pop-up clinic @ home!

A big advantage of our current boarding barn over the prior arrangement is that, with appropriate planning / scheduling / communication / etc, we are allowed to bring in outside coaches for lessons and even clinics!

every gait got attention: here’s our slinky panther walk

Granted, anyone who has organized a clinic knows it’s easier said than done — for various reasons. Most professionals are busy and prefer students travel to them, or alternatively require a minimum number of participants / hours / dollars to come to you. And naturally, everybody is interested in participating right up until you ask them to commit to a day and time LOL!

sassy cheetah trot

That’s just the natural way of things, ya know? But somehow, some way, the stars aligned and the calendaring gods smiled down upon us, and my humble little boarding barn came together to host a pop-up clinic with erstwhile trainer Dan! Much excitement! 

our patented “emma-still-can’t-sit-the-hissing-cobra” canter LOL

Doozy and I got the party started with our game faces ready, and Dan immediately put us to work in all gaits, including halt. His main style of coaching hasn’t really changed in the intervening years, although his applications and techniques have continued to become more sophisticated. 

forgive my slight indulgence with loads of screenshots, my barn mate recorded literally 5 gigabytes of footage omg 

Which ya know, makes sense. He’s had another trip around Kentucky since I was a regular student, plus multiple other FEI horses. And naturally all the coaching and training involved in all that, including with the likes of Bettina Hoy and Erik Duvander.

for the intensely curious, here’s that video

It’s also possible that I’m able to hear things in his coaching with new ears too, just from having increased my own experience over the years. Regardless, it felt like we got a lot of interesting and nuanced takeaways beyond what I’d sorta expected based on past lessons. 

anyway, i just like the pictures bc i think she’s pretty <3

In particular, Dan still starts with the most fundamental building block of a horse connected to all the aids, squarely between leg and hand. Tailbone down, ankles and wrists together and connected, leg to hand. Within that construct, however, was a constant mantra of allowing the horse to travel more, pushing forward and covering ground.

Dan focused on a lot of repetition in the ride. everything is the same, always

In walk, he wanted to see a slinky fluid top line back to front, not a stilted lateral or sideways-moving walk that was too shut down.

lots of transitions too — ankles and wrists together and active always!

From walk, we practiced halts on the long sides, letting the rail help us find straightness— but not overthinking it. Halt. Walk or trot on. But hold the contact steady throughout, but especially into the forward transition. Be crisp, be clear, be connected.

more trotting <3

Once in trot, Dan right away wanted Doozy traveling more forward. Not faster, but more of that forward ‘in front of the leg’ balance I was just writing about last week. But on a smaller circle. Using the turns and shape to hold balance, along with a clear slow posting rhythm. From there, back to transitions on the long side, exactly as we had done in walk.

Doozy was engaged and trying the whole time, what a mare

Doozy a couple times broke into unplanned canter (that’s actually where the video above starts), but Dan was adamant that I hold my position in those moments and immediately ride the canter in the same forward traveling way, both legs on, pushing leg to hand and using smaller circles to help create the balance needed to soften.

trying to stick my butt to the saddle in canter remains… elusive lol

In canter, we had some of the same issues as in the walk, with being a bit stilted and stuck and lateral moving, vs forward and fluid. Partly bc I still (forever?) have a hard time sitting the canter, and partly bc Doozy hasn’t really learned to give me a place to sit. 

both of us have our listening ears turned on haha

We managed to get a few decent steps to the right, however, which Dan observed seemed to be my easier direction based on my own alignment / postural habits. The main exercise in canter was finding opportunities to open the stride down the long side, then return to a small circle, then repeat down the next long side. Rinse repeat.

i’m partial but i think she’s pretty cute!

Which was basically the gist of the whole lesson — repeat everything, ride everything exactly the same. Show the horse the pattern, help her get used to me sitting down on her. Nothing changes, even when it’s time to jump.

star pupil <3

And for the jumping, it was literally exactly the same stuff. Walk, to trot, to canter. Don’t overthink it, just do it the same exact way and go. Achieve your quality canter — traveling forward fluid over the top line, more leg (both legs!) pushing to a hand that can stay steady and wait to the jump.

ooh we jumped !!

Doozy absolutely nailed our first little crossrail, off the right lead — with perfectly even steady steps straight to the base. Achieving the same thing to the left (our ‘harder’ direction) was a bit trickier. 

oooh we made jumping shapes in strange proximities to jumps !!

It was harder to hold my position, harder to get the quality canter, and then needed a bit more involvement to make Doozy wait without shortening her stride or shutting her down. I needed to think more about keeping the bit active and moving in those final strides, but not just setting against the mare or letting her take over. 

lol, better <3

And ya know. The cool thing about this mare is… she’ll basically do whatever I ask, it’s just up to me to 1) actually ask; and 2) be clear and consistent. Doozy is a smart cookie, an overachiever who will fill the gaps and make her own choices in a vacuum. But she’s also a super good girl who likes it when things feel good and are comfortable. Which… ya know, what horse doesn’t?

and that’s a wrap!

So overall, a super valuable experience and great lesson. One that probably bears repeating often LOL. With any luck we’ll be able to continue willing these lessons into existing haha. One way or another. Hopefully. 

In the meantime, tho, I’m just so pleased with this horse. I know I’m biased, I know we have a LOT of work ahead of us and she remains a pretty tricky horse for me to ride… But imho there are moments when she looks damn good in that video — and it’s so exciting to feel those pieces click together!