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Michael Bragdell Clinic

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So I have been having an amazing summer of lessons with Ryan Yap. He really helped me feel how to collect and energize the canter, which has been the biggest challenge. He also made huge improvements in my halfpasses and helped develop more suspension in Gadget's trot. Writing these things make it sound easy, but it has taken years to get to a point where Ryan could work on these things with us. As he said, we were finally ready.

So when Ryan's clinic date changed to one that conflicted with the Michael Bragdell clinic, I was so disappointed. It would have been awesome to have back-to-back weekends of clinics with those two. But I will have to wait until the spring to work with Ryan again. 

As for the Michael Bragdell clinic, it was really quite amazing. I typically don't have the highest hopes for lessons when someone is seeing me and Gadget for the first time. We have lots of little issues going on and it sometimes takes a little time figure out the right way to address them. Michael watched us warm up and basically narrowed-in on some of issues immediately. First, I warm-up a bit over tempo. It's a delicate balance with Gadget and it's something Ryan and I have discussed multiple times. I can warm him up a little over tempo, so long as I make sure he pushes from the hind end and realize that we are just getting his motor going. We will eventually bring that tempo back. Looking at the video of my warm-up for Michael, it does look rushed. So I am working on that.

We then moved into some canter legyield moving to the inside away from the wall. I am to counter-flex so that I can actually get Gadget's shoulder's in front of his haunches. To the right especially, we go along with him slightly bent right and haunches in to the right. So this was a great (and slightly difficult) exercise to feel the straightness.

We worked on some quarter walk turn-on-the-haunches and they actually felt good. We then moved to some beginning work for canter pirouettes. We go on a 10M circle in walk, then haunches in on the circle. Then swing the haunches out from the inside leg. Back to haunches in, and swing the haunches out another 2 times. The next time you swing the haunches, you ask for canter. This really gave me good control of the haunches in the canter. Michael said that Gadget sits well in the canter and the pirouette canter actually makes his rhythm better! YAY!! It felt very good to the left and okay to the right.

Michael also had me work on another good exercise: in trot, straight on diagonal, then haunches in, then straight to finish the diagonal. It is very tempting for me to bend Gadget's neck in the haunches in, but if I keep it straighter, I had to really ride from my inside leg for the traver and sort of balance him back and forth in the bridle to keep the neck straight. Really helpful.

But the biggest change and what will probably be the most helpful tip was Michael's way of changing my aid for the canter and flying changes. I wasn't immediately sold on this idea, but after riding this way for 3 weeks, I'm definitely getting it.  For the canter, inside leg comes on, then outside to ask for the canter.  In the flying change, this looked like cantering on the left lead, then beginning to ask him to bend from the new inside leg (right leg). Once he is positioned and shifts his weight, then outside leg back and ask for right change. At the clinic, we were going sideways and getting all kinds of funky changes in between some really beautiful changes as we figured this out. Now, just putting the new inside leg into position, results in a much quicker, smoother change. Because it's different, Gadget is getting a little more excited in the changes and quickening his tempo, but the changes are awesome. Michael said this will make a huge difference in the tempi changes, and I am already feeling it.

I can't say enough good things about Michael's demeanor and thoughtfulness through the lessons. He was very patient and as soon as I got confused about anything, he had me walk and listen while he explained it a different way. I really felt that I got a very good understanding of each exercise, how to use it, and the next step in the exercise. Now I just want him to come back!!! It was a really fun clinic and Gadget put his heart into every exercise, which made it even better.

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