsident Heinrich Lübke und Wilhelmine Lübke (untere Reihe in der Mitte) während einer Galavorführung der Spanischen Reitschule.
Dating: 28. März 1962
Photographer: Steiner, Egon
Origin: Bundesregierung

1986 foto-
Original title: V.r. in der vorderen Reihe sitzend: der österreichische Bundespräsident Rudolf Kirchschläger, Marianne von Weizsäcker, Bundespräsident Richard von Weizsäcker und Herma Kirschschläger beim Besuch der spanischen Reitschule
Dating: 19. März 1986
Photographer: Schaack, Lothar
Origin: Bundesregierung

I'm Robert Cosm챕... Welcome! - My favorite photos...

http://robertcosme1.multiply.com/photos/album/60/The_Magnificent_Lipizzaner_Stallions
This is my horse album, a collection of pictures! Enjoy!

Russian Horseguard and Riding School

Some of the uniforms worn by officers of the Horse Guards in 1856. Count Lambert, in command, is seen surrounded by officers; in the background the Great Riding School, in St. Petersburg. A. Gobens

The quarters occupied by the Horse Guards in St. Petersburg covered a large area. The ground floor was occupied by the regimental stables, above them on the first floor were the barrack-rooms of the four squadrons and the auxiliary companies, and on the second floor the flats occupied by officers and a few civil officials in the regimental service.

Regimental quarters also comprised the Great and the Small Riding Schools. All military exercise whether on foot or on horse-back took place at the Great Riding School and it was there that every year on March 25th., Our Lady's Annunciation Day and Commemoration Day of the Horse Guards, a solemn Te Deum was sung, followed by a review on foot held by H. M. the Emperor. Again the Great Riding School was the scene of regimental " concours hippiques " for officers and men as well as of riding exercise in which all officers took part under the personal supervision of the Commander or the senior colonel. And, finally, it was at the Great Riding School that all inspections by commanding generals, hearing of complaints, horse parades, inspections of senior and junior contingents etc. took place, as did also the traditional review held by each new commanding officer on entering upon his duties. The Great Riding School was the very centre of regimental life and activity, with hardly an interval, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Small Riding School was much less in size, it was used by officers only and its character was more intimate. Every day all lieutenants and sub-lieutenants look their riding exercise there; there also horses were trained for the "concours hippique". In the evening, during Lent, officers sometimes arranged carrousels and gymkhanas at the Small Riding School to which officers' families and guests were invited.

The Horse Guards were mounted on black horses. Each officer was obliged to keep at least two chargers. Within the last ten years before the outbreak of the war many officers' chargers had been imported from England, and it was the high class of their mounts that enabled the Horse Guards' officers' team to win three of the four great four miles steeple chases run at Krasnoie Selo in the presence of the Emperor and thus to secure His Majesty's prize.
The uniforms worn by officers of the Horse Guards were very numerous, a special uniform having to he worn at nearly every official function. The men's uniforms were also highly elaborate, although less so than the uniforms of the officers.

The Officers' Mess of the Horse Guards was one of the largest and most beautiful in St. Petersburg and contained a very great number of works of art, to say nothing of the priceless collections belonging to the Horse Guards' Museum. Due to the generosity of Russian Monarchs and to that of officers of the Horse Guards more pieces were constantly being added. The vestry of the cathedral of the Annunciation, the regimental church of the Horse Guards, also contained a large number of works of art of inestimable historic value, nearly all of which were presents of Emperors and Empresses of Russia.

The Horse Guards were the oldest cavalry regiment in the Imperial Russian Guards' Corps whose Colonel-in-Chief was the reigning Emperor, and they enjoyed all the rights and privileges conferred upon them by their high rank. Most of the monarchs who reigned in Russia were placed on the rolls of the Horse Guards as Heirs Apparent on the very day of their birth. The constant favour in which Russian Sovereigns held the Horse Guards is also shown by the fact that most of the Grand Dukes of Russia were placed on their rolls and that a large number of officers were selected from the Horse Guards to join His Majesty's Suite. It may indeed be said that, as regards the number of their officers appointed to serve in His Majesty's Suite, the Horse Guards ranked first among the regiments of the Imperial Guards. Following His Majesty and the Heir Apparent, other Members of the Imperial Family placed on the rolls of the Horse Guards at the time of the outbreak of the revolution were: Grand Duke Paul of Russia and his son Grand Duke Dmitri of Russia, Grand Duke Constantine and his brother Grand Duke Dmitri of Russia, Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia and Prince John of Russia.

Any young gentleman wishing to become an officer in the Horse Guards had to submit, before obtaining his commission, to a rigorous secret ballot by the Officers' Corps. In most cases candidates were young gentlemen whose ancestors, fathers or near relations had held commissions in the Horse Guards in former years. It was this selection founded to a great extent on the hereditary principle, that was responsible for the ardent love officers of the Horse Guards have always felt for the regiment to which they were bound by so many family ties and traditions, for the rigorous and rigid discipline loyally observed by them on duty as in private life, for their high concept of honour and duty and for their boundless loyalty and fidelity toward their Sovereign. All officers of the Horse Guards were personally known to H. M. the Emperor.

The Horse Guards formed part of the garrison of St. Petersburg and their service was therefore very brilliant, but also very expensive. Officers hardly ever received their pay; as a rule it scarcely sufficed to cover necessary expenses of regimental life. In order therefore to be in a position to hold a commission in the Horse Guards an officer had to be in possession of ample private means. Most of the officers of the Horse Guards, whether married or single, lived in large flats placed at their disposal in the regimental barracks. An orderly chosen from among the men of his squadron was attached to the person of every officer.

Living Tradition

If somebody might believe that all royal protocol, tradition and habits are condemned to museums..... please find a picture how we maintain this in The Netherlands....

August 13, 2008  U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, James B. Culbertson, presented his credentials to Her Majesty Queen Beatrix at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague.

Since our present Queen Beatrix became the monarch (1980) she let revive the old court habits in optima forma. (Don't be afraid, we do have a democracy over here ;-)) As a horse lover, she reorganized and increased the Royal Stables, into the mid 19th century glance.

She also reestablished  the habit that new ambassadors, who should present their credentials to the Queen according to the international protocol,  are fetched by a royal carriage from their embassies , and brought to her palace in the center of  The Hague.

Above you see a picture of that event of the US-ambassador last year.

According to experts, (like Hans Brabenetz in Vienna), our Royal Stables are the best preserved in its kind in the world - even better than the Royal Mews in London, or the equerries in Kopenhagen or Stockholm)

See:   http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/content.jsp?objectid=4515

The famous "Gouden Koets" (Golden carriage) is still in use, once a year during the traditional opening of the parliament (always in September), equipped by 8 horses (alternately by 8 Friesians or 8 black warmbloods)

The rule of the hoof code, with horse and rider statues!

I am totally crazy about horse statues, I also have them on my stable, as you can see on my picture!

But to see historical statues with a story behind the person and horse, I like the most!
         It is amazing how they can create such a beautiful peace of art!


























































 


Folk wisdom has it that equestrian statues contain a code whereby the rider's fate can be determined by noting how many hooves the horse has raised. The most common theory has it that if one hoof is raised, the rider was wounded in battle (possibly dying of those wounds later but not necessarily so); two raised hooves, death in battle; all four hooves on the ground, the rider survived all battles unharmed.

The hoof code mostly holds true in terms of Gettysburg equestrian statues, but there is at least one exception. James Longstreet wasn't wounded in this battle yet his horse has one foot raised.

Even the most cursory look at the statues around Washington, D.C. quickly disproves that the hoof code at all holds sway in that locale.



Washington is home to more equestrian statues than any other city in the nation, and it's significant that perhaps only 10 out of 30 or more follow the convention. Here's a quick look-see at various equestrian statues in Washington and how they fit or don't fit this theory. First, some statues that follow the "rule":


    * FRANCIS ASBURY: 16th and Mount Pleasant NW (1924). All hooves on ground; died in peace.











FIELD MARSHAL SIR JOHN DILL: Arlington National Cemetery (1950). All hooves on ground; died of leukemia







GEN. ULYSSES S. GRANT: Union Square, at the east end of the Mall (1922). All hooves on ground; died in peace









MAJ. GEN. WINFIELD SCOTT HANCOCK: Seventh and Pennsylvania NW (1896). One hoof raised; wounded in battle.











MAJ. GEN. JOHN A. LOGAN: Logan Circle, Vermont Avenue, 13th and P Streets NW (1901). One hoof raised; died in peace, twice wounded.





GEN. PHILIP H. SHERIDAN: Sheridan Circle, 23rd and Massachusetts NW (1908). All hooves on ground; died in peace.



                                                                           
  

MAJ. GEN. GEORGE H. THOMAS: Thomas Circle, 14th and Massachusetts NW (1879). All hooves on ground; died in peace






                And now some that don't follow the "rules" of the code.





MAJ. GEN. ANDREW JACKSON: Lafayette Park (1853). Two hooves raised; died in peace




                                                                                  
                                                             
LT. GEN. THOMAS J. (STONEWALL) JACKSON: Manassas (1940). All hooves on ground; wounded by own men and died



                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                                                                           

                                                             
MAJ. GEN. GEORGE B. McCLELLAN: Connecticut Avenue and Columbia Road NW (1907). One hoof raised; died in peace, unwounded.






LT. GEN. GEORGE WASHINGTON: Washington Circle, at 23rd and K and Pennsylvania and New Hampshire NW (1860). One hoof raised; died in peace of cynache trachealis. Washington Cathedral (1959). One hoof raised.







An additional rumored statue code is prevalent in Virginia's Monument Avenue in Richmond. The Civil War statues honoring Gens. Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, J.E.B. Stuart, and Confederate President Jefferson Davis are pointed in distinct directions, according to local lore. Those who died in the war face north. If they survived, they face south.

Upon examination, local lore appears to have something going for it. Ah, but appearances are deceiving. The equestrian statues of Lee, facing south, and Jackson, facing north, do fit the formula, and the horse of Stuart, who was mortally wounded at Yellow Tavern in 1864, faces north. The heads of Stuart, Davis, and Matthew Fontaine Maury face east.

"To the best of anyone's knowledge, the position and pose of the statue do not signify anything," said Frances Pollard, a curator at the Virginia Historical Society.

Amazons

Amazons were said to have lived in Pontus, which is part of modern day Turkey near the shore of the Euxine Sea (the Black Sea). There they formed an independent kingdom under the government of a queen named Hippolyta or Hippolyte ("loose, unbridled mare"). The Amazons were supposed to have founded many towns, amongst them Smyrna, Ephesus, Sinope, and Paphos. According to the dramatist Aeschylus, in the distant past they had lived in Scythia (modern Crimea), at the Palus Maeotis ("Lake Maeotis", the Sea of Azov), but later moved to Themiscyra on the River Thermodon (the Terme river in northern Turkey). Herodotus called them Androktones ("killers of men"), and he stated that in the Scythian language they were called Oiorpata, which he asserted had this meaning.
In some versions of the myth, no men were permitted to have sexual encounters or reside in Amazon country; but once a year, in order to prevent their race from dying out, they visited the Gargareans, a neighbouring tribe. The male children who were the result of these visits were either killed, or sent back to their fathers or exposed in the wilderness to fend for themselves; the females were kept and brought up by their mothers, and trained in agricultural pursuits, hunting, and the art of war. In other versions when the Amazons went to war they would not kill all the men. Some they would take as slaves, and once or twice a year they would have sex with their slaves.
In the Iliad, the Amazons were referred to as Antianeira ("those who fight like men").
The Amazons appear in Greek art of the Archaic period and in connection with several Greek legends. They invaded Lycia, but were defeated by Bellerophon, who was sent against them by Iobates, the king of that country, in the hope that he might meet his death at their hands (Iliad, vi. 186). The tomb of Myrine is mentioned in the Iliad; later interpretation made of her an Amazon: according to Diodorus, Queen Myrine led her Amazons to victory against Libya and much of Gorgon.
They attacked the Phrygians, who were assisted by Priam, then a young man. Although in his later years, towards the end of the Trojan War, his old opponents took his side again against the Greeks under their queen Penthesilea "of Thracian birth" (Quintus Smyrnaeus), who was slain by Achilles, in the Aethiopis[8] that continued the Iliad.
One of the tasks imposed upon Heracles by Eurystheus was to obtain possession of the girdle of the Amazonian queen Hippolyte (Apollodorus ii. 5). He was accompanied by his friend Theseus, who carried off the princess Antiope, sister of Hippolyte, an incident which led to a retaliatory invasion of Attica, in which Antiope perished fighting by the side of Theseus. In some versions, however, Theseus marries Hippolyta and in others, he marries Antiope and she does not die. The battle between the Athenians and Amazons is often commemorated in an entire genre of art, amazonomachy, in marble bas-reliefs such as from the Parthenon or the sculptures of the mausoleum of Halicarnassus.
The Amazons are also said to have undertaken an expedition against the island of Leuke, at the mouth of the Danube, where the ashes of Achilles had been deposited by Thetis. The ghost of the dead hero appeared and so terrified the horses, that they threw and trampled upon the invaders, who were forced to retire. Pompey is said to have found them in the army of Mithridates.
They are heard of in the time of Alexander, when some of the great king's biographers make mention of Amazon Queen Thalestris visiting him and becoming a mother by him. However, several other biographers of Alexander dispute the claim, including the highly regarded secondary source, Plutarch. In his writing he makes mention of a moment when Alexander's secondary naval commander, Onesicritus, was reading the Amazon passage of his Alexander history to King Lysimachus of Thrace who was on the original expedition: the king smiled at him and said "And where was I, then?"
The Roman writer Virgil's characterization of the Volscian warrior maiden Camilla in the Aeneid borrows heavily from the myth of the Amazons.

UK - Cremello classes a first at annual palomino show

Horse & Hound 27th June 2009 - http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/285135.html 

The British Palomino Society (BPS) is offering classes for cremello horses at its annual show for the first time this year.

Perhaps this will tempt Bobby to tell us about his 3yr old Cremello entire!

Michael Whitaker suspected of doping at La Baule

Horse & Hound 29th June2009 - http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/285171.html 

Michael Whitaker has been suspended from competition by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) for an alleged doping offence.

Traces of the hormone altrenogest, which is found in Regumate given to in-season mares, were found in a sample taken from Mr Whitaker's stallion Tackeray at La Baule on 14 May.

Lady Godiva

According to the popular story, Lady Godiva took pity on the people of Coventry, who were suffering grievously under her husband's oppressive taxation. Lady Godiva appealed again and again to her husband, who obstinately refused to remit the tolls. At last, weary of her entreaties, he said he would grant her request if she would strip naked and ride through the streets of the town. Lady Godiva took him at his word and, after issuing a proclamation that all persons should keep within doors and shut their windows, she rode through the town, clothed only in her long hair. Only one person in the town, a tailor ever afterwards known as Peeping Tom, disobeyed her proclamation in one of the most famous instances of voyeurism. In the story, Tom bores a hole in his shutters so that he might see Godiva pass, and is struck blind. In the end, Godiva's husband keeps his word and abolishes the onerous taxes.
The oldest form of the legend has Godiva passing through Coventry market from one end to the other while the people were assembled, attended only by two knights. This version is given in Flores Historiarum by Roger of Wendover (died 1236), a somewhat gullible collector of anecdotes, who quoted from an earlier writer. The later story, with its episode of "Peeping Tom," appeared first among 17th century chroniclers.
At the time, it was customary for penitents to make a public procession in only their shift, a sleeveless white garment similar to a slip today and one which was certainly considered "underwear." Thus, some scholars speculate, Godiva may have actually travelled through town as a penitent, in her shift. Godiva's story may have passed into folk history to be recorded in a romanticised version. Another theory has it that Lady Godiva's "nakedness" may refer to her riding through the streets stripped of her jewellery, the trademark of her upper class rank. However, both these attempts to reconcile known facts with legend are weak; there is no known use of the word "naked" in the era of the earliest accounts to mean anything other than "without any clothing whatsoever."
Moreover, there is no trace of any version of the story in sources contemporary with Godiva, a story that would certainly have been recorded even in its most tame interpretations. Additionally, with the founding of Coventry circa 1043, there was little opportunity for the city to have developed to an extent that would have supported such a noble gesture. Lastly, the only recorded tolls were on horses. Thus, it remains doubtful whether there is any historical basis for the famous ride.
Like the story of Peeping Tom, the claim that Godiva's long hair effectively hid her nakedness from sight is generally believed to have been a later addition. Certain other thematic elements are familiar in myth and fable: the resistant Lord (cf. Esther and Ahasuerus), the exacted promise, the stringent condition and the test of chastity. Even if Peeping Tom is a late addition, his being struck blind demonstrates the closely knit themes of the violated mystery and the punished intruder (cf. Diana and Actaeon).

Gala- Oct. 22, 2008

Rehearsal for a fund raising gala, on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008, at the Spanische Hofreitschule in Vienna. It was the first time since the middle of the 16th century that foreign horses and riders are hosted in this traditional establishment.

Morgans in China

Since this group seems to like historical items, here is a link to an article that I wrote for the Long Rider's Guild.  http://www.lrgaf.org/articles/morgans.htm 

After WWII, the Chinese were looking to improve their native horses.  They sent a delegation to the US and bought some Morgans.  Shortly after the Morgans arrived in China, the Chinese Revolution erupted and the horses were lost in history.  My assignment was to find out what happened to them...

Indian Wedding Horses

The groom, leaves for the wedding venue riding a decorated horse or elephant. This is a very colorful and grand ceremony. The groom is dressed in a sherwani (long jacket) and 'churidars' (fitted trousers). On his head he wears a 'sehra' (turban) with a 'kalgi' (brooch) pinned onto it. The turban usually has flowers extending from it to keep the grooms face covered during the wedding ceremony.
Before he departs, his relatives apply the ceremonial 'tilak' on his forehead and his sister feeds the horse or elephant sweetened grain. The 'baraat' (consisting of the groom seated on the horse or elephant, and relatives and friends of the groom) is headed by the dancing of the congregated folks. Accompanied by the rhythm of the north Indian dholak, the baraat reaches the place of the wedding.
Upon arriving at the venue of the wedding, the groom is welcomed by a welcome song. This is called "talota". Then the groom knocks on the door with his sword and enters.

Zeremonial-, Gala- und Staatswagen des Wiener Hofes

Prior to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the Imperial Court Stables (today’s Museumsquartier compound) housed over 600 vehicles of the most diverse types. The privilege of using court carriages was not limited just to the Imperial Family; it was also enjoyed by individuals ranging from dignitaries and servants to court actors and squires. The spectrum of vehicles—which ranged from baroque ornamental carriages to gala, recreational and everyday carriages and cargo automobiles—was commensurately large.

Part of this fleet was taken over in 1918 by the representatives of the new Republic, and another part of it had to be handed over to the Empire’s successor states. Furthermore, numerous vehicles went to the newly created “Bundes-Fuhrwerksbetrieb” (a federally owned transport company), and these were then used for commercial purposes. The remainder were auctioned off to private buyers in order to supplement the empty state treasury.

Following the war years, the historic carriages of the Viennese Court that, from the mid-19th century onwards, had been viewable for a fee by the general the public were once again put on public display. But in the year 1922, when the former Court Stables—where the carriages were kept—was needed by the trade fair organiser Messe-AG, the historic vehicles were turned over to the Kunsthistorisches Museum. They were transferred to the former Winter Riding School at Schönbrunn Palace, where they are still housed today.

The official liveries and uniforms had lost their function following the disbanding of the court. The Kunsthistorisches Museum, therefore, had suggested in 1921 that at least part of these be preserved for museum purposes. But since they had been laid claim to by four state offices, 1922 saw only a very small selection of these items actually entrusted to the museum’s care, while the lion's share were turned over to ministries and to the Austrian State Theatre.

At first, the two new collections of the Museum of Carriages and the Department of Court Uniforms were attached to the Weaponry Collection (today’s Collection of Arms and Armour), where they received but little attention. This applied particularly to the Department of Court Uniforms, from which numerous pieces were sold or rented out to film production companies. The forced remittance of items to Germany’s Wehrmacht, such as the entire winter wardrobe of the servants, further decimated the collection’s inventory.

This situation changed when collection curator Erwin Auer succeeded in defining both the Museum of Carriages and the Department of Court Uniforms as independent, unified collections under his direction between 1947 and 1950. He assumed the Herculean task of first compiling an inventory of the as yet completely unordered holdings, producing basic descriptions and collecting eyewitness accounts. A further task was to successively repair the physical damage to the Carriage Collection that had occurred during the Second World War. Nearly half of the “Imperial Carriages”, for instance, had been smashed as a result of bomb hits.

The acquisition policy pursued with regard to the Department of Court Uniforms during this period was characterised by great foresight: alongside a multitude of uniforms worn by diplomats, civil servants and court dignitaries, objects of the Imperial Family and the great noble houses were purchased for prices that—from a present-day standpoint—were exceedingly low.

In the evaluation, research and reception of the items held by the Museum of Carriages and the Department of Court Uniforms, a new trend can be made out for the period that began in the 1990s. It is by now taken for granted that the show carriages of the ruling houses are artistically significant exponents of their respective eras: but also regarding the history of technology and in terms of research on courtly life and ceremonial practice, the holdings of the two collections are of the utmost interest. This fact is now being done justice within the collection through intensive fundamental research. From 2001 to 2007, the archives of the Oberststallmeisteramt, totalling thousands of fascicules, were systematically gone through and digitally catalogued for the first time ever. This project created a solid basis for further research on the collection holdings for decades to come.

Long reining a Lippi in NE Scotland

Before

Bobby,
you shared these pictures with me after one of your training sessions with your clients late last year. I'm sure our members would enjoy knowing more about them if you'd care to share with us.

José
Wales Uk

My Introduction

Hello,

I would like to introduce myself to the group.  My name is Judi, and I live in Cleveland, OH USA.  I am mainly a trail rider, but do a little schooling in the winter when I can’t get on the trails.  Consequently, we never get too far with our schooling, but I have two awesome trail horses.

Cruiser is a 22-year-old Morab gelding.  (Morgan/Arab cross)  I have had him for nearly 20 years.  He’s a very fun horse to ride with a lot of energy—despite his age.  He has a recovered bowed tendon and is insulin resistant, but that hasn’t slowed him down at all.  In fact, since I corrected his diet, he only acts younger.

Mingo is a solid black Paint.  He is the one you see in the picture.  I have had him since birth—he’s 14, now.  He is the exact opposite of Cruiser.  He is slow and quiet.  This works out fine for me, since when I get back from a ride with Cruise, I could use a ride on a quiet horse to relax.  A better second horse cannot be found.  He hates ring work, though—he doesn’t believe in wasting energy.  It makes it tough in the winter.  I’m the only person he will listen to in the arena.  He refuses to work at all for anyone else.

I love dressage, and it all started with falling in love with the Lippizans when I was a kid.  They mad a real impression on me.  When I do work in the arena, we make our attempts at dressage.  We haven’t gotten much past training level—as soon as we start to get somewhere, the weather gets nice and out on the trail we go.

I am enjoying this group quite a bit.

Judi

www.trailtrainingforthehorseandrider.com

Isabell Werth's small tour horse Whisper tested positive to doping!

Isabell Werth's small tour horse Whisper tested positive to doping after a medication test carried out on Monday 30 May 2009 at the CDI Wiesbaden in Germany. Werth has been immediately suspended by the FEI and will not be able to compete at Aachen.

Werth's 10-year old chestnut gelding Whisper (by Wolkentanz I x Einstand) tested positive to Fluphenazine, a drug usually applied as antipsychotic for humans. It is used for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. One of its side effects is sedation, which is a reason why it could be used by equestrians.

Breido Graf zu Rantzau, president of the German Equestrian Federation, made the following statement: "This is a catastrophe for the horse sport. But we don't let ourselves be discouraged by all this negative news as we pave the way to a fair horse sport."

There will be an FEI Tribunal hearing on 25th June 2009, at which it will be decided whether the suspension is temporary or not. A suspension after a positive A-test is internationally obligatory since one year and a half.

Isabell Werth has requested the disclosure of the B-test.

Madeleine Winter-Schulze, Isabell Werth's sponsor and owner of her competition horses, has reacted to the news of the positive doping test of Werth's Whisper and to the suspension as Werth as rider. In an interview with the German Sport Information Service (SID), Winter-Schulze has commented the Whisper underwent a treatment a few days before Wiesbaden, but it was the veterinarian who said it was safe to compete.

"It is awful," Winter-Schulze told SID. "Everybody is so disappointed" in the stable of Isabell Werth. "I'm not angry at her. She can't do anything about it.

Sönke Lauterbach, secretary-general of the German Equestrian Federation, showed a very unsolidary disposition towards Werth in a day time television show on the ARD broad cast station. He stated that where success, money and power is involved, one can find manipulation.

St. Georg interviewed several veterinarians about the banned substance Fluphenazine, which can mainly be found in the human medicine Dapotum. It is not allowed for horses but it has been widely used on spooky horses for many years now.

"When a horse is a bit cuckoo, Fluphenazine is the means to an end, but people know for more than ten years now that the substance is traceable," said a vet to St. Georg, who wanted to remain anonymous.

It is surprising that Professor Wilhelm Schänzer of the Technical Sport School of Cologne stated to the German press agency DPA that the substance is allowed as sedative for transport or medical examinations.

Dr. Henry Ottilie of the University of Leipzig explained that "Fluphenazine is part of the neuroleptics group. It is only allowed in Germany in veterinary medicine in the substances of Sedalin and Vetranquil (with Acepromzine) and Stresnil (Azaperone).

Apparently, the professor from Cologne seems to be wrong as the substance is listed on the positive doping list and is normally not applied on animals, but the drug can be used illegitimately.

It must be noted that the Technical Sport School of Cologne has been working together with Ludger Beerbaum for years. Beerbaum has been suspended by the FEI because of doping suspension.

Horse Armour

Barding (also spelled bard or barb) is armour for horses. During the late Middle Ages as armour protection for knights became more effective, their mounts became targets. This tactic was effective for the English at the Battle of Crécy in the fourteenth century where archers shot horses and heavy infantry killed the French knights after they dismounted. Barding developed as a response to such events.
Surviving period examples of barding are rare; however, complete sets are on display at the Wallace Collection in London, and the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

Nukra - Sindhi Horses

Marwari (Horses of India)

The call thunders down the ages through the sands of time and fades into the desert air, a haunting remembrance to an era of chivalry and valour forever lost yet indelibly stamped into the spirit of Rajasthan. To know and love the Marwari is to re-enter the magical realm of our childhood, a world of castles and heroes, intrigues and passion, dark deeds and mythical horses.

A time when women dressed as queens and queens rode like warriors, a time when men fought to live and lived to fight on the battlefields and never went gently into that good night.

It is a golden opportunity to embrace the twilight world of the desert, the creative frenzy of a thousand and one festivals, and to partake in the daily rituals that help reawaken our perceptual innocence and calm our unruly souls.

To know and love the Marwari is to know and love the Rajputs, for their destinies are inextricably bound.

To ride a Marwari is to realise new levels of joy that demand in turn, a receptive stillness for its appreciation. It is to view the way ahead through a pair of perfectly curved ears, gateway to the heart of India’s spiritual and ceremonial heritage.