ics a year under the tutelage of Helene Arianoff,

ics a year under the tutelage of Helene Arianoff, Othello and his family have grown to 12 horses total. All of these are Lusitanos which come from top hlood lines.

According to C’ugnon this breed, originally from Portugal, was used as war horses in ancient times and became known for their courage and agility.

They are still, he added, exceptionally kind and eager to please their riders.

Arianoff, who studied for 22 vears under dressage Master Nuno Oliveira and was preselected by the Belgian Olympic Committee in 1980 to take part in the Moscow games, loves Lusitanos as much as the Cugnons.

“They are the most sensitive horses that I have ever ridden,” she said.

She said the horse is able to anticipate a riders next request even before it is made, and seems to become one with the rider.

Arianoff was at the farm for a four day clinic recently where she helped both beginning and advanced students improve their riding skills.

Cugnon said she has never seen any teacher quite like Arianoff. She said the instructor is able to instantly pick up on a rider’s problem and gently aid it in correction.

Arianoff’s approach, she said, is unlike the harsh training methods used at most clinics, adding that gentle practices, such as hers are rare.

And Arianoff feels the manner in which the Cugnons’ treat their animals is just as unique. From their presence at the birth of their horses, to the conversations they hold with them while preparing them for riding, she said it ls .different from most other farms she has seen.

There are no ropes to catch the horse or yelling while preparing them for riders.

In fact, the Cugnons’ love for their horses is such that one recent buyer willed her horse back to the couple upon her death.

“I enjoy coming here,” Arianoff said. “It’s a special place. Not every place is like this.”