Look at that picture!!! No rain in sight! Let me start this post by saying thank you to NowThat’sATrot for the pictures of this clinic! Poor thing showed up just to audit the clinic and I put her to work!
So after all my weather worry I was once again reminded that meteorologists really have no clue what they are talking about. While it was cloudy all morning, it didn’t rain, and by the afternoon the sun came out and it turned out to be a beautiful day! Now things are a bit crazy in my life right now so I don’t have the time to sit down and give you a full report of clinic day, so I am just going to give you the big points
1) I love Phoenix so much. I am way to attached to this horse! I think I hugged the poor guy to death but he really is a stellar horse!
2) Phoenix is amazing about trailering. He walked right on both ways. He also stood so still on the trailer that I stopped on the way there go back and make sure he was still in the trailer. Considering how little he has been trailered he really has learned how to stand up!
3) My horse (damn I need to stop that because he is not my horse…ahh!) is sound on the left front! 100% better! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But…
4) His stiffles are super weak after all the time off so he has no canter at the moment. Like a 20 meter circle was so hard for him he would swap out on the hind end. Poor pony. Just normally his hind end is week.
5) I have a bad habit that I was not aware of. At the trot I have been bumping poor Phoenix in the mouth! This has been making him angry and is part of the reason we do not have consistent contact at the moment.
6) We have no rhythm. I already knew that sort of (both my trainers get after me about that) but for some reason it just didn’t seem like a huge deal to me. Having a 3rd opinion point that out, remind me of the training scale (how could I forget the training scale) and how crucial it is for a baby horse to learn to be steady really gave me something to work on. I think I have a fun way to work on that.
7) Two moments that made me giddy during my ride were when the clinician said that I should have no problem getting my GAIG qualifying scores next year (just typing that makes me so happy!) and also she mentioned I need to relax with Phoenix’s walk because when we get to 2nd level we are going to need to be able to show a change. SHE SAID PHOENIX AND I AND 2ND LEVEL IN THE SAME SENTENCE! How cool is that! We have a future! Well…I am assuming we do…I did get asked if he was for sale, but I said no (his owner yelled at me…but I am so not helping to sell the horse I love!).
8) We only bend right. Even when we are traveling left, we only bed right. This is one of those things that my trainers mention, but seemed low on the list of things to improve. It’s not. hahaha. Phoenix will bend left dammit.
and last but not least…
9)I need to clinic more. It was so refreshing to get a 3rd opinion! I LOVE having 2 trainers, and for the most part they want similar things, but use different ways to get there. Every once and a while they are opposite and that makes it tricky for me. Which thing do I do and which is the wrong thing? Having the clinician give her way (which was the same as one of my trainers) and the why made me feel more confident about going with that way over the other. It was also helpful to have someone just evaluate you with no objective. They don’t know my history. They don’t know Phoenix’s history. They are looking at you like a judge would look at you (and considering this clinician is a judge that is even more of a true statement). It was just very helpful.
So overall it was fantastic! I am SO glad that I went. Not only did I learn some new tips and tricks, but it was also re-enforced that not all of our issues are mine. I worry training a young horse that I am ruining him. I sometimes get this idea in my head that Phoenix is perfect and every issue we have is my fault. The clinician was another reminder that yes, I have issues, but my baby horse is NOT a saint. I needed that. I also needed a confidence booster, and this clinician was SO positive. Yeah, we can’t canter very well right now, but we can still go and kick some butt at walk/trot!!
We needed this clinic with this clinician right now. The timing was perfect. It is amazing how it all turned out so well!
Good for you! I’m glad you had a great time and learned so much.
Are you still showing in a couple of weeks?
Keep that confidence up in the meantime.
You probaby know already, but hills (especially) and backing up are supposed to strengthen the butt and stifles. Can you get some hilly hacking time in on him?
Good day! Wow, that’s fantastic! With such a young horse, budget is better spent on instruction than entry fees.
That picture is awesome! What a super star! (And of course you have a bright future together my dear… we all knew that).
SO happy for you and that the clinic went so well. The pic is also fabulous! Keep up the good work and positive adidtude
That is a really nice picture of the two of you!!!!
It sounds like that clinic was a big confidence booster for you and that is awesome… You will be doing second level before you know it!
I enjoy auditing various clinics myself when I have the time. I think often times they can offer a fresh perspective and keep you motivated to improve.