I went to one day of the Larry Whitesell clinic this weekend and will try to share some of what I learned . I discovered this neat feature on my cell phone (of course, most of you will say, duuuh, Laree, everyone knows about that, but it's new to me) which allows me to record messages/thoughts to play back later. This was great because on the 2 hour trip home, I just recorded everything I could remember and it didn't have to be in any order. I'm not good at writing while listening to what is being said so this allowed me to record what I learned before I forgot it. Hopefully that will help my report be more accurate but it will also be longer – sorry about that.
I went to the clinic to audit because I saw Larry at Equine Affaire and liked what I saw there. I've been looking for a trainer that will help me reach my ultimate riding goals – to have a horse that is relaxed and very soft and responsive to my slightest cue. Going to the clinic just reinforced what I saw at Equine Affaire – here is a man that can help me get to my riding goals. I will now be saving my pennies so I can go to his farm in TN and take a week long camp. February 10, 2007 - Larry Whitesell Clinic Some notes from his web site: "Gaited horses are comfortable and easy to learn to ride. However, training a gaited horse can be challenging in that we must slowly bring it into a correct frame without jeopardizing the gait." Philosophy Riding is a team sport. Getting better, like any other sport, takes commitment, but it should be fun for you and your horse. In the gaited horse industry, many horses need to be brought into a more classical frame to gait. It is common practice to use large bits and equipment to try to obtain gait. The problem is that many horses trained by these methods become pacey or reactive or both, as the use of force creates stiffness. The gaited horse, like all other breeds, must have rhythm in his movement and footfall. When there is stiffness or braces, the horse loses rhythm. We must train our horse not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. Horses express their emotions often by tensing up physically against outside stumuli, including any form of contact with the handler. Instead of getting relaxation, so we can "teach" a correct response, it seems easier to put a piece of equipment on the horse to persuade him. Depending on the severity of the equipment and the riders hands or temperment, the horse begins to react. Horses that react are not as reliable or consistent as those that learn to respond to subtle cues. Crisis management is not management. It leaves many victims in its path. We don't want to "get" horses to do things, that is not training. It depends on the level of training you want your horse to have, but most people should be able to put a "basic handle" on their horse. That means you should be able to get your horse to the right place at the right time with the least amount of effort. MY NOTES TO FOLLOW IN ANOTHER EMAIL -- Laree "The greatest enemy of the truth very often is not the lie- deliberate, contrived and dishonest -- but the myth -- persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." ~ Arthur Schopenhauer [] The video every Icelandic Horse owner should have: http://IceHorses.net/video.html [] Lee Ziegler http://leeziegler.com [] Liz Graves http://lizgraves.com [] Lee's Book Easy Gaited Horses http://tinyurl.com/7vyjo [] IceHorses Map http://www.frappr.com/IceHorses [] IceHorses ToolBar http://iceryder.ourtoolbar.com/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
