The liberty clinics will focus on groundwork exercises with a goal of being at liberty with your horse. Being at liberty is working on our connection and relationship that we have with our horses.
We may also use some obstacles to help us with our learning and focus work. When we have a visual we are often more clear with our communication to the horse.
The obstacle clinics will be focusing on working through the various mountain trail, and some ultimate trail, obstacles both in-hand and ridden. There will be more focus and emphasis on finessing the work with the obstacle especially for those who are interested in competing and looking to improve their scores with the mountain trail classes.
For those who have already developed the foundation basics with their obstacles, adding degrees of difficulty to an obstacle may be your next step.
This will depend on the facility, if access to an indoor, and the weather.
You may wish to prepare for the various elements. Unless the weather is extreme, we go rain or shine.
Your horse! 🤠
Here are a few other things that you may wish to pack, just in case:
🪑 Chairs
🪰 Bug Spray – for you and your horse
🐴 Hay / feed
📒 Notebook
🐴 Halter – what you prefer, it does not have to be a rope halter. Please ensure that you bring a lead line/rope without a chain.
🦯 Whip – you may want to bring a variety of lengths (if you have them). I’m usually traveling with 5 or so different lengths depending on what I need them for. Make sure to label / mark them so that you can identify them.
☔ Rain coat / rubber boots (if calling for rain)
Most often people will use the chain on the lead in one of two ways:
They’ll use it over the nose or under the chin.
This is not allowed in competition on the mountain trail classes that I host (or in liberty challenges), and therefore I don’t allow them on the obstacle course at my location. In fact, all leverage style headstalls (halters and bridles included) are considered illegal equipment in the mountain trail competitions.
They’ll double the chain back so that it is less cumbersome.
I used to be guilty of this, until I learned of a horrific story of a horse losing its life when he stepped his foot into the loop opening while being grazed. I never want to see this happen nor do I think that you do.
I like to keep the clinic small and to be able to offer 2 sessions per day as I find that this really helps people to be able to come back after a morning session. This helps to ensure that there is ample time for everyone.
This really is up to you.
I am very much an advocate of fine tuning the groundwork, and have a passion for working obstacles at liberty with precision. That said, for those who are wanting to work on riding obstacles, you are welcome to do so. And if you wish to stay working on the ground, that is A-ok with me as well.
The clinic is a 2-day clinic. The participants will be in 2 groups and have both a morning and afternoon session.
Feel free to contact me.