so far..

So far this year I have done clinics with Eric Horgan, Jerry Schurink and Richard Lamb.

Eric has helped alot expecially last time I rode with him. He expeiremented with different ways to losen Carino's top line and get him pushing to the bridle. Like with poles and making me get off his back for moments to relive tension. Eric also helped with Carino and how he overbends to the right and doesn't bend at all to the left. We worked on leg yields and me not yanking him but giving the left rein and giving small tugs with my fingers to tell him i want you hear and then release. He also helped me think of being loser with my elbows.

Jerry last time worked on getting Carino working on a bigger stride. We started with exercises to get Carino understanding the leg aides. When i move my leg back haunches move out, on a circle at walk and trot. We also did slight turn on the forehand to. Then we worked on shoulder in at the walk in trot. We would only ask for a few stirdes then straighten then asks for some more strides then straighten. "Quality vs. Quantity" Jerry of course made me sit for the majority of the ride which is good but was diffuclt trying to sit to Carino's new big even more bouncy stride. We did exteneding trot which I love but Carino felt like he had to canter to do the difficulty of the long stride but he definitely did open up.

I jumped in the Richard Lamb clinic. Carino was very downhill which is unlike him but when he got down hill I went down with him. My mom said she could tell now how much my shoulders must have been hurting me (which admitting i was complaining about a lot the previous week) because she has never seen me that hunched over jumping before. I guess it was good Carino was like that in a clinic so I had someone to help me though it, but Richard did say somethings that were almost contradicting to what other trainers/clinicians have told me so I got confused/frustrated by that. My mom took some video and when I watched it, it didn't look quite as bad as it felt. But Carino had no refusals, was quite bold and jumped some stuff that was 2'9. Not bad for a horse who started jumping around 5 months ago and has only been cantering under saddle for 7 months.

Videos @:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MissaRissaJ