Boyd Martin Canadian Clinic Notes

[Against_All_Odds2]

Just put down some notes at his clinic on my phone. I didn’t write down everything as his coaching style is a lot like my coach so some of his topics or exercises we already do. The groups went highest (group 1) to lowest (group 5) for context. Please feel free to add notes if you went as well!

Boyd Martin Clinic

Group 1: We need to ride “tall and elegant”

2nd group “our goal is to see how easy we can make it for our horses”

you should be at your jump height limit every 3 or 4 jump rides

3rd group: lessons should be done without bellboots. They should feel a hit rail as a consequence for their actions. Then go back immediately to walk, let them sit in that, and then quietly go again.

Never jump something more than 3 times at one height. Go in with intention to jump something 2-3 times then move on.

Boyd is recommending ear plugs for a specific horse to get better focus.

Group 4: you’re always trying to train them into conventional. A slow horse needs to be trained to go forward and vice versa.

He likes a tb line called moderna/mondera or something

Good riding juniors have to tell their parents early that it would be a waste to get an arts degree and they should pursue a career in horses lol

Group 5: you need 100s of hours of flat work to get to the upper levels. Do the work

warm up fences should be done the most quietly. Warm ups should include extended and collected canter before jumping a single fence

Standard of riding in canada is high. This is his first canadian clinic. I dont think hes done a clinic with no falls. Everyone needed to tighten their helmet straps

Final thoughts: be obsessed with getting better

[endlessclimb]

@Against_All_Odds2

you should be at your jump limit every 3 or 4 jump rides

Is this height, or # of jumps?

[Against_All_Odds2]

Height! I’ll edit the OP

[MHM]

I was not at that clinic, but I’ve been to a couple of other clinics he’s done, and I’ve always been really impressed with how upbeat and positive and productive he is with everybody, regardless of their level.

[Against_All_Odds2]

I was able to also walk the course after he’d left to re-crate it at home with my coach.

I had a fall at my late season upgrade so I did kind of fan girl out and had him sign my skull cap. I have no idea how he could have a crash and get back on the next one!

[MHM]

@Against_All_Odds2

I have no idea how he could have a crash and get back on the next one!

He seems to be remarkably unfazed about stuff like that. Lol.

[CoconutEventer25]

what i got out of this also is difficulty level. You should be only be having ‘hard’ rides every 3 rides which I thought was a really important part. You or your horse should either not always be pushing your capabilities, or you need to make sure you have rides that push the boundaries once every three rides, however you want to see it.

[endlessclimb]

That’s a good way to think about it. I’ve always been of the thought that I do 3 days in a row of “something”, then a day or more off (depending on the age). It feels like by the third day they’re really GETTING it, more than if you do 2 days and then take a day off.

[CoconutEventer25]

I was also auditing (I kick myself for not riding, I wasn’t sure if my horse was fit enough after coming back into work). I really liked the exercises that he had set up, with a focus on having adjustability be key. For example, he set up an outside line of a 2 stride to a 2 stride verticals with v poles. BUT the first 2 stride wasn’t even 2 stride. it was legitimately 1.5 strides. 28ft (I walked it) and the second 2 stride was a proper 2 stride 40ish ft. It was coming off of a big oxer so the horse really had to rock back on their haunches. Another example of this was he set up 3 xrail bounces at 9’ each then a long 4 stride oxer, getting them to compress and then really push off to be able to make the 4 stride (Many riders were getting 5)
The first jump they did was a simple vertical on the 1/4 line but with a halt transition after it (for the UL riders) and then a left turn. They also had to do a sharp left turn to it as well. He mentioned that you need to ride lines that you wouldn’t typically think would be at a show, so that if they ever are, you immediately have an advantage over the competition.
Overall, I think that was one of the best clinics I’ve audited. Boyd is a fantastic communicator and I was incredibly impressed at his timing of giving praises or the way in which he kindly critiqued riders.
He was also very impressed with the quality of horses and riders. You typically assume that the second to last and last riders of the day (the lowest levels) are going to be scary, but there was not one rider or horse who looked like they weren’t prepared, it was very refreshing to see. Please feel free to ask me any questions if you want

[CoconutEventer25]

Yeah! I agree with that, and I think he was thinking more so in terms of difficulty amount. You need to ensure you are having rides that push your comfort level, both your horse and yourself, every third ride or so

[Dr_Doolittle]

Was this in reference to jumping or flatwork?

I’ve cliniced with Boyd twice: once at Prelim and once at N/T (with the P mare’s daughter, my homebred) - both times (unfortunately) were in indoor rings so room was a bit limited.

The clinic at Prelim was significantly more challenging, and he set up a lot more complex exercises: bounces, skinnies, jumps on an angle, etc - the lower level clinic was less impressive, but he didn’t have as much room or as many jumps to work with, also the other two people in my N/T group were not as experienced as my mare and I were (one was a large, talented but extremely green horse who never done cavaletti - to my amazement! I do them frequently with my horses at all ages, progressively of course), and the other rider was a hunter rider who was doing the clinic for the experience – but had all of the typical LL hunter position flaws, and she too had never done Cavalletti – or bounces or gymnastics.

Obviously he can only do so much with the group he has in front of him.

That venue has hosted a fair number of Boyd clinics lately, but they’ve gotten very expensive: $250-$300 for a group of four or five for an hour to 90 minutes! A little too rich for my blood. I enjoyed Boyd, though He is as always delightful, funny, charming, and handsome – and very positive in his teaching.

Since I’m always looking for new exercises for my lower level eventing students, I would definitely go audit if he is invited back to this local venue. Would love to hear more about the exercises, though!

A rider/trainer local to me had set up an exercise in her ring – I often haul over there to do jump schools – and I observed that was an exercise that I had done in the P clinic with Boyd years ago.

She said she had “borrowed it” from P. Diddy – and I said jokingly “well that’s where Boyd must’ve gotten it!”

I would love to hear more about his jumping exercises, though - TIA!

[Mouse_amp_Bay]

I call these lesson days!

[Against_All_Odds2]

@CoconutEventer25

You need to ensure you are having rides that push your comfort level, both your horse and yourself, every third ride or so

This was how I understood it as well. Really pushing yourself so you can get better. It was such a good clinic I am glad I got a spot to audit

I wished I rode in it as well! The limit was EV90 but we have only done up to EV85 in competition. However y coach has had me do all of the same combinations at the clinic to get my guy to rock back more and he could have handled group 4 or 5 brilliantly at the heights that were set.

I also think Boyd said he preferred jumping and then pulling up to a walk (though many halted) because its softer on the horse.

[MHM]

@Against_All_Odds2

I also think Boyd said he preferred jumping and then pulling up to a walk (though many halted) because its softer on the horse.

I think I’ve heard him say the same thing.

[Jealoushe]

Let me also add that he said most riders need to do more flat work, which was particularly evident in the higher level groups. Most riders couldn’t get their horses to stretch down at all, but funny enough the lower level groups were fabulous on the flat.

It boggles the mind people are riding at Prelim/Training and can’t change their horses or frame or let alone even get their horse round over the back. That’s one reason horses go lame over time.

Jumping is the easy part.

[Jealoushe]

$250 for us isn’t crazy for a top ten world rider when regular lessons are $125 here.

[Jealoushe]

IMG_0337

[MHM]

Did he ride at all at that clinic?

He rode at the clinics I’ve attended, but I think it was planned ahead of time.

[Jealoushe]

No, this was a very last minute thing the OEA was able to arrange after the Royal. We only got the OK from him a week before, so it was a bit of a rush to get everything organized lol

[Against_All_Odds2]

And they did a fabulous job! We thank you OEA!