Jayne Lavender with Bachelor Boy. Jayne Lavender has been involved with horses her entire life except for breaks during university and her previous career. Jayne worked at riding schools from the age of ten and got her first horse at fourteen. Jayne comes from a family of riders; her grand father was a mounted soldier and her mother owned a horse when Jayne was a young child.
Jayne has four horses; Bachelor Boy (Bach), Heart of Burgundy (Cedar), Romantic Notion (Whiskey) and Presence of Heart (Presence). Bachelor Boy is an eighteen year old Quarter Horse with a stoic and impeccable personality. Bach suffered Cryptorchidism, which meant he was kept isolated as a colt and subsequently suffered major surgery as well as emotional neglect. In the twelve or so years Jayne has had him, Bach has suffered alongside Jayne on her horsemanship journey, tolerating Jayne's pitfalls and errors with courage and class.
Bach has performed at the State Equestrian Centre in front of thousands, travelled to New South Wales with Jayne for her studies and has helped many people find their inner horseman, teaching alongside Jayne. Bach is one of Jayne's soul mates. "I want to bring Bach to Philippe Karl because he copes best when I am learning and challenged."
Bach had a life-threatening accident in the care of a student last year, but with the help of Jayne's friend, Dr. Bruce Ferguson of Murdoch Vet School, Bach is recovering well, aided by acupuncture. Fitness is slow progress, however Jayne feels Philippe Karl's advice for this age and type of horse will be invaluable. Jayne hopes Bach is around for another twenty years!
How were you introduced to Philippe Karl's methods? My students in Britain, many of whom, like me, aspire to Classical horsemanship, first mentioned Philippe Karl to me several years ago. One had seen a video of Philippe Karl and word spread amongst us! Those ready to hear what Philippe Karl said in his video, and subsequently in his book, Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage, have been running with it, complementing their existing horsemanship skills.
What do you hope to gain out of Philippe Karl's Teachers Clinic? My personal style of learning requires authenticity, presence and compassionate support. There are few teachers in the world (and I travel!) who I would endure, these days (having suffered a lifetime of bully's and tradition). I see that Philippe Karl has great ability, so I believe I can significantly improve my current understanding of riding with his expert tuition. Improvement in me is then imparted to hundreds of others so that they do so in turn, and horses ultimately benefit. And of course there is Presence, my filly, awaiting a better human to complement her!
What is your dream? My dream has always been to make a difference for horses.
Website of Jayne Lavender: www.jaynelavender.org
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