Kalman de Jurenak video

[ros]

I watched Kalman de Jurenak's "Classical Schooling" (part 1) last night, and 2 things jumped up & bopped me on the nose.

The first was how amazingly still Hans Heinrich (the demo rider) sits. He demonstrates with perfect clarity what Heather teaches - if the movement is correctly absorbed through the back and pelvis, everything else stays perfectly in place; the stillness of Hans Heinrich's shoulders, hands and legs was a joy to watch. And his seat! He might have been super-glued to the saddle!

The second was this: the first horse being ridden was a three-year old who had been ridden very little. If I could get my five-year old to go like that I'd be more than happy! It just goes to show that a youngster can go well right from the start if he is ridden correctly and sympathetically and understands what is expected of him. How many problems do we create with our less than perfect riding?

Well, I know what I have to aim for now and I'm not sure if I'm inspired by the image, or depressed by the thought that I haven't a hope in hell!

[Kerry's Partner!!]

I haven't seen it but I'm still inspired even 'though I'm depressed that I, too, am unlikely to get "there". What I have found 'though is that if I recapture the picture in my mind of Heather riding in her video I do so much better - it isn't something I've ever done intentionally but it is something I realise I have done when I reflect about a really good session with my own horse. When I reflect I realise how powerful the influence has been of that picture. I'll try doing this intentionally and see if I get the same results - results from myself I mean because I already know that my mare has responded to this "unintentional" influence before.

[Janey Painy]

I'm not really into all these thinking techniques, but you two.... cheer up!!! If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will and how are you going to improve with a constant reminder "Oh it's no use, I'll never make it...." in the back of your head????

I'm no great Master myself, but I'm a human just like they were/are. And if I work hard enough, I'm sure I'll get there in the end.

Believe in yourself (and your horse of course!)

God bless,
Jane

[ros]

Sandra - I really MUST try that; it's just difficult remembering to keep that picture in your head when you're busy worrying whether your hands are level or your right leg's crept back again! So it really works, then?

Jane - yeah, I know, you're absolutely right. Sometimes I look at other people riding and I think, hey, I can do better than that! Other times I just feel so sorry for Merlin. But today we had a good day. Mark videoed us in the field doing a bit of schooling for the very first time, and Fat Boy was really good, didn't try to tank off at all, and was actually going a lot better than I thought he was. I've never seen him except from on top, and it's amazing how inaccurate my mental picture was. I won't mention the fact that he was going nicely despite my appalling hand position and my tipping forwards (or was it my shirt blowing in the wind!) - I'll just go to bed feeling a bit more cheerful, I really will! Thanks for the encouragement.

PS - any luck with the saddle yet?

[Heather]

Ros is actually a very nice rider and I look forward to teaching her on Merlin, her very characterful horse. He is a big boy, but lovely and light on his feet- sure he has Shire in him which gives a soft elastic movement, and he looks like a big cushion to sit on!

The Kalman de Jurenak videos I have plugged mercilessly since they came out five or so years ago- in fact when I saw Kalman at a clinic, I told him he owed me some royalties! I first saw the delectable hans Heinrich Meyer Zu Strohen about 20 years ago, when Kalman brought him over with the sales team from Verden, the Hannoverian auction centre. Hans Heinrich was then chief rider there. I thought he was poetry on a horse. I didn't see him for many years until these videos came out and couldn't believe my luck that he was in them- at last here were some videos showing how it shoudl be doen, instead of how it shouldn't!

Look out also for Reiner Klimke's second series volume 1, featuring son Michael in the second section of the video- perfection of the Classical seat applied to competition dressage.

Heather

[Alwin van Egmond]

Hello Heather

I have just been looking at the video from dr Reiner Klimke you mentioned, but I can't figure out for certain which series it is.

There is a series of 3 videos called
- Dressur im Detail mit dr R. Klimke; Die Arbeit des 4 bis 6 järigen pferdes auf Trense auf dem Weg zur Klasse L
(Dressage in detail with dr R. Klimke; Working the 4 to 6 year old horse on a snaffle on the road to level L)

There is also a series of 3 videos called
- dressage instruction from the Essen Dressage Festival, divided in three films:
1. young horse to level M;
2. Prix St George & Intermediate I;
3. Intermediate II, Grand Pri, Grand prix Special

Could you help me out?

Thanks

Alwin

[Maria]

Alwin

Heather's talking about the series filmed at Essen. The Dressage in Detail is a newer series.

I'm lucky enough to have all of the three series - bar the third volume in the Dressage and Detail one - in my video collection. A really good set of videos - with a trainer whose love for his horses comes over really clearly.

Maria

[Alwin van Egmond]

Hi Maria

Thanks for your quick reply. I'm glad you like all the videos. Do you really find them helpful in your training?

I don't know if you have a problem finding the 3rd volume of dressage in detail but you could by them all here on line: http://www.bramic.co.uk/acatalog/My_Online_Shop_Dressage_4.html

It is still quite an investment though, isn't it?

Greetings

Alwin

[Maria]

Hi Alwin

Well they give me something to aspire to. And they give some good examples to try and hold in my mind of what things should look like. But personally my little cob and I are trundling along trying to maintain a consistent outline and a regular rhythm (set by me!) in walk and trot. We're also working on some basic lateral work - but not progressing that fast.

I've been lucky enough to ride some of Heather's school masters and try out some of the more advanced stuff but I am a very ordinary rider - I'm never going to reach the level of Michael and Reiner Klimke but I'm going to try and be as good as I can!

My husband kindly bought me the first two Klimke series years ago. As you say, a considerable investment.

The two Classical Schooling videos by Kalman de Jurenak are wonderful too. I love the second one and the beautiful counter changes of hand in half pass. Wow!

Happy viewing.

Maria

[Heather]

Thanks Maria for 'enlightening' Alwin! They are superb videos, but I feel that it is sad that as an Englishwoman, I always seem to be recommending German videos not British ones.

I was teaching in Holland a couple of years ago - where do you live Alwin?- at the European Space Agency Riding Club, and took some videos with me to do a video lecture. The instructors at the dressage yard where I was teaching also came to watch.

I had taken a couple of tapes by eminent British trainers/riders, as well as Kalman's and Dr. Klimke's. The instructors nearly fell off their chairs viewing the former! It took me a while to convince them that they were for real and not spoof. Then we wonder why the Germans and the Dutch beat the pants off us in competition!


Heather

[Wally]

I mentioned this in an earlier post.

We have a great deal of riders from Norway, Sweden, Holland, Germany, Austria and various other places on the Continent. The vast majority of these young riders (10 years to about 16) ride beautifully. They sit still, they don't flap, they put the British riders we get, of the same ages, to shame.

There is something wrong at grass roots whith the teaching in this country!

[Maria]

Aww Wally, don't get me on my soap box again!

I agree totally - there is something wrong with basic riding skills in the UK. But what do we do about it? We've got Heather and Sue, and a few like-minded instructors out there, and Heather is just starting to train up some EE instructors. But there aren't enough to go round.

I guess that the British preference for activities such as hunting in the old days meant that we didn't focus on the school work in the same way as our European partners. When the Military Riding Schools went we were even worst off.

I do think that part of the problem is down to the rating and taxing system for riding schools. And I know that the funding available for riding centres at FE colleges has made it even more difficult to run a commercial riding school.

What gets me about the majority of riding schools is the lack of a progressive system to encourage people to develop their riding further. Introducing things like shoulder in etc only seem to happen if you viewed as a professional rider or a competition rider. Surely if we say that it is possible to train most horses up to medium dressage level, then most riders should be taught to ride up to that level.

Have you noticed that our showjumping riders are getting less stylish and classical in position too. But perhaps I better shut up for now.

Maria

[Alwin van Egmond]

Hello Heather

Thanks for your reply.

I live in Nieuwerkerk a/d IJssel, about 5 miles north of Rotterdam.

I have just started riding (november last year) at a local riding school at the age of 36, after about 25 years wanting to ride but not doing it (for different kinds of reasons).

Only last week I started a short additional riding course besides the lessons I take at my normal riding school. It is going to be about 10 lessons with Ulrike Boon-Thiel to work specially on my seat, legs and aids. Dr. Ulrike Boon-Thiel is a sports-psychologist, international dressage juror and riding trainer/instructor. She has been educated under the german and austrian school of classical dressage. I am quiet pleased that i found her. Though I have to make a considerable investment financialy and in time (3 hours driving to the south of the netherlands there and back), I find it worthwile in order to learn to ride in a light way for the comfort of the horse and for my pleasure in riding in partnership with a horse.

I know that Dutch riders perform quiet good internationaly in dressage and showjumping, but I personaly feel that they and most pleasure riders are still trained/educated in a rather 'traditional' way, comparable to your BHS-instruction system. I mean, in my normal riding school i still see force being used, fysical as well as with gadgets, by our instructors (who are also high level dressage riders), to force the horse into obedience. And that is not what i like.

So what i would like most is a riding school that educates riders on basis of classical dressage and/or natural horsemanship with respect for the horse. But they are few and far between.

I am getting a bit off-topic now. So I better get back again.


I have both videos of Kalman de Jurenak, as well as your book and video, and see some great riding. What I still find difficult when watching videos, is seeing what the rider does and how he does it. Obviously, when done well, you shouldn't see al that much, but for training purposes, I would like to see something more or get some comment as an instruction to the viewer.

Do you have other experiences with the videos of dr. Klimke or is it just a matter of experience and learning what to look for even if it is not that obvious to see?

The European Space Agency Riding Club where you taught, is that near Noordwijk? What do you think about the way riding is taught in Holland?

Alwin

[Heather]

HI Alwin-

I have been taking a seminar this week and haven't had time to reply- will do so in depth tomorrow!


Heather