Sense of Freedom
Following our return from the NHE International Seminar in Quebec, Canada, last month, I have spent much of October trying to find my feet in a wave of horse-human interaction carrying with it both a whiff of the gutters of abuse and a glimpse of the peaks of redemption. Emotionally it has been a time of ups and downs, exhaustion and exhilaration. But at the end of it all I am left with a sense of being as when freedom comes.
The Ice Queen and The Rough Diamond
Perhaps the most challenging surge of this wave was when I found myself trying to steer a course between The Ice Queen and The Rough Diamond. A woman in her forties, The Ice Queen is a senior, wealthy executive presiding over part of a major financial enterprise and the owner of numerous sport horses used at some time or another for polo, dressage and show jumping. The Rough Diamond comes from the other end of the socio-economic spectrum. Now a professional groom well into her twenties, she boasts an unenviable familiarity with the ugliness and violence of the hard drugs scene.
Several years ago The Ice Queen hired The Rough Diamond to serve as her groom and companion, and brought her over to Europe with her. Suddenly The Rough Diamond discovered that she had escaped from her rotten roots to share a pampered life with her new mistress. She was showered with gifts, holidays and a flashy upmarket vehicle, coming to depend on her benefactor entirely, more so because she was illegally employed. The Rough Diamond thought she had found a friend who had helped her escape from her dark past. In time the two of them moved to the Netherlands with all of The Ice Queen’s horses.
Chaos
Some of the fields at our livery yard
Earlier this year The Ice Queen acquired the livery yard where some of her horses were stabled. She closed it to all but a few select clients, wanting to use it mainly to accommodate her own horses. Then the difficulties began. Essentially, The Ice Queen had taken on more than she realised. New and existing staff began to feel the pressure of a heightened workload accompanied by absentee management. Problems occurred and staff paid the price, including The Rough Diamond, whose hours and income were cut in half.
Matters came to a head earlier this month. The Ice Queen had found local people whom she felt she could rely on. The time had come to dump The Rough Diamond. The decision was blunt, its execution savage. Suddenly The Rough Diamond found herself to be a jobless immigrant stranded on another continent. Far more painful was the realisation that the friend she thought she had, had abandoned her as easily as she had taken her in.
The Rough Diamond sought refuge as her past had taught her, sniffing up numerous lines of fine white powder which left her close to comatose. The Ice Queen’s response was deadly: she planned to turn The Rough Diamond in to the police as an illegal immigrant drug user who had overstayed her visit. Others were expected to deny that The Rough Diamond was illegally employed.
The diamond in the rough
Some of the horses out in the fields
When I first met The Rough Diamond, I saw only the rough and not the diamond. A single event changed that. A farrier visited the yard to shoe a few horses. While he was working, a horse that was being shod objected to his harsh touch. In response, the farrier, thinking that no one was looking, whacked the horse with his rasp. Unbeknown to him, someone was.
Shortly afterwards I saw the farrier changing one of the tyres on his van. A flat tyre from standing still for a few hours? Strange. The next day my puzzlement turned to a sneaking admiration. Enraged with the farrier’s cruelty, The Rough Diamond had decided to give him a taste of his own medicine. No tyre would have withstood the force of a sharp kitchen knife driven deep into the rubber by righteous fury. Neither did the farrier’s. It was then that I saw the diamond in the rough.
Tough freedom
Over time The Rough Diamond also helped Vicki and myself with our horses. We returned favours where we could and we saw The Rough Diamond change from a fat, uncaring slob into a lean, hardworking carer. Although conventional in her approach, it was clear that she was dedicated to the horses. Along the way she also befriended a dog, whom she eventually acquired and whom everyone called either Risky or Whiskey (yes, American spelling, groan).
Concerned for The Rough Diamond, the dog and our horses when things turned sour and she fell off the edge, Vicki and I spent a couple of nights keeping her company in her home in the yard (a roughly converted canteen). It was then that I pleaded with The Ice Queen to give The Rough Diamond a choice. Rather than call the police, I urged that she be offered the opportunity to leave of her own accord along with a free flight back home.
It was tightrope walk all the way but eventually Vicki and I managed to get The Rough Diamond through the passenger turnstile bound for a plane headed for home. My impression is that ‘home’ will be a tough experience for The Rough Diamond but she will be free. Here in Europe she had sold her soul for a life of indulgence but had slowly started to reclaim it. And it was when her queen froze to ice, that she revealed her diamond in the rough. The Rough Diamond has proved that it is as wrong to judge her in the past as it is to judge The Ice Queen in the present. Next week we will send her best mate, Risky Whiskey, to join her.
Horses in Pakistan
While dealing with The Rough Diamond and The Ice Queen, I received an email from a young student who lives in Pakistan, who has been reading our blog for about a year, and whose privacy I shall respect by referring to him as ‘R’. Some of you may know him from online courses and forums, such as Carolyn Resnick’s waterhole ritual course and Chuck Mintzlaff’s Friendship Training group.
R is passionate in his desire to care for horses, to interact with them in a horse-friendly manner, and to teach other humans to do the same. This passion has led him to enrol in courses that will help him achieve this. Unfortunately, he has to contend with limited means, he does not have a horse and, if he did have one, he does not know where he could keep it in Pakistan. As he puts it so eloquently, ‘Buying a horse is not a problem but ethically keeping him is’. (To illustrate the point, he has produced a video revealing how horses are treated in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India) and has allowed me to publish it here – see below.) In short, R has resolved a key ethical question which the vast majority of horse owners have not.
My appeal to you
Some of you may be aware of the existence of the Equine Sciences Academy, whose panel of advisers includes Michael Bevilacqua, Andy Beck and other prominent pioneers of horse-friendly equine management and interaction. R has discovered this organisation as well. He writes this about it:
A horse friendly academy is also present. Equine Science Academy offering Equine Sciences Degree that is unorthodox. Instead of teaching how the horse can best serve our needs, they teach how we can best serve their needs. And I want a career where I can teach this to the people. I am not into dressage or event riding things. I want to teach the natural ways to be with horses. How to educate your horse and build a relationship after which you can train him for the physical and mental challenges to be fit and athletic.
I would like to address the following appeal to you and anyone you may know who could be in a position to help. Here is a young man at the start of a career which is not the one he dreams of. The career he dreams of is much needed in his part of the world. Are you able to help R live his dream? And if you are, would you like to help him do so? Please contact me (see the Contact tab above for details) if you are willing and able to help R live his dream.
A relationship in minutes?
R’s email has since evolved into an exchange of correspondence which reveals his keen admiration for Chuck Mintzlaff’s Friendship Training and Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling’s dominance approach. He writes: ‘The area where I am extremely interested in KFH’s Horse Culture is where he establishes a rank higher than the horse in front of him in a matter of minutes which is truly magical!’
Indeed, this is the claim that Hempfling makes in his books and DVDs. Apparently, he establishes a relationship with the horse within minutes and this defines the basis for everything he subsequently does with the creature. It is a profound claim, one which, as R is aware, has not been replicated by anyone else. But is it actually true? And if it is, is it really something you would like to be able to do yourself?
Smoke and mirrors?
For a number of years I unquestioningly accepted that Hempfling’s claim was true. I did so for the very simple reason that I had no evidence to the contrary. Then in September 2010 Vicki attended Hempfling’s seven-day Pure Practical Performance course (the third course she attended at his Akedah International school in Denmark) and witnessed something along with several other people whom we know, which caused us to doubt the truth of Hempfling’s claim. These humans saw Hempfling lose contact with Ferdinand, that grey Lipizzaner stallion which features so prominently in his advertising video on YouTube and which Hempfling had been training on and off for some time.
Since then I have learned much more from many people who have spent time with Hempfling on the island of Lyø, be it in the capacity of a high-paying student or an unpaid assistant. We know that Hempfling does not allow anyone to photograph or video him in action with horses, unless he expressly permits this, much less publish the results. We also know that everything that does get published has been carefully edited and/or vetted. What you see may be what you get but what you get does not include what you cannot – or more importantly, what you are not allowed to – see.
Of course, not everything can be controlled with smoke and mirrors. The story of Cody, the young green horse whom Hempfling failed to master (see these posts and in particular my post entitled Breaking the Cycle of Chaos) during the 2011 Compact Schooling I course, is one that has been pivotal in exposing Hempfling’s claim to be little more than a self-serving myth.
Gitte and Her Stallion
So does this mean that Hempfling cannot achieve a relationship of sorts (or as R puts it, ‘a rank higher than the horse in front of him’) with a horse in minutes? No, he can and does with some horses but this raises the second question: is it really something you would like to be able to do yourself?
To answer this question let us have a look at the latest video that Hempfling has published on YouTube. It features Hempfling teaching one of his students from the Compact Schooling course held in Denmark in September this year, while his remaining one-year and other Compact Schooling students look on. The student’s name is Gitte, we are told, and she is working with her stallion under Hempfling’s guidance.
For the moment I would ask you to focus only on Hempfling’s direct intervention when he enters the picadero to show his pupil how a human should interact with a horse in that situation. He quite rightly makes it clear that it is not the whip that is supposed to be driving the horse but rather the energy of the human. The question that we need to ask the, is what type of energy is this? Is this the energy of a human who finds joy in interacting with his best equine body? Or is it something else, something darker, a type of energy that we would prefer not to employ with our own horse? Is it not the energy of dominance?
There are some who argue, as Hempfling does, that dominance is liberating for the horse because, once it is dominated, it no longer needs to concern itself with its survival and can therefore open itself up fully to interaction with the human. Yet we know that this argument does not hold true for every horse, because some, like Cody, cannot tolerate such dominance. And for those horses for whom this does hold true, we must question whether it is ultimately in their interest to be entirely dominated all of the time. After all, if a horse is dominated so emphatically, what chance does it ever have of developing pride and self-confidence independently of the human?
Jasmijn and Stanley
In his first email to me R says the following about Hempfling and myself: ‘I am glad that you got your money back but I feel deep down in your heart you still want to enrol in his one year school.’ I would like to answer this by highlighting some of the achievements of Hempfling’s One-Year Schooling course.
At this point I would like you to watch the video featuring Gitte and her stallion again but this time focus on the young woman and the interaction between her and her horse. Look at their expressions. Feel their energy. What do you see? What do you feel?
Now closely watch the following video of Jasmijn Wauters interacting with a stallion called Stanley. Again, focus on this young woman and the interaction between her and her horse. And again, look at their expressions and feel their energy. What do you see? What do you feel?
This video was produced in April 2011, about five months before Jasmijn Wauters started Hempfling’s One-Year Schooling course, the same one that Vicki and I were scheduled to attend. I watch Gitte and her stallion, and Jasmijn and Stanley, and I both see and feel a huge difference between these two horse and human combinations. Which of these pairs exhibits the sensitivity and joy that you would wish to share with your horse?
Jasmijn and Esperado
Now let us fast forward to almost a year from then, to March 2012. Jasmijn Wauters has been in Hempfling’s One-Year Schooling course for about six and a half months, when Hempfling releases the following video which, amongst other things, features her interacting with her stallion, Esperado (from about 8:33 minutes into the video).
Watch Jasmijn and Esperado and then watch the video featuring her and Stanley again. What do you see and feel when you see these pairs together? Which of these pairs exhibits the sensitivity and joy that you would wish to share with your horse?
It is true that I see a marked improvement in the body language and techniques employed by Jasmijn with Esperado compared with the clip featuring her and Stanley. But is that enough to warrant the attendance of just over half of Hempfling’s One-Year Schooling course and the fee involved (half of EUR 84,000.00)?
When freedom comes
If you look closely at the video featuring Gitte and her stallion, you will see what is left of the One-Year Schooling students sitting immediately to the right of Hempfling. You will notice that Jasmijn Wauters and the only male one-year student are no longer amongst them. And you may ask yourself why, because the One-Year Schooling course still has two months to go before it finishes.
After ten months all that Hempfling’s One-Year Schooling course has to show in the way of student achievements is two very brief video excerpts released in March this year and a dropout rate of at least 20%. Then there are the unanswered questions about what has happened to the one-year students’ numerous horses that accompanied them to the island of Lyø at the start of the course in September 2011, in particular, Cody.
Yet by far the most important reason why I do not want to enrol in any course which Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling currently cares to offer lies in his almost obsessive insistence on constantly dominating horses and humans. Yes, there are times when he manages to transcend the need to do so, helping them instead to find moments in which to dance and be free. He has managed to do so with the chestnut gelding, Janosch, with the lame grey stallion in Dancing with Horses, with the Lippizaner stallion, Ferdinand, in the YouTube video advertising his courses, and with others. The day that he allows himself to do the same for all the horses and humans who come his way, will be the day when freedom comes not only for them but also for him.
Postscript
Since my return from the NHE International Seminar in Canada, I have been grappling with the practicalities of finding ways to give my mare, Pip, the freedom to be the horse she is and to realise the potential of the horse she could become. I had hoped to share some of my preliminary findings with you here, because they are so relevant to the question of when freedom comes for the horses we are with and whether dominance can play a positive role in this. Unfortunately, this post is already so long, that I feel it best to postpone this topic for the moment. Perhaps next time.
Dear Andrew,
@The Ice Queen and The Rough Diamond
What a story – it carries ‘bad energy’- from both ladies – minus and minus makes a plus – they obviously have/had some karma to work out together – I expect that you are fully aware of the part you are playing in this episode – beautiful the way you and Vicky demonstrated how humans can take care of eachother – whether it is for a long period of time or just for a short while – leaving all the respective responsibilities where they belong after all – is that perhaps not what we should also be taking into account when observing people interacting with their horses in a manner that is not ours – who are we to interfere with other people’s and animal’s karma – it doesn’t mean of course that never ever a comment can be made – I think it can – however, judging someone which happens very often, sometimes unnoticed, is easily done –the latter is a general observation, Andrew, not personal
@Horses in Pakistan – A Relationship in Minutes
The videoclip is horrible – these practices were common in Holland as well some 30 years ago – yes, I have read R’s entries on the FT page and on Carolyn’s blog – I have been in contact with Chuck Mintzlaff myself when I expressed my feeling about an amount of dogmatism in the FT community – the reaction I got back was that they were proud of that attitude – that is the instant where I decided it is not for me to explore any further – Oh yes I do ‘steal’ elements but that is all – the same applies to KFH – and as for helping R to live his dream I would suggest him to get in touch with the Choicepoint Movement – Choicepoint Movement is here to help us all to take a step back, understand our world and then to take the choice to align our purposes, so that a lot of the world’s problems can suddenly turn into the world’s solutions and collectively create the world we all want to live in. Together, through our individual contributions, we are the change. – http://www.choicepointmovement.com
@ Gitte and Her Stallion
The stallion shaking his head is labelled ‘aggressive’ – however at the same time the horse makes chewing movements – in my perspective the shaking can also mean the horse is ready for the game, the fun, the challenge therein – there is a contradiction about the whip – earlier there is talk about not the whip driving the horse but rather the energy of the human – at 2.19 KFH observes that the horse has respect for the whip between Gitte and her horse when the horse follows her – so my assumption is there must have been an instant where the horse has been made to understand to respect the whip – that can then mean an illusion when driving the horse with the body energy whilst at the same time the horse himself might be moving because of the respect he has for the whip – as far as scanning the energy of both Gitte, the horse and KFH is concerned I have the profound impression and feeling there is in all three beings a sense of enjoyment
@Jasmijn and Stanley
The energy of both Jasmin and Stanley are peaceful and joyful – there is more body movement than with Gitte – however more body movement doesn’t necessarily have to negatively influence the intention and the energy
In the second video showing Jasmin with her stallion Esperado there is a totally different energy – both horse and human do not really connect – the horse’s energy is a reflection of Jasmin’s sense of insecurity – she seems to be more in her head than anywhere else – busy with the mechanics perhaps, compared to the clip with Stanley where every fibre in her body seems to be participating and enjoying the connection and interaction – Esperado is desperately trying to connect with Jasmin – after all he knows her ‘from before’ – all he finds is a wall of reasoning between himself and Jasmin – I wonder if KFH has noticed this at that time – there is trust within the horse as he knows Jasmin – does, however, Jasmin trust herself? – that is an important question – I think not – the horse facilitates Jasmin to explore what she is trying to master – somewhere around 9.40 we hear KFH tell Jasmin ‘you are working so sensitively’ which is perfectly true – at the same time that senstivity very often brings with it a profound feeling of insecurity – Jasmin so desperately wants to bring no harm to her horse that she puts herself in a spot where she can so easily be hurt without anybody noticing – at 10.03 there is a connection between Jasmin and Esperado – as soon as she ‘sends him away again’ the connection seems to disappear – the fact that later, when in the trot, the horse looks towards the outside and not towards Jasmin indicates loss of connection – at the same time from a training point of view the horse has a ‘wrong’ lateral bend, but still moving in a balanced manner with its weight divided over 4 legs – that is very clever – intelligent horse that Esperado..
Well, Andrew my response is perhaps almost as long as your post :o)
Take care
Geerteke
Dear Geerteke
Your comment on making judgements is pertinent. This to me is precisely the moral of the tale of The Ice Queen and The Rough Diamond, if there is one to be found in it.
It seems to me though that we sometimes only pass judgement on judgements (irony intended), if they are deemed to be negative. For example, referring to someone as an excellent human being is unlikely to attract criticism for making a judgement, even though it is precisely that, albeit a positive one.
Methinks that it is also sometimes difficult to draw a distinction between the judgement of a fellow human and the description of an aspect of interaction involving that human. For example, if one feels dark energy how else does one describe such energy other than as dark? And even if one does describe it as dark, does that mean that one is actually judging the human in his entirety?
Indeed, I would argue that in some instances ‘dark’ energy can even serve a worthy purpose. Or to put it another way, ‘there is a time to every purpose under heaven’ (Deuteronomy). But more about this some other time.
I would agree that there is a sense of common purpose (and to this extent perhaps even joy) shared by Gitte and Hempfling. They clearly share a close connection while she is working with the stallion.
Your insight into the interplay between Jasmijn and the two stallions is as perceptive as ever. I really appreciate it when you do this. Thank you.
Be well!
Andrew
@It seems to me though that we sometimes only pass judgement on judgements (irony intended), if they are deemed to be negative. For example, referring to someone as an excellent human being is unlikely to attract criticism for making a judgement, even though it is precisely that, albeit a positive one.
Dear Andrew,
You are perfectly correct – but that is a judgment as well, again – :o) – I mean to say that the above opened another view, which is always very worthwhile – thank YOU for that – just for the sake of some small ‘debate’ a positive judgment can make someone feel good, don’t you think – a positive emotion is attached to it – positive emotions are good for our wellbeing – actually negative emotions are also good for one’s wellbeing if one is willing and prepared to look at one’s own ‘negative’ emotional reaction to a judgment, which might then turn out to give positive results – and another transformation has taken place – big SIGH!!
Cheers!
Geerteke
Yes, I think you made your points in this post – not much joy in most of it. I hope you discover the zest in genuine horse-play with Pip, for horses do like to frolic and dance when the moment presents itself. I was reminded of this as I witnessed my two fillies, a one year old and two year old, playing today. They were just so full of the joys of life. Personally, I was happy for them and had not the slightest wish to intervene – especially as one of the fillies had been ill recently. It is wonderful to see horses being horses – and not being primed with systematic treats.
Dear Ian
Admittedly, the harsh conditions highlighted in much of my post do appear to be all-embracing and oppressive at first glance. For me the wonder of it all was that behind the doom and gloom, there was much to inspire hope, for instance, The Rough Diamond’s and R’s commitment to the welfare of horses in the face of so many factors which militate against this.
Yes, we can learn much from watching our horses live and play in the moment. Pip makes my days lighter and brighter. I sincerely hope that I am doing the same for her.
Be well!
Andrew
Dear Andrew,
First of all, I am extremely thankful to you for thinking I was worthy to be in your post and for helping me in times when no one else could! I am also grateful that you posted my video and appealed on my behalf as well! GOD bless you!
There is a need to address the problem of ethical horse keeping and training that is global and not just in Pakistan. Why I mentioned keeping first and not training is because that eliminates a lot of problems that we face during training. I am surprised to see that we need a license to drive a car, a motorcycle, a ship, a plane etc. The license is issued when we successfully pass the theory and practical. And in some countries like the UAE, this is like achieving a certificate! People become very happy and thank GOD that they achieved the driving license. And when the horse, a living being, is to be owned and ridden, there is no examination or licensing at all! WHY NOT?! Now some may say we don’t ride horses on roads or in a crowded place etc. What if I say I will drive a 4WD in the desert dune bashing, will I need a license? Hell yes! And it is a skill considered much more advanced and even more difficult to get! And we keep horses, don’t we? We have child laws, if that is what it is called, that parents can only have a child if they can afford to feed, cloth, house and educate the child otherwise the gov. takes away the child or they help raise the child. Now I am talking about a vast majority here who just buy horses and keep them in stalls! Equine ethologists confirm that horses are social animals and keeping them in stalls, isolated from the rest of the horses causes stress that initiates health problems. We should have horse owners education programs, proper licensing for horse keeping and other for training and for running a horse facility ethically. Because these are living beings. No chances can be taken here!
I am very surprised to hear that Ferdinand lost contact with KFH, because he was the horse that me made interested in KFH’s Horse Culture. I love Ferdinand’s eyes and he is the reason I watch that 6 min clip over and over again!
For the love of the horse!
Dear Friend
Thank you for sharing your story with us. Perhaps Geerteke’s suggestion (see above) may be of some help to you.
I can fully understand your reasoning when you call for licensing for horse keeping. It would seem to me though, that your call for horse owner education programmes is perhaps more helpful. Although legislation may facilitate a climate of learning and, more importantly, care, ultimately we cannot legislate change. People do not change unless they are ready to do so. Our task is to help create the conditions that will enable them (and by doing so ourselves as well) to reach the next stage on the journey towards that and beyond, and then to help them (and again, by doing so ourselves as well) once they do.
Perhaps it is not wise to focus on Hempfling’s loss of contact with Ferdinand but rather to concentrate on the fact that horse and human not only regained that contact but went on to help each other to celebrate the dance of life together.
Take care!
Andrew