Title: Why Attend A Clinic

Author: Bill Dunigan

 [Back to Article List]

Article:
 Why Attend a Clinic ?

Bill Dunigan

 Many riders have asked this question over the years. Quite a
number of them are self-taught. Likewise, many of them have also
trained their own horses. This is a very common situation in the
horse world. However, the more involved we become in competing,
the more assistance we need. The chances are that the riders who
are placing ahead of you have a coach, trainer, or instructor to
work with or seek input from.

 Look for instance at the equestrian teams of any of the
countries competing in international competitions. All of these
teams have coaches. The same thing is true of any of the riding
teams associated with schools everywhere. If you look at the top
competitors in your field competing as individuals, you will
find they have a few select, trusted, and knowledgeable friends
or family members who constantly give them feedback. This is in
itself, a form of coaching. Today the caliber of horses is so
high and the talent, knowledge and ability of the riders is so
superior, that if you are competing you need someone on the
ground.

 Most of our friends or family are accustomed to seeing us ride
a particular way or our horse going a certain way, and as a
result may miss something that really needs to change. When we
bring in a new set of eyes it's interesting how these things
suddenly get resolved. Also, most of us tend to hear only what
we want to hear from people we already know. Don't underestimate
the value of that outside opinion.

 The clinician is there to help as much as possible in a short
period of time. As a result of the time constraints, they will
tend to zero in on very specific areas. If you approach the
opportunity as a real learning experience, it's amazing just how
much you can come away with. I am not suggesting that a clinic
will be a fix all event. Instead, it should give you a different
perspective from which to view things. It should provide you
with some additional ideas on how to resolve some of the issues
you may be encountering. Every clinician and clinic is both
similar and different at the same time. Each will have their own
individual way of expressing themselves.

 Hopefully, you will be able to gain enough insight into how
best to resolve your particular problems. The clinician is there
to help you. The last thing in the world you should want at a
clinic is for your horse to go perfectly or for you to ride
perfectly. You are paying for the help, so if you are ever going
to make mistakes, this is the time to do it. That way you can
really get your money's worth. If the clinician never sees the
problem, there isn't much they can do to help you take care of
it. Don't be timid about asking questions. I know that when I am
teaching a clinic I want questions. That shows me that they are
paying attention and have a sincere interest. You may not have
the chance to work with that individual again so be sure you
learn as much as possible. If something is mentioned to either
you or another rider and you don't quite understand it, go ahead
and ask. I never want a student to go away from any of my
clinics without understanding what was discussed.

 In summery let me say that one of the aims of an instructor is
to impart as much knowledge as they can, in a given period of
time, in such a way that each and every rider can improve and
continue to grow in their riding and training abilities. As a
participant in a clinic you should watch and listen to
everything being said. It may not be something that you need
right now, but you never know what you might encounter later
with your current horse or the next one. If you have the
opportunity to attend a clinic, don't hesitate. There are many
very capable clinicians available today in all riding
disciplines. Take advantage of the opportunity to work with
someone different and if you make it a real learning experience,
you just may gain some valuable information that can help you
now and well into the future.

 You have permission to copy and reuse this article provided
there are no changes made to the article and credit is given to
the author and the link to his website remains in place. Please
notify him by email if you are going to use this article. You
may contact Bill Dunigan through his website:
http://www.BarrelRacingClinic.com

About the author:
Bill Dunigan has been teaching and competing in excess of 40
years. He has taught and competed in Barrel Racing,
Hunter/Jumper, Eventing, Dressage and served as President of a
local Dressage Association. During this time, he Fox Hunted four
days a week with two different Hunt clubs, one of which he
served as Joint Master. Bill qualified six years in a row for
the World Championships with the National Barrel Horse
Association.

Disclaimer
Opinions expressed in articles on this website are those of the author(s) of each story or article and not necessarily those of  Shadow Ridge.  Shadow Ridge does not necessarily agree with, support, or endorse any definitions, treatments, opinions or statistics stated by these authors. They are entirely responsible for the content of their respective story(s) or article(s).

[top] [back to article list]