About Cavalia
Have you ever been to a play (or a Broadway show) and marveled at what it must have taken to assemble the actors, music backdrops and sets? And thought about the fact that all those folks out there are performing LIVE - in front of an audience - so there is no option to go back and redo if there is a mistake or someone forgets what they're supposed to be doing or saying? Imagine all that - with a bunch of
HORSES thrown into the mix! Cavalia performs in an actual tent - all over the world - for spellbound audiences of all ages.
Cavalia was born of the dream of a few horse enthusiasts with a passion for performing. The production takes the art of dressage to new heights of kindness and respect, countering the traditional domination of horses by humans. During the two hour show, a group of artists; horses, riders, acrobats, singers, dancers and musicians - run, jump, dance, swing and twirl in their own way, enacting a glorious account of the history that unites humankind and the horse.

NEW Cavalia Live! DVD
(This was recorded in 2010, but it's new to HoofPrints this season.) For the first time on stage, the equestrian arts are infused with unprecedented magic and emotion in Cavalia, an innovative multimedia extravaganza. Homage to the poignant history and fascinating bond between human beings and horses, Cavalia is a poem written in the language of sound, image and extraordinary performance. Blending dramatic visual effects, live music, dance and acrobatics with the bold presence of over sixty magnificent horses Cavalia raises the bar for spectacular entertainment in the 21st century. Regular price is #34.95,
on sale for a limited time for $29.95 hereGina's note: Almost all of this is footage of the live Cavalia show, blending liberty acts, acrobats, dressage and more. The music and choreography is awesome. At the very beginning, however, is footage of a foal being born and taking it's first wobbly steps. Not terribly graphic, but it does show the actual birth, so keep this in mind if young children are in your viewing audience.

Original Cavalia DVD
This DVD is dated 2005 - it was filmed when Frederic Pignon and Megali Delgado were touring with the show, along with their Andalusian stallion Templado. Sadly, Templado has passed on and Frederic and Megali are no longer performing with the show. To order click
hereCavalia - A Dream of Freedom Book
Beautiful color photographs on each page illustrate all facets of this amazing performance. Read about how Cavalia came to be, how they care for and train the horses, plan the shows, build the sets, etc. Every question you might have about how in the world they pull this off is answered in the book. To order click
hereGallop to Freedom -
Training Horses With The Founding Stars of Cavalia
- If you've seen the DVDs, (or the live show) and wondered how in the world they get those horses to perform so brilliantly, show after show, then this is the book for you.

In this profusely illustrated hardcover book, Frederic (a specialist in liberty and ground work) and Magali (a talented dressage rider at Grand Prix level) share the secrets of the relationships they have cultivated over the course of their lives with horses. They tell the story of Templado - the difficult and rebellious stallion who demanded they question all they had learned as horsemen and look at, in a whole new light, what it means to train horses. It was this tempestuous character that taught them that the process of building a relationship with a horse can be on more equal footing than most would dream possible.
It is with this lesson in mind that Frederic and Magali explain their Six Golden Principles. These include how you can become a "safe haven" (the most important being in your horse's life) while ensuring he gets the leadership he craves. And, how to establish acceptable limits of behavior, as well as respect, without ever succumbing to anger or using force. They describe how to read horse behavior so you can better understand and communicate with your equine partner as an individual. Plus, you'll see what it means to be patient and give your horse a say in his own training - and just how rewarding the results can be. To order click
hereGina's note - the four Cavalia products we sell all compliment each other:The Original Cavalia DVD (2005)
shows you what the show is all about - highlights of the actual performance, interviews with the cast, backstage and behind the scenes candid stuff.
Cavalia Live! DVD (2010)
New performance acts under the directorship of Normand Latourelle, also includes footage of a training session with two horses and a tour of the stablesThe Cavalia Book
has beautiful still shots from the show, and explains in detail how it came to be, and tells about the horses and the human actors.Gallop to Freedom Book
goes into detail about how Frederic and Magali came to be the talented horsemen that they are - and how the Cavalia horses learn to perform on stage. It's full of wonderful and surprising facts - like the fact that Templado learned on his own to swirl his incredibly long mane, because it pleased the audience and caused them to applaud.To see all the Cavalia items, click
here