Gaited Horse & Clicker Clinic
17 & 18 May 2008 
Clinic Report
(written by Yvonne Lehey)
We just finished our second clicker clinic which we, this time, topped up with some gaited riding as well. Our friendly students' horses were Flamenca (PP), Reina (PP), Don Carlos (Andy-Pf cross), Galdur (Icelandic). Despite the fact that Reina hadn't been ridden for over a year and that Chris just took her out once on a brief trail ride last week to "test the waters" (she remained completely relaxed), everybody was very willing and gentle, so the students had a great time and felt very confident right from the beginning.
Only four people showed up. The weather couldn't have been worse: cold, stormy and rain-rain-rain. Yukk! Fortunately, Chris had cleared a big area in her work shed, so we had some sheltered room to work in.
We started the day in the lounge room with the trainer game, sitting on your hands, bone rotation, and rope and rein handling skills. Many ahaa moments shared and experienced!
Rain was still as bad, so we got Carlos and brought him into the shed. All new territory for him and really not the best of conditions (all on his own, concrete floor, inside a room with lots of stuff packed around, etc.), but he was just brilliant, after a bit of wiggling around in the beginning. Then he settled down and cooperated with whatever we suggested. Chris used him for a saddle fit demo, then we explained flexing and tilting of the jaw. Each participant had a go and practised.
Then I threw in a little fun session, desmonstrating how you work a horse on an invisible lead rope. I unclipped Carlos and Chris had found me a small paper envelope which we used as a mini mat. He followed my suggestions beautifully and very attentively made sure that he hit the envelope right in the middle! :-D
I asked who wanted to try, but nobody seemed to think that they could do such a weird thing * g * . But in the end, they all tried, and they all succeeded. Nice lesson in focus and mental connection.
After lunch, the weather cleared up a bit, so we quickly rushed out and built up LTJ's playground of higher learning - a labyrinth, a pedestal, a circle of cones, a small plastic rectangle, a big, bright red cardboard and .... a mattress!
Flamenca and Carlos were our guinea pigs, we split the group in two of two, and Chris and I took one half each and started at the opposite sides of the playground.
Flamenca was quite worried about such an awful request, but managed to briefly put her two front feet on the mattress and the cardboard. Carlos was a completely different matter: he had one look at it, circled once around it, and then very intently put his first hoof on it (we deliberately had never done this before, so the students could have a completely new experience). And within a minute or so he was up on that matress, stood calmly on it or walked over it, whatever his handler requested. Photos here.
But his day wasn't finished! We were planning to ride a bit, but it started to pour down again, so back we went into the shed, and everybody practised correct mounting and dismounting. Then I did a brief demo of giving of the jaw and stepping under with the inner hind foot (first two phases of the 3flip3) from the saddle, and again, all of the students practised.
A big dinner for everybody at Chris' place ended the day.
Next morning we had a conformation analysis demo, with emphasis on what to look for in gaited horses. Chris recommended Deb Bennett's 3 excellent little books. Weather had cleared up a bit so we could spend most of the day outside. Phew!
While Chris helped the two Icey owners (Thea and Amy) to fit a suitable saddle on their stallion Galdur, I took the two other participants (Carol and Margaret) into the round pen and gave them the opportunity to practise on horseback what we had done the day before in theory. All went very well, and Carlos complied to whatever was asked.
Followed a session of introducing two young Icey geldings (which Thea and Amy had brought over for training) to clicker training and targeting. Of course, we had soon the opportunity to work on pushiness resp. polite table manners. Everybody had a go, and everybody managed good food delivery very well. The 4-legged students were extremely smart and fast and found out very quickly that backing away and turning the cheeky nose away earned them a treat! Amy's comment: great! Now we can go home and show our horses, and consequently have plenty of well-behaved horses! ;-)
Then Chris brought in Galdur, rode him briefly to show his owners what he had learned during his time with us, and then it was riding time for them. Thea is more or less a beginning beginner, and she was very tense in the beginning, but she loosened up when she found it that her "wild stallion" was as gentle as pie! :-D
Then her sister Amy rode him and got along very well with him. Finally Margaret and Carol were also allowed on his back for a few rounds. Margaret was delighted and said she had fallen in love with Iceys! In came Carlos again for Thea and Amy to ride. Thea managed well and had remembered everything we had taught the day before. Amy, who is more experienced, did well, so I brought in the small plastic rectangle and threw in in the middle of the RP. And yess, Carlos was successful with this premiere as well. Amy succeeded to ride him right to the plastic and had him put his front hoof on it. Bingo!
Thea and Amy left with Galdur after lunch, as they had a long way to drive, so we continued with Margaret and Carol. They wanted to practise some good leading techniques, as Carol has a couple of pushy ones at home, so Chris brought out her playful ASB stallion Max, and both girls worked on their skills. Photos here.
To end the day, we saddled Flamenca and Reina, so both could demonstrate how to get gait and how a very sensitive and responsive horse feels. Margaret was amazed on which tiny cues Flamenca needs. She got a couple of flatwalks, but no paso llano. Carol, under Chris' coaching, pacapaca'd along happily on Reina in the nearby laneway.
So I took Flamenca out of the RP and ran at her side down the driveway, and plopp, she jumped inta a fast paso llano. Margaret, amazed: aaah, NOW I see what you meant! When we thundered around the corner and came to a sliding stop at the RP, Chris laughed and asked whether we were going to the races. Back to the RP, where I coached her through some bending and counterbending and shoulder-ins. They swapped horses and repeated on the new mount. I think, both Margaret and Carol were surprised what they could ask for and achieve!! ;-)
Then I loaded my Carlos, actually he self-loaded, as usual * g * (Chris: it's so easy when they are easy...), and home we went, where Greg (hubby) waited for us with a lovely variety of curries. To bed at 9 and fell asleep right away!
Comments from Participants:
I had a great weekend and certainly came home on a high with lots to think about.
Carol
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