How Horses Raise the Bar on Being Human
Horseman Jonathan Field working with Off We Go, a Spruce Meadows bred warmblood. Copyright Spruce Meadows Media/Tony Lewis.
The Spruce Meadows Masters in Calgary attracts the best horse and rider duos globally every September.
Sunday’s $3 Million Grand Prix, the richest and arguably most challenging leg of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, is the ultimate test of horsemanship.
A slippery term that evades singular definition, horsemanship means something different to everyone. It is an art, not a science. But the unifying theme is the cornerstone of any good relationship: love.
“Horsemanship is about partnership,” says Linda Southern-Heathcott, one of the billionaire matriarchs of Spruce Meadows, a dog by her side. “It’s like a marriage. It’s a give and take. There has to be trust. There has to be a friendship. Of course, there has to be love. And if you have that, it is a long-lasting relationship.”
The rider takes care of the horse, which builds trust between horse and rider. In return, the horse protects the rider by taking them over each fence safely.
“The crowd might like the danger, but you have to be good to the horses,” says preeminent course designer Leopoldo Palacios, who designs and builds the tests that horses and riders will face in the days to come.
Iconic course designer Leopoldo Palacios, at Time Faults Pub. Julie Claire photo.
“I don’t like to see horses suffer. My courses are very hard, but – touch wood - I don’t have big accidents with horses. I don’t like to see horses on the floor. I don’t care if they stop and the rider falls to the floor. It’s their problem. But I need to be careful with the horses.”
Palacios, who compares his work to that of a “choreographer,” shines as he speaks about his love for the sport. “The horse is an animal that I love. He is beautiful. I like a good performance. I like when the horse is jumping nice, big fences, and you see the horses make a good effort. It’s like dancing. The beauty is important.”
“For me, this is the best show of the world,” says Palacios, who has been designing courses for Spruce Meadows since 1994. “Calgary was – nobody knew Calgary before,” he laughed. “Now, Calgary is the mecca of equestrian sport.”
Hannah Selleck is riding the magnificent grey horse, Cloud 39, this weekend. Spruce Meadows is one of her favourite venues since she first visited when dad Tom Selleck was shooting a Western film in the area. A student of Canadian team member Mario Deslauriers, Selleck speaks to the bond between rider and horse.
“It doesn’t matter how well you ride, there’s a part you have to give over and trust your horse knows what to do. I’ve got to tell him, communicate to him: I love you, I trust you, you’ve got this, you can do this. You’ve got to trust you’ve done what you can for your horse and now they are going to do what they can for you.”
Ben Maher of Great Britian, fouth-ranked rider in the world, won the Telus Cup with mount Exit Remo on Wednesday. He explains what horsemanship means to him.
Ben Maher (GBR) & Exit Remo soar to victory in the Telus Cup. Copyright Spruce Meadows Media/Mike Sturk.
“Horses give everything to us. The best I can do is give them everything to keep them happy. I treat every horse as an individual. For instance, Exit Remo likes one thing and Dallas Vegas is a very different horse and has other wants and needs. Just like people, they have individual personalities. It’s about firstly understanding them, and secondly, when are the right times to ask them a little bit more and when to step back.”
Canadian Tiffany Foster, hot off a couple of wins at Thunderbird Show Park in Langley this summer, concurs. “Horsemanship means you have your mind open to listening to your horse. You need to let them tell you how they want to learn. You let them learn at their own pace.”
Scott Brash. Copyright Spruce Meadows Media/Ashley Jimenez.
Scottish rider Scott Brash, the only rider to have won the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, underscores how quality time builds trust and rapport. “You can only win top Grand Prix by having a good partnership with your horse. You only create a top partnership by working with them every day. You know what they like, what they don’t like. When I walk a course I want to visualize it through (mount) Jefferson’s mind. I know him really well. And vice versa he knows me, he knows the pressure I carry, and we only get that from working with them every day. Doing the ground work. Watching them in the stable.”
“I was seven years old when I rode my first pony. Back then I don’t think I dreamed of winning here, but I loved the pony - Minestrone he was called. The love for the horse has always stayed with me.”
Master horseman and Tedx speaker Jonathan Field, who lives on a ranch in Merritt, BC, was given a Spruce Meadows-bred warmblood horse to train and showcase at the tournament.
“From my point of view the goal is to develop a partnership with a horse. When you’ve developed that partnership, it feels like an old pair of shoes, a best dancing partner. It feels like home. You can’t tell where you end and the horse begins.”
While horse training of the past used aggression, intimidation and control to “master” horses, Field trains horses from a foundation of kindness and respect. As the leader of the pair, Field demonstrates how to communicate clearly and consistently with the horse using body language. The horse learns to trust, rather than fear humans.
In the demonstration ring Field lassoes a whip in the air over his horse, a hissing sound that would send most horses into the rafters. The bay gelding stands placidly.
“He’s not dull,” Field explains. “He trusts me.”
Another exciting competition, the World Blacksmith Championships, are happening alongside the show jumping.
Copyright Spruce Meadows Media/Ashley Jimenez.
“It’s all synergy. You got vets, you got blacksmiths, you got the riders – everybody’s here for the horse,” says World Blacksmith Championships CEO Craig Trnka.
“They’re such an incredible animal. They’re on their feet 23.5 hours a day. It’s where the word horsepower came from.”
“Horsemanship is about trying to get along. A horse is a 1200 lb bunny rabbit. If you do harm to it, you’re not going to get along with it, but if you do the same thing over and over, they respond positively. To be a good farrier you have to understand and not frighten a horse.”
Horsemanship extends beyond horses. It’s a way of being in the world. It shows in the ways that grooms, riders, tech billionaires, heiresses, celebrities and regular Calgarians intermingle comfortably at the opening gala – chatting about – what else? – horses.
It’s that thing about horses that raises the bar on being human. To watch Spruce Meadows this weekend, tune into Sportsnet or sprucemeadows.com.