Clinic roundup Part 2: Lessons

Photos by: Kirsten McChance

Day 1

Our Tuesday lesson was at 3 pm in the blazing hot 1000000-degree KY weather and 1000000% humidity. We hauled in, oogled over the farm a bit and complained about the heat. But both Hampton and I sucked it up and worked out asses off.

Our main focus was the basics this first day, which I LOVE.

Trying to look professional so that no one notices I am actually total riff raff.

Some basic notes:

• Add power, especially at the canter. I had developed a rather bad habit of letting him suck bad in the corners and that most certainly does not set you up for movements very well. You have to go with it, and not shut him back down.
• We spent a while leg yielding at the canter to the center line, and then shoulder-in. Rinse, repeat. Then leg yield to the CL, flying change, leg yield back to the rail, forward-half half- CHANGE. Repeat. Canter leg yields have always been magical for Hampton and doing these exercises really bring out his fantastic canter, and HUGE, straight changes.

I know, I know I need to keep my butt in the saddle for his giant changes.
Keep in mind this photo is a MOMENT IN TIME, and I thought it was a lovely photo of us really
concentrating, imperfections and all.

Ellesse noticed that at times he evades my legs with the changes, so adding the leg yield forced me to put my leg ON and made him accept it. I think this may be part of the problem with our 2s.

A big take away is that BOTH of us have to become comfortable in these bigger gaits with more power.

After our lesson Hampton of course got many pats and treats, and Ellesse gave me a little bag of Mrs. Pastures and a hat! She is SO SWEET. A total class act and I was immediately looking forward to the next day's lesson.

I just love how he is just working so hard for me here. We were really in sync.

Day 2

Well by the time it was my lesson time it was storming. Elmendorf has no indoor, but the nice thing about being in Lexington is that you just call up another farm and I was off to ride in a lovely covered arena about 6 miles down the road. No photos of day 2, sadly!

So I packed up everything and once at this other farm I took Hampton off the trailer and hopped on. It was thundering and lightning, mind you. In a brand new arena. He never once put a foot wrong.

We focused more on the actual tempis today. The 4s and 3s were solid and straight, but as I feared the 2s just were not there. One or both of us start to lose our balance and they start to become all over the place by change number 3 or 4. Hampton has huge changes and it's easy to lose your balance! I think it will just take some more time and schooling. We will get them.

He is very expressive. #swoosh

Ellesse really gave me some excellent pointers are how to change my half halt timing to help him in the 2s, and it did start to help. We didn't want to drill him so we stopped, but I have good homework.

The last part of the lesson we did piaffe/passage work. Again, she really helped me finesse my aids to help with sitting, and sharpness in the piaffe, and then lift and balance in the passage. She helped me some from the ground and I really wish I had video because Hampton did some of the best passage I have ever gotten out of him.

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Sorry this has turned into a rambling novel. Anyway I really got a lot out of these two lessons and would def ride with her again. She really helped me finesse all of my aids and really start to add more power to our overall balance. A super compliment to my training program at home. Onward!

I'm not sure here.