Cari Swanson

New Film “The First Saturday in May”

Last week I had the pleasure to view the new film “The First Saturday in May” about 6 Kentucky Derby hopefuls.  Here is the press release from the American Horse Council:

“With the Triple Crown races fast approaching, we wanted to make sure you know about a unique documentary film that will be shown in more than 20 theaters over the next few weeks.

The award-winning film is called “The First Saturday in May,” and it features a captivating, behind-the-scenes glimpse of six trainers and their horses as they take aim on the 2006 Kentucky Derby. Barbaro is one of those horses.

The film, produced by John and Brad Hennegan, has won numerous awards and rave reviews at film festivals throughout the country. It will open in 20 theaters Friday, April 18.

In a generous gesture to “give something back to the industry,” the Hennegan Brothers have decided to donate 25 percent of box office revenues to Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, the worldwide leader in equine research.

To see a short preview of the film or to get additional information, including an up-to-date list of theaters and starting dates, visit www.thefirstsaturdayinmay.com or http://www.grayson-jockeyclub.org/tfsim.asp .

And you may wonder what happens to all the horses who do not make the grade?  Here is an example of a TB bred for racing, the grandson of the uber race horse Secretariat, Mashantum failed miserably at the track, however he went on to qualify for the Atlanta Olympics in Three Day Eventing and then pursue a career in Dressage.

t

The Disney film “Hidalgo” (2004)

Thousands of fans still gush over the film Hidalgo. Released over 4 years ago, it is hard to believe that this film has captured the hearts of many horse lovers around the world and is still present in their minds.  Here RJ is being tuned up by his trainer Rex Peterson.

For those of you in the dark, “Hidalgo” featured Viggo Mortensen, who shared screen time with a cast of 5 USA Paint (APHA) Horses, in a turn of the century adventure story, based roughly on the true story of Frank Hopkins.

Dust and tears of the classic epic Westerns like Lonesome Dove combined with the action of Lord of the Rings and the familiar faces of Hollywood stars Viggo and Omar Sharif (Dr. Zhivago). The less known stars are the five four legged horses trained by Rex Peterson who each portray the title named Mustang -Hidalgo. RH Tecondender who went home with Viggo after shooting, RJ Masterbug who left with Rex and is now residing at my farm, Ima Stage Mount Two-Oscar who lives with the Director, Impressivelybetter and Honky Tonkin Tuff.

The story line was artfully crafted by John Fusco, (Young Guns, and Spirit).  The action sequences were filmed in Morocco, California, and Montana tells the story of a Western Horse and rider who are challenged to race the bedouin endurance riders in a traditional race across the desert on their Arabians.  Of course there are many dramatic turns as the underdog Hopkins on his horse Hidalgo race to the finish and win against all odds.

RJ and I travel around the country meeting his fans and hear many stories of how he touched their souls.  The passion and enthusiasm around him allows for the possibility of a sequel.  I know RJ is up for another film.

The Ghost-12 year old Imported Andalusian

If you are looking for a new partner, this horse may be him. Ghost is a lovely imported Andalusian, classically trained and easy to ride. He has a wonderful temperament and personality. Come try him before someone else discovers he is here.

Peter Stone Introduces RJ Masterbug Model

Cari with Peter Stone from Stone Horses with the likeness of RJ Masterbug. A limited edition of these beautiful models were made and can be purchased from stonehorses.com. RJ was on the friday morning TV program in Columbus, Ohio. He is at the Equine Affaire to meet his fans. Many people have come to visit RJ and his fans are gushing over how beautiful he is. The building is packed with his fans when he comes out to meet and greet the audience. Sign up for the newsletter on the home page of cariswanson.com for updates on where RJ will be over the next few months.

RJ Masterbug meets his fans in Columbus Ohio

Peter Stone of Stone horses created a limited edition of RJ Masterbug. RJ is right next to the booth where you can buy one of the limited editions of this model. RJ is meeting and greeting his fans at the Ohio Equine Affaire over the weekend. It is amazing how many people are in love with this special horse.

To purchase your very own RJ Masterbug Stone horse, contact www.stonehorses.com

RJ Masterbug hoofprint t-shirts

http://www.cafepress.com/rj_hidalgo

Go to Cafepress to purchase RJ t-shirts

What is Classical Dressage?

In sixth-century B.C. Greece, Xenophon wrote the first riding manual, the classic Art of Horsemanship, in which he emphasized training the horse through kindness and reward. He recognized that training a horse required building a relationship with another being, whose integrity both physical and mental should be maintained throughout the process. This is demanding for both partners and must be achieved without losing the spirit of either.

The distinction between classical dressage and competition dressage has been the subject of a great of debate in recent years. A brief look into the 2,000-year history of equitation may help the reader put this question into perspective. Starting in the Middle Ages, horsemanship began to evolve from a purely practical and military pursuit into an art form for the entertainment and participation of the ruling classes in Europe. The first major publication on the subject of educated riding was Frederico Grisone’s Gli Ordini di Cavalcare, which appeared in 1550. Although the methods espoused by Grisone were brutal, his was the first expression of horsemanship over and above the traditional utilitarian role of transportation and war. The Italian Renaissance was characterized by vigorous intellectual, literary, and artistic growth, and the sixteenth century’s cultivated approach to horsemanship was an integral part of this movement. The Baroque period of the seventeenth century gave rise to the luxurious arts in which riding took its place alongside literature, painting, sculpture, and architecture.

The horses of the Baroque period were schooled for parades, exhibitions, and carousels held at the pleasure of the king and his court, and for the most part they were of predominantly Iberian breeding (Lusitano and Andalusian). This type of haute école (high-school) horsemanship reached its climax with the publication of Gueriniere’s book, Ecole de Cavalerie, in 1733, a book still used by the Cadre Noir of Saumur. With the French Revolution in 1789 came the decline of courtly riding, as the school at Versailles shifted its focus to military preparedness and to the education of cavalry troops, who were trained to fight rather than parade. The ideal officer’s charger had to be able to participate in the equestrian sports of the time, which were now hunting and steeplechasing, the basis for the combined-training tests of today. After court (or manège) riding lost the support of the royal courts, the venue for haute école riding moved to the European circus, a combination concert hall and riding hall that preserved the dignity of horsemanship.

Cavalry officers who were aware of the splendid equestrian traditions of the past opened the doors for François Baucher, a gifted circus rider and trainer, who managed to interest the French Army in his training methods. But by this time, the equestrian world had fundamentally changed. The 1800s brought a new pragmatic approach to riding with the concept of an “all-round horse.” It was at this time that Frederico Caprilli (1868-1907) advanced his training methods in which the rider’s forward seat was emphasized to allow the horse natural freedom in galloping and jumping. Nowadays, competitive dressage (or haute école riding) is done primarily for competition, dating from the 1912 Olympics, which focused, however, on testing the horse as an effective and obedient charger, not as an expression of art.

All thinking riders should be aware of this history and the evolution of horsemanship. On the one hand, the focus is on functionality, technical precision, and the rules of competition, but on the other, the rider’s goal is also to create beauty and art for the pleasure of the audience. Each approach has its place, but the pressures of modern competitive dressage tend to place an emphasis on technique, but all great riders know that must develop communication with their equine partners. They must strive for balance between the mastery of technical execution and the development of artistic expression. True harmony with the horse can be achieved when the rider balances the execution of a movement with the feeling of oneness with the animal. It is at that juncture that the horse and rider have transformed technique into art.

In searching for ordered movement, one risks producing some form of mechanization instead of maintaining the purity of the horse’s natural paces. Some horses, of course, have a naturally powerful and elastic way of going, whereas others will look more ordinary, but both types can be trained to improve their athleticism, thereby narrowing the gap in their performance. The aim of training must always be to make the horse look more beautiful.