POINT OF VIEW
JP Zuperstar (Istoso x Sultana), 5-year-old gray Luso-Spanish stallion at Baroque Farms USA (the author’s farm).
winning). What is missing today is the old test of the Ger- man state stallions, like they had in Celle: carousels with many stallions, high school exercises, circus tricks (i.e. lying down, etc.). All of this was for the purpose of dem- onstrating excellent characters suitable for amateurs as well as professionals. The current mode of selection in dressage—bringing
in the Iberian conformation factor—is re-appearing in many breeds that had once used that blood to improve their stock. (The Oldenburg association’s page, for ex- ample, shows the Count of Oldenburg sitting on an An- dalusian). The Iberian breed standard, designed around qualities that are indispensable for practically all saddle horses, defines the very concept of equine versatility. This standard can easily be used by breeders interested in se- lecting easy-to-use pleasure horses with many possibili- ties and a human-friendly attitude, without abandoning the breed they love. New breeders need to educate them- selves on how to evaluate their own horses without any sentimentality. This would be a good development for all equine sports! Horses who are well put together physically, emotion- ally stable and willing to tackle any job with a sufficient degree of willingness are much less likely to be exposed to bad training situations. Today, the great majority of breeders are playing the lottery: they hope to breed the next Olympic horse, but when that doesn’t work out, the horse gets sold to an amateur rider who wants to be able to sit the horse, not get scared and most of all have fun. As breeders, we are ultimately responsible for the lives
70 January/February 2017
Revenant (Rock Forever x Sir Donnerhall I), 4-year-old dark bay Westfalian stallion sold in December 2016 for 1.1 million euros at the PSI Auction in Germany.
of the horses we bring on this earth, long after they leave our farms. If they are bred to be healthy, well built and en- joy their jobs, everybody benefits—especially the horses. Whether we breed them to be successful by design, or not, they are always the first in line.
Editor's note: JP has been the author of our popular, regular col- umn, "The Training of Toti," first published in July/August 2015. Toti is at this time 4 ½ years old, and although he has progressed well with the work and on schedule, in Toti's best interest it is time to let him mature and become confirmed in all his training exercises. So for now we are taking a break from the column, and on occasion JP will submit interesting articles and point-of-view pieces, such as this one, for Warmbloods Today.
JP Giacomini’s career spans 50 years, during which he has trained close to 20 Grand Prix horses and worked on thou- sands of remedial horses of every imaginable breed, both in Europe and in the U.S. He first started colts under the direct supervision of Nuno Oliveira and later at the National Portu- guese Stud of Alter Real, where he spent four years. He has produced international winners in all three disciplines and invented a unique training method called “Endotapping,” which is a development of the classical dressage methods he learned in his youth. Besides his client’s horses, JP also focuses on training the Iberian Sport Horses he breeds at his and his wife Shelley’s Baroque Farms USA in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. JP can be reached at
jpgiacomini@gmail.com or at
www.jpgiacomini.com.
Courtesy PSI Sporthorses
Shelley Giacomini
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