Happy 1903.... I mean 2009!

The following old message was written in the New York Times on 31th of December in 1902, and is again actual.

Nowadays everywhere around the world people are playing pushball with their horses, like they did in New York on the Christmas Ride in Durland Riding Academy.

Each country has his own variation of this ancient sport. The amount of discovered equine pushball related countries are growing: Czech, Germany, Holland/Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Ukraine, USA.

The link is showing the original article of the NYT, click there for it on "View full article":

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E00E6DF1F3DEE32A25752C3A9649D946397D6CF

My own version is "pushball behind horseback": walking with double longe behind my Norwegian Fjordhorse. ;-))

I wish you all the best and let the international pushball network grow!

Famous Dutch freestyle trainer Emiel Voest with double longe and pushball

Emiel Voest learned me this method of double longe 6 years ago. After a while it was my idea to create a variation on pushball on horsback, you may call it "pushball behind horseback" (if this word exist in English).
Emiel learned my Norwegian fjord horse Ingalill working with the ball and the double longe. See the picture is a result, even we both can turn corners with this horse.

This horse is a daughter of the mare Ose on the picture of 1982, with the ball in the center. Ingalill is in the training of the other horses and pony's the so called "Mirror Horse" (as Monty Roberts should say): the behaviour of this experienced pushball horse is an example (mirror) for the debutant animals who are reallly exited by watching this large (pony size) yellow ball. These learning animals have trusted and watched my patient horse: this proces was a succes for about 55 pony's and horses in 4 years time!

Picture is made by Ben Schellekens on 6. of April 2008 in Rotterdam (NL)

Pushball in Offental, Germany (1982)

The first time a Dutch Fjord Horse Team was invited for a real pushball game: Germany - Holland. They have scored against the Germans! And that for a first play against a team of the German Competition. It was fun. Look how fanatical the horse kicks the large leather ball!
Now we play pushball again in the Netherlands and with an other leather ball for the Warmblood horses (1,30 meter high ball, like the one of the British Lancers a century ago).

Picture from: the Dutch Fjord Horses Studbook