Peter Atkins clinic, day 1: stadium
I was going to ride Clover in the BN section of the clinic, but she got kicked the night before, and I took another young mare in her place—one that I'd never ridden before that day, and had only schooled x-c once, albeit successfully. Matti is quite a different ride from my own draft-cross mare. I was pretty nervous about riding a new horse in a clinic, but after going through the first sets of ground poles and gymnastics a few times, I broke out into a huge grin! As green as she is, Matti turned out to be a brave and athletic jumper! It was refreshing to ride a horse with a lot of forward energy. I love my own horse to death, but I did enjoy riding a completely different type of horse.
Peter was a great clinician, very encouraging and witty. He set up ground poles in a zig-zag pattern, and had us trot through the middle, then to the right or the left, and finally even from one side of the ground poles to the other, having us ride our own line through them.
He set up bounce-stride cross rails, first two, then three, and then added a one stride after the bounce, and increased the height slightly til we were jumping the bounce cross rails to a higher cross rail oxer. Matti was great, and as long as I kept my shoulders back, she went though the gymnastics with no hesitations. If I did get ahead of her, she'd chip in or take a pole down on the one stride.
When a horse and rider pair rode particularly well, Peter would say “Do this,” and pat himself on the head. The rider would pat her helmet, and then break into a grin when she realized he was telling her to give herself a sort of pat on the back for a job well done. He would also remind everyone to reward and pat their horses when they did well, too.
Peter then set up a cross rail to either side of the last element of the gymnastic. He had the riders come through the last part of the gymnastic only, at an angle in line with one or the other of the cross rails on either side of the gymnastic line. We trotted through at first, then he had us canter through. Once, Matti went through the diagonal line, and chipped in on the second crossrail. I thought I had ridden it incorrectly, but Peter said that sometime the horse makes the mistake, if you know that you've brought the horse to the fence well, and the horse doesn't get it, then just try again and let the horse figure it out.
After we'd ridden the diagonal lines at the trot and canter several times, Peter had us trot through the gymnastic, pick up the canter, canter around to the right and ride through the diagonal line, correct lead if necessary and turn left, and go to the diagonal line to the left. By the end of the session, every pair had improved, whether it was rider position or getting the horse forward, or even getting the horse to settle.
Peter's philosophy was to get the horse to the fence safely, in balance and rhythm, using your body to set the tempo—not your hands as brakes. Shoulders back, eyes up and KICK! I was disappointed about not riding my own horse, but gained a lot of confidence in myself as a rider, riding a strange new horse in a different situation.
Peter was a great clinician, very encouraging and witty. He set up ground poles in a zig-zag pattern, and had us trot through the middle, then to the right or the left, and finally even from one side of the ground poles to the other, having us ride our own line through them.
He set up bounce-stride cross rails, first two, then three, and then added a one stride after the bounce, and increased the height slightly til we were jumping the bounce cross rails to a higher cross rail oxer. Matti was great, and as long as I kept my shoulders back, she went though the gymnastics with no hesitations. If I did get ahead of her, she'd chip in or take a pole down on the one stride.
When a horse and rider pair rode particularly well, Peter would say “Do this,” and pat himself on the head. The rider would pat her helmet, and then break into a grin when she realized he was telling her to give herself a sort of pat on the back for a job well done. He would also remind everyone to reward and pat their horses when they did well, too.
Peter then set up a cross rail to either side of the last element of the gymnastic. He had the riders come through the last part of the gymnastic only, at an angle in line with one or the other of the cross rails on either side of the gymnastic line. We trotted through at first, then he had us canter through. Once, Matti went through the diagonal line, and chipped in on the second crossrail. I thought I had ridden it incorrectly, but Peter said that sometime the horse makes the mistake, if you know that you've brought the horse to the fence well, and the horse doesn't get it, then just try again and let the horse figure it out.
After we'd ridden the diagonal lines at the trot and canter several times, Peter had us trot through the gymnastic, pick up the canter, canter around to the right and ride through the diagonal line, correct lead if necessary and turn left, and go to the diagonal line to the left. By the end of the session, every pair had improved, whether it was rider position or getting the horse forward, or even getting the horse to settle.
Peter's philosophy was to get the horse to the fence safely, in balance and rhythm, using your body to set the tempo—not your hands as brakes. Shoulders back, eyes up and KICK! I was disappointed about not riding my own horse, but gained a lot of confidence in myself as a rider, riding a strange new horse in a different situation.
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