Feb. 20-21, 1999, Garland Farms, Dahlonega, GA

Maryal Barnett is an FEI judge from East Lansing, MI. She has recently been appointed an examiner for the USDF instructor certification program. We had a sunny but chilly weekend for her clinic. Having an indoor arena kept us out of the breezes that blew pretty steadily. I rode my 8 year old Han/TB gelding Pikasso for Maryal Saturday and Sunday. We are working on making the jump from 1st to 2nd level and she helped us with straightness and collection. She said that straightness and collection go hand in hand. One helps the other. Between Saturday and Sunday, Pikasso's straightness improved and the resulting collection was a great feeling. He became very steady, light, mobile, and rhythmic. Maryal also helped improve our shoulder-in right. We kept drifting off the track with the angle getting too large. She had me open my left hip more and bring my left shoulder more forward so that it was more in line with his mane, while stretching my right leg down and weighting the right seatbone. A slightly leading right rein directed his shoulder with the left rein maintaining the angle. Shoulder-in left was no problem, since I naturally sit more on my left seatbone than my right. We had some very nice shoulder-in left on Sunday when he was really connected and through.

We have been struggling with straightness at the canter, especially the left lead canter. Pikasso likes to carry his haunches to the inside and lean on his outside shoulder. Maryal had me counter flex slightly and canter in a renvers position for half a 20m circle and then change to normal flexion and bending for the other half. Our circles kept getting lopsided - between C and H, he would veer towards the corner to hold himself up on the outside shoulder. I had to turn immediately at C to prevent this. She also had me canter 18 meter circles to get him off the track and further from that "magnetic" corner. On Sunday, we rode a square B-E-H-M at the canter to work on straightness. I had to work hard to keep him from either running or getting on the forehand in addition to controlling that darned outside shoulder.

One of my bad habits she nailed me on was riding sloppy corners. Pikasso's haunches drift to the inside on the corners. At home, we ride in a hunter ring with no corners. She said to use ground poles to make corners. I rode a pattern around the arena where every time I approached B and E I would turn and change direction. Also, I approached the corners at M,H,K,F, I half halted and rode the corner like it was half a 10 meter circle. Some progress was seen but we still had some bad corners!

We worked a little on shoulder-in to medium trot on the diagonal. We also did some medium on short diagonals. The best results occurred when I did transitions from collected trot to medium back to collected along the long sides.

On Sunday, both Pikasso and I were a little stiff and sore from the Saturday lesson. I really didn't know what to expect from our ride. However, Maryal put us on a 20m circle and had me warm up at the posting trot with shoulder-in and renvers. Pikasso complained some about that exercise but the results were very good. When she finally said to sit the trot, I could actually sit the trot- his back was up and swinging! We found a second wind and had a productive and fun lesson. We need to try pushing the envelope more - at home, I'm too willing to back off and do something easier. I'm an amateur and I do this for fun. And we're both lazy!

The stretching was better this clinic too. He kept his withers up and didn't rush off like he likes to do. I made sure I kept a steady feel on the outside rein with a supporting inside leg.

A neat note - we put a double bridle on Pikasso for the first time on Sunday for about 5 minutes while he was in the cross-ties. He took it all in stride even though he is considered "mouthy". I've had Pikasso since he was a foal so this was a 'proud mom' moment for me. My trainer let me borrow one of her double bridles and I'll put it on Pikasso every so often while I groom him in the cross-ties. I don't plan to ride him in it any time soon, not even on the trail.

Maryal Barnett will be back for another clinic May 22-23. There's a rated show that same weekend in our area but I will most likely pass on the show to ride for Maryal again. I can aim for the next rated show in June.