John Lassetter Clinic Report

We are indeed fortunate to have John Lassetter travel half way around the world to teach us. He arrived exhausted but was blessed with 3 days off before he had to teach. Jessica got him wading in the ocean and he spent some time delivering flowers with Dad. The lessons started on Thursday and ran through Sunday. Before we knew it he was "leaving on a jet plane". We had 3 new riders which was great. I was totally bummed that I could not ride Kalae. Marilee was probably exstatic to ride Kalae for the 4 days and she did a good job.
Once again riders were reminded to be Dillagent int making sure their arena figures were as accurate as possible. To remember to always reward the horse with voice, a scratch or a pat.
During the rides he continually advised the riders: Upper body back, stretch tall - up from the waist. Shoulder blades flat. Look up. Keep the tray level ( meaning dont have one hand lower or higher than the other as you imagine you are carring a tray of glasses and dont want them to slip off the tray).
He wanted the horses in general more forward. Come! They must start to track up and be more active behind. More off the leg. He had one horse who's hind quarters were trailing out behind and taking little steps go to canter for a 15 m circle then trot, then canter and over the poles in trot. His downward transitions were dying into a walk or halt. No you must keep him forward in the down transition, now canter again! This got him going and by the end of the lesson he was round and using his back properly.
Another rider wanted to work on more collection. Her lesson incorporated shoulder in to halt and off in shoulder-in again. 10m circles and the shoulder-in. Next medium trots across the diagonal. Shoulder in on the center line. Head to the wall leg yeild changing the bend to the opposite direction. The medium trots were coming along nicely.
One rider had a great lunge lesson where her position looked fabulous.
Of course I though the best lesson of the whole weekend was Zach riding Rupert.
With just 30 days under saddle he went in his first clinic. All the people lining the rail, the loud speaker in the corner and people on the observation deck he handled it amazinlg well. The 20m square to diamond pattern helped him. He did his first trot pole and soon there after did the whole curved line of 5-6 poles. He cantered both ways easily from the corners and down the long side. I was a proud mom!

April Competing in Colorado

I was generously offered to ride my friend Gwen's up and comming Grand Prix horse Safarie. She hopes to show him I2 and then GP at the end of this comming show season. He is a big handsome dutch gelding by Flemmming. The goal was to ride/show Prix Saint Georges to optain scores of 65% which would allow me to apply to advance in my judging from a "r" dressage judge to a "R". I arrived on a Monday with our 3 day show starting on Friday. I have trained my own mare Kalae to 4th level. We have been stuck on the flying changes for a few years due to lack of help. We just need tempi changes and we can show PSG ourselves. However due to the few shows on Maui, once I am at PSG it may take 2 years to even get 5 opportunities to show. That first day I was please I could sit his big suspended trot. That had been a worry. I could not get him to canter though. Safarie would give me a big walk to Passage transition instead. Each day we improved. I "walked" the test in the outdoor arena (no horse) and practiced my tempi changes in the car. On Thursday as we headed out to Colorado Springs we stopped at Kristi Wysocki's beautiful facility to ride in a regulation indoor. Kristi has been coaching me and will help me at the show. Here I would ride the full PSG for the first time. It went fairly well, I was happy and have learned so much. On the last extended trot I had gotten left behind in a chair seat and had felt a twinge in my upper back. By the time I walked back to the trailer I could hardly breath. This was most unfortunate as that afternoon as we walked in the show ground indoor I found I could not even post the trot. Off to Walmart for motrin, tiger balm and a back brace. The 3 days of cometition were very educational. My nerves affected me, my back was killing me and Safarie had spooked prior to my 2nd test, jumping on my foot and breaking a little toe. It was almost hummerous. I scored in the mid 50's. It was pure determination, I really have no idea in retrospect how I rode. It was a godsend that the show the nest weekend was cancled due to low entrys. On returning home I was found to have compression Fractures in the mid thorasic back.