Reports from clinic at BKT in Lincoln June 28-29
What a great time (as always). It is always amazing to me the neat people and horses I meet at clinics. It's always interesting hearing about their journeys and how they got to this point in their horsemanship. Anyway, it was a class of all mares (human and horses), I think that was a first for me. I attended with my mare Diesel.
In the morning we played with our horses on the ground. Sherry helped some of the humans work on refining their body language to be clearer, bigger, and more meaningful to the horse. She helped Diesel and me to move her ribs over to circle lighter with more collection. And yes I have homework ;-) We were playing the seven games moving them from level one (clunky, noisy, mechanical, uncoordinated) going towards a level two (fluid, snappy, with an economy of motion) playing them at the end of 22' rope.
We started our riding with lateral flexion and flowed into disengagement of the hindquarters, discussing the degree of bend in the horses neck. We did several exercises working the hind end of the horses both stationary and on the rail. We had a great discussion on bending, doubling, slowing with picking up a rein, moving into an inactive lateral flexion rein, and HQ disengagement.
Pretty much all of the clinic attendees decided we needed to be better at riding with a plan. I guess that's one of the reasons I love Sherry so much. We had six hours of riding and we never ran out of fun, imaginative things to do as a group in the arena AND we were expected to execute the exercises to the best of our ability being particular (which the more I learn about myself, the more I learn that particular is hard for me.
After lunch we experimented with the other two "zones" of the horse. Before lunch was the head/neck and the hindquarters. That left us with the shoulders then ribs. Again lots of fun and challenging exercises, including building our spins. One of the things I learned this weekend was how to properly move my ribs over without dropping my shoulder so that my horse can too.
A lot of times after working on an exercise Sherry would call out now go for a trot! We'd go where ever and however in the arena on a loose rein. It was really neat watching the riders and horses read each other as we trotted all over the arena. A couple of the mares were a bit on the "cranky" defensive side so we worked on some exercises that incorporated yo-yos and squeezes with the other riders being the obstacles that we were playing with. Some fun weaving patterns, some precision drill team tandem/in line manuevers, and riding towards a partner at a trot and backing away.
At the end of the clinic we worked on canter departures in the correct lead from a trot, a couple of circles, then finishing with a straight horse by focus to a post in the fence and then backing. Some of the clinic participants executed these moves flawlessly! And a couple of the horses demonstrated true collection for us. We ended the day with a discussion of collection (mental, emotional, and physical) and a plan for achieving it.
I think this is the most fun I've had in awhile, we had a day jam packed with learning and progression. I can't wait for the next one!
Leigh
P.S. I got to ride Sharon's Lexie for the first time, thanks for the honor.
P.S.S. I could go on forever in detail but life calls...
In thinking back on the afternoon I realized that Lexie did not once speed up like it was a race to be won in that arena. It was so enjoyable to be able to ride her, and not be worried sick that we would run in to someone if she got speedy and I couldn't control her. At other clinics remember how she would just zoom around? If other horses would come up along side her she would get faster so they couldn't pass. I wish someone would've passed us, nobody did. I don't know if they were just being considerate of us or not. But I'm proud of how she did.
It's like you said, all those little bothersome things just disappear once your communication improves. It is true!! We had soooo much fun!!! Thank you for being such a great teacher!! And I really loved it when you got off the horse and demonstrated what to do, that visual really helped me. I could see everything. Sometimes when you're on a horse you can't see the other side, what's going on there with the leg and arm. So being off was almost 3-D, so to speak!!
Sharon
Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the clinic last weekend. I’m so glad you were able to put something together for us. I enjoyed meeting the other ladies and I learned so much. I gained confidence in my horse and myself. My horse is such a good girl. I’m very lucky to have her. She is so much more attentive on the ground now. She follows me around in her pen when I go to muck it. J
Thanks for everything.
Steph
I just wanted to drop a note to thank you again. I wrote a bunch of stuff down then I think of something else 10 minutes later and have to go add it to the list :)
I had a blast today and always learn so much.
Jes
I just wanted to send you a quick email and thank you SO very much for all the information you shared with the girls and me yesterday. As we drove home, I asked the girls if they learned lots and the resounding answer was, "YES!!". But now here's proof that Alfie learned alot, too. This morning I got a call from the former directress of the school, who lives across from the school. Last evening, Emily had been helping me feed the horses at school and she had forgotten to latch one of the gates. Alfie and two other horses got out and our directress found them out on the lawn and in the garden. The other two horses couldn't be caught but Alfie followed our former directress right into the barn!!! Pretty amazing because he NEVER would have done that prior to your class yesterday. Even she was amazed!! We have lots of work to do with this pony, but I really think yesterday gave us an excellent foundation to build upon.
Many, many thanks!!
Ann
Thank you soo much for a day of learning and really "grounding"our horsemanship skills. Your patience in loading our horse under a time pressure and with her very high fear and energy level was invaluable. My daughter's confidence was noticeably higher and it was nice to have some reassurance that we are working in a direction that builds this confidence in everyone involved.
Thanks again,
Annie
