tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post5373132788964600023..comments2024-03-26T17:31:58.290-07:00Comments on 'Fraidy Cat Eventing: Birchall clinic recap: validation (and half steps!!!)emmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05686949099663199382noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-75942110052655229632016-03-17T22:33:46.877-07:002016-03-17T22:33:46.877-07:00Sounds like it was so much more productive than so...Sounds like it was so much more productive than some hour long rides I have, lol! She looks SO supple. WEll done.Cathrynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15652933884652697666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-89104567559713345432016-03-17T13:19:35.339-07:002016-03-17T13:19:35.339-07:00oh well done, she looks FANTASTIC!! and i dont thi...oh well done, she looks FANTASTIC!! and i dont think you should worry about it so much, not being able to do things yourself. give yourself some credit; you know more than you think you do! <br /><br />go forth and trot on!Purple Meganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179696153116063779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-82511955742040490232016-03-17T09:29:27.581-07:002016-03-17T09:29:27.581-07:00Lovely take aways! Lovely take aways! Micaylahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09799043647759779897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-50785815112925619392016-03-16T12:38:48.430-07:002016-03-16T12:38:48.430-07:00What a princess!!!!What a princess!!!!Kaila Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06467096350652276379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-66883171674079198542016-03-16T12:17:14.140-07:002016-03-16T12:17:14.140-07:00I love this post! My only wish is that I could of...I love this post! My only wish is that I could of sat in on that clinic, it sounds awesome! And the pic of you two looking out of the arena is beautiful.Erikahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04862898176284766826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-12947384612986941972016-03-16T05:33:58.963-07:002016-03-16T05:33:58.963-07:00Sounds awesome and like you guys got a lot from it...Sounds awesome and like you guys got a lot from it. I'm so glad it went so well, any idea as to when he may be back in your neck of the woods again?Aoifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06324156483692821044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-34526803760342983382016-03-16T03:43:10.288-07:002016-03-16T03:43:10.288-07:00What a great sounding clinician. Damn. I'm so ...What a great sounding clinician. Damn. I'm so amazed at how much you take away from these things and can REMEMBER. Do you rush back to a notebook when your session is over and jot things down? Or do you belong in Mensa with your sharp memory of all things? While my horse lessons are (very) few and (very) far between, I have had the same high caliber lessons in my other sports. From experience, its hard to remember all of the points the instructor makes throughout to accurately write them ALL down for later. Maybe one day when I grow up I can be as skilled at take-aways as you. ;-p<br /><br />Isabel seriously looks amazing. Super freaking amazing. You've done (and continue to do) an incredible job.Liz Stouthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18267806576736655184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-47054274296997766272016-03-15T22:39:21.256-07:002016-03-15T22:39:21.256-07:00Wow! What a great experience. The photos are so ...Wow! What a great experience. The photos are so lovely (and you two look amazing!!!) :)KateRosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12870548960430847612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-1036399284260344722016-03-15T18:50:15.665-07:002016-03-15T18:50:15.665-07:00This sounds like such an amazing clinic...especial...This sounds like such an amazing clinic...especially after reading about Austen's experiences with Birchall!<br /><br />Now, please tell me: how does one find out when and where his next clinic is? His website hasn't been updated since 2012 and Wyndham Oaks did not have this clinic listed at all! :(Nicole Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09817619834026667737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-55004527405037290882016-03-15T13:57:14.873-07:002016-03-15T13:57:14.873-07:00Sounds amazing! Yay half steps! Izzy is turning ou...Sounds amazing! Yay half steps! Izzy is turning out to be such a dressage queen.<br /><br />I definitely appreciate a horse that can be pushed, it makes such a difference in rideability! I love a horse that can take a bit of pressure. Meganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04255900012774193536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-66688632884579365152016-03-15T13:34:05.654-07:002016-03-15T13:34:05.654-07:00Wow those pics look awesome! Totally want to see ...Wow those pics look awesome! Totally want to see these half steps and how you got them accomplished. All that in 30 mins?!?! Wowappydoesdressagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03247747981543003242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-5777275882454728892016-03-15T13:25:53.843-07:002016-03-15T13:25:53.843-07:00Love the detailed recap - so many take aways for m...Love the detailed recap - so many take aways for me, thank you! So glad you had such an amazing lesson!Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05438372155463437107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-89399797995207471032016-03-15T13:22:16.842-07:002016-03-15T13:22:16.842-07:00thanks!! it's really easy to keep trying to ri...thanks!! it's really easy to keep trying to ride my best with a horse like izzy, since she seemingly always has more to give <3emmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05686949099663199382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-75788138533176772842016-03-15T13:18:54.163-07:002016-03-15T13:18:54.163-07:00What a stellar ride. It sounds like you had the pe...What a stellar ride. It sounds like you had the perfect lesson and you really pulled through as well! All of that sounds very difficult, and heck, I am quite proud of you and Izz!HolyBullyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10938188769695663261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-23972073193615788422016-03-15T11:32:22.486-07:002016-03-15T11:32:22.486-07:00validation and reaffirmation are ALWAYS welcome ha...validation and reaffirmation are ALWAYS welcome haha ;)emmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05686949099663199382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-13070503745706093712016-03-15T11:32:09.436-07:002016-03-15T11:32:09.436-07:00omg meeeeeeeeeee toooooooooooooo !! omg meeeeeeeeeee toooooooooooooo !! emmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05686949099663199382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-62168581109257186112016-03-15T11:31:57.994-07:002016-03-15T11:31:57.994-07:00i definitely LOVE the encouragement, and it's ...i definitely LOVE the encouragement, and it's been a big effort to shift my mentality in that direction, rather than being too scared to try new thingsemmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05686949099663199382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-56976449733451034642016-03-15T11:31:31.286-07:002016-03-15T11:31:31.286-07:00ooh definitely! he's based in florida, and app...ooh definitely! he's based in florida, and apparently has a client at this farm, which is why he's up so often. idk about his general travel sched tho?emmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05686949099663199382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-62053425841583073352016-03-15T11:31:00.748-07:002016-03-15T11:31:00.748-07:00we're workin on it!!we're workin on it!! emmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05686949099663199382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-52812810740283260942016-03-15T11:14:06.952-07:002016-03-15T11:14:06.952-07:00Always so nice to hear from someone else that you ...Always so nice to hear from someone else that you are on the right path. And of course Izzy fits right in with the fancy dressage ponies. That's the cool thing about dressage! Anyone, human and pony alike, can do it!MSherfeseehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06919950369598409829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-22022723198064026812016-03-15T10:32:29.189-07:002016-03-15T10:32:29.189-07:00I wish you had video too, this sounds incredible a...I wish you had video too, this sounds incredible and I want to dissect every moment of your ride argggh! L.Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05052638724440787772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-27881980902229894702016-03-15T10:18:04.460-07:002016-03-15T10:18:04.460-07:00Awesome!!!! This sounds exactly like something one...Awesome!!!! This sounds exactly like something one of my favorite trainers said to me about just getting out there and trying things - what's the worst that can happen? One of the best and most encouraging pieces of advice I've gotten!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01027506283334634298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-61917265656303839282016-03-15T10:16:05.750-07:002016-03-15T10:16:05.750-07:00Sounds like a great clinic- I ought to keep an eye...Sounds like a great clinic- I ought to keep an eye out to see if he ever heads out to the wild west! Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07140631127593549541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-68472138635095689412016-03-15T09:43:30.328-07:002016-03-15T09:43:30.328-07:00Wow, so much stuff! It sounds like it was really ...Wow, so much stuff! It sounds like it was really productive, too! (envy, over here) As for playing with the new toys, I'm with instructor Stephen: "what's the risk? What's the harm? What the hell, just go for it!"<br /><br />For example, let's look at shoulder-inning, which is a dressage thing you've been doing recently. Mostly when this is introduced, horse and rider are coming off a small circle in the corner of the school and heading up the long side, trying to maintain a "one stride off the rail" bend that they got from the prep circle. In this exercise, the wall of the school is training wheels for novices at shoulder-inning. The wall helps keep the horse's hq straight and makes it easier for the rider to get forward motion while keeping the horse bent. I have no problem with training wheels to start, but once a pair can shoulder-in reliably with the wall, it's time to take the training wheels off. <br /><br />Take the somewhat reliable shoulder-in outside and play with it. Do it on the trail. See how granular the control is -- how long does it really take to get organized for shoulder-inning? Do you always need a prep circle? Can you walk in shoulder-in and then pick up a trot without losing the shoulder-in? Downward transitions OK too? How much shoulder-inning do you *really* have? Can you adjust the bend from "very slight shoulder-fore" to "ermagahd overbently" and all the variations in between? What happens if you have shoulder-in and straighten it out a little and go smoothly into leg-yield? How does that work? Can you leg-yield and smoothly transition into shoulder-in? (If unsure about your ability to get a shoulder-in "in the wild" or tell if you have done so, take along a buddy to observe you.)<br /><br />Twinking around with shoulder-in like this will not damage the somewhat reliable "with a wall" shoulder-inning that you started with. It will improve ALL the shoulder-inning because now it's an EVERYWHERE thing instead of a "10M circle in the corner, and then SI up the long side" thing. A pair who school SI away from the wall will be faster at getting into shape and better at maintaining the shape and better at transitioning from that shape to other shapes. Not only that, the rider who shoulder-ins away from the wall can troubleshoot the shape and buff it back to perfection if it isn't quite up to snuff because they aren't depending on the training wheels to save them. Instead, they've developed an actual feel for the shape and the motion and the controls for shoulder-inning.<br /><br />You seem like a thoughtful and sensitive rider -- I think you can be trusted to play with new toys, even complicated new toys, carefully and in a productive manner. (Also, Isabel will tell you if there's a real problem.) Seriously, go for it. :)which_chickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10944558109074440312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932439930694780998.post-1055659575840059182016-03-15T09:08:18.723-07:002016-03-15T09:08:18.723-07:00he's really great, i really couldn't be ha...he's really great, i really couldn't be happier with the quality of the lessonemmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05686949099663199382noreply@blogger.com