Off on a 5 day clinic

[virtuallyhorses]

Hello all, I'm off on a 5 day clinic tomorrow. I wasn't sure whether to put this in 'training of the horse' or 'training of the rider' so I settled for dressage :)

About 12 horses and riders will be attending, some for 3 days others for 5 and the clinic is to include, lunging, in-hand work, long lining and ridden work so I am really looking forward to it - err apart from the 5am start tomorrow! :eek: The instructor is Ramon Guerrero - who I've had a couple of lessons with before. Ramon is from one of the Spanish Riding schools (sorry I can't remember which one at the moment), was head trainer for El Caballo Blanco (an Andalucian show\training centre\tourist attraction in Sydney Australia for a while) and has a fabulous way with horses and riders.

He has tremendous patience and empathy for the horses, while still expecting obedience and effort. He hates 'gizmos', won't use force, very sensitive to their fears and foibles - as you can tell I'm quite impressed. He's that combo of classical dressage and natural horseman that just looks for the best for (and from) the horse and rider. I'll try to remember my video camera and report back on any good tips or exciting discoveries.

Wish me luck - the last few months of hooning around the forests and beaches haven't been exactly conducive to classical dressage so it may be a bit of a shock to the system - for me and Imp!

[Ipsa]

Lucky you:) I'm sure you will have a fantastic time. I have only heard good reports of him.
I hope the weather will be kind to you. hasn't it been foul the last few days although I did manage to get a load of washing dry today.

[kedwards]

Ooh, how wonderful!!! I can't wait to hear the full report when you get back. Even better if you have some pictures to share, of course.

Do you really think that romping around the beaches and bramble isn't conducive to classical dressage? I would think that if it were good for body and soul, it will help you both in any endeavor.

Enjoy!

[virtuallyhorses]

Day One - bit of a bad start, migraine started almost as soon as I unloaded Imp including severe nausea and dizzyness. Struggled through the morning session. Ramon gave a demo of lunging, some inhand and some long rein work with a horse he had already worked with. As the first group went off to prepare their horses (I was in the second group due to ride) I apparently looked rather abnormal and was kindly offered a warm, dark truck to grab some sleep in ... the combination of that and a couple of 'sea-legs' tablets to get rid of the retching did the trick!

My brain switched on again with about 10mins to spare and I managed to get Imp tacked up for our first session. Our first session was really so that Ramon could take a look at each of us, spend some time on each person and get an idea of what we want to achieve. We stuck to some basics as I wasn't quite 'with it' but I was pleased with things under the circumstances. I had been having some problems with right canter leads... He immediately picked up my faults (not preparing properly and not transferring my weight correctly) and watched me while we repeated several repititions and got things sorted.

Really interesting watching the various participants... we have horses and riders from relative novices right through to one that is ready to begin Grand Prix. We watched Ramon ride several - he generally takes about 10 mins to transform any horse no matter how reluctant, naughty or unschooled into a remarkable looking dressage horse.

Ipsa it is bitterly cold in the wind and we've had some very heavy showers - but we've also managed enough sun to make it workable.

Day two is two participating sessions each - lunging\inhand\long reining and ridden. Looking forward to being more mentally and physically with it.

[kedwards]

So sorry about the migraine. Otherwise, it sounds like a wonderful experience.

I know what you mean about watching other riders. When I did the 5 day eventing clinic, one of the neatest parts of the experience was getting to know the other women in the group and seeing how each progressed.

I can't wait for the next "installment," the course sounds fabulous.

[virtuallyhorses]

Helps when your brain works ;) We all started with lunging, inhand and long reining. Imp was phenomenal on the lunge - the best we've ever worked. I had thought we were going to work on his 'stiff' side and get Ramon's help - but between us we just ended up giving a demo - lovely medium and extended trot on the lunge from voice commands. I think it struck me after yesterday's sessions how much I nag at him normally and he obviously isn't impressed. I touched the lunge whip once early on and then dropped it to the ground for the rest of the session.

Ramon is all about - ask, get, then leave the horse alone! Everywhere - on the lunge, in the saddle ... He teaches about 'cruise control' - expecting the horse to 'do' willingly until asked for something different and the only way to get that is if you learn how to ask and then to leave the horse alone to get on with it. That classic 'V' when lunging - having the lunging whip constantly 'nagging' the horse - is not used.

Instead the horse is asked to walk, trot and canter with the lightest possible aid. If the horse goes forward then all further 'encouragement' is ceased. If the horse will not go forward, doesn't put enough effort in to track up etc then either a lunging whip can be used or Ramons favourite - a dressage whip with a plastic shopping bag. Why is this the preferred 'weapon'? - because horses often have little respect for the lunging whip, know it's exact length and therefore avoid it and it's a little unweildy to pick up and put down.

The plastic bag on the other hand is easily hidden behind the person's back - when the horse fails to respond\move as required - it is waved loudly at the rear of the horse ... and promptly hidden again. The response is generally immediate and profound! Ramon uses a long lunge line and keeps it loosely looped so that when the horse shoots away he can easily slip the line. If, after its rude awakening, the horse proceeds as required it won't see the offending implement again - otherwise it is used often and vigorously until the horse understands that stopping, sauntering along or any other unrequested behaviours are not going to be accepted. The surprised look on some lazy\cunning beggars faces is priceless! :D

You may think that these sorts of 'rude' treatments might make the horses wary or hyper or blow up, but instead they all seem to fall instantly in love with Ramon. All the horses are happy and relaxed in their work (excluding the interludes when undesirable behaviours are corrected) and a great deal of this relates to the certainty that they have - they learn exactly what is required of them, there is no force used, no shouting or anger - and once they give what is asked they are left to do it with freedom and praised, released and rubbed (even though beginners may have only given 2 or 3 steps).

[virtuallyhorses]

This was really cool! I've not really tried this or perhaps even really understood until now. I remember seeing some photos in Klaus Ferdinand Hempflings book (and perhaps elsewhere) and not understood how the person could be stood beside a trotting horse - now I do, and I've done it. :) and it's an incredibly useful tool! You have so much control and can see what is going on (I'm such a visual dependent)

Our first session was to gain the first principles - using the lunge line for inhand (a few inches from the bit) , standing\moving correctly - either at the shoulder for 'forward' or in front for 'stop' (which is harder than is sounds when you are controlling the horse at the same time), using the whip correctly, and then getting the horse to do what you want - which including some bending exercises and some shoulder-in at both walk and trot.

I think poor Imp will be rather sore by the end of the 5 days - I know I am getting there! :D

[virtuallyhorses]

There's only 3 of us left for the last two days (you could choose a 3 or 5 day option) - the other two ladies have two horses each and it made for a really enjoyable,relaxed and productive morning - not that the others haven't been.

As usual we started with a session of lunging and in-hand work before a riding session. I should explain that each of these sessions last around 1.5 hours, so in the morning you tack up your horse and ride up the little hill to the arena with your lunging gear, raincoats etc (riding because there's a small 'river' to negotiate and we're lazy beggars).

I've been useless at getting pictures - too much to do and concentrate on! So I'll set up a camera when I get home to get you some demo pictures of some of the single rein driving and in-hand work as I don't think I could describe most of them adequately.

I'm so glad I came along - reading about, seeing on video or even being a spectactor at a clinic wouldn't have been sufficient to get me started on some of what we've done. I've watched Ramon perform some exercises and then been completely blank when attempting to do the same a few minutes later - without havig someone there to put you on the right track and get you sorted, answer questions or correct you I either would have totally stuffed them up or given up in despair.

I was really pleased with our ridden work today. Imp is a whimp when it comes to other horses working around him... so with one being lunged at the canter in the centre of the arena and a stallion working at one end I wasn't hopeful of a good result when Ramon suggested some canter work large. Yeah right! :eek: But off we went and as I focused on achieving my task (outside flexion, fully engaged back and none of this above the bit nonsense from Imp) we stopped stopping, or freaking out and I could feel this rather good canter developing - with Ramon's helpful hints from the sidelines :) - and Imp softening his neck and mouth and listening to me instead of worrying about whatever else was happenning. It felt so good!! :)

[virtuallyhorses]

Completely knackered when I finally got Imp home. Not so much physically, although I swear my hips have never been stretched so much in their lives ;), but more mentally and emotionally.

Our last day was both good and bad. Our inhand work was really good - we were both getting good at a number of the exercises, especially the single rein driving where Imp was learning to accept the rein on his hollow side (left). Ramon commented that Imp's trust in me with was visibly improved (this exercise requires the horse to overcome some claustrophobic behaviour) and I think this is something that I am really pleased with from this clinic as Imp and I have definitely gotten even closer.

The ridden session started well but I think Imp had reached his limit. 5 days of being bent and flexed and subjected to new things and places .... a cement truck, some killer sheep lurking in the undergrowth and a thunderstorm definitely didn't help. So we bounced around and napped with our neck 3 foot in the air. Poor sod, I wasn't having it and we went round and round and backwards until he went forward and gave me some nice round steps with a soft mouth in both trot and canter... this took some time and left us soaked and alone in the arena as a huge storm swept over us and the others ran for cover. But I was pleased with myself for not being intimidated, not giving up and not getting angry and pleased for Imp that he worked through his fears and didn't go completely ballistic.

We both had lunch and then packed up to go home. We're having the day off tomorrow!!

[virtuallyhorses]

Imp's main items of 'work' from this clinic are:

1. Obtaining a true long and low - for Ramon this means 'pushing' the bit, none of this pretend long and low. No overbent, no hiding from the bit and looking pretty. The horse must be moving forward, using his hindquarters and stretching over the back to seek \push the bit. This should be obtained at walk, trot and canter. Imp has been 'trained' to look pretty for dressage but he's not really working his back correctly so our aim is to correct this. Ramon has created a specific game to teach the horse to push the bit. We haven't had our breakthrough moment yet, but I feel we're close as I felt Imp try to think up a new strategy last time we played and almost began to push down\out...

2. Bend and flexion. We have a number of exercises to help Imp bend and flex - they are all designed for suppleness and relaxation rather than a 'look'. Ramons pet hate is any part of the horse that is 'blocked', locked or set - he can tell how a horse has been trained previously and really hates horses that have been taught to lock or set a part of their body in order to look the part instead of taking things more slowly but letting the horse flow and be supple.

3. Consistent soft contact. Both inhand and ridden work over the last week has included tips and exercises for correcting the uneven contact that Imp offers - he dislikes taking any contact on the left, his hollow side. In particular the single rein driving exercise and outside flexion. I also have work to do here as my riding contributes to this and I now feel more confident about how to go about troubleshooting any issues in the future (and what I am aiming for!)