Backstage at a bullfight Rejon

This post is not a discussion on the morality of bullfighting. My interest here, as a horseman, is the horse and the part it plays in bullfighting. This post is for those who seek education to bring more quality to future debates.

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18^th April 2022, 8.30 am, on a tiny piece of grass surrounded by parked cars & people, behind the arena of Arles, horses were warmed up by their respective owners: Rui Fernandes, Guillermo Hermoso De Mendoza & Diego Ventura.

R Fernandes & D Ventura warming up

H De Mendoza warming up

These riders are known as Rejoneadores. This term comes from Rejon which is a knife attached to a spear. A bullfight Rejon always involves horses. Furthermore, in a bullfight where a Rejon is used, the bull will always be killed in the arena as opposed to somewhere else. 

Circled in blue is the Rejon.
In this picture, the bull has just entered the arena.
At this stage of the bullfight, the Rejoneadore is riding a horse with exceptional endurance to run.

To recapitulate, a bullfight Rejon involves 1 Spanish bull, 4 to 6 horses ridden one after the other by a rider called a Rejoneadore, and a Rejon. 

For two and a half hours i watched the horses getting prepared and warmed up ahead of the fight at 11am. i remained backstage for the duration of the whole event which lasted two hours. From there, i watched grooms at work, horses getting mentally ready, horses going to the arena and the horses coming back from the same place. The grooms started work at 1am.

 At 19 y o, this Lusitano was the oldest of the string at Diego Ventura's stable.
Head-groom, Paco, described him as 'THE best'.

The 19 y o Lusitano getting last minute prep ...

... before being lead to the arena.  

This 6 y o Lusitano was the youngest of Diego Ventura's string. 

This is a Lusitano X Arab. A fast and endurant horse which is ridden during the first stage of a bullfight. The different stages are explained further below. 

Horses calmy waiting.

Each Rejoneadore had a string of about 10 horses. 80% were entire of which 50% at stud. Each stable had them tied up close to each other to the lorry, saddled and ready to go. 30 horses at very close proximity to each other, there was a lot of testosterones. There were some opinions expressed but, not one kicked or bit another. To me this is a first indication that these horses have a purposeful life. They know the rules and what is expected of them. There was good energy about them.

The majority of horses were males. The few mares around were kept well separated.

Grooms at work at Rui Fernandes's stable.

Entire horses kept at close proximity of each other, not one kicked or bit another.

i looked closely and none of these horses had a scratch mark on them. This is an indication that the program of selection is rigorous & that they are ridden well.

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All horses were Lusitanos or Lusitano-crosses. All of them athletes with muscles in all the right places. Muscled hind quarters, muscled top line & self-carriage with pole higher than the withers.

H De Mendoza warming up all his horses at the walk.

A horse for bullfighting is selected equally for his physical ability as for his mental disposition. The Rejoneadore looks for the ambitious type of horse which is willing to learn and to learn fast.

The training of a bullfighter is dressage all the way. To repeat Paco’s words in the order he delivered them  ‘Dressage, dressage, dressage’. They train every day for 45 mins.

The way they move is powerful. These horses are trained at the highest level. 

In France, Spain & Portugal, bullfighting season spans from February to the end of November.

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A bullfight Rejon has 3 parts - 

The first part is called Tercio de Salida. This is when the bull comes out into the arena and the Rejoneador uses the Rejon. For this first part, the horse is chosen for its stamina to run.

The second part is called Tercio de Banderillas. The Rejoneador uses his more advanced horses with more spectacular dressage movements.

The last part is called Ultimo Tercio or Tercio de Matar. This is when the bull is killed.

Each horse is ridden between 2 to 3 mins whilst in the arena.

From the moment the bull enters the arena to the moment it dies, an average of 15 mins has elapsed.

From this point, in Arles, a team of two Comtois driven side on, goes to work. The Comtois is one of the nine heavy horse breeds of France. Nowadays, they come in a variety of sizes depending on their activity. The smaller ones are ridden in dressage and the taller ones are usually driven.

Comtois having a last conversation before going to work.

Once dead, the bull is dragged at the trot out of the arena through an ancient long curved narrow tunnel in the shape of an L.

The taller Comtois in the team was 17h. 

i was invited into the tunnel to appreciate the intricacy of the operation into this narrow 

L-shaped tunnel . A lack of momentum and the horses would get stuck in the 90 degrees turn and too much speed and the outer horse would cut the corner and prevent the other one from going through.

This is the tunnel of reference.

In my circle of horseman friends, almost all those who own and work cattle also love them, take them to slaughter, eat them and love bullfighting. It is a fact and there is no ambiguity about it.

The picture above was, i believe, taken at the end of the third part of a bullfight a.k.a. Ultimo Tercio. i see a horse which is listening and relaxed. For this to happen, in my experience with horses, there must be true understanding between the rider and the horse. This implies consistency, excellence and fairness. Without consistency, the horse will be scattered. Without excellence, the horse will physically not make it. Without fairness, the horse will break down. 

i leave you with this last thought. The current evolutionary theorist’s view of life on earth is that there is one ‘single tree of life’. All species are genetically related to all others. A banana and a human have approximately 50% overlap in their DNA.

 

Riding The Peddar's Way

    A friend suggested i should record my 4-day trek on the Peddar’s Way à la Tschiffely. i am not so immodest as to compare riding 80kms in flat Norfolk with riding 10,000 miles from Argentina to New York in 2.5 years, but i can draw his inspiration!

My horse, Autan, and i travelled on the old Roman road of the Peddar’s Way at the beginning of January 2022.

    The remark most often expressed by my fellow riders is that January is cold and therefore uninviting. Most riders seem to have written January off. How can this be possible? For me January is the perfect month to ride out.  No-one ventures out except for hardy outdoor lovers, dedicated dog owners, bambis, pheasants, foxes, geese and hares, all of which i find excellent company.  The cold weather is exhilarating. It whips you for the first few minutes but then kisses you warmly all over as you and your horse get moving.  In January, the sun shines often and it rains far less than in August in the UK.  Last but not least, those who let you have a stable for a tired horse in the middle of winter, are people worth riding out to meet. They have been, without exception, outstanding hosts and i am glad to have saddled up.

Flock of geese in inverted V formation.
For safety, this is the shape riders should form when 3 or more horses travel on the road. 

     It was my third time riding the Peddar’s Way in January but it was the first time riding alone with my horse. Riding alone versus riding with others is a different ball game altogether. And, in my opinion, often a better one. Over the years i have heard my mentor say that a horse that does not back up well is guaranteed to not do well at everything else. Along the same line of experience, riding with people who are consistently poor at time keeping are guaranteed to be balls and chains along the way. Choosing whom to trek with requires careful consideration.

    Trekking starts with a mental & a physical effort but on day 3 or 4, horse and rider change mode. A switch happens and it feels like everybody is managing better and everything is balancing itself out.  It is worth trekking for four days, at least, to notice this switch. For Autan & me, it happened on the third day. The further you ride, the freer you become. Furthermore, the Way makes you happy.

    Trekking is discovering how much you trust your horse and how far he trusts you back. This is an integral part of trekking. Pretty soon, you do not need to tie your horse up when you stop for lunch. In the saddle, one follows the other and wise versa.

This was during a lunch break. Autan could have gone anywhere he liked. Yet, he stayed by me.
i walked away a few steps and he followed a few steps.
Then, Autan & i carried on each with our lunch.
Lovely feeling!

    On a more practical side of trekking, the following are prerequisites ~ Make sure your horse ties up confidently alone ~ Make sure you have a few knots in your repertoire to tie your horse safely & not to damage the saddlery when doing so. i have four knots i do regularly so that i don’t forget them. They are the half-hitch knot, the bow line knot, the bank robber knot & the Buckaroo square knot to tie up my scarf neatly ~ Horse and rider wear reflective gear. It is guaranteed to cramp your style but on UK roads it is essential for the safety of all involved ~ And fourthly, ride with an open mind as you will need it when you arrive at your daily destination.

Here Autan is tied up using 3 knots.
The horseman bridle becomes a halter when knotting a half-hitch & a bow line.
If the horse were to pull, this knot combination prevents forces exerted on the bit.
The third knot used is the Bank Robber knot to tie the horse to the stable bars.

Day 1 – 14kms in 3hrs  We started in Wretham. On the first day of the trek, there is often this desire to hit the road fast and furious. i don’t. Instead, we rode all the way at the walk; slow, medium, fast, collected and elongated walks under a frosty and sunny winter day. Autan met a llama for the first time. It was a stand off between them. Both head-high, they looked at each other like two statues in Le Jardin Des Tuileries.

Silvery start with frost underfoot.

Day 2 – 22kms in 4hrs30  This section of the Peddar’s Way is mainly tarmac and being a Roman road, it goes in a straight Northerly fashion. This is perfect for dressage exercises. There were a few obstacles along the way in the shape of kissing gates, a very narrow bridge and a knee-high ford. The sun shone for us all day.

Day 3 – 14kms in 1hr50  Being a short ride & off-road all the way, the intention was to go for speed. Under heavy rain and strong wind, off we went and we loved it! It was a smooth ride by judging at the unbroken state of two eggs i carried in my saddle bag.

This ride was dedicated to Olivier Faure, a French horseman friend, who left us. 

Day 4 – 29kms in 4hrs20  Autan was dancing & prancing in his stable ready to go. This is the day where everything comes together, weather wise too. It was another crisp and sunny day. We reached the North Sea at 1.30pm at Holme-Next-The-Sea. We closed our ride with cantering the infinity symbol on the beach. Aaahhh! Corny i know but nonetheless this is what we did.

In all, we rode 80kms in four consecutive days in the glorious Norfolk countryside.

Riding with Master Horseman Mike Bridges

Mike riding 16 year old Dusty

Mike Bridges is an internationally renown California-style Vaquero horseman-stockman who has made a living for over 60 years on the back of a horse. His deep understanding of biomechanics in horses as well as humans makes him a clear and precise teacher. He is able to look at a horse’s movement and correct the rider’s position and technique. i first met Mike in 2009 but it is only in his latest UK clinic, Seeking Refinement, in November 2016 that i was able to ride under his instructions.

i refer to individuals like Mike as individuals with a true level of meditation on the subject they teach. True meditative state is very real. It includes sincere enthusiasm which leads to ever-seeking knowledge through many years of experience establishing a solid understanding of what works and what does not.
When i  asked Mike where home is for him when back in the States, is answer was simple. ‘My home is where I park my lorry.’ Mike teaches all over the world but whilst in the States he travels with his 4 horses: An 8 year old, a 4 year old, a 3 year old and a 2 year old. ‘They are all brothers’ said Mike.

The following is a synopsis of what i learnt during this superb clinic with Mike.

A good cow horse
In the introduction section of his book The Art of Making a California-Style Vaquero Bridle Horse, Mike writes:

‘The Vaquero-style bridle horse is one that is ridden in one hand for all work, and controlled without fingers through the reins. His primary job is to handle cattle, which includes herding, driving, cutting and sorting in a gate. In the roping of cattle, he serves as the engine to pull or as the anchor to hold. At all times, he should be a pleasure to ride.

A bridle horse should be very light in the face and throughout the body, being obedient to the slightest of signals from the rider. It takes 5 to 8 years to build what Vaqueros call a ‘straight up bridle horse’. This time is necessary to build the strength throughout the horse’s back and the rest of his body so he is able to work in a collected frame for long periods of time.

It is the training that makes the bridle horse, not the pedigree or type. When you see one is like watching poetry in motion in its movements, with lightning response to the rider’s demands.’

i asked Mike what, in his opinion, makes a good cow horse? A horse which is receptive to the slightest movements, he answered. The rest is good training.

Leg of the rider & its influence on the horse’s vertebra
The lower part of the leg below the rider’s knee influences the 15^th , 16^th, 17^th & 18^th thoracic vertebras whereas the upper part of the rider’s leg influences the 14^th and the forward thoracic vertebras towards the neck of the horse.
The 14^th thoracic vertebra is situated approximately under the middle of the saddle seat.

Weight distribution
Almost always put the weight slightly in the sense of direction you are going. For example, if trotting to the right, the weight should be slightly heavier on the right cheek. There is an exemption for canter departure. In canter departure, we put more weight in the opposite side of the departure. For example for a right canter depart, put a tad more weight on the left cheek.    

The Shoulder-in

The shoulder-in is a lateral movement working on the suppleness and balance of the horse by engaging the hind quarters and loosening the shoulders. The horse travels on 3 tracks where the inside hind leg and outside fore leg are on the same track. The horse has a slight bend in the neck bending around the inside rider’s leg.

In Shoulder-in, my inside leg is asking two things. a) create the bend of my horse about the 14^th vertebrae further & b) to place (in the case of a cow horse) or hold (in classical dressage) the hind quarters on the track. Always aiming at lessening the cue and once the horse travels as asked relax the leg. The outside leg drives the horse forward.
My outside rein acts as the wall. It must be still and strong but it softens once the horse is in place. My inside rein is loose creating the bend by letting the inside shoulder in.
I am sitting straight in the saddle.

In shoulder-in, once the horse is engaged, the front end lightens and so do the reins. Be aware of the balance of the horse and the evenness of the reins.

The Shoulder-out

is the reverse of the shoulder-in.

The Leg-yield ( La session in French)
The leg-yield is a lateral movement in which the horse travels forward and sideways looking in the opposite side of travel. His spine is straight but his pole and jaw are looking away from the direction of travel. The horse’s inside fore crosses in front of the outside fore leg.

On the R rein, the horse yields to my L leg. My R leg and R rein are open allowing the horse to move sideways. My L rein incites a L flexion away from a R travel.


The reason the leg-yield is easier than the half-pass is because it is easier for the horse to find balance whilst traveling in one direction and looking in the opposite direction.

Exercise – Shoulder-out, leg yield, turn around, small circle At the trot, shoulder-out then leg-yield then leg-yield at the walk then turn-around then leg-yield at the trot then leg-yield at the walk then small circle.

The Half-pass (L'appuye in French)

The half-pass is the same as the leg-yield except that the horse is looking in the direction of travel.

On the R rein, my R rein establishes the R flexion.
The half-pass is a more difficult exercise for the horse than the leg-yield.

The Trot

Straight or other ways look for the stillness of the horse's head. The more engage the horse, the stiller the head is. Put feel in each finger but keep the hands still.

Almost Pas De Deux with Clare riding Rebel

Turn & Stop
A reining horse turns & stops but a cow horse never turns & stops. A cow horse turns and go somewhere. A stop only takes place from a walk. Don’t trot and turn. Walk and turn.
How far do we want the horse to look into the turn? We want the horse to look inside the turn but not too much. Whilst turning the horse’s outside fore crosses in front of the inside fore.

As a schooling tip, Mike reminded us to work on our back-up often and regularly. First you want distance and fluid steps and it does not need to be straight. The fluidness of the steps is very important as that develops along with the distance it will be easy to straighten the horse later. Do not try for speed until the horse can back straight with balance. As the back-up improves the balance of your canter will improve and your stops will get better!

Responsiveness
An analogy Mike gave regarding what he is looking in terms of responsiveness from his horses. When the phone rings, says Mike ‘I expect my horse to answer the phone not to listen to the phone ring’.

Exercise 1 – Shoulder-out, Leg yield, trot, canter

At the trot – K to V , Shoulder-out – V x R, Leg yield – R to M, straight trot – L Canter at M

Exercise 2 – Shoulder-out, half-pass, trot, canter

At the trot – K to V , Shoulder-out – V x R, Half-pass – R to M, straight trot – L Canter at M

Exercise 3 – Shoulder-out, Leg-yield or half-pass, Shoulder-in

At the trot – K to V, shoulder-out – V x R, Leg-yield or Half-pass – at R, shoulder-in

Exercise 4 – Mixing Shoulder-in, Bends, Walk & Trot

Walking or trotting on the L rein – B to M, Shoulder-in – At M create a wall with my R rein and R leg and drive the L hind with my inside leg – Just past the corner, I aim to be in the same shoulder-in position as I was before taking the corner – Trot shoulder-in up to the next corner, keeping the shoulder-in positon – Past the corner, I should be in shoulder-in again – H to E, shoulder-in.

Up & down transitions looking for lightness

6 strides of canter – a few strides at the walk – 6 strides of canter – walk and so on. We are looking for smoothness and connection. The horse is collected. This is not a lope. We are looking for lightness in response and lightness in movement. Once these two are achieved, a horse becomes light. Beware that the first canter feels good but the subsequent ones feels heavy as the horse is falling on his shoulders.

Counter-bent circle

On the L hand circle, the horses head bends to the R – Take the outside rein to the horse’s R shoulder so that the horse’s shoulder can move – Drive with the outside leg – The inside leg stays neutral.

Then travel straight, then change hand.

Back Bone Stop
This is a good stop to learn particularly for reining and cow horses. The idea is to teach the horse the stop cue with the help of the cavalleti. Once the horse recognizes the cue, the cavalleti is not necessary anymore. The aim is to have a neat and immediate stop to the cue.

Start by trotting or cantering your horse around going over a cavalleti for about 20 times.

A length away from the pole, I hardened my hands without pulling on the reins, rotate my pelvis as if I am bearing my spine in the ground. If the horse stops, let him rest for 20 second then take him away without crossing the pole. If, however, he does not stop on cue and crosses the pole, turn him around and rush him back to the starting position and repeat the exercise.

Autan's 1st ride in the hackamore
If there is one horseman to ask for guidance, it is Mike. He is the expect of the hackamore. On the 3 last days of the clinic, Autan was in the hackamore. Throughout the clinic, Mike and Marci helped me a lot with my hand and finger positions as well as feeling the horse through the mecate reins. Autan responded very well despite having not ridden in the hackamore for 3 years.

One of the reason Mike’s clinic was such a success for me is because the improvement in my riding was immediate. The feel i got from my pony was instantly lighter and better. i would recommend anyone who seeks improvement and refinement to ride with Mike. 

Marci, Mike, cat & Autan