[ATTACH=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-attachmentid”:“9946491”,“data-size”:“full”}[/ATTACH] It was highly recommended to me by a trusted friend to take advantage of one of the lesson options on the Friday (yesterday) before the Anne Kursinski Cinic this weekend in Aubrey, Texas at Valhalla Equestrian. Knowing it would be a great experience since my green horse and I aren’t quite ready for an actual clinic I agreed and signed up.
i then signed up on her website and busted my butt implementing her flatwork and as much of her concepts as possible. What I found out was it helped my horse and I sooooo much! I then started doing tons of research which left me terrified. Most of what I found was negative reviews and people who felt they were “unimportant” to her because they weren’t professionals. I was positive that I was going to leave in tears after reading all these things. I went anyways.
So Friday afternoon I rode in on a 5yr old APHA gelding who I’ve had since conception and has never been to a professional trainer, all riding being done by me, and freshly switched from barrel training to jumping just this summer. I also have no real formal training in Elglish or jumping. Apparently my gelding knew I was beyond nervous and his response was to buck, a lot. Every single canter transition was full of attitude and he was trying to gain control. Along with his atittude when I was told to drop my stirrups and a trot he became super uncooperative and I’m sure it’s because I was tense. My gelding has NEVER been that bad and I have no doubt that it was my fault.
Through ALL of this I worked my tail off in that lesson! Anne had every single opportunity to belittle my horse and I. Not once did she try. Instead she helped encourage me to push through it all, gave me MANY compliments on my form (which I didn’t think was good), while she coached me through the lesson on what to fix and when of course. Did she get a little snappy when my brain didn’t compute something instantly or I ended up stopping on a straight line instead of continuing on when I was supposed to? Yes, she’s there to coach, if the student doesn’t listen that happens. All in all I left on cloud 9. Sore too. The amount of compliments I received when I deserved them and the insights she had when I needed them when I was sure I was going to leave in tears was well worth it all! So I didn’t leave in tears and this little nobody who is quite embaressed by my horse’s antics left with a better view on myself and Anne actually said she really liked my horse and that he was cute. While he bucked quite a bit he also worked his tail off!
Kudos if you made it through all that. Yes my horse is fine, and yes he’s been checked over. I was tense and he fed off of it and then I started anticipating the bucks so I’m sure I was bracey every time I asked for a canter departure without realizing it. My point is simply; don’t be afraid to try something, everyone will have their own opinion and experience. Until you experience it for yourself you’ll never know. My goal is to now make it to a 2-3 day clinic of hers!
