Jen Hamilton Clinic at Westar Farms, Ottawa April 23-24 2016
Last year the clinic came and went and I pined a little for it. I saw Jen at the George Morris clinic last fall and told her I was coming this year. Ludi was doing pretty well with his work over fences last summer, and now I had the indoor to keep him fit all winter, and I knew there would be a Green Horse group that I could enter. I figured this would be the fourth generation of horses that I'd brought to her, from the school horses of my teen years, to dear Andy when I was 20, to my first real jumper, Quinn when I was 30, and now Ludi. I guess that makes her my longest-term teacher!
Still, I nearly stressed myself into an ulcer the week before! I worried the demands might be too much, that I hadn't prepared enough, or that Ludi wouldn't handle the atmosphere. But, I was at a point where I needed a coach to point me in the right direction with Ludi, and I trust Jen.
Her system is simple. The rider must build good habits through consistency, maintain a correct position, and ride simply and clearly.
Balance, Rhythm and Straightness. Be Calm, Go Forward.
Why does the rider have 2 legs? To go forward, to go sideways, to stay on the horse. Keep it simple.
When was the last time you practiced stride control? Should have been the last time you rode.
Know your strengths. Don't be your own worst enemy. Ride with conviction! Be a star!
She watched me warm up for about 2 minutes. "Tone it down, you're too dynamic. You're over-riding a simple turn."
OK! I love a direct coaching style. Life is short.
"Your head is cluttered with theory. You've read too many books. Stop thinking and just ride. You're too busy. Make a decision. No bad dressage."
OK…... I hoped she'd tell me if she thought Ludi was any good.
"You've got a bit of a fire-breathing dragon there. Underworked and overfed."
That was Day 1. My friends cringed and looked away, and my husband smirked, but I knew what I'd signed up for, and I thrive on it. I took responsibility and learned something. Ludi jumped everything without hesitation, until we rode a 5 stride line to brightly colored oxer near the spooky cedars, and he stopped well back from the jump, upset. "Walk away. Walk away." she said "What do you think went wrong?" "I should have put my leg on him...?" She mimed my busy hands. "Stop thinking and let the horse jump the jump!" I rode it again, hands down, silent. We flew over it together. Of course, she was right.
Day 2 and Ludi settled right in. "Much more civilized today." Shorter reins, shoulders back, quiet hands, soft leg. I'd been wrong-headed in thinking he needed to jump with his neck down to get a better bascule shape. That was making him dive down at the jumps. The name of the game is keeping him back on his hocks with a lighter front end so we can jump real jumps some day. If you watch the video, I think you can see the difference between the way he jumps the very first jump on Day 1 and the last time on Day 2. These lessons will reverberate in all my riding going forward, which is the sign of a truly great coach.
Be patient.
Last year the clinic came and went and I pined a little for it. I saw Jen at the George Morris clinic last fall and told her I was coming this year. Ludi was doing pretty well with his work over fences last summer, and now I had the indoor to keep him fit all winter, and I knew there would be a Green Horse group that I could enter. I figured this would be the fourth generation of horses that I'd brought to her, from the school horses of my teen years, to dear Andy when I was 20, to my first real jumper, Quinn when I was 30, and now Ludi. I guess that makes her my longest-term teacher!
Still, I nearly stressed myself into an ulcer the week before! I worried the demands might be too much, that I hadn't prepared enough, or that Ludi wouldn't handle the atmosphere. But, I was at a point where I needed a coach to point me in the right direction with Ludi, and I trust Jen.
Her system is simple. The rider must build good habits through consistency, maintain a correct position, and ride simply and clearly.
Balance, Rhythm and Straightness. Be Calm, Go Forward.
Why does the rider have 2 legs? To go forward, to go sideways, to stay on the horse. Keep it simple.
When was the last time you practiced stride control? Should have been the last time you rode.
Know your strengths. Don't be your own worst enemy. Ride with conviction! Be a star!
She watched me warm up for about 2 minutes. "Tone it down, you're too dynamic. You're over-riding a simple turn."
OK! I love a direct coaching style. Life is short.
"Your head is cluttered with theory. You've read too many books. Stop thinking and just ride. You're too busy. Make a decision. No bad dressage."
OK…... I hoped she'd tell me if she thought Ludi was any good.
"You've got a bit of a fire-breathing dragon there. Underworked and overfed."
That was Day 1. My friends cringed and looked away, and my husband smirked, but I knew what I'd signed up for, and I thrive on it. I took responsibility and learned something. Ludi jumped everything without hesitation, until we rode a 5 stride line to brightly colored oxer near the spooky cedars, and he stopped well back from the jump, upset. "Walk away. Walk away." she said "What do you think went wrong?" "I should have put my leg on him...?" She mimed my busy hands. "Stop thinking and let the horse jump the jump!" I rode it again, hands down, silent. We flew over it together. Of course, she was right.
Day 2 and Ludi settled right in. "Much more civilized today." Shorter reins, shoulders back, quiet hands, soft leg. I'd been wrong-headed in thinking he needed to jump with his neck down to get a better bascule shape. That was making him dive down at the jumps. The name of the game is keeping him back on his hocks with a lighter front end so we can jump real jumps some day. If you watch the video, I think you can see the difference between the way he jumps the very first jump on Day 1 and the last time on Day 2. These lessons will reverberate in all my riding going forward, which is the sign of a truly great coach.
Be patient.
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