I’m currently reading an interesting book by Dr. Gerd Heuschmann. Perhaps you have heard of it, entitled: “Tug of War: Classical versus “Modern” Dressage. Being a lawyer anything with VS between two words catches my interest.

            Let’s say that I have a lot of horse book knowledge, 40 years of experience watching dressage competitions, and no talent as a rider; which is probably a good thing, since we couldn’t afford two show competitors in our household. The fact is that I have spent more for a new car than Cathy has on a horse, but she gets a lot more pleasure out of her horsepower than I do.

            I guess when I was a young lawyer I thought people wouldn’t trust me as their lawyer if my car cost less then my client’s suit. As I look back on it, I was wrong. I found that my clients only wanted results, and couldn’t care less what kind of car I owned.

            Unfortunately it’s not the same in the world of horseshow business. Them that’s got it, get it, and them that don’t, get pats on the back for a really nice test, and for getting the most out of that old horse; however, there is a sense of pride of accomplishment if not a blue ribbon in it.

            Anyone who knows Cathy also knows that she just wants the best for the horses in her charge, and she does get every ounce of talent out of every horse she rides. If there were carbon credits for her efforts, she could supply China with enough that the Chinese Government wouldn’t have to install a smoke stack scrubber for the next couple of decades.

            Cathy has been fortunate to have the support of BeSe’s  sponsor, who is a good friend to Cathy, and who has allowed Cathy to bring BeSe along this far, and to be so competitive in the “big time”, in “prime time”, and against horses that cost more than our farms in New Jersey and Florida combined.

            This brings me to the book I’m reading and Dr. Heuschmann who is a rider and “equine” veterinarian. He talks about “hyperflexion” (sometimes called “Rollkur”) and the basic anatomy and physiology of the horse. (Have I lost anyone yet? No? Good!)

            What I know about Cathy’s horses, it is that they live longer than elephants. The horse R.H. Mac Kinney”, named after Cathy’s father, was about 20 when he won the US World Cup competition, and then somewhere between JFK airport and ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, he had given everything he had and didn’t have a lot left for the competition.

            The final for Americans for the World Cut back then was held in Orlando, Florida. Those where the days when we had a tagalong, a camper that we also lived in, and packed sandwiches for the trailer ride from Florida back to JFK airport. Cathy and I swapped driving duties because we drove straight through. We maxed out our credit cards, borrowed more, and got a nice saddle pad from the USET, and I think some money too, but who’s counting. We were so far in debt we made the US Congress look like financial wizards. Cathy being Cathy, never asked for the patch for her jacket, and only has one now because someone at the USET last year noticed she wasn’t wearing the flag patch and gave one to her. Out of respect and not ego Cathy wears the patch on her Shadbelly now in competition.

            But to get back to the point, it’s a really good book for anyone who wants to train a horse for longevity. We all love our horses and the longer we can keep them in our barns the more love and affection they give us. Agreed?

            Dr. Heuschmann suggests that “Riders - only use gentle, progressive training methods in accordance with the time-tested principles of classical riding.”

            He recommends that “Judges – sharpen their eyes and recognize unnatural postures or forced movements and evaluate them accordingly in competition, while rewarding classically trained, correctly gymnasticized horses.”

            He wants “governing organizations to review their regulation and uphold stipulated “ideals” on both national and international levels.”

            And he says “spectators (should) reject sensational performances and flashy tests when the methods used to obtain them have not had the health and welfare of the horse in mind.”