Wondering what her clinics are like and how to prepare beforehand for the best experience. Any suggestions?
I’ve done a few clinics with her and quite enjoyed each one. My clinics were done over two days. Each day, we did quite a bit of warm up on the flat, including a good amount of lateral work to get the horses quite supple. She asks for very accurate shoulders-in and haunches-in, lots of leg yields to and from the rail, and changes of bend in both directions.
From there, we usually progressed to various exercises over poles. One of the ones we did most frequently were three poles on a curve with one stride between each. She wants a very precise track through them.
These usually lead to the jumping exercises. I found her exercises quite technical, asking for very tight rollbacks in front of other jumps, or asking for slices and bending tracks that cut between combinations or other jumps. Nona’s exercises tend to ask you to demonstrate a high understanding of pace and track.
Now I will say that my experience is based on being in her 1.20m+ groups. She does tailor her exercises for the level of her participants, and I’ve audited some of the other clinics and found that her exercises are always challenging up appropriate for the level. I really like her clinics. I find her to set exercises that make you think, and can be very technical, but mastering them at the end makes you feel very accomplished. She will always end each day by asking what part of the course or exercise you want to work on, and then giving some tips to achieve your goal. It sets you up for success, and allows you to end on a positive note.
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There are some full length clinic videos on YouTube. That should give you an idea of her style
https://youtu.be/C2e_Y4ny-u4?si=X1nanXL8iXOswDmw
Thank you both—looks like a great time.
