We will definitely be returning to GEMS for another clinic next spring/summer, and I've got to be sure to get a good group photo of everyone.
I like to do some unmounted work in the mornings before we begin riding, to help everyone get into the right mindset and help loosen up the human bodies. GEMS had a great little classroom with room for all of us to work on putting equal weight in both feet. On the first day we initially took care of paperwork.
Then we practiced "landing" from a jump by hopping off the bottom stair of a mounting block and landing equally in both left and right feet. We also focused on landing evenly from toe through arch to heel. The biggest difference we noticed in each other was landing with ankles, knees, and hips bent versus straight legged. The sound of the landing was very different, much quieter when the joints/springs were engaged. Also it didn't rattle our teeth when we landed and allowed joints to absorb that impact! We also did a "shake out" to loosen up muscles (and brains) and help our bodies relax before the first riding session.
Our unmounted work on the second day centered on sports psychology. My degree is in psychology, anatomy, and neurobiology, and I'm fortunate to use my education every day with what I do. We practiced and discussed the difference in our bodies when using direct focus with our eyes versus more peripheral vision. Then we addressed how we sometimes use a critical eye towards our horse and his performance, and even more commonly towards ourselves. I encouraged everyone to give a name, a label, to that negative and critical voice in their heads. Some of the identifying titles were The Judge, The Critic, Mean Girl, among others. I encouraged each rider to set that awful voice aside, and give themselves as much grace as they give their horses. It was a somewhat emotional unmounted work session, as everyone has that negativity in them, and it can be challenging to set it aside. However, each person did a great job identifying and dismissing their inner critic. It's a lifelong skill we develop over years of practice.
I took some time to adjust tack and make sure everyone was safely attired for our activities, and then we headed out to the course!
Since there were so many clinic participants, after sorting through thousands of photos and editing the best ones, I've decided to organize this post by individual horses' photos. We had everything from a long yearling, a three year old, a four year old, teenage horses, all the way to Rain who is twenty and still is sound and loving cross country jumping. And of course many photos of my dogs assisting.
These are of Dewey, or Doit's Cat, an eight year old OTTB owned and ridden by Sara. They are new to eventing, and are working on finding their courage outside of the arena since their arena work itself is quite good.
This lovely gelding is half paint, one quarter friesian, and one quarter percheron. His name is Harbour, and he's just four years old. His owner and rider is Pam. It was a great accomplishment for them to participate in this clinic since they are so new to each other, and to riding at Bit of Honey. I adore Harbour's quiet brain, and his thoughtful way of working through each task.
Ladd is a fifteen year old arabian gelding owned and ridden by Carol. They do a ton of trail riding, so this clinic with a "trail-riding over logs" twist was right up their alley. When I found Ladd for Carol a couple years ago I got him started cantering under saddle as well as jumping, and discovered he loves it. Add in the interesting terrain of cross country and these two are a happy pair!
This buckskin gelding is a three year old warmblood with just thirty days under saddle. The sweet kid has terrible allergies to timothy and sage brush, so it's been a challenge getting him going comfortably. However, Miles is a totally honest and earnest baby warmblood, and seemed to enjoy both his warmup with me as well as his ride with his owner Michelle.
Obie is a friesian/paint cross I worked with many years ago. He's a sweetheart and has continued doing low-level eventing with Michelle, who also owns him. It was great fun to reconnect and see how Obie is doing now that he's a teenager.
Rain is our lesson horse, a twenty year old paint mare I put under saddle when she was ten. She is owned by KimH. who rode her in this clinic. It was super helpful to have my schoolmaster in attendance so that when another horse (or rider) needed confidence Rain could demonstrate and lead the way. It was a stretch for KimH. to do this clinic as well, and I was so proud of her for communicating with me about what she needed, and asking questions so that I could clarify things for her and make the instruction more helpful.
Silver is an eight year old OTTB as well. He's been with me in training since May and this was a great trip for him. His owner, Gillian, rode him and did a wonderful job handling his ex-racehorse jitters. Once he settled into the routine and realized this wasn't that different from riding at home he performed like the rockstar jumping horse he is. I was proud of him, but I was really proud of Gillian's riding and the fact that she can get the same athletic performance out of him.
Zora was by far the youngest of our clinic participants. I found her for Amy back in July, and we thought she was about two to three years old. When Dr. Landes come to do her fall dental, however, we learned that she actually was about eighteen months old! She's a draft cross, likely mostly percheron, and is a really huge baby.
Since I was running this clinic as a laid back introduction to cross country, I was pleased that Amy came to expose the filly to this kind of thing. I'll eventually be putting Zora under saddle and this type of field trip is really good for youngsters. Baby horse sure did have a good time, as evidenced by her in-hand shenanigans during which she laid down and rolled in the mud, laid down to graze, hopped in and out of obstacles with great panache, and generally told everyone that this was a super fun horse party.
Lastly we have the shots of the dogs. There are few things as nice as sleeping in my horse trailer with my pups, enjoying late night and early morning snuggles with the cutest critters at the clinic.
Rizzo was focused and determined to help me teach. She does still experience some separation anxiety when she can't get to me, but if I have her on leash she's content to sit or lie down at my feet if I don't ask her to go help a horse.
Rizzo was a little stressed during the session I taught without her and Pascal at my side. The folks auditing and watching the clinic had her on her leash, but she wouldn't quit talking. Finally my friend Pat picked her up and snuggled her himself, and that apparently was the only time she quieted down during those two hours! She must have sensed Pat's a kind person and kind of a softie.
Pascal came with us too, and he was much more easygoing about being passed from person to person if he wasn't with me. This is all good life experience for my young border collie mix, since his natural tendency is to be shy and withdrawn and situations like this force him to interact with all kinds of people (and different types of dogs who live at GEMS) and build his confidence. I'm well award of how border collies can be stand-offish and reclusive with new people and situations, but Pascal getting so many traveling trips at such a young age will serve him well in adulthood with his social skills.
Pascal did find this stick that was really wide around, but he carried it in his small puppy mouth the whole weekend, putting it down occasionally to partake of a beverage from a puddle on a large wood obstacle.
I stayed in my trailer with the dogs near the horses, but the rest of the clinic participants who were from out of town stayed in the cute "tiny house" cabins on the acreage at GEMS. They were also treated to an early morning sighting of the GEMS resident mustang herd of 27 horses. It was a good setup, but definitely better suited to warmer seasons' events.
It was a great weekend, which we will be doing again likely as a three day clinic in warmer weather. Keep an eye out for the 2020 Bit of Honey Training clinic schedule!
No comments:
Post a Comment