Selena O'hanlon Clinic Recap

Yes, I did purchase photos, buuutt I don't have them yet, they should be arriving soon!

 

As every year passes, the lip gets droopier....

 

This Saturday a local stable, Catori Lane, hosted a Selena O'hanlon eventing clinic.
(Many thanks to Tori for arranging this fantastic event.)

After trying the short course events last year with my friend's horse, Thunder, I was determined to get my mare out this year to give it another shot and see if the new atmosphere and job description would peak her interest a little more than her regular job as a hunter.

And to answer that, there is certainly no question of which 'job' she prefers. I would be a fool and cruel to ignore her flamboyant response. Clearly all Paloma needed was a little stimulation to open up her reserves.
Hello eventing, bubye hunters?
While my OCD sheds a little tear, my need for a rewarding and good natured experience to shed the stresses of life yips for joy!


To recap the clinic experience...
Our group started with some flat work to warm up. Lengthening and shortening within the gait, lateral work for those spooky moments, short halts to prepare for a solid half halt, loopy circles to loosen etc.
We then moved onto a gymnastic which was built up as we went. It started with four raised caveletti's in a 'box' formation, then added a decent sized cross rail and one stride canter poles there after. Seems simple right? Well it really wasn't.
Selena made us sit through the poles and focus on each pole until it disappeared. Ask for the canter in the 'take off zone', of which she drew in the sand, and again focus on the next pole until it disappeared.
I, of course, did my hunter 'thang and got out of the saddle for the gymnastic. I just couldn't help it! I swear it is ingrained in my brain.
Selena reiterated that the exercise is for the horses, not us. We are to sit in the tack and stay behind the pommel the entire time with no change compared to going down the opposite long side without any obstructions.
I finally got this through my head by forcing myself to sit the trot long before the exercise but I still kept tilting my body forward into two point.
Selena pointed out that the cross rail is not even a 'jump' really and this is eventing, 'we' don't perch, and that perching can get you in trouble if your horse stumbles or slips on course. These jumps won't fall, she pointed out. Then she made a statement that really stuck with me, 'your horse is rearing to jump a fence, you don't throw yourself on his neck when he rears, you sit in the tack and your body naturally follows the upward motion to balance'.
Then she took away my stirrups and said, ok, come through now and FEEL the difference.
Without my stirrups I couldn't perch, or I'd roll off the neck and because I didn't perch, Paloma didn't get flat, she 'reared' her body up to meet mine and pushed UP and over the fence.

Selena was quick to offer encouraging praise and then went on to explain why Paloma jumps flat. It is because of me. Figures!
She explained that those fancy six-figure hunters are so talented and strong that they can bear the weight of their riders launching themselves onto their necks. Normal horses can't do that over 3' + fences. But that is why they are worth six figures, they are rare!
This made perfect sense.


We then moved on to work on straightness through bending lines and over poles as guides. Our goal was to engage our 'V', glutes down each thigh, and push our 'shopping carts' towards our end goal.
Short reins and horses head up, otherwise the horse will fall off the 'train tracks' and lose the spring in their step, which could result in a stumble.
While one exercise was a loose 'S' the other was a 'Z' of poles to really accentuate the importance of choosing your track and not falling off the 'rails'.
With the flat 'Z', we were to pick up a medium trot, collect in our 'squarish' turn, think TOF or TOH, and lengthen to a medium trot to the next pole, collect for another 'squarish' turn and again lengthen to the next pole.

After our flat session, we headed out to cross. This is when Pal woke up...

Everyone was wound up to get to the big stuff right from the get go. Selena held back and said, it is important to ALWAYS warm up with small fences on cross to check your horses well being, 'these fences won't fall, you will' she said. Selena quickly picked up on one horse who was favouring a front hoof, I examined as close as I could but I could see nothing. (That is why she is Pro and I am not, lol)

We started over a baby brick wall, a coop, then over a wood pile, to a large 'fallen' log. I thought brave thoughts, and repeated, sit deep, push my shopping cart with my 'V' and don't look like a donkey's ass in front of the Olympian.
My self preservation in mind, I chose to trot most first, then realizing it is much harder to 'stay behind the pommel' in trot, I cantered. I innately wanted to throw my body to stay with the motion. Selena corrected this by telling me to stare at my saddle's pommel after picking my path to the fence. Let me tell you it worked but it was hard!

Selena was really open to questions and offering homework.
I had mentioned that what she was saying was 'the right way' felt like I was being left behind, she agreed that it would be that it will save your face on a cross course. 'Slip your reins if you must but stay behind that pommel' she shouted as I cantered to a fence.
She then suggested that I work on drops with Paloma but seeing as I do not have access to cross fences at home, she quickly came up with setting a tiny 2' vertical and walking the jump. She said it would quickly remedy me of my hunter poke. (Eap! lol)

We were starting to run out of time so we strung a few fences together before moving onto some larger fences. 
We started with a dog house/truck tire jump. Paloma jumped it the first time, spooked the second and I had one run out because I didn't ride, I rather gave up and Pal felt it. Selena remarked that Paloma was extremely brave but that her bravery could cause her to get in trouble because she decides on a 13ft stride to 'take on' the fence and I let her do it. I have to be the boss and keep the 12ft stride.

Problem solved, we moved on to a SKINNY giant tire jump that was built between two ginormous evergreen trees. Thankfully, I think, we went last.
I thought Pal would stop, Selena shouted 'push that shopping cart, don't give up on her', so I pushed my shopping cart with my 'V' and we jumped it! Whhhaaa... I checked to make sure we were in fact on the other side and intact before cantering through the path of trees, turning around and coming back through for another go.
Selena said to come through in trot and as I watched the others unable to get back to the trot, I silently thought, 'Pal will get the trot, no problem. She definitely has more 'whoa' than 'go'.
My time came, I asked... I pleaded Pal for a trot, I had a moment of 'WTF, who is this horse?!',  but Pal had locked on and we were jumping that skinny, death trap! EAP! So, I pushed my shopping cart again, kept behind the pommel and it happened. We were over the fence and Selena was whooping for us, I couldn't hold back my grin and pats for my brave partner.


Time ran out sadly, I could have kept going all day.
We took the long way through the woods to the trailer for a nice cool down and to see how Pal would react to the rest of the fences.
I asked her to walk over the small ones as Selena suggested, but Pal had other plans. She locked on and jumped them. I let her rather than have a fight.

I think I might need a stronger bit.... who is this horse! Apparently this eventing thing IS as infectious as they say!


Overall, it was a great day! Everyone was so friendly and encouraging I was left awestruck. Surely, these people are not normal horse people.... eventers truly are a different breed and I like it!