Last week this wonderful event was held at a venue close to us, and I got to attend, and had a blast. For anyone who has been following the lead up to this on my thread The stories of the “unhorsed” Sokath his (well her) eyes uncovered! The road to the CNC. You can skip the next paragraph.
I was due to take my trainers Friesian to this event, but he sadly had to be put down a couple of months ago. So I was organizing with Mellows owner to use him, but he, on the very day we were going to meet up, had his photosensitive reaction…Then there was Munzy, got kicked in the pasture. My vet then offered me a horse, and one month ago Jet came on loan specifically for me to take to CNC. So I got to take a “good old boy” Appendix with no experience of WE to a camp and show!
There are two parts to CNC, Monday to Thursday are the camp, where you get to ride with coaches from all over the world, mine were mainly from Canada and the US, but also rode with Linda Shore, from Australia. The sessions were a little like wine tasting, just a sip and go, if there are 5 people riding for 45 minutes you don’t get into depths. I gained something from each and every person I rode with, but the time with Linda was LIFE CHANGING. I think it was worth the whole cost of the week. She promotes the idea that we all are to concerned about riding the back of the horse, and not the front……not about frame, but about lightness. It doesn’t matter how much power is generated behind, unless they are light in front they can’t use that power. She had us ride just thinking “up” hand slightly above the mouth, so if the head goes up, you go with it, until he drops, then you follow down and release. Had to imagine a string under the neck, and you are lifting with that, it’s hard to explain in words, but I was dumbfounded by the difference it made to both of us. The boy who had been leaning hard and heavy all week, was finding a few steps, then a few more of real self carriage, and I ended the lesson in tears, happy tears, joyful tears, so much I have struggled with made sense.
Two pics going here…one from July, and one from the show part of the camp
Although he is head up, looking at the gate, you can see his underneck development, showing his preferred way of going.
and here in the cow clinic, did I mention we had a cow clinic on the Thursday? So much fun, but Jet has ZERO cow in him, great at walking through the herd and moving one out, hopeless, no thought of actually locking on to it and moving!
More to come about the whole experience and the show, but Working Equitation is so much fun, go check it out!
