Clinic Report

CT riding her husband's trail horse ... future dressage pony?

Saturday's clinic was a success largely in part to CT and her dad.  Many thanks go to the both of them for allowing us to use their wonderful arena, and for all their hard work in grooming and watering it. They were even kind enough to do it all with no haul in fees!

The morning started hot and humid which was only the appetizer for the day's main entrèe, REALLY HOT AND HUMID.  We have had wet, cool weather for weeks so mid-90s was a bit hard on our un-acclimated bodies.

Interestingly, the heat didn't slow any of the horses down.  Most were fresh and ready to rock and roll.  Speedy started out relaxed and groovin' until the neighbor started shuffling cows through the pasture.  And then like dominoes falling, each horse got on his or her tip-toes and started the Dance of Terror.  Speedy spent some time in the round pen which helped him jumpstart his brain.  After that he got to work.

Betsy Shelton, the clinician, had us do lots of walking work to encourage more throughness at the walk.  She also had me work on leg yielding in order to get Speedy off my inside leg.  We then did some whip work where I opened my inside rein to tip his nose in and then used the whip to tap, tap, tap behind my inside leg.  The end result was less over-reaction to the whip and more sideways movement away from my leg.  It's an exercise I'd like to try at home since by tipping his nose inside, and using the whip on the inside, Speedy couldn't kick out at the whip like he sometimes does.

I thought I'd take more photos, but it was just so danged hot that I kind of forgot about it.  I never even took a photo of Speedy and I forgot to ask anyone to take a few of us.  Sheesh!  Here are a couple that I did manage to take.

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The day's schedule.

The "Hospitality" Tent. Hey! There's Speedy G in the mini pasture behind the tent! CT gave him the pasture for the day.

Donna Fraser riding Barbara Comstock's mare, Cola.

Betsy Shelton instructing Jeanine St. Louis on Mary Meyer's gelding, Dugan.