The competitions are winding up in this part of the country due to the cold, the snow, the wind and the cold! Maybe I'm getting soft but when I am wearing 5 layers under my jacket and thermal's under my breeches, I think it's COLD!!! The lack of shows creates the perfect opportunity for riders to tackle more difficult work with the view of moving their horses up to the next level in the spring. With this in mind I have had my students pushing their boundaries (some may say it's just an excuse for me to be yelling louder and more frequently at them!) by trying movements we've stayed away whislt the shows have been running. So this means Deborah has started teaching her horse shoulder in, Crooner's no longer allowed to spook at the mounting block and Linda's schooling Chevy's counter canter. As this is my first holiday season in the US I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of how active riders stay. I am so impressed by everyones dedication and enthusiasm.
This past weekend we held a very successful Boyd Martin Clinic. Amy Gaynor excelled with her organisation and preparation skills. With a 12 rider limit we had a waiting list which was great. In total we had about forty people helping and auditing. I performed a demonstration of a couple of my favourite jumping exercises on Merlot at the lunch break which went well. Merlot is such a clever jumper and real pleasure to ride, plus I think he loves having a crowd of people to look at him! Boyd was great with every rider and auditor leaving with more knowledge than they arrived. Boyd left with a bit of snow in his car (thru the open windows) and some food, so noone walked away empty handed!!
With only a couple of weeks of training and teaching left before I head home for Christmas, I'll be busy making the most of the rest of 2008.
