This horses name is Illusion. I nicknamed him Wild Child and he was a special part of my life. He had been written off by the age of 5 as being difficult. We devoted 6 months of our lives to each other, and I was eventually able to get him under saddle. I schooled him through his snaffle bit stage, and Danny Barker from Thunder Bit Training Stables gave him 60 day's in a bosal, and he won Reserve Champion at the Desert Horse Classic that winter. He spent some time under Madame Col. and is now a feature at the Dancing Horse Theater.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Animal Gardens and The Dancing Horses Theatre--Lake Geneva, Wis.
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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4 comments:
Illusian. What a wonderful little horse, so honest, so special, so smart. With the good foundation he was given he rushed forward and in 90 days was doing more than most horses schooled in a year. Unfortuanately his talents go unused as he is ridden by those who do not know, but that he does, he does well and thanks to Johnny Zoppe has a stunning costume. Way to go Wild Child.
Dianne,
Going back to riding bridle less or running free in a big arena addresses the environment you are in and how it looks. You know the difficulties of riding in the circle of the ring. He is leaning real bad, running with his head to the out side which is very ugly. With only a soft moccasin for a spur getting the ribs up on the inside is an impossible task. Because of no nose band he sis champing the bit constantly almost looking like Mr. Ed, until it is removed, which gives the impression to the audience that the bit is bad, and not that it is being used wrong. It looks so bad I reminded them that Danny had schooled him in a bosal, and they may want to use that instead. The girl didn't know what one was so I just left it alone. The costume looks great, but his bow is gone. You might be interested in knowing Day, Impact, Monarch, and Keeper are back in cavassons, Samauri and Princess still pull the checks.
Wade
Yes sorry the boys aren't doing as well as the pictures portray, unfortunately I have also been sucked in by great photos only to find that what I thought I saw doesn't exist. At one time this show was destined to be one of the finer in the states and now is reduced to amateurs both in producing and performing. The shinning star is Johnny Zoppe putting lovely costumes on what is left. Sad displaying a "Dancing Horse Theater" that the trainers and performers know not even the basic of horsemanship and tools.
And Wade I knew you were talking horses free in the smaller arenas and I agree there is no way to make them look elegant and beautiful under those situations, the beauty is that what nature gave them in the room nature intended.
Dianne,
I feel one of the greatest logistic of operating a permanent horse show like this or a Medieval Times or a Arabian Nights is generating the revenue to pay and keep top Trainers and riders, and to keep changing the show to keep the customers coming back. It's not like you come to town once a year and leave and can use the same thing year after year. That's why after every two years, Ringling would ask, "what can you do different?"
Wade
Wade
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