Kuhaylan Jellabi Equestrian

World Equestrian Games Posters

The Throwaway

An astonishing fact: my horse Lukas receives over 100 e-mails a day! How can that be you might ask, what could anyone possibly write to a horse about? Let me give you a few examples - "Thank you, Karen and Lukas, for changing people's perception of horses - I own a horse rescue and I have been getting more calls than ever from prospective adopters. Lukas is helping to bring greater understanding and vast improvement into the lives of horses world-wide". "Lukas makes my autistic son smile, thank you from the bottom of my heart." "Lukas is like a beacon to the world - showing how truly remarkable and wonderful our equine friends are. I always knew they had intelligence and emotions, now I can prove it to the skeptics I know." And one of my favorites, "I just had to tell you how much I love Lukas - since losing my horse 2 years ago, I've been so depressed I haven't wanted to ride. I saw Lukas' videos on you-tube and realized how much I miss being around horses after seeing the bond that you two share. Now, I'm going to 1/2 lease a friend's mare. I'm so excited, thank you , Lukas!"

As glowing as all this sounds, it wasn't always this way. Lukas (race name Just Ask Mike) left the track as a two year old with two bowed tendons after three unmemorable race finishes, changed hands several times and ended up emaciated and neglected in a back yard. He was rescued by Sue Smith, who took pity on the then 8 year old chestnut gelding - "you could see every rib and his tail was a solid bat of dried mud." Smith, a local trainer had hoped to eventually include him in her amateur jumping program. After two years though, he still wasn't fitting in, according to Smith, and I purchased him from her after seeing his picture ad in the local Horsetrader.

Working full-time as a psychiatric nurse, I had our (then) barn trainer begin some basic lessons on him with the plan to take over myself and show him at lower level dressage shows. In a very short time Lukas became sullen and resistant to the point of being extremely dangerous - bucking, bolting and spooking (even in his own stall!). "He's a throwaway, Karen, what do you expect? Quit wasting your time on him," I was told by more than a few well meaning observers. After 30 years of training horses, I had just about met my match with Lukas.

Before giving up, I decided to fall back on my 30+ years of behavioral training experience (these types of dangerous behaviors are best dealt with by professionals) and also try to find out what he would enjoy doing. My approach uses a very broad base of shaping (successive approximation) techniques, a specialized version of clicker training and lots of positive reinforcement. So, I set about UN-training by replacing unwanted behaviors with desirable responses. The particular responses that I chose to substitute happened to be tricks - fun and play being at the core of my system. I've always used the trick training games as a way to create a connection and build confidence, willingness, focus and trust. I also ascribe to strictly liberty (free/loose and without any equipment - I don't even own a whip) work to show the true significance and effectiveness of my style. It must also be said that I employ patience and kindness, affection and appreciation - without which none of this would have been possible.

I am often asked about the role that my career has played in Lukas' training. I have been a psychiatric nurse for 25 years on acute-care (lock-down) units. This experience has been invaluable in my work with the horses (and everywhere else!) - it allowed me to see the wondrous benefits and powerful effects of sensitivity, compassion, gentleness and careful observation (which I continue to work on daily). I became aware over the years, that by cultivating qualities in myself that I wanted to see in others (including the horses), made a huge difference in the way they responded. Being aware of and monitoring my voice (tone, rate), body positioning (posture, stance etc.), gestures, language, and especially emotions, brought about what I had hoped for in and with others (and myself!) all along: harmony, balance, peace and joy.

As I mentioned, the use of liberty training is my preference. It enables me to influence the horse in a way that I feel is most natural and effective. I use it for many, many reasons, the most important being the development of the relationship with the horse. I cannot emphasize enough the necessity of building a relationship with your equine partner - when you have that, you can then teach anything you want, be it spelling, jumping or passage. I realized that being a good trainer required the ability to cultivate this aspect of my approach, which now forms the basis of my system. Everything I do with Lukas is related to promoting and maintaining our bond - which makes for extremely efficient learning. Liberty training is the vehicle which allows me to guide, re-direct, explain and reward a horse in a manner that he best understands. Lukas hasn't been tied since I bought him, and while he wears a halter and lead while we're out, there's rarely a time that I use it (the lead is looped over his neck) - there is no need for it. Now, I am not suggesting that everyone try this - it is only what I do to demonstrate my point. My point being that if a horse freely offers a passage "on the bit", backs up, bows, stays, etc. without any equipment whatsoever, surely there is no need for cruel methods to achieve our training goals. Pain compliance , exhaustive techniques and rigid schedules are counter-productive in every instance - they may garner short-term results, but the damage is deep.

"Something that he would enjoy doing," as I said earlier - well, that was certainly the case! In my opinion, all creatures enjoy play (to some degree), being able to accomplish tasks successfully and having a sense of some control in their lives. The specialized version of clicker training that I use includes all of those aspects - it provides not only immediate signals, but also gives me a way to encourage "inclinations" toward desirable responses. We started with the smile and we're still going strong. To date, Lukas' liberty repertoire includes: posing, nodding yes and shaking his head no, a dry and wet kiss, fetching, being "blindfolded", catching, yawning, saluting, pedestal work, Spanish Walk (forward and backward), the stay and come, jambet (3 legged pivot), reverence, passage, bow, crossing his front legs, laying down while I sit on him, feet together (front and back), hide and seek (with his beloved green towel), acting lame, pushing a cart, and the rear. Most of his acclaim, however, comes from his amazing abilities to spell, count, identify shapes, discriminate colors and his grasp of proportion, spatial relationships, object permanence and "belongingness" (same/different). We have also recently begun to work on the concept of zero/absentness.

His purpose has become sharing the happy results of kind training and showing others how wonderful and intelligent horses are. This once-upon-a -time "throwaway" has been on NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, HLN, Equisearch, Pet Life Radio and the Associated Press recently released a feature story on him. He is listed on both Yahoo and Google as "The World's Smartest Horse" and Guinness is considering a record on him. His story - which has really become a love story about a woman and a horse - has been in countless magazines, newsletters, blogs and newspapers world-wide. He is the official Spokeshorse for TROTT (Training Racehorses Off the Track) and a poster -boy for the California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, a group dedicated to insuring second careers for their athletes. He is also associated with HEAL (Human-Equine Alliances for Learning) - an equine assisted therapy group helping trauma victims (all of my proceeds and services are donated to help the horses). He has been invited to attend the Grand Prix HITS Desert Circuit Horse Show, the Equine Affaire, The International Equestrian Festival, The Western States Horse Expo and America's Family Pet Expo. Now, if only I could teach him to answer his own mail!

About the Author

Copyright 2010 Karen Murdock Owner of http://www.playingwithlukas.com Karen is a retired psychiatric nurse, who has been fixing problem horses for over 30 years. She uses a combination of shaping techniques, a specialized version of clicker training and positive reinforcement. Her unique approach uses games and play as a way to connect and bond with horses to develop confidence, increase focus, improve performance as well as build willingness and trust. All of her services and proceeds go to benefit the horses. Contact Lukas and Karen at: info@playingwithlukas.com

Venezuela at the 2006 Fei World Equestrian Games $68.51 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Venezuela was represented by 1 athlete at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. The 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games were held in Aachen, Germany from August 20 to September 3, 2006. They were the 5th edition of the games which are held every four years and run by the FEI. They were held at the Hauptstadion. 59 National Equestrian Federations sent athletes to the Aachen games. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 18 Publication Date: 2010/09/01 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.04 inches

Equestrian $69 The original sculptures which were brought to the united states in 1997 are the creation of the german artist, guenter scholz. Since their introduction the collection has been carefully redesigned to reflect the American lifestyle and sense of humor. Preserving the old world craftsmanship, each piece continues to be handcrafted from recycled steel and copper that is bent, cut, welded and brushed until the desired effect is achieved. The whimsical caricatures of people at play and at work are recognized by the signature eyeglasses they all wear and the certificate of authenticity included with every piece. There are no aspects of life that are untouched by his interpretations. Work, sports, music, fun, love, office, seaside, wheels and wings all provide inspiration for the artist.

Mary King (Equestrian) $60.54 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Mary Elizabeth King is a British Olympic equestrian sportswoman who has represented Great Britain at five Olympics from 1992 to 2008, winning one silver and one bronze medal in the team eventing. She has won two gold and one silver medal in the World Equestrian Games team eventing and four team gold medals at the European Eventing Championships along with one bronze and one silver medal in the individual event. Nationally, she was the British Open Champion in 1990, 1991 1996 and won the CCI four star Badminton Horse Trials in 1992 2000, and the CCI four star Burghley Horse Trials in 1996. Author: Miller, Frederic P./ Vandome, Agnes F./ McBrewster, John Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 72 Publication Date: 2010/12/21 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.17 inches

A Century of Olympic Posters (Paperback) $39.9 As snapshots through time, Olympic posters provide a fascinating record of our world, a lens through which we can explore links between sports and art, politics and place, commerce and culture. A Century of Olympic Posters draws largely on the superb poster collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum and shows the evolution of the Olympic Games poster, from the first official poster for Stockholm in 1912, right up to the present. This diverse collection of images includes official posters for the Summer and Winter Games set in their historic context, and linked to pervading themes such as politics, commerce, the Olympic symbols, cultural and physical diversity, and urban regeneration. This revised edition includes new material from the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Equestrian at the 2008 Summer Olympics Qualification $71.7 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Equestrian at the 2008 Summer Olympics Qualification. Equestrian at the 2008 Summer Olympics, 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games, Australia at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Switzerland decided not to send a Team or an Individual to the Olympic Dressage competition after Silvia Ikle, the top rider on the Swiss team, refused to bring her horse, Salieri CH, to HongKong due to the long travel and concerns over climatic conditions. Author: Miller, Frederic P./ Vandome, Agnes F./ McBrewster, John Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 84 Publication Date: 2010/11/28 Language: English Dimensions: 9.02 x 5.98 x 0.20 inches

Ariat Volant Half Chaps $189.95 The Ariat Volant Half Chap is the newest high tech innovation from the innovation experts at Ariat Previewed at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, the Volant line is creating buzz through the equestrian world.

Anky's Music by Victor Kerkhoff $38.95 Anky van Grunsven and Keltec Salinero once again proved their astounding ability to dazzle a crowd as they became the World Dressage Freestyle Champions at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen Germany with a breathtaking result of 86.5.

Games $26.99 Games Magazine celebrates the world of games, puzzles, and human ingenuity. Each issue includes dozens of crosswords and other challenging, innovative word and logic puzzles, plus reviews of new board games, card games, and video and computer games.

Cuyamaca Equestrian Horse Bumper Sticker by CafePress $5 Show your support for the Cuyamaca Equestrian Association. Wear these items to trail parties, rides, and public meetings. While we are starting up the store, these items are being sold at our cost, to Horse Bumper Sticker Tell the world how you feel Our bumper stickers are perfect for expressing yourself while cruising down the highway or just for posting on the wall. Measures 10 x 3. Printed on 4mil vinyl using water and UV resistant inks -

Equestrian Pursuit $24.99 Equestrian Pursuit Photographic Print by Chaloner Woods. Product size approximately 12 x 16 inches. Available at Art.com. Embrace your Space - your source for high quality fine art posters and prints.

Equestrian Event $24.99 Equestrian Event Photographic Print by . Product size approximately 12 x 16 inches. Available at Art.com. Embrace your Space - your source for high quality fine art posters and prints.

Equestrian Delight $14.99 Equestrian Delight Art Print by Ruane Manning. Product size approximately 16 x 20 inches. Available at Art.com. Embrace your Space - your source for high quality fine art posters and prints.

Equestrian rider $19.99 Equestrian rider Photographic Print by . Product size approximately 9 x 12 inches. Available at Art.com. Embrace your Space - your source for high quality fine art posters and prints.

Equestrian Speed $24.99 Equestrian Speed Photographic Print by . Product size approximately 12 x 16 inches. Available at Art.com. Embrace your Space - your source for high quality fine art posters and prints.

Equestrian Monument $49.99 Equestrian Monument Giclee Print by . Product size approximately 18 x 24 inches. Available at Art.com. Embrace your Space - your source for high quality fine art posters and prints.

Equestrian Lesson $24.99 Equestrian Lesson Photographic Print by . Product size approximately 12 x 16 inches. Available at Art.com. Embrace your Space - your source for high quality fine art posters and prints.

Equestrian Panel $39.99 Equestrian Panel Giclee Print by J.F. Herring & J. Ferneley. Product size approximately 8 x 24 inches. Available at Art.com. Embrace your Space - your source for high quality fine art posters and prints.

Equestrian Motion $24.99 Equestrian Motion Photographic Print by . Product size approximately 12 x 16 inches. Available at Art.com. Embrace your Space - your source for high quality fine art posters and prints.

Games on Horseback by Betty Bennett-Talbot $19.95 Improve your equestrian skills and have a great time with your friends using this collection of safe exciting and challenging games for horse and rider. Whether you are a beginner intermediate or advanced rider these games will improve your skills of starting and halting dismounting balance reining and leading.

World Domino Champ Games Bumper Sticker by CafePress $5 For the World Domino Champion in your life Games Bumper Sticker Tell the world how you feel Our bumper stickers are perfect for expressing yourself while cruising down the highway or just for posting on the wall. Measures 10 x 3. Printed on 4mil vinyl using water and UV resistant inks -

Wii World Party Games $19.99 WII WORLD PARTY GAMES

Equestrian Statue, Old Town Buildings, Unesco World Heritage Site, Lviv, Ukraine $19.99 Equestrian Statue, Old Town Buildings, Unesco World Heritage Site, Lviv, Ukraine Photographic Print by Christian Kober. Product size approximately 9 x 12 inches. Available at Art.com. Embrace your Space - your source for high quality fine art posters and prints.

George and the Dragon, Equestrian Monument, Old Town, Unesco World Heritage Site, Lviv, Ukraine $19.99 George and the Dragon, Equestrian Monument, Old Town, Unesco World Heritage Site, Lviv, Ukraine Photographic Print by Christian Kober. Product size approximately 9 x 12 inches. Available at Art.com. Embrace your Space - your source for high quality fine art posters and prints.

DVD Equestrian Video Library Dressage Volker Brommann on Optimist $29.95 DVD Equestrian Video Library Dressage presents Volker Brommann on Optimist. Volker is one of the world's most knowledgeable dressage trainers and his unique talent to explain details as he is riding makes him one of the most sought after dressage educators on the international scene.

DVD Equestrian Video Library Show Jumping Ian Millar on Romanov $29.95 DVD Equestrian Video Library Show Jumping presents Ian Millar on Romanov. In this DVD Ian Millar or Captain CANADA is lecturing & riding  as he explains his theories which resulted in mading him No.1 around the world.

DVD Equestrian Video Library Show Jumping Beezie Madden on Danny Boy $29.95 DVD Equestrian Video Library Show Jumping presents Beezie Madden on Danny Boy. The world's most amazing female jumper rider gives us a close look at how she trains her horses to become international winners.

Equestrian Vaulting $78.07 Equestrian vaulting is most often described as gymnastics and dance on horseback, and like these disciplines, it is an art and not a competitive sport. It is open to males and females. It is one of ten competitive equestrian events recognized by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, along with: dressage, combined driving, endurance riding, eventing, horseball, paraequestrian, reining, and show jumping, and tent pegging. Therapeutic or Interactive Vaulting is also used as form of treatment for children and adults who may have balance, attention, gross motor skill, or social deficits. Vaulting has many enthusiasts worldwide, but particularly in Germany, where it is often practiced as part of basic equestrian training. The German vaulting squads are highly ranked and very competitive on the world stage. Vaulting is also especially well established in France (where it is known as Voltige), Sweden, the UK, and the Netherlands. Enthusiasm for the sport is also growing in Brazil, Australia, and in the United States. American vaulters have been successful competing internationally and the US has produced several world champions and highly ranked vaulting teams. Author: Miller, Frederic P./ Vandome, Agnes F./ McBrewster, John Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 88 Publication Date: 2010/07/01 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.00 x 0.21 inches

Papo 51076 Equestrian Anglo-Arab Foal Figure $14.6 PAPO was established in 1983. The first line was the knights; shortly followed by tales and legends and the Far West. Because of the success, Papo increased its range and added to its existing lines. Now all major classical themes are represented at Papo's as well as cinema heroes, cartoon and comic strip characters. Lastly in 2004 Papo launched its animal lines. Papo figurines are now sold in Europe, America, Africa, the Middle East and Oceania. Papo is happy and proud that their figurines help the imagination of children. Entering the world of Papo means accessing an unparalleled world of games. The Equestrian Anglo-Arab Foal figure is from the Papo Farm Life Collection. Measures approximately 3.5 inches tall and 4 inches long. Recommended for children ages 3 years and older. Made of durable synthetic material

Papo 51064 Equestrian Breton Horse Figure $16.43 PAPO was established in 1983. The first line was the knights; shortly followed by tales and legends and the Far West. Because of the success, Papo increased its range and added to its existing lines. Now all major classical themes are represented at Papo's as well as cinema heroes, cartoon and comic strip characters. Lastly in 2004 Papo launched its animal lines. Papo figurines are now sold in Europe, America, Africa, the Middle East and Oceania. Papo is happy and proud that their figurines help the imagination of children. Entering the world of Papo means accessing an unparalleled world of games. The Equestrian Breton Horse is from the Farm Animals Collection. Measures approximately 4.25 inches tall and 5 inches long. Recommended for children ages 3 years and older

Papo 51063 Equestrian French Saddle Horse Figure $16.43 PAPO was established in 1983. The first line was the knights; shortly followed by tales and legends and the Far West. Because of the success, Papo increased its range and added to its existing lines. Now all major classical themes are represented at Papo's as well as cinema heroes, cartoon and comic strip characters. Lastly in 2004 Papo launched its animal lines. Papo figurines are now sold in Europe, America, Africa, the Middle East and Oceania. Papo is happy and proud that their figurines help the imagination of children. Entering the world of Papo means accessing an unparalleled world of games. Made of durable synthetic material. Measures approximately 4 inches tall and 5 inches long. The Equestrian French Saddle Horse is from the Papo Farm Life Collection. Recommended for children ages 3 years and older