John Lassetter Clinic

Everyone had some great rides with John. Peter and Jessica were the bravest by having lunge lessons. These focused seat lessons imporved their seats by the end of the lesson. The gallery watching the lessons were stretching their arms high, rotating one forward and the other backwards. Jessica sais she really likes the lunge lessons as they focus on her seat where the other lesson focus on training the horse.
I rode Freederic the first 2 lessons. Whew I had to stop frequently for air. I had not ridden Freederic in a long while. He is such a trooper. Kalae was awesome as usual. We were able to work past a sticky point and proceed. Linda and Bailey did well. Marilee rode 3 different horses and was very pleased. Belinda and Bella also did remarkably well.
All in all a fun week with friends and horses.

John Lassetter Clinic Oct 19-24, 2011

Come to Kalae Farm Hannoverians for a week of riding and fun!
Arena Figures: Double loop down the long side, 6 shallow loops down the center line. Head to wall leg yield, cavaletti in a fan shape. 10 meter box. 20 meter circle with satellite 10 meter circles. 20 meter circle in the center with 10 meter circle on the center line to the outside. Spiral in and leg yield out. Cavaletti to canter and back to trot at the cavaletti. Reinback. Short diagonal w/leg yield and canter. The list goes on and on.

John Lassetter Dressage Clinic May 20-22

John has been coming to Maui twice a year since 1999? How blessed we are! World class dressage instruction on your own horse. When you live in the middle of the Pacific. In the most remote location in the world ( really Hawaii is the farthest of any island from a major land mass) that is a big thing. He travels half way around to
world to get here. The first time he arrived it poured and poured and he kept right on teaching. His boots were full of water! One time his luggage did not arrive. Bummer! Not to mention the long flights here, transfers....
I love John's lessons! He shows you where you need to go. His lessons are perfect for riders who do not get much help because when you learn the exercises and the increasing complexity.. if you set up the cones... it provides a great gauge for your progression. You have learned a good warm up routine which you can vary. You learn many different methods of introducing different exercises.
I have amazing rides with him, wish I could do the same on a daily basis.

John Lassetter Dressage Clinic October 22-25

True to form it started to rain 2 days before John arrived and it has been raining for 2 days after he has left. What was great was we had 3 days of no rain for the clinic! Friday and Saturday were quite warm with no wind. 3 of my horses were in the Clinic: Kalae (Kalypso/Kronenkranich/Pik solo): Wondermann (Wonderful/Weltmeyer/Pik Solo) and Rupert (Routinier/Rubenstein/ Pointmaker)
I had 3 fabulous lessons! The continuous melding of one geometric exercise into another complimentary one quickly supples the horse. In no time my horse becomes fluid and she powers up into an amazing ride. It is effortless and fun! Why can't we get this on our own? Sigh. John's comment "Kalae is a very special horse" Yes she is!
She always tries so hard! Carole discovered her R saddle pannel had a small lump mid pannel where the airbags have bunced up, and it was more compressed on the R. My horse!.. we immediately switched saddles
Rupert at 5 years old is in his second clinic with John. He has 60 rides under his belt ( girth) and was really moving out well, no resistances... really trying. The last day Zach volunteered to ride in a dressage saddle and they both excelled. I just love him! John advised me not to ride him yet and I have to agree.
Wondermann really impressed John. "I was most impressed by Wondermann". Dianne rode him the first 2 days and did a great job. John said "For me they make a very nice pair". Kim rode him the last day and he was a good boy and going well foward.
Jackie and Bella, Linda and Bambino, Belinda and Bella, also had great rides.
John gave a lecture Friday afternoon. Great information. Especially pertanent to me were 4 school figure exercises for introducing the flying change. I was able to ride all 4 patterns.. still just a bit late behind. I need to work on improving our fitness after 5 months off of work and improve the quality of the canter, collection......continue my canter priouette work which will help.
We were saddened that Marilee, Jessica and Peter were not with us as they have been for every clinic.. they were with us in our thoughts and prayers.

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!

Lassetter clinic

Ride, ride , ride!!! Whooo pass the oxygen please. "Freederic the Great" dish's out the aerobic workout. Gasping and sweating but having fun flying around the arena. Come on down and get on the "big boy". Mr Lassetter puts you though the gymnastic routine. Go at it for 45 minutes. "Determination! Come on Tishie - Grit teeth and spit ivory"
* Freederic is wearing a single support rein from the middle of his girth. through the bottom of his flash nose band to the left hand of the rider. Held outside the little finger w/ the snaffle rein held between the 4th and 5th finger. Not attached to the bit or threaded through it.