Energy, Balance, Relaxation + Freedom
This past weekend I gave MuMu and myself the gift of attending three whole days of nothing but improving our partnership. With the leadership of the wide-scoped talent and skills of Shelby Hume, horsewoman extraordinaire, we got to learn with nine other horse-human teams new ways to delve deeper into the core concepts of:
- Energy
- Balance
- Relaxation and
- Freedom
under the auspices of the program developed by Karen Rohlf entitled “Dressage Naturally”. This clinic called “Finding the Sweet Spot of Healthy Biomechanics“. The focus of the clinic was:
- Basic theory, principles of Dressage, Naturally
- How to develop an eye for healthy bio-mechanics, including the ‘let loose’ posture
- The Athletic Rider: How to improve your own relaxation, energy and balance
- How to develop and expand your ability to communicate about relaxation, energy and balance
- How to use these conversations in order to find the ‘sweet spot’… the best way of going for your horse in order to help them be the best they can be
- The basic theory and techniques for riding in connection with the reins
Do You Qualify?
Below is a demonstration by Ms. Rohlf’s other endorsed clinician Breanne Peters, showing some of the prerequisites desired to be able to gain maximally from participating in this clinic:
The Clinic Unfolds
The days played out under Shelby’s expert and upbeat guidance in unforced succession that offered multiple challenges without overwhelming any participant; human or horse. Working individually and as groups we were invited to discover new, clearer solutions to what may have been old habits or patterns with breakthroughs and personal bests quietly happening time and time again throughout the entire arena.
Who’s Shelby Hume?
Ms. Hume has a style of teaching that draws deeply from her many experiences learning and practicing her horsemanship with other true Masters throughout the disciplines as well as her own ongoing inquiries with her own riding, her own equine partners and her own ever continuing education process. To me the best teacher is the one who never stops asking questions; never stops exploring concepts; ever seeks improvement for themselves. These are the people who tend to be able to convey those portions of their own journey to those of us perhaps not as advanced in the process with clarity and even a playfulness that keeps the undertaking both deeply meaningful and optimistically bright. That’s Shelby!
Shelby playing with her horse Querataro
She embodies this excellence into inquiry. She embraces elements from many varied disciplines that lead to the end goals we studied in our sessions: Balance, Relaxation, Energy and Freedom. She speaks fluent “Natural Horsemanship” and its multiple accents (Chris Cox, Buck Brannaman, Ray Hunt, Pat Parelli, et. al.) as well as Centered Riding (Sally Swift) and Reining, Grand Prix Dressage, and many more not as familiar to a backyard hack like me but significant to others in our group.
What Happened?
By trying out new exercises and observing the tries of the other teams MuMu and I got to experience the full range of knowledge acquisition and enjoyed some significant shifts towards improvement in our own partnership. Together he and I made some beautiful circles through nothing but intention, my eye gaze and maybe a quiet and subtle leg yield. Nothing for most to write home about – but a huge accomplishment for my left brain extroverted partner and me in such a social setting, lol. We also got three very well-organized, consistently energized and pretty dang round circles at the trot again in a socially charged atmosphere that usually draws the young boy’s attention away from the task.
I know others among us – if not all – enjoyed similar personal-best accomplishments – some at a faster pace than us, some with greater clarity and subtlety. But that’s the beauty of what Shelby does – she can level up or down her instructions for each horse/human team so each gains a measure of success geared specifically to where they’re at as individuals and as dance partners.
Should You Go?
I can’t recommend this clinic enough to you if you have a desire to go further with your own explorations into improving your partnership and communication with your horse. These three days are a gift you give this relationship that will go a long way towards helping you achieve things you thought maybe were out of your league. The intensity of the commitment of three days will help you embrace your own Journey with Horse in ways DVDs, books and online education simply can’t. Besides Shelby’s awesome leadership and teaching, maybe it’s partially being with like-minded explorers whose own pathways can be witnessed, maybe it’s the singularity of the focus for those three whole days, maybe it’s the most-excellent snacks people share at lunch! Whatever it is – these clinics contain an alchemy you just can’t get any other way.
MuMu was a Happy Camper!
The Next One
Shelby’s having another “Finding the Sweet Spot” clinic here in the Lexington area (Grasslands Too facility owned by the warmly welcoming Janie and Bobbie Elliot) in March 2012. What a way to start the season! Take it from me, a self-employed creative without a ton of disposable income, this will be worth the investment! She’s also making arrangements to take this clinic on the road – so “like” the Dressage Naturally page on Facebook for updates.
An End Goal
Oh, so of course you’re wondering; “Hey, isn’t Dressage just for “English riders?” Nope. Not at all. In our ten pair of participants I’m willing to bet a good half of us were riding in some form of Western rig. MuMu and I as recent converts. Check out this performance by the inimitable Eitan Beth-Halachmy at last year’s Del Mar Horse Show’s “Night of the Horse”:
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