The Making of Chazot, DVD (A). 

I often think about the great horses I had the privilege to ride in International competitions, and I regret that at the time, I did not have the knowledge to lead them to better results and a sounder career. I am glad that Chazot did not come to me earlier in my life. He is extremely challenging, and without the lessons that I have learned from other talented horses, and the insights of modern equine research studies, I would not be able to resolve the problems that I face in his daily training.

The psychological aspect of his education can be compared to an educator's attempt to convert a rebellious child to a good student. The mental challenge lies in leading a brain that is saturated with protective reflex contractions and painful memories toward a sound coordination of the horse's physique. The physical question includes an analysis of the horse morphology, muscle imbalance, and points of strength and weaknesses.  A prescriptive gymnastic program is then formulated.

The making of Chazot demands the best of both:  the wisdom of centuries and the insights of modern science. Since we regularly document his work on video recording, the "Making of Chazot" is an authentic document, immensely educative, greatly inspiring and in some instances, quite entertaining.

There are very good programs today that guide the newfound owners of thoroughbred race horses through the delicate task of introducing them to their second career. Problems often arise with  conventional equestrian education, which emphasizes the “clever manipulation of reward and punishment”.  This approach does not take into consideration the imprint left in the horse’s mind from their experience on the race track. The wounds are real and influence the way the thoroughbred horse processes mentally. 

This is true for all breeds of horses. The reeducation process is always hampered by the presence of bad memories that will be reawakened by any signal of near resonance. As long as training philosophies do not take a resolutely new direction, horses will protect themselves from a new type of submission the same way they survived previous submissive techniques.

Thoroughbreds do not submit well, but they excel in partnership. So do most horses. Given a chance, horses perform willingly. They even take pertinent initiatives. The chance they need is a great leader. Jim Collins (Good to Great) distinguishes good leaders who select skilled partners with whom they share their views, and great leaders who also select talented partners but adjust their views to the greater benefit of their partner’s talent.     

“Leaders don’t force people to follow; they invite them on a journey.” (Charles S. Lauer) Every training technique claims to invite the horse into a journey, yet starts with the submission to the rider’s aids. The physical coordination that allows the horse to perform soundly and at its full potential demands more sophistication than does the submission to the rider’s aids. There are 183 synovial articulations in the horse’s vertebral column. The subtle and simultaneous coordination of these many articulations is controlled by the horse’s central nervous system, the brain. Such coordination can be guided by another brain, the rider’s brain. Leading the horse toward soundness and success can be achieved while engaging and respecting the horse’s intelligence.

 One may say, yes but, when you start a young horse... This program is about starting a young horse and gives him a chance to perform soundly and at his full potential. The horse education from A to Z is segmented into DVDs. The first one is “The Making of Chazot”, DVD (A). The last one will be “The Making of Chazot, DVD (Z). 

We are particularly happy to introduce the first available DVD

- The rearing issue (mental frenzy). - Gravity of the situation                           

                                                                         - Working Hypothesis

                                                                         -  Execution (how we resolved

                                                                            the problem.)

- The work in hand, - Introduction

                                         - Psychology

                                         - Expectations                               

                                         - Execution

                                         - Progresses

- The lunge work, - We have voluntarily reduced the lunge work to 

                               the minimum. There are side effects associated 

                               with the lunge work that induce abnormal

                               stresses on the limbs and vertebral column.

- Under the saddle, - Educating the biomechanics of the horse’s  

                                           vertebral column.

- Introductory level. - Practical application of  the lessons learned in  hand.

                                   

                                         - The horse’s natural cadence     

                                         -  Cervico-thoracic fle

There are many examples of well designed studies of pathological changes in race horse's bodies, and the incidence of damage to bone and joints is high, sadly this is often seen in ex race horses under the age of 5.. Many have multifactorial lamenesses that are difficult to diagnose. Once the horse is in rehabilitation, systematic, incremental work can be slowly included. With the long term training philosophy given byJean Luc here, an individualized approach to training the the ex race horse is defined. Elizabeth Gormley

 

"The Making of Chazot" - a review by Susan Hopf

https://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art43317.asp

An overgrown racehorse with a volatile attitude luckily finds his way into the hands of Jean Luc Cornille and we all come out as winners. This remarkable DVD documents the journey of Chazot from dangerous outlaw to respectful and respected partner. Jean Luc Cornille’s trust in the equine intellect coupled with his exceptional knowledge of equine biomechanics and exquisite sense of fairness, from the viewpoint of the horse, creates incredible results for a horse that would have, without question, lived a life of abuse in the hands of anyone else. The documentation offers all those that view the DVD a first hand look at how the lack of punishment better serves the requested work, how the human half of the partnership must maintain his/her own position and be in the correct spot at all times. 

The gray Thoroughbred grew fast and far beyond most race horses. He was forced to race long before his body was able to comply with what was asked. Of superior intelligence he fought back against the hurried training and subsequent harsh reprimands that his justified but dangerous objections often created. Chains on his lip and ear were used for control but served no other purpose than to add to the mounting defenses of this high-spirited horse. Each race he bore a new jockey, as none were willing to ride this horse twice. 

The journey takes us through the difficult beginnings – how to bridle a horse that will not allow one to touch his face. We are then privy to the first sessions of the work in-hand and become acquainted with its history and the marked difference between this precise work of partnership and that of “ground” work. We learn through graphics of the horse’s vertebral column, back musculature and hind limbs how the opposing forces of braking and impulsion truly work together. Many misconceptions are dispelled and many new ideas are presented with the narrator walking us through the specifics. Lungeing is discussed and we learn that a perpetual circle can damage the horse’s joints from the ground up – we see how to create straight lines on the lunge in order to alleviate some of these distortions through the equine body.

The entire DVD is instructional and enlightening for all that work with horses. But it is also much more – for it is a love story as well but not of the romantic sort. One man truly in love with the spirit and soul that is “horse” is hoping to convince more and more horse people that to continue to dominate this great beast only diminishes the animal as well as the experience. Don’t miss out on this beautiful example of true partnership between horse and human – even worth a look if you don’t have a horse – the story itself will inspire you to listen more and interfere less in all levels of communication.