Clinics - a Yes!

Thanks to tamarack Hill farm for sharing this image

Questions often heard around the barn… “You are still taking lessons?” and “Does your trainer allow you to ride with other trainers?”

I do believe in questions. This is part of learning. As far as “still taking lessons” goes, learning is lifelong and the moment someone knows everything is the moment they have ceased to learn. As to the second question “allow you to ride”, is a bizarre statement. Teaching and learning works best when teacher and student have a mutual respect. While it is the trainer’s obligation to do the best job in directing the learning, it seems a bit off for anyone to forbid attendance in a training session unless said trainer is positive of possible blatant cruelty.

Clinics are like continuing education or participating in a master class or seminar. They give the student an opportunity to hear different ways to approach similar goals. They give the current trainer a wonderful overview of how the student has learned previous lessons. There is nothing so humbling as watching your 3rd level rider unable to ride a 20m circle correctly. There is also nothing so uplifting as watching that same rider perform multiple clean, balanced flying changes.

Value for money? At a horse show, you get perhaps 15 minutes of expert observation. At a clinic, for the same price, you get two 45 minute sessions just for you…

Clinic participation is not for showing off skills or being the best of the best. Taking part in a clinic can help direct your next month’s learning. It can open up avenues for more critical thinking for both the student and the current trainer.

Confusion = critical thinking = learning.  Or one can bury their head in the sand…

What if the student ends up with questions or observations that seem disbelieving of the previous approach?  Perhaps, “I like this way better” or “this is different from what you said.”  This is not a challenge. If this is your student, they may be very pumped about learning something or feeling a new feel. Talk about how this “new” thing (yes, you may have taught this) belongs as part of the rider’s toolbox and then be happy to have a new tool the student understands TODAY. Move on…

By all means, choose wisely the clinician you may ride with or recommend. Try to investigate the clinician’s background and methodology. Learn about the person(s) the clinician trained with. Have a look at the clinician’s own students and see if they are well schooled. Still unsure? Go audit for a day or better yet, the weekend. See if the clinician is able to explain things in a way you can understand.

Personally, I try to bring in two or three different clinicians for my own students to learn from. My clinicians are different in energy and expectations for the different personalities I have in my team. However, my clinicians are wonderful teachers and committed to the methodology that I also follow in my own training. They may say “different, new, and mind blowing” things but we are all on the same path of training. I value their input. I like to see my students challenged in a different way. I love watching my students perform and learn.

Relish in the discussion and new ideas presented. Don’t be shy…soak it all in. Next up for us? Canadian Olympic rider Cindy Ishoy whose background consists of the great dressage legend Willi Schultheis. How wonderful to learn from Mr. Schultheis voice from the past coming through in Cindy’s voice in the present.  Isn’t it said that “Dressage takes two life times to learn?”

Perhaps today is a good day to start. Try a clinic and then try another. Good luck and good learning to you, the adventurer!