I am not one to attend many clinics, in fact, I have probably attended fewer than ten clinics in my riding career. While on Facebook one day, I saw a post advertising a clinic with George Williams in August and I decided to go for it with my horse Picasso. I am very glad that I did as we had a great but very hot day!
To say the day was hot is a gross under exaggeration! Everyone in the northeast was suffering. I decided that riding in this clinic was too important to pass up, so I packed plenty of water and ice and headed down to Maryland. By the time I arrived my truck temperature read 102, and P was a little sweaty in the trailer. I was already frustrated because my truck electric and my trailer electric were not speaking to one another and desperately needed couples therapy. Still, I wanted this opportunity, so off we went to the ring we went. By now P was momentarily dry and we entered the arena to begin our warm up.
To give you quick background on my horse, I have owned Picasso “P” since he was a weanling. He is currently showing Fourth Level and schooling Prix St. George. He can be quite opinionated on most things and is known around the barn as the playful one that bites, a lot! George had us begin by working on some transitions and clarifying my outside half halt. Balance and thoroughness have always been challenging for us. Both of us feel that we know exactly what we are doing at any given time and the other is just totally clueless. How humbling it is to find out that a tiny change in the placement of an aid that your home instructor has told you on a regular basis could make such a difference! As an instructor, I know the feeling, but we all know instructors make the worst students. Suddenly, P was balanced and my abs that I usually consider to be strong were burning with the fire of a thousand suns.
As we took a short break I noticed P was having a very hard time catching his breath and had not really started to sweat. We took a 15 minutes to sponge him off and walk him so that he could get back to a normal rate so that I did not go into motherly over protective mode.
Onward to flying changes! To preface this; I have spent three years begging, pleading, cursing, crying, reassessing, cursing, animal communicating and finally cursing to get a change. One change! As they say, one day they happen, and they did, just like that. Out of the blue, you just go in the ring and they go “changes? Yes, I do those! But not your way, human! MY way.” We needed some help with the right to left change, so that is what we worked on. I have tried a few things to help make it clean, but nothing has worked yet. I showed George the change to give him an idea of what we need help on, at least I thought that is how it went. What I actually did was let P get strung out and charge through the bridle, while I throw my body in hopes of getting something that looks like a change. So, we now have something to work on. Some rebalancing and the magic touch of changing the hand I carry my whip in and suddenly the elusive change was there, no problem (insert eye-rolling emoji here).
Onward to half steps! These were for fun and done after another long walk break while George explained the importance of carrying myself over my core better. I know it is my downfall and it is the only way I am going to improve my horse. Now I am even MORE committed because of how well P responded to my balance (again instructors being the worst students). I had been dabbling in half steps for a while unassisted by a handler with a whip. That in turn made P a bit too spicy. P finally accepted that George was not there to beat the skin off his body and he learned to sit on his hind end! He actually carried himself! He is a 1500 pound horse after all, so this was just a really awesome experience. The trot work after was so amazing I cannot wait to ride it again.
So in the end it is me, not P, that needs to straighten up to fly right. I just needed to spend the money, a two hour drive in the truck with no lights or brakes, and ride with the President of the USDF to FINALLY get that lesson to sink in. I will merge the rider I was to the rider I want to be. George is amazingly patient (even in the heat!) and so positive. Thank you to DVCTA for the sponsorship, I would absolutely do it all over again but perhaps without the heat and maybe with brakes…