Trail Clinic

Saturday was a trail clinic.  It was taught by my old instructor, T.  It was billed as a "Survival Riding Clinic"- things that could help you "survive" on the trail.  I was hesitant about going to this clinic, I had taken lessons from T from many years and wasn't sure T would have any different information.  But I went anyway and it turned out okay.

One of the games we played I hadn't played in years.  A team of 2 people, one is the horse and is blindfolded, the other is the rider.  The rider can direct the "horse" only with her hands on the "horses" shoulders.  I got to be the horse.  The arena was set up with many obstacles that a "horse" could be lead over, around, thru, etc.  I really had to trust my "rider" and it brought out the trust factor that hopefully exists between Zoe and me.  And when my "rider" asked me to trot by double tapping my shoulders, I was hesitant to move out.  It reminded me about what it's like to ask a horse to trot the very first time...they can be hesitant.

Everything we did I had done before.  But that was okay.  I figured that would happen.  T had to plan for a clinic that had a variety of experience of the riders.  Some of the riders didn't know how to ride very well and this was great for them.  Some of the riders didn't ride well and didn't seem to have any "try" in their efforts-I wondered why they came at all.  There were 9 riders in all.   A long time ago I wouldn't have thought anything of having 9 horses in the arena for a lesson.  But as the years have gone on, depending on the "lesson" being taught, 9 horses can be too many.  For the most part we could all maneuver around the arena pretty well-except for the "everyone ride to the letter (that T calls out) on the fence all at the same time".  I have to admit that I didn't try very hard on that one-I didn't want to be squashed inbetween horses.  We did do some drill team work.  Zoe and Sky got to be in the lead.  Drill team work helps to cement some of the "look, leg, rein" work that T taught earlier in the day.  I haven't done drill team work in years and it was fun.

T used Zoe for some examples.  Zoe and I got to show people how to side pass.  Then T made a more difficult obstacle to side pass, and said it was just for me.  Thanks T.  But we could do it.  And T had us do a demo in the round pen.   T and I talked later and she said Zoe is a good trail horse, she was very impressed.  I passed the complement back by saying that Zoe and I have had many good teachers one of which was T.

I think the best thing about the day was that Zoe had to be "on" all day... and that was good preparation for the upcoming obstacle challenge-coming in 2 weeks.  That will be an all day event.   Zoe had a good attitude all day.  I found that my saddle fit was good and all the work I put into making it not slip had paid off-no slippage.