Creating healthy biomechanics and stronger partnerships through combining

natural horsemanship principles with the art of dressage...

never underestimate the potential for harmony & lightness to improve in ways you cannot yet imagine

This Month• New Gifts in Webshop!

• Q & A

• From Students

Upcoming Clinics: Clinic schedule: CLICK HERE

March 23-25 Finding the Sweet Spot with Shelby HumeGeorgetown, KYContact: Janie Elliotttrobertelliott@bellsouth.net

April 13-15 Finding the Sweet Spot with Breanne PetersEmbro, Ontario, CanadaContact: Breanne PetersBreannepeters@hotmail.com

June 2-12 with Karen Rohlfmultiple clinics, format not yet setUKContact: Stephanie Gauntstefgaunt@yahoo.co.uk

June 15-18 with Karen RohlfUpward SpiralPolandContact: Beatabeata@400.pl

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Welcome back to the Temenos...

Temenos is an ancient Greek word. It refers to a sacred space that has no limits, where special rules apply and extra-ordinary events are free to occur.

“Precision arrives out of the possibilities that playing freely

creates”~Karen Rohlf

Auditors Welcome At All Clinics!

Karen Rohlf

November 2011

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Gift certificates:Available in the webshop for the webshop. You

can choose your amount to give.

You can also purchase a $60 Gift Certificate for the D,N Classroom in the webshop. If you want

to give someone more that $60 -worth in the Classroom, you can go to the Classroom home page and download a form where you can se-lect the custom amount you would like to give.

New Gifts in the Webshop!

‘Relaxed’ Energized’ & ‘Balanced’ 8x10 ready-for framing prints on archival matte paper. (Frames not included. Design gives the illusion of a matted print)

A page from Karen’s sketchbook: An 11x14 print of pencil sketches of the elements

of the Sweet Spot. Handwritten notes for each of the drawings of

‘Relaxed’, ‘Energized’ & ‘Balanced’.

15 oz mug; Relaxed, Energized, BalancedMouse-pad

We have some new gifts in the shop for this Holiday season! Iʼm sorry I havenʼt been able to produce any new instructional DVDs, but the Classroom is really filling that need for now. (Donʼt worry, I still have more future DVDs in my mind!)

Dana and I were feeling creative, so we now have some new Dressage, Naturally artwork that can be purchased as affordable prints to frame, on mugs, on mouse-pads, or tote bags.

All artwork is done by yours truly... I hope you enjoy them!

Go to Webshop

See more prints like this

Many items are on sale!

Tote Bag

News

6 Days in the Temenos

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Photos at Right: Dawn Garner

8 students participated in my 6 day clinic. It was a really fun week and the progress from the last time I had seen everyone.... As well as the progress within the week left me beaming with pride!

Dawn Garner was a guest there and took some lovely photos which can be see here.

One of the students, Vicky Thomas, also wrote some notes in her blog.We focused on many different topics, as we had a range of horses at different levels, but that is one of the beauties of these smaller format clinics. It enabled us to see how all the layers of D,N fit together. We were able to use the Big Picture Poster as a guide to put theory into practice

We saw horses that needed us to put a priority on Foundation, or Finding the Sweet Spot, or looking at our quality of connecting through the reins, or going through different patterns to develop them gymnastically.We were able to keep an idea of the goal, but also see how each horse and rider were moving to-wards that goal, yet coming from a different direction!

Big Picture Poster

So congratulations, participants - Pictured at right, Top to Bottom:Shelby Hume, Vicky Thomas, Kellie Anderson, Martis Burkett, Sarah Grimm, Marilyn Ganahl, Karen Woodbury & Geri Dorosz.

And Thank you again, Dawn Garner for the wonderful photos.

News Continued:Shelby Humeʼs Finding the Sweet Spot clinic in KY October 28-30 was a huge success!

Here is what some of the people said about it:

Karen,I had a great time with Shelby, she has such joy for what she is shar-ing. I am so glad that I was able to attend--I have several great ideas to take home and share with my horse. Thank you for the DVD.Thanks, Cheryl

Shelby did a fabulous job helping me understand the principles be-hind the basic techniques we were trying to learn, and she did it in a way that I could see how we needed to have a good foundation before we could move forward.

 And as an added bonus she made it fun and entertaining!  It helps that she has a background in western riding and reining horses in particular, as Boone is a reining horse with extensive train-ing in that discipline - so she both understands the things we need to teach him - and in some cases un-teach him - as well as appreciating him for what he is and his talent as a reining horse.  

When I met her I couldn't believe I had found someone with the com-bination of reining/dressage knowledge that I was craving!  And as a fan of natural horsemanship - both Parelli and others - it seemed too good to be true! Guess fate works in strange ways!.....Thank you for giving us the oppor-tunity to learn about Dressage Naturally through such a gifted instructor as Shelby.  I can understand why you are happy to have her on your team!  I hope to join the online classroom program and forum - so thank you for the offer to do that as well!RegardsJudy M. and Boone!

Dear Karen, Loved it so much had to give a glowing review on my "My Walk With Mu" blog:http://horsejourney.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/finding-the-sweet-spot-clinic-review/

Thanks for all you're up to!Marti and Mu

Hello Karen,Thoroughly enjoyed the clinic.  One thing that stood out was Shelby's ability to help 10 riders/horses at various levels,  everyone received the help and guidance they needed.  In so many cases instructors resort to addressing the lowest common denominator, but that did not happen.

Learned tons, took lots of notes, had fun and my partner, Isadora, and I look forward to "Finding The Sweet Spot".

Shelby talks so highly of you and your program, looking forward to an Upward Spiral of Success Clinic in the future (hopefully in KY).

Regards,JoAnne (Smokey)

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Breanne and Shelby are available for clinics and there is a special Intro-ductory Rate if you sign up before

January 1st to host a clinic with Bre or Shelby sometime next year...

Please contact Sally Taylor at: clinics@dressagenaturally.net

for more info

D,N Instructors: Breanne Peters, Me, Shelby Hume

Photo: Dawn Garner

Photo: Dana Rasmussen

Q & A Light response off your leg

I am confused with the best way to moti-vate my horse to respond off of leg pres-sure. Is it through a series of exercises or is my phase four not being effective enough? Or a combination of both. Any comments or suggestions would be ap-preciated!

Hi Sue... Great question and one I think many people have! It is of course a com-bination of things... I will put these in a list, but for any individual horse, they may need to happen in a different order..

1. Does your horse understand what it means? Have you gone through a teaching process?

2. Is he motivated to move in general? (on line, from rhythmic pressure, at liberty, in an open space, or in a 'point to point' exercise)?

3. How is your leadership in general? Often we are lacking in many areas, but it will show up more in the most difficult area... is there room to 'up your standard' in the other areas of com-munication?

4. What do I do when my horse does re-spond? Do I get greedy, or do I make sure he doesn't regret putting in the effort?

When I have a horse that is less re-sponsive, these are the things I inves-tigate... I need to know they under-stand, and that gives me the permis-sion to follow through effectively. I also want to make sure that  he feels like it is in his benefit to respond... (the sooner he responds, the sooner he gets to rest). I make sure that the cir-cumstances are motivating for him. With some horses this could mean a bigger space, but with others it means a clear path. Ovation got lost in open spaces... He was easier to motivate going around the outside of the round pen or going point to point towards a clear destination.

Many horses do not naturally move from pressure - in fact, many have the opposite response naturally, so I try to see if I can cause them to move with-out using my leg first (follow another horse, or rhythmic pressure from string or stick tapping my own leg, for exam-ple).

Can you get him motivated in more fun circumstances, such as at liberty? (look at the March video: Building En-thusiasm, Ovation) Think about all this and see if some-thing connects! Let me know! Karen

(Follow up Q from Sue)Hi again, Karen! My horse has the basic yields down pat. Hind quarter, forequarter, and sideways yields are very soft and willing with light pressure (in the saddle, liberty, and on-line). We have some nice liberty and on-line stuff going on. It's when I'm in the saddle and start putting the yields in mo-tion that I run into troubles. My mare re-sponds appropriately to pressures and we have some great conversations about energy as she can lack in that area some-times (she's a LBI).

We've got a good relationship and she's a solid horse leaving the herd and riding out by herself. As far as my leadership ability goes I know there are things I could be better at but I believe I'm a good leader for her. I feel like I'm appropriate in my leadership but I do question my phase 4s as in if I am firm enough, which led me to my question   

I am very mindful about not asking for too much especially in the teaching phase and I do see the advantage in lengthy rest periods. 

I am really stuck on this and I don't want her to get dull to my leg but I believe that I am now causing that because I am un-sure as to what approach to take.

Hi Sue,It sounds like you have really thought this through and are aware of a lot going on with you and your horse... fantastic!

It may just be a case of learning the coor-dination. It is absolutely normal for horses to not be able to sustain energy during those yields in motion at first. Results in Harmony DVD #2 shows some of this process. Most horses lose energy during the yields during the learning process and even after they learned it, but have not developed their coordination, confidence and skill. It is important to be able to tell: "Is my horse trying, but uncoordinated" or is he "not trying". The difference being in the first case, don't necessarily increase your aids, just perfect your position, be patient, persistent and get out of the way! In the second case: make yourself clear, regarding the ingredients that make up the movement, follow through on your communication... get in and get out!

Here is another guideline: When you have a choice and are unsure: Pick one. be conscious and trust that if it is unsuc-cessful you don't have to continue, you can change your mind! But do it whole heartedly! Many people run into trouble because when they are unsure they 'sort of try it'... which gives no real information to you or the horse and you can get stuck there forever!!As for being unsure about which ap-proach to take.... 

A guideline I like to use is: "Any 2 quali-ties I would like to have at the same time, I practice in transition from one to another until they naturally combine."

So if you have yields, and you have re-sponse to energy.... then practice doing one, then the other (straight and lively, then yield in motion, then straight and lively....)

Be patient as you and your horse gain the confidence of the coordination of the yield.

Karen

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Q & A Canter-Trot Transitions

Hi Karen,I have a problem with my canter-trot tran-sitions. I have been tryingdifferent things to get it better, but nothing is really working, so Iwanted to ask you.  When I get from the canter into the trot, my horse doesn't make a nice transitions to the trot, but falls out of the canter and goes into a very speedy trot.

Just a little bit information about myself and my horse: My horse is a 24 year old (but very fit) carriage-bred dutch warm-blood. I have owned her for 16 years, so I know this has been a pattern for the last sixteen years, also in our pre-Parelli dressage days ;).

Through Parelli she had moved from a fairly extreme RB-Ex, to a relaxed horse.  We are now studying level 4 Parelli. Our online is towards level 4. Online and lib-erty she can easily do canter-halt, canter-walk and canter-trot transitions.  Freestyle is already harder. The canter is relaxed and I can make transitions through bend-ing. When I am on a clear pattern and she is thinking about stopping, she will stop from my seat and go to walk or halt.

Whenever I want to go into the trot, she trots fast and falls on the forehand. To me, this feels like a balance problem. I have been trying a lot of your exercises. We do the basic alignment and she had learned to stretch well. We are doing a lot of the moving haunches and forehand and then trotting or cantering off. The stretching in the trot has become good, but the problem had only gotten worse. Instead of trotting of with her head high, she now plunges forward, puts her head down and fall even more on the forehand. Transitions for trot to back-up are going well and I can really feel her shifting her weight then.

Hopefully, we can participate in your clinic next summer (I'm living in the Nether-lands) and you can help me with this problem. I hope you could already tell me what else I need to have in place, what

pre-requisites do I need to have for good quality canter-trot transitions. What do I need to be thinking off? I am definitely missing something, but what?Sincerely, Sanne S

Hi Sanne,Thanks for your email.

My first thought was yes, a balance prob-lem... And as you said: she can go canter to walk or halt, so she is trying to stay with you...

Nice smooth canter trot transitions require a soft, supple back (andbalance is a prerequisite to that)... You say the stretch is improved, but the 'prob-lem' is worse... Not uncommon for the horse to get more on forehand during a stretch...

Because of her age there may be a strength ʻthingʼ, as well as a habit ʻthingʼ if you have practiced these transitions other-than-smooth for a while.

I would highlight balance and self-carriage (no plunging the neck down!) Once a horse is feeling like they want to stretch, they also need to respect the length of the reins and not assume they can pull them if your posture is saying ʻstand upʼ!

We do want to be in as light, round soft a moment as possible for thetransition. Make sure you are not using your reins to come back as that can put the back into contraction.

But even without using the reins, you may be thinking 'stop the canter' more than 'start the trot'. It is important to 'think for-ward' to thetrot. Or at least think of from the first trot step... no matter how yucky the transition, you are not going to drop your intention until you find the good trot again... then get better and better at setting a land-speed record for recovering!

Another thing to think about is that the canter and the trot need to beclose to the same speed to be smooth... so you may need to slow or speed the canter or slow or speed the trot to get that to happen... experiment!

Let me know how that goes!Cheers,Karen

From a student...

Dear Karen, I attended a 'normal' dressage clinic this past weekend and just wanted to drop you a note. As I watched lesson after les-son, I knew I needed to send you a little note letting you know how thankful I am that you decided on your journey and the incredible way it has affected mine.  I cannot thank you enough for your cour-age to 'go your own way'.   I not only understand where my skills fit into 'normal' dressage, I can also see (not everything, of course...yet!), where and how the foundation plays into dressage. 

You have made everything make sense to me.  The clarity in how I am starting to understand the pieces and parts are a testament of what an excellent teacher you are.  :)  For the first time in very long time I am excited to play with every horse I can and I feel as though I have some-thing to offer.  I love waking up in the morning and serving people by helping their horses. 

What an amazing feeling, when you see a horse relax for the first time in...well, maybe in their lives!  And to see 'normal' dressage people start to understand what relaxation, energy, and balance feels like without the strictness they were used to before.  It is a pleasure as a teacher to watch my students giggle and laugh as they are riding, when before it was ten-sion and frustration.   I just wanted you to know that in my cor-ner of the world, horses (and people) are glad you are who you have chosen to be :)

Thanks,N

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Now that I am home for a while it is time to start up Natilla again. She is 3 and a half now. I got on her last March for just a few rides in the round pen, but since she is a BIG girl I wanted to let her just grow over the summer. She is a solid 16.3 hands now! These photos are from our second ride this week and our first solo ride in the arena. She was a star! As you can see by her ʻsmileʼ in the second photo she is feeling quite proud of herself. Last year she made that face once and I said “Oh how cute”, gave her a treat and well.... Now she does it on command, when she wants attention or when she is feeling proud of herself (or I guess when she wants a treat!). If I could only be so effective in training all the things she needs to learn! ;-) Our next project will be learning to be on the rail without being so close that my leg gets smooshed... Ahh, gotta love the babies!Perhaps I also can learn to match my colors better since there is always a photographer lurking around! ;-)

Don’t forget to join us in The Classroom!

There is over a yearʼs worth of videos and some great discussions happening in the Student Forum! It is the place to be!Here is a link to a preview of this monthʼs videos or go directly to the home page of the Classroom for more information. I am currently getting the Decem-ber videos edited... we will follow up on Wouter from the November videos, Jedi and Atomic will help me demon-strate a cool pattern for developing confidence in counter canter.. and... Youʼll have to visit us to see what else!

As always, please take time to look around the webshop. The book/DVD set is a must-have and is currently on sale. It is ʻThe Mother-shipʼ of the Dressage, Naturally information. There are 6 DVDs in the Results in Harmony DVD series, a poster with the Big Picture of D,N all in one glance, as well as reins, SiMoN, The School Master Noodle for learning lat-

eral work (currently on sale) and the new gifts and prints shown on page 2!

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Students who trust me to teach them Horses Sunshine Dana Carlos Open

spaces Birds Friends Family Computers cappuccino All my teachers My health The post office

Nutella Digital cameras The Temenos Sushi People who can cook imagination thumbs

All the animals who have allowed me to take care of them Facebook air-conditioning Problems that force me to think about things differently Golf carts Really comfortable bed Electricity National Parks People who do the jobs that I can’t or don’t want to

do People who know more than I do Problems that bother me because I am too stubborn to think differently because they will eventually teach me to think differ-

ently even when I don’t want to The internet modern medicine ancient healing

techniques and the people who know when to use which one seat belts refrigera-tion people who can do things much better than I can massage calculators peaches Books comfortable shoes moisturizer Memo-

ries Love smart-wool socks Music grass The sound of ice in a glass...

I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. It is an American holiday, traditionally to do with pil-grims surviving the winter and giving thanks for

having enough food, etc to survive... It is a reason to gather family and friends and eat a

lot of really wonderful food.But it is also a reason to contemplate what we can be thankful for. So in celebration of Thanksgiving... Here is a tiny sample of the things I am thankful for

!ank y"... “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are

conscious of our treasures.” ~Thornton Wilder