I saw him quite a few years ago when my trainer took a clinic with him. I was thinking of taking it myself, but everyone scared me so much about him being terrifying that I just went to watch and help out. Turned out he wasn’t really the fire breathing dragon that everyone described. He was pretty tough on one girl who clearly didn’t prepare. She was pretty sloppy, kept dropping her crop and fell off once. She seemed to be on his list that afternoon. But he loved my trainer who taught/teaches her own students in a very similar style. I regret not taking the clinic with him.
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All Hail GM.
He is a god, maybe he is god.
Do not speak ill of him or you will be struck by COTH lightning. He is perfect. Maybe the only thing in the world that is.
P.S. I know I am coming late to the thread, and maybe someone said it that bluntly, but just in case no one did.
So, how does one get into a GM clinic? I would love to send my niece if the opportunity ever arises. She would be on her saddlebred jumper who is ridden in a pelham, would that be an issue?
One pays money.
She would be on her saddlebred jumper who is ridden in a pelham, would that be an issue?
Oh, not at all!..um…mind if I audit? That one should be fun!
Google his website and see where his clinics are going to be. Then contact the contact number. THEN come back here and be given further instructions re clean saddlepads, pay attention, don’t talk, answer back, etc. etc.
Actually, GM is probably a dying breed. Military men seemed to like to put down their troops before building them up into the regiment they wanted. Without going ga-ga over his celebrity status, or being breathless when he comes in sight, we really respect his talent and teaching. He is so mentally quick and never misses anything. He has high standards and expects the same back from this students. His system, he says, is simple and classical. Despite his age, he can still get on a misbehaving horse and straighten it around. My eyes widened when he got on one horse who was kicking out and misbehaving and yet it was the poor person who legged him up that got his ire - she nearly tipped him over the other side.
The American way was developed with a horse that is more TB in type compared to the old style WB jumpers where a more pushing seat was required. To my way, his top students exemplify and prove that his system works. Even the British have learned a thing or two about leg position. To me it is form and function and beautiful.
Does anyone know how old GM is (it can be worked out from reading his books!)
Regarding his manner - it is a bit much, sometimes, but sometimes funny, often quick and spot-on. He does not suffer fools gladly, and genuinely loves to teach - a born teacher
but a student has to want to be there. I’m one of those people who believe that it is better to build confidence/self-esteem/teammanship in an athlete and that most are intelligent enough not to need to be put down when they have the desire. The top coaches can inspire without resorting to GM tactics - but they are more modern in outlook.
I say - Georgie - you’re the best, you’re unique.
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I believe there was a celebration in Florida last winter for his 70th birthday.
I would LOVE to see George Morris. He does a clinic nearby every year, I just always forget to get the auditing info until it’s too late. I’d REALLY love to ride with him, but I’d be wayyyy too afraid to. I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to, though… Seems like the people who benefit the most from him are those who have a lot of experience. sigh
I’ll save you a seat next to me. :D:D:D
AAAGH! It was Hugh Wiley on Nautical in “The Horse With The Flying Tail”! That’s at least twice now that GM’s been put on that horse in that movie.
Wrong.
[QUOTE=SmallHerd;3670513]
He also is know for his sometimes cruel comments about riders. I can’t think of any right now, but if you do a search in the Hunter/Jumper forum for GM, you will see.[/QUOTE]
LOL my friend rode in a GM clinic and he told, well SCREAMED AT some boy telling him that he rode like a praying mantis.
I think my friend told me that he also told someone else in that same clinic that their mommy and daddy only bought them that horse so it would carry their ass over the jumps and so that their darling little child didn’t have to work too hard.
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v352/91/101/1572720191/n1572720191_30129672_3018.jpg
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[QUOTE=Bluey;3670485]
With all the good GM has done for mankind and horsekind, he started and promoted the little known trick for beginners to lean into the horse’s neck for support into a necessary show technique.
Today, thanks to all those years of GM’s hard won “crest resease or else” look, practically all american riders over jumps don’t use a direct line from the hand to the horse’s mouth, their behind sticks out in the air over jumps, looking like a constipated duck, and many never advance past that, even at their attempts at the higher jumping levels, as the winning pictures on COTH the magazine weekly attest to.
With all the good he has done, I am afraid that the crest release will be what he will be remembered for most.;)[/QUOTE]
Let’s be fair. GM’s crest release is a technique that has allowed countless riders of ‘average’ or even less talent to advance in the sport–not that it wouldn’t have been impossible for them to learn otherwise, but this “general use” technique has enabled us to grow our sport to a level of participation in the USA that does not exist anywhere else on the planet.
It’s not that the crest-release technique itself “keeps” riders from advancing, but that it works so well (together with a pricey enough horse) that in our instant gratification culture, “anyone” can play once they reach an intermediate level of riding.
Nothing is holding anyone back from learning the more advanced technique of the automatic release–it’s just not been a “must-have” in recent years, and hasn’t been treated as such by judges in the equitation ring–a mistake, to be sure, but one that shouldn’t be blamed on GM alone.
I spent a lot of time as a child learning from a good friend of George Morris’, who herself grew up with him. She had the same teaching style. In my opinion, that military, stressful, pressurized, to-the-point style is ultimately rooted in safety, above all.
Riding horses, training horses, being around horses is a uniquely dangerous activity, akin to the dangers of dealing with war. People tend to forget that all too easily. You really shouldn’t be involved in the sport if you are approaching it from purely a recreational viewpoint. Just as military instructors are there to save the lives of their soldiers in the future by training them how to react as quickly as possible, in the best way possible, in war and combat situations, so is a good riding coach/trainer. If you learn to think well and quickly under great stress, if you learn to do the correct thing that is most likely to save your backside (or your head!) as well as your horse’s within a split second without having to stop and think about it, you are a much safer rider for yourself, your horse and everyone around you. I’ve found that that style of teaching really helps you to toughen up mentally and physically to be able to handle those dangerous situations that come up, especially when you’re jumping big fences on a difficult horse. That particular kind of pressure seems to deeply ingrain in you to react as quickly as possible in the right way to dangerous situations, help you to make doing the right thing an unconscious second nature in a way that learning in other ways/styles doesn’t. It will save your neck in ways you never thought possilbe until you’re in a situation where it saves your neck.
Your attitude, your pace of learning, etc. are so important for safety. You don’t have time to mull it over as if you were learning the fine points of golf if you’re going to make the right decision/s it takes to handle a life or death situation. To make that second nature, it doesn’t seem to cut it when the rider is all comfy and relaxed. He’s not just teaching riding (neither was my coach), he’s teaching a mental state, timing, pace, priorities - a way of thinking about horses and riding that’s invaluable and to me there’s nothing like it for your confidence when you finally do manage to make these things second nature that help keep you and your horse safe. It becomes clearer and clearer over time just how important all these details are; and the longer you ride and are around horses the more you realize it. Just try to picture going cross-country in a cavalry regiment under conditions of war, and what it would take to get yourself and your horse there and back safely - and it comes into focus clearly that details matter, caring for your horse and your tack, everything matters, when the bottom line is safety and survival. Imagine trying to come up with a way to teach a whole regiment of men and their horses how to go across miles and miles and back safely. If soldier Joe is sloppy, and doesn’t clean his tack, or pick his horse’s hooves every time, his horse will go lame or his stirrup leather will break just at the opportune moment, which in turn could literally endanger everyone.
Thar’s me two cents! Hope I didn’t repeat myself too much! 
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He is easily identified as the one wearing RUST breeches.
[QUOTE=Amwrider;3674383]
She would be on her saddlebred jumper who is ridden in a pelham, would that be an issue?[/QUOTE]
I took a half Morgan thing named Big Mac to a GM clinic at Hunterdon (the Holsteiner I was supposed to ride went lame right before :(). This horse had a crest as big as a stallions, went around with his head horizontal to the ground no matter what kind of martingale you put on him and was a wretched mover. But, he was as honest as the day is long, would jump anything, and was smooth as silk to ride. Before the clinic was over, GM commented many times on what a nice horse he was and his groupies all loved Big Mac.
It was a fabulous experience and one I will never forget, especially since I never was the recipient of his wrath and I actually got some compliments ;). The best part was my trainer at the time was a lot bit full of himself and thought he was all that and then some. He was riding in the high section, so we were watching as GM tore into him and ripped him a new one. It was great because he was spot on in everything :lol:.
I think any horseman is going to accept a horse on what it can do in a clinic setting. I can remember participating in a Dave Kelly clinic in the early 70s and being on The Ugliest School Horse Ever (who was also kind and honest as the day is long). He picked me to go first on course (back when one started at 3’6"), having sized up the group and presuming, I’m sure (and rightfully so), that he’d have lots to critique with me. Well, wouldn’t you know, old Picnic just got in the zone, I can tell you that that was The Best hunter round I have ever ridden in schooling or in shows, including on a horse that was later nat’l junior working hunter champion. When I pulled up, Mr. Kelley said…um…well, yes, that is the way it is supposed to be done. Next.
With regard to the blunt and abrasive approach to instructing, as in GM- during the same time frame as above, the head instructor routinely insulted and ragged me during lessons. Because he knew I rode better when I was pissed off at him. And of course he was right, which pissed me off even more! My opinion- if people are attending clinics to improve, they’ll take the heat, gladly. If they are just attending expecting an ego trip, they’ll probably be keenly disappointed.
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Anyone in the Midwest interested in auditing
Next weekend GM is doing a clinic at Canterbury Farm in Hampshire,IL sponsored by Diane Carney.
Cost to audit is $75 and lunch will be provided on Saturday
Wish I had the $$ to audit…
http://www.equestrianmag.com/news/diane-carney-canterbury-farm-george-morris-10-08.html
[quote=amastrike;3674477]Seems like the people who benefit the most from him are those who have a lot of experience. sigh
[/quote]
I totally disagree with both of you. 
People with limited experience can and do get a lot out of riding in his clinics. Someone on COTH even said that they heard him say that he enjoys teaching beginning students the most. Please don’t let inexperience prevent you from participating.
I can’t find his website with clinic information. Anyone?
GM hab no webshite. You will have to find a calendar of events for your area and see if there are any of his clinics. He goes all over the place spreading the gospel of the proper release.
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GM has a website with clinic info here. The schedule’s just for '08, however.
I’ve audited before, and found it a great experience for tying together a lot of things I already knew :yes: I’d love to get my mare to the Morven clinic in the next year or so!
