Why would you do that? Why?
Nov. 18th, 2022 11:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
which_chickFor this Sunday, I have signed up for a dressage thing with a DIFFERENT DRESSAGE LADY at a DIFFERENT FACILITY because... I don't know. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Probably I'm just an idiot.
This dressage lady is Dressage Lady Cathy, who works out of Somewhere In Maryland (the phone listed is a 301 area code). She's got a very solid USDF resume ("Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Gold Bar FEI recognition, and won USDF year-end awards through Grand Prix") and although being an accomplished rider doesn't always translate to being an accomplished clinician, it's a good indication that the person probably KNOWS SOME THINGS about dressage. (To get these credentials, the person likely rides frequently and with some tact, has access to good-quality horses, has the time and money to show regularly, understands how to put together a competent dressage test at a rated show, etc.) DLC also has students and horses (both products of her work) who are showing and scoring decently in rated-show dressage land so she can teach at least some things to some horses and some riders. While that stuff STILL is not indicative of being a good clinician, it's enough of a resume to get me to blow $75 on an hour of finding out what DLC has to offer this redneck rider and her shaggy, grubby, clearly off-breed horse.
I was a little curious as to why DLC would be bringing her rather beefy resume to Greater Rednecklandia to play dressage clinic in November. It's to do with Morgans. (No harm no foul on Morgans. They're great horses and really underappreciated as a breed. I have known some quite good -- athletic, smart, levelheaded, OPINIONATED -- Morgans. I just personally don't want to have to hit anything that hard to get its attention. Arabs take even a very light whap quite seriously.) DLC rides Morgans, facility owner has Morgans, it's a Morgan thing. It's a small breed and the community is pretty good. So, that's explained. Nice. Also being a Morgan person, DLC may well tolerate things that are off-breed horses being ridden in front of her, so that's a yay as well.
I don't learn equally well from all clinicians and it's hard to advance-guess which clinicians will work for me. I just have to try them. The trying of new clinicians, though, is ... trying. I will do my best to be a reasonable student and not bawl in the ring, though no promises on that last. (I have 100% been that sad, middle-aged ammie rider before and I expect I will be again.)
This clinic is up in Yellow Creek, a not-terrible drive away. It's being held in an indoor, which should make it somewhat less windy than the out of doors. The out of doors 'round these parts is currently covered in frozen sleet and hovering right around freezing for daytime temps. Winter got here all of a sudden, you betcha, and I am NOT A FAN.
My slot is for 11:30 AM, which means I'll get done before dark and won't have to worry so much about the trailer's temperamental lights.
This dressage lady is Dressage Lady Cathy, who works out of Somewhere In Maryland (the phone listed is a 301 area code). She's got a very solid USDF resume ("Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Gold Bar FEI recognition, and won USDF year-end awards through Grand Prix") and although being an accomplished rider doesn't always translate to being an accomplished clinician, it's a good indication that the person probably KNOWS SOME THINGS about dressage. (To get these credentials, the person likely rides frequently and with some tact, has access to good-quality horses, has the time and money to show regularly, understands how to put together a competent dressage test at a rated show, etc.) DLC also has students and horses (both products of her work) who are showing and scoring decently in rated-show dressage land so she can teach at least some things to some horses and some riders. While that stuff STILL is not indicative of being a good clinician, it's enough of a resume to get me to blow $75 on an hour of finding out what DLC has to offer this redneck rider and her shaggy, grubby, clearly off-breed horse.
I was a little curious as to why DLC would be bringing her rather beefy resume to Greater Rednecklandia to play dressage clinic in November. It's to do with Morgans. (No harm no foul on Morgans. They're great horses and really underappreciated as a breed. I have known some quite good -- athletic, smart, levelheaded, OPINIONATED -- Morgans. I just personally don't want to have to hit anything that hard to get its attention. Arabs take even a very light whap quite seriously.) DLC rides Morgans, facility owner has Morgans, it's a Morgan thing. It's a small breed and the community is pretty good. So, that's explained. Nice. Also being a Morgan person, DLC may well tolerate things that are off-breed horses being ridden in front of her, so that's a yay as well.
I don't learn equally well from all clinicians and it's hard to advance-guess which clinicians will work for me. I just have to try them. The trying of new clinicians, though, is ... trying. I will do my best to be a reasonable student and not bawl in the ring, though no promises on that last. (I have 100% been that sad, middle-aged ammie rider before and I expect I will be again.)
This clinic is up in Yellow Creek, a not-terrible drive away. It's being held in an indoor, which should make it somewhat less windy than the out of doors. The out of doors 'round these parts is currently covered in frozen sleet and hovering right around freezing for daytime temps. Winter got here all of a sudden, you betcha, and I am NOT A FAN.
My slot is for 11:30 AM, which means I'll get done before dark and won't have to worry so much about the trailer's temperamental lights.
