Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling at Hartpury College

Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling at Hartpury College Anyone who has read Hempfling's books or watched his films is aware that he is not your usual horse trainer. The German has a completely unique way with horses and after 20 years of living on a remote Danish island has begun to articulate in person how it is he is able to connect with every horse he has yet met. His style is straightforward and he speaks exactly what he sees and mostly he sees that we, the human element of the combination, need to pay greater attention to the way we interact with our horses.

In the knowledge that Klaus would be unerringly honest about what could be done to help their damaged or dangerous horses 14 owners put their horses forward to be considered by Klaus to work with him at The Borderline Demonstration at Hartpury Arena on Sunday October 25. The three horses selected included an Arabian stallion, a Spanish gelding and a 16 month Arabian colt.

People travelled from 10 different countries to be at Hartpury to see Hempfling There were dressage and eventing trainers present, riders from every discipline, breeders, journalists, film makers, dancers and teachers - people with strong connections to horses and some without a horse in their life at all. One woman left the oil rig she worked on in the North sea at dawn to be there; some travelled from Australia, South Africa, women brought babes in arms, or left new borns at home so they could witness this man. Significant birthdays and wedding anniversaries were overlooked - many an epic journey was undertaken to find out more about Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling.

Wiper, the 5 year old Arabian stallion, and his owner were to become the stars of the show. Wiper was brought to the arena in a severe mouthing bit. Klaus asked the owner to remove the bit and the horse's rope halter and to allow him to be at liberty in the picadero - the 11m x 11m arena Klaus uses when working with horses. Wiper paced, bucked, twisted and reared whilst Klaus spoke quietly to the 200 or so people in the audience about what it was he could see in the horse. He pointed out what he saw as remarkable about the little stallion, his ears, his form and from these details he pointed the audience to the character types Klaus outlines in his book ‘What Horses Reveal'. The audience was edgy and twitchy. Hearts raced as the stallion got hotter and the situation had a sense of chaos about it but Klaus talked quietly, breathed evenly and walked purposefully along the outside of the picadero. Within a few minutes the little stallion began to follow Klaus, it became apparent that the horse wanted to be where the man was.

Klaus entered the picadero and stood quietly - feet apart, toes slightly pointing inwards, shoulders down, head up, breathing deep, smelling the air, listening to the horse. The man maintained his space whilst the stallion paced chaotically at the other end of the picadero. Without any kind of challenge to the horse's dignity the man went on to claim a corner of the picadero that had hitherto been the domain of the horse. Klaus simply, gently used his rope to claim the corner - the rope was not used against the horse but simply as a marker of territory. Klaus insisted the horse did not come to his space with his energy and his self belief and without any kind of threat.

The man casually scuffed his boot in the arena sand, he strolled back to his original corner, he continued speaking to the audience; all the while showing the horse he was a guy who could be trusted, but equally did not seem apparently concerned about the horse's behaviour. Gradually Wiper became calm and curious - he went to the man. Klaus's acceptance of Wiper was not, however, immediate. The horse had a reputation for lunging with his teeth and Klaus remained fully aware and in an uncanny way pre-empted the horse's every next move. There was a lunge, a bite, an attack and each attempt by the horse to evoke a reaction in the man came to nothing.

Klaus asked Wiper to move around the picadero, to be lunged without a rope. Slowly the horse relaxed and responded to the requests from the man. In this state of calm the horse was returned to his owner.

The following morning Klaus led the audience through the grounding technique he uses to be with horses - the strength of being absolutely in the moment, of being acutely aware of every sound, smell, movement or to begin experiencing the world like the horse does. The audience came down into Hartpury's enormous arena and found a partner each. One was the ‘horse' the other the ‘rider'. The ‘horse' closed their eyes and the ‘rider' guided the ‘horse' round tricky bends at ever increasing speeds. Feeling the importance of the sensitivity required in good leadership, having verbal feedback about how good or bad one's touch, one's feel was became invaluable data back home when working with one's own real horses.

Then Wiper was brought back to the arena with his bit in place and once again Klaus had the owner remove it allowing the horse to be free in the picadero. Immediately it was clear the horse was calmer, and whilst he was still behaving in a hectic fashion there was less conviction to his drama. Soon Klaus was moving the stallion about the picadero, Wiper's head was low, relaxed and it was clear he was enjoying the simultaneous feelings of liberty and protection. The horse was transformed and the owner was asked to take the horse home. She went to put Wiper's fierce mouthing bit back in and Klaus pointed out there was no longer any need for it.

Now it was the owner's turn to learn how to behave so the horse trusted her. Wiper was given a flat halter and Klaus working closely with the woman coached her to put her head up, drop her shoulders, turn her toes in, to keep still now, then move now. The audience became involved by applauding quietly, then louder whilst the young woman owner held the horse in place with her very presence - not with a strong bit, not with a big stick, just with her own posture and belief in her ability to do so. Before too long the woman was leading the little stallion calmly around the arena, she too was transformed. She walked tall, proud of her horse and proud of herself and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

This is only the start of the journey that Hemplfing is inviting us to explore. Over the course of the weekend we discussed love, passion, materialism, myth, self-awareness, judgement and how the horse reflects our inner secrets.

Horse people are by nature a brave race, we are known for jumping over solid hedges at great speed, for racing madly across heaths and moors, for taking risks with our lives and yet the strength it took Wiper's owner to explore her inner feelings about her horse demanded greater courage than any outward act of bravado. Horse riders are pioneers, they always have been. This could be the next great challenge in the journey to being better horse people. To cease blaming the horses, to stop forcing them into this draconian piece of equipment or that type of blind obedience and to start questioning ourselves and our own motives, this is the challenge Hempfling presents us with. Once we do so it seems we can develop a powerful and profound relationship with our horses and we can go on to achieve both their and our own full potentials.

Watch Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling HERE

Article written by Gi Gilpin,  Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling's Event organizer

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