# Clinic Ideas?



## jillybean19 (Dec 23, 2011)

We are starting a new club for trail riding and related competitive sports, such as Competitive Trail Challenges, Endurance, etc. We'd like to have a monthly clinic on a variety of topics that are related, but they don't have to strictly be trail things - they just have to be things that trail riders in general would be interested in.

Here are a few ideas we have so far:
1) Saddle Fit
2) Hoof care and options (like barefoot, boots, or shoes)
3) Nutrients for competitive and non-competitive horses
4) Dressage for the casual rider (having a trainer come in and talk about things that riders use every day, like collection and carriage)
5) Bombproofing (aka the "little horsie house of horrors" for people to introduce and desensitize their horses)
6) Trail obstacles (practice for CTC's)
7) Emergency essentials (supplies and skills when you have an emergency on the trail)
8) Mounted Shooting
9) Clicker Training
10) Farm Maintenance

Any interesting/unique/useful clinics you've attended or have an idea for? Please share! Thanks!


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Instead of calling it dressage for the casual rider, how about "practical dressage"?

Here's some other ideas:
- how to take a horses vital signs
- how to properly wrap a hoof for an abscess
- how to do standing wraps
- groundwork
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## jillybean19 (Dec 23, 2011)

DancingArabian said:


> Instead of calling it dressage for the casual rider, how about "practical dressage"?
> 
> Here's some other ideas:
> - how to take a horses vital signs
> ...


Oooh great name and suggestions! As an endurance rider, I really liked the one about vital signs. There are so many things that come up that I had to learn through mentors and experience - and of course each one is different!

I'd like to do something about ground work, but I hesitate to do something that adopts a particular training style that is well known. For example, no matter whether you do PP, CA, JL, or anyone else, everyone already comes with an opinion or a "been there, done that, read about it online" attitude haha. What kind of groundwork clinics would you suggest?


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## jillybean19 (Dec 23, 2011)

Hmm, I'm thinking maybe a "wrapping" clinic, whether it's a standing wrap or for a hoof? That would be super useful!


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Practical groundwork 

Keeping horses out of your personal space when being led, when you're feeding, when you're in the field (some horses like to mob people for snacks or interfere with a horse getting caught), yielding the fore and hind legs, leading at your side, stopping when you stop, turning and backing when you do the same.

You can then have a level 2, and call it self defense for the unmounted rider. You'd learn how to make your horse turn into people to keep them away (yielding the fore and hind), stuff like that.

Level 3 would be self defense for the mounted rider. Same principles but under saddle.


I don't know where you are but if you happen to be near the east coast, Rick Pelicano hosts some fantastic clinics for this.
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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

jillybean19 said:


> Hmm, I'm thinking maybe a "wrapping" clinic, whether it's a standing wrap or for a hoof? That would be super useful!


Standing wraps, polo wraps and hoof wraps would be great topics. Especially the differences in wrapping to protect a hoof in the event of a lost shoe and making a wrap for an abscess (baby diapers for the win!).
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## jillybean19 (Dec 23, 2011)

DancingArabian said:


> Practical groundwork
> 
> Keeping horses out of your personal space when being led, when you're feeding, when you're in the field (some horses like to mob people for snacks or interfere with a horse getting caught), yielding the fore and hind legs, leading at your side, stopping when you stop, turning and backing when you do the same.
> 
> ...


I like it! (though I'm not what sure what you mean when you say turn your horse into people to keep them away...)

We're on the other end of the continent, in Oregon lol. I'll have to look up his information and see if I can't find a video somewhere


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## jillybean19 (Dec 23, 2011)

DancingArabian said:


> Standing wraps, polo wraps and hoof wraps would be great topics. Especially the differences in wrapping to protect a hoof in the event of a lost shoe and making a wrap for an abscess (baby diapers for the win!).
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


That sounds excellent and would be very practical for all riders. I personally have never been taught these things, so I'd be very interested. I'll add it to the list!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

How to correctly bed a stall using shavings and one using straw keeping economy of materials in mind.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

jillybean19 said:


> I like it! (though I'm not what sure what you mean when you say turn your horse into people to keep them away...)
> 
> We're on the other end of the continent, in Oregon lol. I'll have to look up his information and see if I can't find a video somewhere


For example, if someone is approaching and your horse is between you and the person, you could ask the horse to disengage its hind quarters which would swing its butt around towards the oncoming person. Some other groundwork exercises (like the sending exercise from Clinton Anderson) can be used in the same way - as long as your horse understands how to move its butt when you ask.

If you really think about it, disengaging the hindquarters has all kinds of practical applications but people have to be taught to think like that.

He wrote a couple of books - Bombproof Your Horse and Better than Bombproof. He may have videos as well.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## jillybean19 (Dec 23, 2011)

DancingArabian said:


> For example, if someone is approaching and your horse is between you and the person, you could ask the horse to disengage its hind quarters which would swing its butt around towards the oncoming person. Some other groundwork exercises (like the sending exercise from Clinton Anderson) can be used in the same way - as long as your horse understands how to move its butt when you ask.
> 
> If you really think about it, disengaging the hindquarters has all kinds of practical applications but people have to be taught to think like that.
> 
> ...


Hmm I'll have to look into it more - that sounds very interesting!


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## jillybean19 (Dec 23, 2011)

One more idea - a game day! We could do the usual games (barrels, poles, etc.), but I also saw an idea for a relay race with a baton and another one for "musical stalls" where riders have to get in a "stall" when the music stops!


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