Lucinda Green clinic - she requested a skullcap - thoughts?

[Dr_Doolittle]

I’m doing the Lucinda clinic at Loch Moy next Monday and Tuesday, and she provided this list of requirements:

I asked Gena (Loch Moy organizer) whether he skullcap was a hard and fast requirement: having ridden in two Lucinda clinics in the past, this was a new one on me! (Everything else was standard Lucinda: bat, spurs, running martingale, sticky gloves - check, check, check, check since I ride with all of the above!)

She said that Lucinda is worried about helmets with a hard brim (I have a Trauma Void, so hard brim), and she asked Lucinda about it - this was her reply;

I said “vintage Lucinda!”, and LOL!

Soooo, COTH peeps - what think you? Should I go out and buy a basic skullcap this week, or just go with what I have and risk the wrath of Lucinda? For those of you have done her clinics recently, is this a new requirement, and is it a hard and fast one? TIA!

[Live_Wire]

If you can swing getting a skull cap, I would. Not for Lucinda, but for your own safety.

[evtrmom]

I’m curious about the running martingale? def not something my horse would need at all, why does she require that?

[Dr_Doolittle]

It’s standard equipment in her clinics: if (she feels) your horse doesn’t need it, you don’t have to attach the rings (or if it’s a running attachment to a breastplate, for example, you can remove it), but she has always been a big fan of running martingales - and has put them on horses in clinics if she thinks they need one - she carries a supply. (The pre-clinic requirement is probably easier for her in this regard!)

She also brings a selection of bits to the clinics and changes out bits on horses she thinks would benefit. She has a really good eye, and it’s almost always an improvement.

Just her philosophy! I use one as standard equipment (though not when jumping at home) just in case my horse decides to fling her head or have a momentary hissy - same with her dam, who I rode in the previous Lucinda clinics. It comes into play maybe once or twice every other jump school/competition; usually not at all!, but better to “have and not need”, etc.

[Jealoushe]

I would go for a skull cap if you can afford it.

[Nottingham]

I rode with her in April and wore a skull cap both days, but most people wore their “stadium” helmet on the first day and I didn’t hear any comments from her. I got called “green stripes” for the duration of the clinic

[Gardenhorse]

British eventing requires skull caps, which is probably why she has it as a requirement. Personally I would not go out and buy a new helmet right before a XC clinic. You want to be wearing gear you are comfortable with.

[endlessclimb]

@Gardenhorse

Personally I would not go out and buy a new helmet right before a XC clinic. You want to be wearing gear you are comfortable with.

Agree with this.

[pluvinel]

I am a big fan for Snell approved equestrian helmets and they are skull caps…like the Charles Owens 4-Star.

[Libby2563]

I’m wearing my regular OneK MIPS helmet with a brim. I actually didn’t even pick up on the skull cap vs helmet thing when I read the list! I just read it as an old school / British word for helmet, haha. I audited in the spring and don’t recall many riders wearing skull caps, or her saying anything about it.

I wonder if the Virginia Tech helmet study is looking into brim vs. brimless.

P.S. I asked Gena about whether we are supposed to bring earbuds because a lot of people in the spring had their own. She said she’d ask Lucinda but I have not heard back, so at least you got an answer to your question!

[Dr_Doolittle]

Hey Libby - thanks for checking in (I guess I will see you up there, depending on what group you’re in?) and I appreciate everyone’s input - thank you!

If you all don’t think it’s going to be a big deal, I will just wear my Trauma Void. (before I edited it, I realized with horror that my phone had auto corrected Trauma to Trump.)

Interestingly, I was at Loch Moy coaching a student at their Starter yesterday - I saw Carolyn and she mentioned the ear buds - she said Lucinda may or may not use them, so recommended I not go to the expense of buying them if I didn’t already have them.

The skull cap and the ear buds were both “new wrinkles” for me; the two clinics I did with her at Wingreen were a while ago, though – like 15 years? So some recent, additional requirements.

[FrittSkritt]

I’d just wear the helmet. The idea behind skullcaps on XC is from eons ago, when older style helmets with fixed brims didn’t break when impacted and your helmet got shoved into your skull. Nowadays all helmets with fixed brims must break or deform when you lawn dart into the turf.

[Libby2563]

@Dr_Doolittle

Interestingly, I was at Loch Moy coaching a student at their Starter yesterday - I saw Carolyn and she mentioned the ear buds - she said Lucinda may or may not use them, so recommended I not go to the expense of buying them if I didn’t already have them.

Thanks, good to know! I’ll probably bring some just in case because my ears are funny shapes. Seems impossible that we could hear her without earbuds but I guess she must have a plan? They did seem very finicky. The sound quality for auditors was awful.

[enjoytheride]

I would not purchase brand new equipment to please a clinician you’re going to ride with once. You can always borrow other equipment that might actually make a difference such as the martingale or spurs.

[Dr_Doolittle]

Well, she could use a voice amplifier (or a megaphone, like JW!)

I have a unit given to me by my late father - he was a museum docent at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History after he retired - and I’ve used it when I teach students outside the ring (schooling x-country), it still works well! It has volume control and a headset; you wear it around your waist. I think I’ve had it for 15-20 years and haven’t had to change the batteries, but I only use it a few times a year. I’m SURE they have more modern options available that don’t require that the student wear earbuds.

I looked into the CEECOACH system years ago, but $$$.

Where did you audit? Ugh re: sound quality being bad doesn’t fill me with optimism. I don’t have the best hearing on a good day, and I know Lucinda hates it when riders “don’t listen to her”; in my case it would be can’t hear her!

I’m really looking forward to it regardless! Carolyn said that the schedule should be up by today.

[Libby2563]

@Dr_Doolittle

Where did you audit?

Loch Moy! The riders seemed to hear her on day 1 and during the closer portions of the XC part. When they did their course at the end the headsets didn’t work. For auditors the sound was pretty crap the whole time, which was disappointing since it did cost money!

We might be in luck though. Just got this from Carolyn:

Lucinda:
“I have new ones - ! Let them bring theirs non blue tooth and if they dont work they xan swap !! I only have one wirh me that diesbt work - it got back in by mistake !

I will still bring some just so I have options. Mostly I just wanted to confirm Bluetooth vs non.

[Dr_Doolittle]

Aha…

So, does this mean we are required to bring earbuds??

[Libby2563]

@Dr_Doolittle

Aha…

So, does this mean we are required to bring earbuds??

Oh jeez now that you asked and I re-read it, I’m not sure. I read, “I have new ones” as we don’t need to bring our own. I think it would have been included in our info sheet if we did need to. I think the “let them bring theirs” means it’s optional? But since you read it differently I’m not as sure, lol.

[Dr_Doolittle]

Dang.

Did Carolyn send an email? I haven’t received anything yet.

[Libby2563]

@Dr_Doolittle

Dang.

Did Carolyn send an email? I haven’t received anything yet.

No, she replied to my earlier email about the earbuds. No group emails yet. If there’s no mention of earbuds in there we can probably assume we don’t need them, or ask again!