Working with
Cavalia® was a
dream come true
On their last
tour I worked
with Cavalia as
their horse masseuse and helped keep the horses in top shape. Buddy, the horse pictured above is a 2-ton sorrel Belgian gelding who was grateful for my work on his back. Having your owner jump up and down on your back day in an out can take its toll!
Templado,
Frédéric's stallion
has his mane
braided to protect
it while he is not
performing.
While working with the horses of Cavalia I was able to watch Frédéric work with the stallions. Watching him always brought tears to my eyes, for his communion with his horses is absolute and beautiful beyond all words. After my day was over I would slip into the tent to watch a practice, or see the show. Each time I was re-entranced all over again, and I grew to know each horse and their performances.
The two horses that I worked on the most were Bandelero - the white albino Lusitano Stallion; he is arthritic, but loves to perform so much that he pouts if he doesn't get to dance at liberté.
Iman, a gray Lusitano stallion became a close friend, as each day I would ease the tension in his back, and work with his emotional resistance to training. For awhile it looked like he would not be able to perform in the show. I'm happy to report that he is now performing at liberté and in the ball.