Camaraderie, shared experiences, watching, learning and laughing with others, and above all taking home something new to try with your horse…these are all things that participating in a riding clinic can provide you with. Whether as a rider or auditor, participating in a clinic is a great way to receive valuable hands-on experience in various styles and levels of horsemanship, which can improve the relationship between you and your horse.
Participation in a Cowboy Dressage Clinic
It has been some time since I have had the pleasure of participating in a clinic. My friend Jill von Ilten invited me out to a clinic she was hosting on June 27th at Dream Ranch in Arroyo Grande, CA. Thus, I was able to break my “dry spell” and observe HP Kind of Cowboy Dressage in Germany in action as he helped riders to apply principles of classical Dressage to Cowboy Dressage.
Transported Back to my Pony Club Days
I was immediately transported back to my Pony Club days. I could remember vividly the wind-blown pepper and pine trees against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean, camping for a week with my horse and friends, learning principles of Dressage, Horsemanship and Jumping at the Portuguese Bend Pony Club Camp. I treasure the friendships that were forged with my fellow Pony Clubbers; laughing and learning together we created a life-long bond.
The Nuts and Bolts of the Cowboy Dressage Clinic
Lateral Movement is Key
By the end of the session, HP was able to get each horse bending off the leg and seat aids applied by their riders, giving each a strong starting point to develop more suppleness at home.
Garrocha Pole
One of the most interesting “take-aways” for me was the use of the Garrocha pole as a training aid to develop perfect circles. Perfect circles encourage a horse to bend along the circle line to develop suppleness. My last coach was a stickler for accuracy and I realized that using a Garrocha would have been an asset in my at-home training sessions. I had never seen this concept before and was intrigued by its use.
Clinics Improve Horse to Human, and Human to Human Relationships
At the end of the day, I found myself musing about all that had been learned that day, as well as all of the relationships – both human and horse and human and human – that were strengthened by simply gathering together and working on a common goal. Clinics and horse camps provide riders, both young and old, with the opportunity to come together and focus on the same thing, and this is what helps to build bonds that will last a lifetime. Whether as a rider or auditor, in English tack or Western…if you have the opportunity to attend a camp or clinic, take it!