Wonderful weekend!

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Reignmaker Miniatures

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I had the most amazing weekend, in spite of less than stellar weather (thunder, lightening and driving rain storms). I took part in a driving clinic with my mare this weekend. In less than an hour we had advanced to the point it would have taken me half the season to reach, and guess what (I already knew this going in but ...) it is all in up to ME. Once I got my rein handling and body positioning right the cues got clear to her and she was free to respond correctly. She learned (or showed me she knew actually) to go in a lovely self maintained frame and did these wonderful smooth lateral movements that felt like silk. We flowed around turns, I was so thrilled and she, altho a happy driver anyway, just seemed to relax and become so much freer to move her body. The most important thing I learned was to quit looking down at my horse and to look ahead to where I was going. Every time I forgot that and looked down at her she would fall on her front end and loose her impulsion. It was the best money I ever spent and would do it again in a heart beat. We also did some in hand work on keeping our horses focused on us and a bit of hunter in hand. I didn't bring my horse along for the hunter lesson since her proximity to stallions on day one had caused her to go into heat (sigh- mares
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) and I saw no reason to disrupt the class with a horse who's only focus was where the stallions had gotten to.

Other than the coming in heat the only less than wonderful thing was that she had a bucking fir in harness. I have driven this horse for 10 years and she has never once done more than a small shy when startled but after my driving lesson she (having been in harness only once this year - the day before that) was tired. We stopped in front of the audience and the clinician was talking to the audience about what they had seen us do. She was describing something (don't recall what) and reached down to demonstrate on my mare, touching her near her head. Neither of us were aware that this mare had fallen sound asleep while we talked and when she was touched it startled her - ALOT! She bucked, hard enough to throw herself off her feet once, regular wild bronc type bucking, only moved maybe 4 feet from the spot she started in but was pretty wild about it. I braced myself in and just asked her to 'whoa' repeating it (as calmly as I could) and the clinician and an audience member ran in to hold her. By the time it was over I was laughing, weird right. It was just so unexpected from this particular horse and I could not help myself. It only took a minute or 2 to get her stopped then we let her stand until she quite bracing and I drove her off at a walk. Then a trot. She was just fine once she realized where she was. Poor girl must have had a very scary dream. Just goes to show you even our so called 'bomb proof' horses will react in the right circumstances. In the end there was no one hurt and nothing damaged so it was not a big thing but people who know my horse were pretty surprised and it was the talk of the clinic for a while.
 
Sounds like a success all the way around!

Even the rodeo event was a learning thing, and couldn't have happened in a better place with experienced folk around to help and a controlled area.

Really enjoyed reading your experience at the clinic.
 
I agree, even the 'rodeo event' was a good opportunity for everyone to learn. Hopefully the watchers took home 2 things from that, stay alert even with a very quiet horse, and stay calm when things go wrong. There was no panic (other than hers) and she settled and moved on quickly because no one got to loud or frantic with her.

I drove her today (she had yesterday off) and altho the bugs were nasty she did wonderfully. I can almost hear her saying, "Lordy woman, its about time you started speaking clearly" LOL. We drove for about 3/4 of an hour and practised nice square corners, going straight down the center of the arena and stopping square. She has a history of drifting to the right (hmmm, can we say uneven rein handling ) and stopping crooked (she shifts her hip to the left on halting) The straight line at walk and trot was fixed when I keep my hands even and the stop improved when I used a half halt to set her up for it before asking for the whoa. Tomorrow she will have another day off since I must spend the day in meetings but I think every other day is sufficient since she is not in condition yet.
 
Sounds awesome! It's so great to have a lesson with a good clinician, had one myself this weekend - reminded me of what me and my horse are capable of! Glad you and your mare had such a great time (minus the bucking, of course!) Who was the instructor?
 
Thanks Kendra
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The instructor was Patty Cloke. She was great and I learned a great deal, wish I had had more time with her - or a recording of her telling me, sit up straight, elbows in, look where you are going, keep your whip up, don't drop your hand... and all the other details we tried to improve on.
 
Haha, the recording idea is a great one. If I had one it would say, "Pick up your inside hand, don't hang on the outside rein, sit up straight!"
 
I think ssome of these clinicians are missing a money making opportunity
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Who needs DVDs they should just sell voice recordings repeating these standard phrases. I'd pay for that, I could just play it over the outdoor speakers and maybe it would become second nature to do as I was told.
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