# Ross Jacobs Clinic Review



## TurkishVan (Feb 11, 2013)

I just attended a 4-day clinic with Ross Jacobs, and it was FANTASTIC!

Many of you may have seen a post I put on here sometime last year, about the Buck Brannaman clinic I attended. I had a very negative experience at that clinic, and as it was my first clinic, I was afraid this clinic would go the same way (the mind works in mysterious ways). My Mom had inquired about getting me into the Ross Jacobs clinic before she passed away (without my knowledge), so when I received an email stating that there was a spot open, I took it. I figured this was one last thing my Mom wanted me to do, and it just felt like a good omen. I'll admit that due to the Brannaman clinic experience, I was very nervous, and actually dreaded going. But Ross really turned that around when I got there!

There were 9 riders in the clinic, and each rider received instruction for one hour per day. This doesn't seem like much, but we were allowed to audit the other riders, and the price included free lunches and dinners. When we weren't riding, Ross would relate the problems that the current rider was having to one, or several, of us. So he kept you interested all the time, because it was almost always something you were doing as well, and that you could fix. The atmosphere was very relaxed and Ross is very personable. His criticisms could seem a bit forward, but he always used humor to get his point across. At one point, he joked to me, "What are you driving? A bus?" He could be just as equally serious, as he told me that my stirrups were too narrow, and very sternly told me that I should not ride in my saddle until I got wider ones. 
Ross told several stories during the clinic, but none of them were so long that they interfered with your riding time. He's not a guy that talks just because he likes to hear his own voice.

As a dressage rider, he strongly criticized my dependency on the outside rein. (It didn't hurt my feelings, however. That's just how I'd been taught.) He made the point that my horse should be balanced enough that I never need the outside rein to keep his shoulder from popping out, so we worked on that. We also worked on getting my horse long and low, and his fix was VERY simple, and super effective. (Just bring the inside rein up until the horse gives, then follow his head down with the rein.) We worked on softness, and gaining the horse's focus. I also had a trailer loading session with my mare. It takes me an hour and a half to get her loaded. Ross first focused on leading (he's very big on the importance of leading, and after seeing the difference, I am excited to get all my horses to lead that well), and then we went out to the trailer. I think he loaded her about 6 times in 30 minutes. Then he had me practice there. I went home that night and the next and proceeded to load her myself in no time at all. What a difference! 

All in all, I was VERY happy that I attended this clinic! Ross has a sense of humor that makes you feel welcome. I tried lying a couple of times, and said that I understood what he meant when I really didn't. He'd just say, "Really? Tell me how you do it then." And then I finally got comfortable enough to admit that I DIDN'T understand something, and he'd try to explain it a different way. By the second day, everyone was poking fun at him in some way. He's just that kind of guy. You feel relaxed around him.

At one point, he made me get off my horse and got a lead rope, and said, "Here, I'm going to ride you. Pretend you're your horse." At which there were lots of catcalls, and he just laughed. He put the lead rope around my stomach, then showed me what I should be looking for in a halt. If it wasn't a perfect halt, he'd tug me back hard. After several times he said something like, "You really are acting like your horse! Listen!" To which I responded, "I'm trying to! I don't want you tugging me around the arena anymore!" He just laughed and we switched places. It was a very valuable exercise though, and taught me to recognize the difference between a halt and a stop. 
At one point on the last day, a rider was doing a very repetitive exercise, and I was trying not to doze off in my chair (I had a bad cold, so I was very tired). He looked over and said, "______, are you asleep? You look like you're doing your best Stephen Hawking impression over there." It just made me giggle! :lol:

There were several people auditing the clinic that came from a state away, and they insisted on staying all 4 days because they liked it so much. I was the only younger person there, as most of the participants were women in their 40s-50s. Everyone was very nice, and supportive. Every clinic participant frequently told people, "You look so much better! Wow! What a change!" It really made you feel like you were riding among non-judgmental friends, and that made all the difference. 
We all told Ross that we want him back next year, and I'm pretty sure all 9 of us are signed up again already! He said he'd love to come back, so he and the organizer of the event are already talking about dates. 

If you have the opportunity to ride or audit with him, DO IT! You certainly won't regret it! The only thing I regret is that the clinic didn't last even longer! I never wanted it to end!!!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

He sounds a lot like my trainer. she does many of the same things, like the " here, hld this rope and pretend that you are the horse . . ."

when she talks, she always says, "are you with me?" to mean, "do you understand?". sometimes I lie and say yes, jsut because I feel like a dummy to say no, again! but eventually, she figures out that I dont understand and we back over it. Or, at times, I just figure that what I don't understnad now will become clear in time.

by reading his articles, on his website, I wonder with whom he has trained . his philosophy sounds a lot like both Bill and Tom Dorrance, and Harry Whitney , and ?


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I am reading this "article" from his website. it sounds EXACTLY like my trainer talking!

Thoughts


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

Never heard of him, but he sounds awesome! THAT is how a clinic should be.


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## TurkishVan (Feb 11, 2013)

Ross and Harry Whitney are good friends, or so I've heard, and I believe Ross has spent a good deal of time with Harry. I was told to attend a Harry Whitney clinic if I wanted more of what Ross was teaching, as they are on the same wavelengths, so to speak. 

I should also note- my Dad came with me to this clinic, to show his support since my Mom couldn't be there. My Dad is NOT a horse person. As he puts it, "I feed them, water them, and make sure they're alive." He really dislikes even talking too long about horses because it's just not his thing. 

So my Dad gets to this clinic, and sits in on it with me, and LOVES IT! My Dad said that even though he couldn't see all of the minor changes that Ross was talking about, he liked how Ross broke it down so that he understood what the person was doing and why they were doing it. My Dad was very pleased to be able to attend, and was actually quite sad to leave a day early due to other obligations. Ross and my Dad seemed to get along quite well to, and on the second day when we came in late, Ross was riding someone's horse, and said, "Hi, ____!" Like they were old pals. I think it made my Dad feel more welcome, especially when he was out of his element!


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