Nicole and her horse, Arizen, participated in a clinic sponsored by the Wisconsin Dressage and Combined Training Association with Debbie Rodriguez last month. Debbie is a USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medalist as well as an 'S' dressage judge and 'r' eventing judge. Here are some of Nicole's notes on the clinic:
Debbie used a simple approach, letting the movements and figures improve the horse. As we approach the 1-3 test, we focused on improving gait quality, improving the connection, and improving accuracy. Exercises reminiscent of my hunter days were used to introduce lengthenings. Counting strides between the letters helped the rider ensure that the stride actually lengthened. Counting strides in the leg yield in both directions helped improve equality of the leg yield on both sides.
Overall, it was an amazing clinic experience and Arizen and I learned a lot from Debbie over the course of the weekend. I am proud of how well Arizen handled the weekend of travel, and look forward to taking advantage of more educational opportunities in the future!
Photo credit: Mackenzie Griffin Photography