Steuart Pittman Clinic Recap

Friday baby horse, Mum and I packed into the Neilmobile for a trip to Rusty Knees Farm in Dover-Foxcroft for a clinic with Steuart Pittman, sponsored by Foxcroft and Penobscot Pony Clubs. Neil got a chill-out-tying-to-the-trailer-lesson (horses like Neil are the reason for tying to bailing twine, I swear) and I got to audit some lessons in the morning, and then our group rode last in the afternoon.

It was such an awesome lesson! It's really rare for me to get a cross-country lesson (like less than once a year rare) so it was great that we got to work on both stuff for the baby horse and stuff for me. I'm still working on implementing some of the position changes and I think some more trot sets in two-point are in order for me and my base of support. Baby horse improved dramatically from warmup (trying to buck me off) and the beginning in the lesson through to the end. I'm amazed that his brain stayed with us as long as it did- first ditch and bank included! I was glad we didn't have ditch issues (he literally crawled down into the half ditch and out the other side) and things got better when I was reminded like a D2 to keep my position solid and look where I'm going (imagine that!).

We had some greenness issues about getting straight to fences, which in a way were good- sometimes it's frustrating to have a lesson where your horse doesn't have any of the issues you have at home, so you don't get help fixing them. The clinic was just the right balance of having the issues we need to fix, fixing them, and challenging both of us. Making it through two cross country jumps in a row (little log two strides little log) was a big accomplishment, even though it didn't happen on the first shot. Looking back at a year ago, Neil wouldn't have survived two crossrails that close together out in the open, mentally or physically. Sometimes it doesn't feel like we've come that far since a year ago (and it's mind-blowing to think I've had this "new" horse for almost a year now), but days like Friday really show that he has, and now I feel a lot more confident about signing him up for an elementary schooling trial in September. There won't be anything on that course that he hasn't handled before.

Another great thing about the clinic (and there were a lot of great things about the clinic) was that we each got a little pink radio and an earpiece, which meant A) no screaming for Steuart and B) we could hear directions while we were riding a hundred yards away from the group, and we could hear all the directions everybody else got while they were riding. Probably wasn't a plus for the auditors, but it was really cool and definitely a big help- saved a lot of come back, talk, and go do it again. It was also pretty great to see Caitlin, Chloe, Steph, and Mica from Springpoint Farm while we were there!

Links for your video enjoyment: half-ditch, ditch, Steph and Mica, baby course.

Go ride cross-country!