Throw back post: Phillip Dutton Clinic

I didnt sit completely idle this winter...in addition to playing around bridleless with Tillie, I decided to go ahead and do a near by clinic with Phillip Dutton. What the heck right?

Well turns out, it was the shittiest weather day one could hope for doing anything outside. Poor Phillip had to be miserable because even riding wasnt pleasant. It was COLD and raining...and not just like overcast drizzling type raining. But like solid steady cold rain.

Meeting and greeting...the Giant dinasour is Emma from fraidy cat eventing.

Phillip was running each session like clockwork. Keeping the train moving I am sure in an effort to get the F out of the rain. The exercises he had set up were interesting and ones I am keeping in my tool box for sure...but I dont think we got the full experience with the crappy weather.

We were trying to make the best of it though!

The gist of the entire clinic was ride into your corners. He literally had cones set up like I do to my little kids to force us all to use the corners...and it is kind of amazing how much it took effort. Funny how much you don't realize you have a bad habit until someone calls it out.

You can see Phillip Dutton at Tillie's butt hollering at us from his megaphone.

Tillie was HOT this day...likely because it was so cold, not being ridden super consistently and needing her hocks done. She has never been a fan of cold weather and always comes out really tense and forward on colder days or mornings. But what told me she needed her hocks done (her tell tail sign) is the landing and dropping.

Yea we got our hocks injected a few days later lol

 For warm up he was very adamant about ridability...could you go forward and back in the canter. Could you leg yield. And my most favorite - can you ride with no stirrups. I wont lie it took a few mental quick pep talk phrases before I took my feet out...like excuse me sir? You want me to do what while its raining on the back of my fire breathing dragon?

But Tillie was a champ and didnt care...go figure

Leg yielding exercice

From there we did a line with three jumps with the center one offset...which was interesting. Also Tillie and I completely took out a standard which mortified me. But you know, no biggie, just an olympic medalist having to clean up my mess. Then tell me to do it again. Famous last words...

Tillie and I taking out the standard. Yep - that happened.

 Well I stayed on and it did get better....

Then we moved on to adjustability in a line. Could you come in and get 4 strides, then come back and do 5? Tillie nailed it as did everyone else in the group!

Tillie's mare glare is strong...

 So all in all not the most pleasant experience. But you know us eventers ride in anything so we made the best of it. I do hope to clinic with him again someday hopefully when its nicer out and allows more time to get feedback.

And huge shout out to Austen for capturing the day and very soggy moments!