I got back late last night from the Bryan Neubert clinic - it was great fun!
This is the third clinic I’ve been to this year - first Buck Brannaman, then someone else, and now Bryan. They were all different and have different teaching styles and different horse-handling styles.
Bryan is a very patient person and has a very casual style about him. When Filabeana and Aktill mentioned ahead of time that the lesson is in the story, I didn’t quite understand . . . I mean, Buck told stories and there were lessons in there, but some of them were more esoteric, not hard-skill-do-this-now kind of situation. So it took me a little while to figure out that when Bryan is telling a story, it is okay to try to do what he’s talking about or demonstrating a little bit. With Buck, we’d all gather 'round, he’d talk and tell a story, then give instruction, then send us back out to do an exercise. With Bryan, he’s talking, telling the story, saying “well this probably isn’t important to you but I might do something like this” and then demonstrate a little and relate how it is helpful and we’re expected to just do it then and there and give it a try (or not - he was clear that if something REALLY scares you, then don’t do it). We don’t talk, go away for an exercise, then come back to the next thing. We just did it and then that might show something else that we’d need to work on and so he’d take it from there.
The group was small enough that anyone who wanted (or didn’t want but might have needed) individual attention got it if they asked for it. I didn’t ask for it, but I got it on the second day.
On the first day for the riding group (there was also a colt-starting group for younger or troubled horses) a liverpool was put out on one side of the arena (without water) and a bridge sort of in the middle. People were walking over if they wanted to but it wasn’t part of our lesson.
On the second day the liverpool was filled with water and the bridge was put up so that it teetered. Mac and I cross bridges all the time. But not teeter-totter ones! We went over it low side first and while he was a little iffy about it, he went over (this was when we were warming up before class). When class started, Bryan said he saw me go over it so why not do it again. I made the mistake of going over the high side first and there brought up a problem. Mac took a couple steps on it and when it wobbled (high side went down), he’d back off. Fine. Then we got on. Fine. But instead of letting him chill out on it, I asked him to go forward and when it wobbled down he didn’t like that and stepped off and wouldn’t go back on! So we spent a lot of time trying to get him back on the bridge and they took the teeter out of it and we went back on and eventually it was fine. But therein was a lesson in forward and shoulder control. So while other people were working on it, Bryan gave me some pointers on forward (the bring your legs wide, big whomp with the legs to go forward so that eventually when you just open your legs the horse goes forward - worked great!) and he also had us do some counter-bending exercises. So I got a lot of attention, but I didn’t particularly want it. :winkgrin: It was just the beginning, though, because other horses also didn’t want to do either the bridge or water so they also got a lot of attention.
Bryan wants to help everyone and he also uses the other people to help someone. For example, in my class there was a mare there who had a teenage owner (h/j rider) and the horse was tense about other horses being around her. At one point she was leaping in the air and bucking and farting and rearing. Bryan was trying to help the girl by instructing her to let the horse go forward and not hold her back so much and only use one rein to turn her vs. pull her straight back. The girl, understandably, was very tense and just not hearing/following the instruction. Her trainer was there and got on the horse and Bryan set up an exercise where we would all be “rude trail riders” who would come up behind the horse (at a safe distance out of kicking range) and just pass her by. The trainer did let her trot and canter forward and the mare was happier with that. And we all passed her by at a trot, coming up from behind. Then we switched so we’d all be coming at her from the front. Then we’d get in formation of twos, with a horse distance basically all around us (from the horse in front of us and next to us) and the trainer would weave in and out and through and around and all over. Then he let the mare stand while he and a couple other people went up to her on their horses and they just stood there petting her so that she learned that to be so close to other horses could be a nice thing. Then we all got together in formation and did some drill team-type stuff. It was helpful for everyone.
I learned some new fun exercises, met some great people, got Mac out and exposed, tried a new saddle that I’ve got for a week (and actually did get to try a couple others - McCall Lady Wade that I didn’t like and a McCall Lady Pendleton that I did), and had a great time.
Mac was a superstar. He walked off the trailer, settled in his paddock, we went for a ride Friday evening and he was great, and he took everything in stride. I got lots of compliments on what a nice horse he is. :yes: That made me feel good because I’ve worked REALLY hard the past three years to put some good training on him, so it beats being told the opposite!:lol: Bryan said, “he’s a nice horse and you’ve done a good job with him.” So I think I’m on the right track. I just have way more learning to do!:yes:
