As a first-timer I certainly went into this clinic anxious, but I had an overall feeling of preparedness. Maybe it was all the years of horse knowledge I have grown to know like the back of my hand, or the years of riding that makes the saddle feel like home, or even knowing there will be others just like me who need me as a friend, and helping hand this week. It certainly helped the week go smoothly, bringing my long term horse Chaz, who I could trust to be a good horse this week. And I don't mean in terms of being easy to groom, or easy to ride in clinics, because he certainly doesn't fit that picture. He was a good horse this week because we have traveled to shows together more times than I can count, and every one of those times he's just proven to be a seasoned traveler not affected by anything. In fact, he's even better at shows, so I knew it would be a good week with him. I packed up my stuff, put Chaz on the trailer, and we took the trip down to Lexington VA on Sunday. The clinic didn't start until Monday mid-day but getting there the night before let Chaz adjust and make me feel extra prepared. The clinic entailed five days of stable-management sessions with Colleen Reed, and four days of riding sessions with Geoff Teall. And of course, also the round-the-clock care of our special athletes! When we weren't in a stable-management or riding session we either observed a riding session and took notes or was jump crew in the ring. Even though I observed three of the four riding sessions each day, it never got boring because I was always learning something new. Geoff Teall uses repetition of specific riding theory principles, in order for us to hear it, understand it, and apply it. By the end of the week he had us reciting exactly his words, and we all were visibly showing we were applying it to our rides. The stable management sessions will Colleen Reed were so interactive, engaging and interesting. Every session revolved around going through specific topics of horsemanship chosen and we all talked during the sessions, using our previous knowledge or experiences to answer horsemanship questions. The week of stable management sessions made me realize how much any average horseman wouldn't think to care about, or know how to handle. After the five days of sessions I felt prepared enough to have my own barn full of horses to care for! One topic that Colleen Reed kept bringing up was "Bio-security". I never thought a lot about bio-security before this clinic, but now I think about it like instinct. The word by word definition of it is "procedures intended to protect humans or animals against disease or harmful biological agents". This basically means the measures us as horseman must take in order to protect our horses against diseases or other biological agents that they can be exposed to daily. This was especially helpful to learn about during the clinic considering we just brought our own horses to a new environment and expect them to perform their best. I learned incredible amounts of stable management and riding theory knowledge during this clinic. Even more valuable, I gained so much experience traveling down to the clinic with just a parent (who is not experienced with horses) and making the clinic successful. I met so many wonderful riders, who do the sport for the love of horses. Putting yourself out there, trying to gain as much knowledge and experience in riding is really commendable. I recommend taking part in an Emerging Athletes Clinic to any equestrian who is in this sport for the love of horses, and wants to gain invaluable knowledge and experiences.
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March 2021
Included but not limiting to: horses, nutrition, workouts, student life, running, nature, current events, and more.
AuthorMy name is Martha Wyatt-Luth, I have been riding since I could talk but loving horses since I was born. Between being a studious high-school student and riding up to 6 days a week, my days get pretty busy. However, dedicating time to "hobbies" helps me keep going even on the longest days. For example, I love running and I hope to do a marathon one day! |