Interspecies Joy: Cavalia and the Lesson of Beauty

Beauty and horses. The two have been intertwined through the ages and are the subject of the incredibly popular equestrian circus, Cavalia. It is currently showing in Vancouver and is beautifully spoken about by Colin Thomas in his article, “Cavalia is an Explosion of Innocent Carnality and Interspecies Joy.”

Interspecies joy! (Image taken from http://www.carolynresnickblog.com/what-is-the-point-of-liberty/?wpc=dlc#comment-24284)

Interspecies joy. Such a term encapsulates the magic of Cavalia. By combining dance, light, theatre, costumes, and horsemanship, Cavalia creates an incredible synergy, making each element even more than itself. It is a place where two plus two equals five.

The magic of this synergy is simple: beauty and horses are naturally connected. Girls dream of braiding flowers into their stallion’s mane. Audiences are mesmerized by Shadowfax charging across the meadow to reunite with Gandalf. Children gravitate towards horses to pet and admire them. Even those who dislike animals do not deny the stunning beauty of the horse.

Yet, strangely, the principle of beauty never seems to be a foundational element in any horse training method. This seems strangely dissonant: if one of the main reasons humans are drawn to horses is their beauty, should not one of the main principles of any horse training method be, to be beautiful? Sadly, this is almost never the case. At best, beautiful horsemanship is seen as an ideal but not a necessity. So, horses are hollow, tense, fearful. Their eyes are wide, scared, dead. Ropes swish, spin, bite. Reins jerk, pull, drag.

Beauty disappears. And so does connection.

If you want to have a deep and meaningful connection with your horse, your horsemanship needs to respect the foundational link that horses share with beauty. So today, when working with your horse, do what is beautiful. Do not necessarily do nothing; beauty can be exciting, firm, and fast, and, due to an imperfect world, will not always even exist. But do not give up, for true beauty leads to true joy, glorifying God and written into the fabric of creation itself. You yourself know this, as does anyone who has loved a horse and tasted such interspecies joy.

“What Good is Bridleless Dressage, Anyway?”

Power and grace (Image taken from www.soy-libertad.com).

“What good is bridleless dressage, anyway?”

While bridleless riding is relatively common, mention bridleless dressage and you’re apt to get a blank stare. Isn’t dressage about bridles, after all?

Actually, bridleless dressage is a fantastic addition to any horse’s training. By this, I do not mean bridleless “patterns,” going through the movements without athleticism. Instead, I mean having all the roundness, softness, and brilliance one has in dressage—simply sans bridle. While the former is relatively unhelpful; the latter could transform your idea of dressage.




So what are some reasons to loosen the blood-brother tie of bridles to dressage?

1. Bridles limit a horse from fully taking responsibility for his carriage. By developing true self-carriage, he learns how to enjoy that posture on his own, even when by himself in the pasture.
2. It teaches the rider holistic dressage—not just the horse’s head by the rider’s hands. While this is the ideal of most dressage, when reins get involved, it is nearly impossible to attain.
3. By learning to multi-task (keeping physical roundness while performing focused movements) without the reminder of tack, the horse develops great self-control and self-responsibility.
4. When a horse takes a collected posture of pride and joy by his own choice, he receives an incredible sense of power and freedom. His spirit naturally engages, for that posture is one of brilliance within courtship, joy, or assertiveness. When such collection is reminded of or caused through tack, the horse’s brilliance is severed from the equation.
5. When a horse chooses to become radiant on his own, yet gives that on his own back to the rider, the horse-human connection deepens exponentially. This is because the horse-human pair, then, is participating in what they were created for by God: to give each other wings.

This is summed up beautifully by Lucy Rees:

"Riding is a partnership. The horse lends you his strength, speed and grace, which are greater then yours. For your part, you give him guidance, intelligence and understanding which are greater then his. Together you can achieve a richness that neither can alone."