Quick Tip Tuesday: If ain't broke, don't fix it!
there's what's in the book and what works
When I first moved here I was greatly impressed by
the clinicians which were coming into the area.
This one clinic all the top level riders had come together
and were getting instruction from A NAME from Germany.
(At the time, this was someone to swoon over but I confess I
now don't remember!) Everyone was turned out
spectacularly and it was just the right amount of crispness
to enjoy the weather without getting too cold or too hot.
In the middle of one of the lessons, I remember this lady
switching directions and asking: "Which hand should I
carry the whip in?"
Being young, and of course brilliant, I chuckled to myself
and thought, "Well, of course, the inside hand."
Which was confirmed when the instructor advocated
"Your inside hand."
And the rider dutifully complied.
Do you think the horse went better?
Let's back up a moment here!
Why would this extremely elegant, accomplished lady on a
high level horse who's paid beaucoup bucks to get world class
instruction be asking this question because ... she never
heard about carrying the whip in the inside hand?
Rewind: She had been using the whip under the guidance of
the instructor to get the horse to step up. On the
inside leg.
Which was now the outside leg.
Which, without the encouragement, would do what?
Yep. And I saw that in spades. It was like
everything they'd built up just drained into the sand.
There's what's in the books and what works.
Lynn
6/27/23
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