Guest Author - Susan Hopf
An overgrown racehorse with a volatile attitude luckily finds his way into the hands of Jean Luc Cornille and we all come out as winners. This remarkable DVD documents the journey of Chazot from dangerous outlaw to respectful and respected partner. Jean Luc Cornille’s trust in the equine intellect coupled with his exceptional knowledge of equine biomechanics and exquisite sense of fairness, from the viewpoint of the horse, creates incredible results for a horse that would have, without question, lived a life of abuse in the hands of anyone else. The documentation offers all those that view the DVD a first hand look at how the lack of punishment better serves the requested work, how the human half of the partnership must maintain his/her own position and be in the correct spot at all times.
The gray Thoroughbred grew fast and far beyond most race horses. He was forced to race long before his body was able to comply with what was asked. Of superior intelligence he fought back against the hurried training and subsequent harsh reprimands that his justified but dangerous objections often created. Chains on his lip and ear were used for control but served no other purpose than to add to the mounting defenses of this high-spirited horse. Each race he bore a new jockey, as none were willing to ride this horse twice.
The journey takes us through the difficult beginnings – how to bridle a horse that will not allow one to touch his face. We are then privy to the first sessions of the work in-hand and become acquainted with its history and the marked difference between this precise work of partnership and that of “ground” work. We learn through graphics of the horse’s vertebral column, back musculature and hind limbs how the opposing forces of braking and impulsion truly work together. Many misconceptions are dispelled and many new ideas are presented with the narrator walking us through the specifics. Lungeing is discussed and we learn that a perpetual circle can damage the horse’s joints from the ground up – we see how to create straight lines on the lunge in order to alleviate some of these distortions through the equine body.
The entire DVD is instructional and enlightening for all that work with horses. But it is also much more – for it is a love story as well but not of the romantic sort. One man truly in love with the spirit and soul that is “horse” is hoping to convince more and more horse people that to continue to dominate this great beast only diminishes the animal as well as the experience. Don’t miss out on this beautiful example of true partnership between horse and human – even worth a look if you don’t have a horse – the story itself will inspire you to listen more and interfere less in all levels of communication.
I received an adavanced, free copy to review
