February Kenny Clinic

It's been such a long time since I posted that I don't know where to begin. Work has been all consuming over the last couple months, so Gadget has had very light work. In mid-February I rode with Kenny again in a 2 day clinic. It was extremely helpful. One of the most important points he made was that I need to sit UP. I tend to bit on the back of my seat with my shoulders behind the motion in a constant driving seat. I am trying to be more conscious of sitting up and staying with the horse.

Walk

• I was warned not to chase the walk. Gadget has a nice natural walk.
•  I need to let my legs hang and if Gadget gets a bit slow, give him one good kick, then leave him alone.

Trot

• Get him more energized by trotting longside, walk in corner, and turn on the forehand by really swinging his haunches, then immediately trot the same long side. Gadget loved this.
• Lengthening
• think of actually bumping his nose up and out -- do not let him lean! Then use legs further back, and ask him to go!
• Also, ask for lengthening on open end of circle with a bit of legyielding out on circle. The laterla movement loosens the shoulders.
• Gadget's renver is better than his shoulder-in. In both movements, think of a bouncing ball in your seat to keep it loose and keep the rhythm. Ask him for the position, but do not HOLD him there. Must soften the hand and let him stay there.

Canter

• Gadget gave lovely simple changes on the diagonal. After the walk transition, leg yield off of new inside leg before asking for canter
• Walk to Canter transition
• To the left especially, ask him to accept outside rein before making transition to canter. If he throws his head up, do not fix with the rein; kick him with inside leg.
• Canter halfpass
• School shoulder-in in canter, then move him over a few steps.
• To get control in halfpass, move between shoulder-in in straight line, then halfpass a few steps, then half pas.
• To avoice anticipating flying changeson centerline, school simple changes on center line from halfpass.
• He also needs to get a smaller canter for the half passes to be successful
• Collected canter
• needs to spend more time in a slower canter getting stronger (this is counter-intuitive to me because of his slow hind legs, but he certainly needs to ge stronger).
• he gets very active when we begin to school flying changes. I need to be able to find that canter other times!
• Flying changes
• He dives down in the right to left change. I need  to think of the same up and out feel as the lengthened trot
• Kenny said to focus on straightness.
• My timing is not good enough in the changes yet, but Gadget gives a good response. He often changes behind, but is not up enough in front to change. We can fix this.
• He recommended that Third level test 3 might be the best test for Gadget while we fix the straightness of the changes.

I'm sure there is more but these are a few of the key points!