Last Week's Clinic In Holland

Hi everyone,

Yes indeed the clinic went very well indeed, in fact next years is already full and with a waiting list!! My good friend Elma Middel organised the clinic at her place near Mensingeweere- a lovely spot, not far from Groningen. Getting there this year was an easy flight from Stansted, only 35 minutes going over!- rather than a very fraught train journey last year from Schipol, but that is another and too long a story.Although very funny now looking back on it, it wasn't at the time!!

Elma had lined me up quite a mix of riders and horses, from an almost complete beginner, on a stunning Friesian mare, who had beena carriage horse until last autumn. both presented a problem as the rider was nervous of the mare, although the latter was very sane and sensible, but the marehad only ever gone in straight lines, and had no idea how to bend, making life difficult for both of them.

So we simply worked in walk, to build Marina's cinfidence. I got on and rode the mare and taught her how to move away from teh outside rein and leg- picked it up almost immediatel- and then put owner back up and merely worked in walk to teach both horse and rider how to bend! Marina made great progress and keeping her just in walk, built up her confidence considerably. She just felt that she had far more control by the end of the clinic. She had been letting the mare take charge, dawdling along in the walk, stopping and starting when she felt like it. I made Marian take charge and push the walk out- horse looked amazed that Mum had altered her tune and said 'OK, you win'.!

At the other iend of the scale, Monya, who had been at last year's clinic, is a PSG level dressage rider and also a well known problem horse solver in Holland. Super rider and a pleasuer to teachl, Monya brought her previous competition horse who is sold to a fourteen year old girl to compete, and we worked to gethim still more up off his shoulders and free the movement. He improved dramatically, especially in his canter, and I think Monya began to wonder if she had sold him too soon and that he would have gone further!! She also brought the very difficult KWPN mare that she brought last year. The mare at five had been unbreakable, others had tried and failed miserably. Monya had succeeded and was forming a great partnership with the mare. Then six months ago, she was badly kicked by another horse, and was only just back in work. Again, we worked to get her up off her shoulders, through frequent transitions and getting Monya to lift her hands lightly and quickly upwards, backing it up immediately with the leg, if she felt the mare about to lean or come too deep in front. This mare is very talented indeed and is going to go a long way- she mproved so much in just a half hour session- I am looking forward to working with them both again, but will see Monya again first, as she is going to be one of the EE teacher trainees, early next year.

I worked with Tineke, a vet and her lovely Andalusian, Obelix, rescued from a terrible life in Spain. He had the worst spur gouges I have ever seen- five or six inches in lenght, and probably half an inch deep into the flesh. He had been terrified of people, terrified to be ridden and here he was, with a happy totally confident personality buth in the stable and under saddle- a great tribute to Tineke's patience and perseverance.

My especial favourite, Elma's utterly gorgeous Friesian, Duarte, had improved enormously in the year since I had last seen him. This horse is a very lovely example of his breed, with the tremendous movement, huge springy, cadenced trot- superb ability to extend but also to collect, fantastically light, naturally uphill canter, looks and temperament to die for- why this breed is not more popular I do not know.
Holland's leading equestrian magzine 'Bit' came to do an article on me on the first day, and Marjan Tulp, their reporter spent the first evening and second day with us. She left us copies of the magazine which I hadn't seen before, and to say that I was impressed is an understatement. Extremely classy in layout and design it is I think the best magazine I have ever seen. I was also very privliged to have Arnd Bronkhorst, Holland's leading equestrian photographer, to do the photoshoot,. His photography is known far beyond the shores of the Netherlands, and I hope that I should have some nice shots of me on Duarte that I can also put up on EE!!

The Freedom saddle went down a storm- using it on everytihng from Elma's very small but extremely sharp little Icelandic mare, who turns so quickly that if the saddle was going to slip on anything I am certain would have done so on her, but it did'nt move. What a little charcter this mare is, probably no more than 12.2hh, she moves so elegantly, is as light as afeather to ride and so responsive to the seat- a real tribute to Elma's good training. You would not know that you were on such a little horse, and the tolt in the Freedom was even more comfortable! I had to prise the saddle out of Elma's hands to pack it back into my sports holdall which is how it travelled over on the plane!

I worked with a variety of other horses, another big warmblood mare was again going too deep and was leaning on the rein. This is the only horse that I resorted to using the Pelham. As soon as I put the bit on, she immediately lightened in my hand, but not coming behind the vertical at all, but also came much more 'up' in front freeing her shoulders and totally altering her movement. She had so much more spring and expression and in about three minutes, was carrying herself so that I could give the reins forward and let them stay there without her altering her carriage at all. Her owner is another instructor over there, and she looked a little apprehensive to begin with at putting the pelham on, although agreed readily to give it a try. When she saw the result and felt it for herself, she couldn't believe the difference in the feel. I told her that she would probably only need to be ridden in the bit for a couple of weeks so that she understood what was wanted of her. She could ride her on both reins too begin with and then tie up the curb and just ride her on teh snaffle, then eventually just put her back in the snaffle when she felt that her carriage was sufficiently established.

So a very successful clinic, and although exhausting, ten hours teaching a day in about 38 degrees!- it was well worth it. Lovely open minded folk, a pleasure to teach- I have always had a lot to do with Holland also teaching the European Space Agency riding club a the other end of Holland, so it is always nice to go back!

Heather