I’m curious if anyone has taken lessons or done a clinic with him and has any insight on how he is to work with.
Any info is welcome. Feel free to PM if you prefer. Thanks.
Dredging this up…
Bumping up this old thread to see if you ever got any replies.
My DD’s fiancé came THISCLOSE to getting a job at a certain leprechaun-ish university in northern Indiana, so I was scoping out the dressage scene for her, and not much out there…except for this barn, which seemed to have recently hired Lee Tubman.
I still feel something may happen for fiance though. And that someday soon they will be living in N. Indiana.
And in case anyone is interested, if you google boarding barns, trainers, etc. in Indiana, Heatherton show jumpers still shows up, with that insane website. Although it says she’s opening Heatherton South in Houston 2014.
Bumping this up…
Just did a lesson with him and was pleasantly surprised. He has a different approach then other clinicians I rode with before but his approach worked really well for my mare.
So anybody else has ridden with him??
He did the lead change podcast for the Dressage Radio Network a month or two back. Based off of his theoretical approach to training I am a fan. He really seemed to be all about simplifying things and setting the horse up to figure out the right answer.
That being said, I have never seen him ride or spoken to anyone who has ridden with him.
I’ve ridden with him in a clinic. I really liked him and would ride with him again in a heartbeat. He’s really big on the basics. Almost everyone in the clinic was training level or below so everyone worked on transitions and basic figures, rhythm, relaxation, and contact.
All the horses and riders showed significant improvement over the course of the clinic.
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I agree about the basics… I am preparing my horse for a third level test and was a little confused that he worked on the basics as well, but he was right and my horse did really well. Weird that everybody has the same problems…
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He has an excellent reputation as a judge and clinician, and has been a mentor to some younger, newer judges. I haven’t had the chance but wouldn’t hesitate to ride with him.
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He was just recently in our area and did a clinic for the 2nd year in a row. If I could have afforded it, I would have ridden with him. He’s fantastic! Very focused on basics and all the horses and riders improved by the end of the clinic. He’s funny, and engaging with both the riders and auditors. I really like him, and hope to ride with him in the future.
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Glad that he is getting some positive posts here… I really liked him as well and I changed some things on my other horses because of his advice and it worked extremely well. So I am looking forward to ride with him again!!
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Rode with him 20 years ago and still use skills he taught me. Loved him. Wish I had the opportunity to ride with him again.
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He was a judge at a schooling show I attended many years ago. I was new to dressage but found his comments kind, helpful and supportive. Can’t remember much else other than I went off course, started my circle at A instead of B and turned it into an oval.
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A good friend of mine has done several clinics with him and thinks he’s just great. Unfortunately he hasn’t come back to our area lately.
Where is he located now? The last I knew he was in a small town near Fort Erie in Ontario but that was some time ago.
Pretty sure he’s based in the US full time now and just come to Canada to judge and give clinics
I think he is based in Wellington and he will be coming to my area again soon! Really look forward to it. My mare was amazing today because I tried to do what he told me to do with her…
He was based in Dunnville, Ontario. Then had a marital split and moved south. I am not such a fan. I have seen him push a young green WB to the point the rider wasn’t safe on him. It was a lesson situation and the horse was rearing as he kept asking for more and over facing horse and rider. I don’t know what he was trying to prove. Maybe his methods have soften since this incident years ago. I had lessons with a protege of his and he did the same thing to me. Push me and my horse to the point my horse was a stressed mess. Said person ran into me at a clinic year later and actually apologized to me. Realizing Lee’s method wasn’t for every horse/rider combo.
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Asking for more as in increasing the difficulty of work, pushing the horse outside of their range of skill set, or insisting on forward and pushing the rider to ride through the situation?
I’d be inclined to say big green hot WB horse where he was demanding and pushing resulting in an unrideable, unsafe horse. Leaping and rearing. This was an amateur adult rider. He also refused to get on.
When things get tense my trainer would always have us go to something my horse felt comfortable with. Like a relaxing long and low rising trot. Get the horse’s mind back, re-group and start again.
I am sure he has since changed his habits and maybe learned from these experiences.
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I wonder how long ago this was? Back in the early 90s I had several clinics (different clinicians) where this was the norm. Thank goodness dressage knowledge and training methods have improved since then!
It was about 20 years ago when my friend trained with his FEI student. Then she had a few lessons with Lee. I think he moved south in 2014.
