What do you expect to get out of riding in a clinic?

[trubandloki]

@eightpondfarm

yes. i understand. Thing of it is…she was showing at a higher level than schooling (clinic-ing). So the opposite of what you are saying and what is indeed conventional wisdom. Hence, my question.

Where did you see this? That is not what I read in @beowulf’s posts at all.

How does one even show at a higher level than they are schooling? That seems like a silly thing to do (both financially and for the well being of your horse).

I have no problem with a clinician pointing out that my body shape will make something more difficult. I would hope it is followed by helpful tips on how to overcome this hurdle and be successful even with this body shape. Which is then useful to everyone listening because there is likely someone auditing that also has a less than perfect body shape to make things happen.

[eightpondfarm]

uh…
right here is where i saw this (post #10-this thread):

@beowulf

I enter clinics at or below the level I’m showing depending on the horse. I agree clinics are expensive; I’m selective with wh

Which is why, in my post #31 i asked the question: “Why?”

@eightpondfarm

@beowulf

I enter clinics at or below the level I’m showing depending on the horse.

Why?

[trubandloki]

@eightpondfarm

uh…
right here is where i saw this (post #10-this thread):

@beowulf

I enter clinics at or below the level I’m showing depending on the horse. I agree clinics are expensive; I’m selective with wh

Which is why, in my post #31 i asked the question: “Why?”

@eightpondfarm

@beowulf

I enter clinics at or below the level I’m showing depending on the horse.

Why?

I think what @beowulf means is that they enter a clinic at a level lower than they are schooling (the at part of their sentence) or maybe a level below that.

[eightpondfarm]

welllllll…i have zero idea what s/he meant. I only know what s/he wrote and so i asked.

[beowulf]

I wrote “I enter clinics at or below the level I’m showing depending on the horse.”

I am at a loss to explain how one gets “showing at a higher level than schooling” from that.

Did you misread showing for schooling?

[eightpondfarm]

i give up. thanks for trying to explain to me though…that was nice of you.

[silver_charm]

Attending a clinic =/= schooling. In the jumping disciplines, at least. It’s not as intense as a show, but it is a new location, with new jumps, and potentially new exercises that the horse hasn’t experienced before, and whatever rider nerves come along as well.

If you’re jumping 3’, it’s standard to enter a clinic at 2’6"/2’9". This way if the clinician wants to introduce complex combinations or elements, the rider can focus on riding and not worrying about the height. Especially if then the trainer decided to bump up the fences - better to then be jumping 3’ rather than potentially over facing the horse/maxing out their scope.

[Jealoushe]

I always do this too and then I get confused when I get put in higher groups.

I have been to a handful where I said my horse was starter/BN level and was put with Training level groups! LOL I always apologize to the other riders if that happens.

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

It’s been a while since I’ve been to a clinic, but I want to be able to take away at least one thing that will help me look at things differently.

I’ve audited several clinics, ridden a handful. While auditing, I absorb and write down as much as I can; I’m paying for it, after all! Even if I can’t use it right now, it might come in handy in a few months, or with another horse.

If I’m there with a horse, I expect to be able to say “We’re having this problem, and I want to work on X and Y if you don’t mind.” What I want is a fresh set of eyes on the problem, and a new outlook and solution.

That said, one of the reasons I never rode many clinics is because my instructor was very jealous of us riding with others and would constantly either criticize the clinician, or openly argue with them about why their way wouldn’t work . . . so my suggestion is to leave your instructor someplace else for the day if you can.

[PNWSunnyDay]

@sportyspicepony

She screamed at me at one point “STICK YOUR LITTLE TITS OUT!!!”

@sportyspicepony I may have done something similar during a group lesson where I was riding with a few teenagers. My very proper and technical instructor kept asking one rider to sit taller, stretch up, roll shoulders back and she just wasn’t getting it. I yell across the short side to her, “stick your boobs out!” and the girl laughs and fixes her posture. Granted, this is NOT in a clinic and I was NOT instructing, but we got a chuckle out of it. We’ve known each other for years and have a rapport, thankfully!

Sorry you were singled out in a more punitive way!

[Gardenhorse]

@beowulf

I wrote “I enter clinics at or below the level I’m showing depending on the horse.”

I am at a loss to explain how one gets “showing at a higher level than schooling” from that.

Did you misread showing for schooling ?

No, the issue is that she is equating clinicing with schooling. If you go to a clinic at a lower level than you are showing and a clinic=schooling, then you are showing at a higher level than you are schooling. But, by your posts, you do not consider attending a clinic to be the same thing as schooling which is where the confusion is coming from.

[Gardenhorse]

I think what level to ride at a clinic is an interesting question, and do think it can be different for dressage and jumping. I also think that it is pretty hard for clinic organizers to really match groups well at jumping clinics, and they often combine two levels if they don’t have enough entries or people have time constraints, which makes it more challenging.

But unless I know it is a clinician that always does really challenging exercises or if I am really new to a level, I would tend to enter at the level I’m showing.

[J-Lu]

Yes, I had that confusion as well. In dressage, one would sign up for a level at least as high as one is showing because they’re normally schooling at a level higher. But then as someone mentioned, dressage clinics are usually one-on-one and the clinician can adjust the lesson to the horse and rider in front of them.

[Gardenhorse]

@J-Lu

Yes, I had that confusion as well. In dressage, one would sign up for a level at least as high as one is showing because they’re normally schooling at a level higher. But then as someone mentioned, dressage clinics are usually one-on-one and the clinician can adjust the lesson to the horse and rider in front of them.

Yes, much easier in a one-on-one lesson. It can be quite challenging in a group jump lesson with riders of different levels. The really good clinicians can still manage to come up with exercises that work for riders at different levels. And sometimes it’s actually easier for a cross-country lesson if the course has a good variety of jumps of different levels in reasonable proximity to each other.

[J-Lu]

Thank you!

Ages ago I did eventing clinics with one clinician who came once a year, and I did ride with similar level people and we all advanced together. I rode with Wendy Wergeles. She was fantastic but man, you didn’t want to ignore her! Super kind and effective but you didn’t want to ignore her!