Karina Bjerremann - Nevzorov Horse Revolution official representative in Denmark
Email:
Skype: karinabjerremann
Do I start by telling my life with horses is so exploring and developing that I look happily forward to tomorrow, knowing yesterday gave me just a tiny little detail, and that today used well, gave a split second of contact and understanding?
For years I have been seeking a way of doing something and feeling it was right - not knowing what right was for me; I found out it’s connection, love in the moment.
I was only 17 when I visited the school of Vienna. Coming from the traditional world to see horses perform without letters and where competition itself not was the goal confused me and gave me a new inner picture of 'not performing'.
My mother-in-law at that time saw my deep inner love towards horses through her mare Fanny - I loved Fanny and due to her I met horses in a new way I didn’t know possible coming from ridingschool in the traditional way of being around horses 9 years. For almost 8 years, I had been doing slavery with horses, and my inner voice knew this.
I was given the foal from Fanny, called Zabina, a Danish Warmblood. Zabina is the most clever horse in the world to me. Looking back I wish I had met Nevzorov so many years ago so that I would not have to look into her eyes for forgiveness. Today when I go into the stable she allways shakes her head as if she wants to say I know and I forgive you.
I have a lot to thank this horse for. Little by little my teaching has been questioned by the horse and reflected back to me. It’s not without reason I have had a broken hand, open leg wound, broken back and a fear of accidents. My fear drove me towards better methods. Down the road I met Western horsemanship – Zabina’s son, Bernardo, was not to be taken the same road so I decided on Western - without a doubt I had same result: resistance.
On my way, my path has for a longer period been both classical dressage and also Western horsemanship. Now, you see, those two methods were like a hurricane, resulting in both the vision of a ballerina and a cowboy in my mind, I got so confused. One day I found I could train my horse by chasing after her and she would come to me, follow me around; and I could even do this to other horses. Within some years I trained other horses with this confusion inside. I ended up using the Western method for young, untrained ‘unhumanised’ horses and the classical dressage for horses willing to be ‘humanised’... all the time knowing something was not totally in balance.
Then I searched for clicker training - I had never in all my horsy years given a treat - we are talking now about 30 years and by today, 11 horses. It was a shock for me to see how food could make horses perform. Yet coming home trying very carefully with the horses who knew me the most as well as with young horses, I felt treats were not to be given like this. I felt like a robot wanting a show of my horse, as if I was trying to buy my horse.
At the same time I started communicating within human and horse relations. I suddenly saw human connecting with horses without knowing horses. The horse would do the most incredible movements and caring actions just in front of my eye. How is this possible?
Then at a classical workshop a very dear friend of mine told me she had some movies she wanted to show me. I remember me doing a toast, then she put on the movie and for like 20 minutes I was totally amazed. It stood out so clearly to me that all my beliefs about horses had been limited!
I knew now I was a novice to horses. That it all was out of love and connection. That when I had seen mentally hurt people connect to the horse, I saw how it is the balance in oneself which can bring about a difference within the horse.
Today I am the lucky one to be able to live with a group of 11 horses. I do try to keep them in as natural an environment as possible. Having both stallions and mares I have divided them with stallions together with geldings, and one stallion is being part of the group on/off depending on the mare’s cycling period.
The rest is one big group with age from 1 to 25, yes, my dearest friend Zabina is still keeping me going. She keeps me off dominance; if I ask her about discipline she answers gently but precisely. I wish more horses were like her, though she has been called dangerous, crazy, untrustfull, hysterical, a flying horse, bucking horse, and all she did try to tell us was something like: no.
Why would one want to be devoted to Nevzorov Haute Ecole?
First and foremost I do not know any other way where knowledge is shared, respected and understood with respect for the horse, and only for the sake of the horse.
I feel a deep unitedness with people all around the world. We need each other to support the horse. We know we can do it by ourselves. We also know the point of view for the horse needs to be changed.
I have the guts and strength to do so. I am ready to be part of the revolution for the horse. I see more and more people joining and understanding there is another way - and it’s with love and respect and true friendship.
Together we can make a difference for the horse.
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