Clinicians.

NEWSLETTER Volume 3, Number 6, June 2006

Spring is the beginning of clinic season and this year I aim to audit several. So far I’ve attended two very different events with well- known trainers and clinicians, both of whom I was familiar with through magazine articles and through their TV shows.

First, a couple of friends and I drove an hour south to watch Lynn Palm give a clinic to a small group of riders. Given the skill level of most of the riders and the training level of the horses, Lynn did an excellent job. I was impressed by the attention she gave to each rider, by her willingness to either support a struggling rider who was obviously trying extremely hard, and by the way that she called riders to task if they were not giving her (or their horse) their full concentration. But I was most impressed by her advocacy of the horses. More than once, Lynn told a rider, “now give that horse a pat, he’s working his heart out for you,” and she even told one rider to find a good farrier and get her horse’s hooves balanced correctly. She made herself available to riders and auditors and was personable to everyone. Lynn Palm is one of those rare clinicians who crosses the Western/English divide and her clinic amply demonstrated that fact as she carefully taught basic dressage techniques to a group of primarily Western Pleasure riders.

Second, was a more major undertaking when I drove with friends Ann, Peggy, and Lisa, and Lisa’s nine year old daughter Kammi, the five hours to Yakima, Washington to see Pat and Linda Parelli in their weekend-long “Love, Language, Leadership” tour. I expected to have a great time, lots of fun with friends, and see lots of exciting demos. I did, but what I didn’t expect was to learn so much. I’ve studied the Parelli levels system, seen several of their DVDs, and watched numerous RFD-TV shows, but seeing them live and for a full two days really set what they do into context for me. Both Pat and Linda gave spectacular riding demonstrations. I now appreciate even more their long-term commitment to their horses, to taking them as far as they can in training, and to making long-term health and soundness (mental, emotional, and physical) a priority. The care both of these clinicians have for horses was evident, at one point Linda was in tears as she completed a demonstration with her horse “Remmer” and talked about the fate of many misunderstood horses. And, yes, the demonstrations by their students who follow the Parelli system and play with their horses adopting those methods were truly inspiring. The weekend was made even more enjoyable because we were able to vicariously watch the performances through the eyes of nine-year-old Kammi. I can only begin to imagine what I would have felt if I had been able to see this kind of a demonstration of horsemanship when I was that age. Kammi literally sat on the edge of her seat for much of the event and was never fidgety or bored, and I give kudos to the Parelli for letting kids in free and encouraging families to see what they do. Both Pat and Linda also happily signed Kammi’s new visor and her mom’s new sweatshirt!
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On the other hand, I am disappointed that Linda Parelli, in particular, insists on jumping without a helmet, and even going so far as to make explicit statements about how she no longer needs to wear any kind of safety equipment because she can trust her intuition about when a horse is safe to ride or perform a certain manoeuvre or not. Maybe she can, but not every person who rides (certainly not every kid) has that kind of informed knowledge of their horse or themselves, and I find her statements that mock people who choose to ride in helmets or protective vests to be beneath this very talented woman who is obviously passionate about horses and about teaching people how to be safe around them. Yes, trust your intuition, get off when you think you ought to, train your horse in such a way to minimize risks to your safety and his, but wearing a helmet isn’t going to hurt and it might save your life!

Clinics to come this summer… Dan and Gretchen Thompson (Parelli endorsed instructors), and Jan Ebeling (internationally known dressage rider and trainer now based in Moorpark, California).

Anna Banks, Editor womentalkhorses.com
editor@womentalkhorses.com
Moon Hill Ranch, Idaho