Pay attention, people
Having been lucky enough to own some reasonable show jumping horses, thanks to Greg and Pam Smith who find them, ride them, look after them and let me come along for the ride (so to speak) I’ve been to watch a few George Morris clinics over the years.
In some ways you could say that if you’ve been to one of George’s clinics you’ve been to them all. That may sound unkind (we’ll talk more about being unkind later) but it could only be said in the sense that George’s teaching is classical and consistent. There are no fancy gadgets, quick fixes or latest fads. You have to ride well, have a well-schooled and responsive horse and listen to what you’re being told. And the last applies as equally to the audience as to the riders in George's world
I attended the first day of the clinic at Adam Wootten’s Australian Sporting Equine Academy in the Yarra Valley, Victoria so can only pass on a few points (six in particular) that struck me that day and a smattering of George’s gems but no doubt there were plenty more over the three days. Amanda Ross and Matilda Alexander were both riding in the session I watched and they have kindly allowed us to show some video of them as it really helps explain the exercises.
Matilda was riding Smokey Quartz who had recently been sold but was back on loan for the clinic as Matilda’s new horse was injured and Sydney 2000 Olympian Amanda was riding one of her 2 Star level eventers, Loxley. Matilda had done a clinic previously with George but it was Amanda’s first time and we caught her madly polishing her gear beforehand as George is a stickler for neatness and correct tack. Amanda is pretty fastidious in her turnout anyway but it’s good that George makes people think about their presentation.
Point one is why wouldn’t you be well presented for any clinic?
George is still trim and dapper but his voice was a little croaky to start, even with the microphone, as he addresses the ‘people’. I love this little euphemism that he uses, often in a despairing tone, as he talks to the group of riders gathered before him, or behind him as he does also like to address the audience. The clinic may be for the benefit of the riders but if you’re going to be a part of the audience at George’s clinic, he makes damn sure you’re going to learn something too. And if the little boy in the audience who keeps getting up and down isn’t interested in what George has to say, then he needs to leave the arena or George will stop teaching. This may be, in some people’s view, ‘unkind’ or may just be refreshingly blunt
Point two is don’t take your children to clinics and let them cause a disturbance (it may not seem like a disturbance to you but it may be for others)
Amanda may be an eventer but doesn’t seem to suffer from the problem directed at another rider “Are you an eventer?” enquires George “I hate hands on the wither. Eventers love the wither”
All riders are requested (“Don’t question it, just do it”) to ride with a higher hand in all paces starting at the walk. These horses may be able to jump 1.30m but not before they’ve done some basic flatwork including sitting trot. Again full marks to Amanda and Matilda who perform sitting trot with ease but it doesn’t look easy for everyone
Point three is that all jumping depends on you riding well in between the fences. Sitting trot may not be used when jumping a course but it is a basic riding skill which should be mastered by riders at this level
And in case you think that George can’t do it himself, he hops on and rides one of the horses for 15 minutes. As George was born on February 26th, 1938 he is no spring chicken but he looks pretty comfortable doing sitting trot and the rest
The ‘George riding show’ over, it’s time to get really get stuck in to some flat work. It’s simple stuff like walk, trot, walk, trot transitions but it must be done in a good balance and rhythm equally well on both reins. Then it’s the transition from shoulder-in to haunches-in around the arena on both reins and Amanda and Matilda are looking pretty starry. Amanda even gets a ‘beautiful’ and ‘lovely transition’ from George
George is quite clear about a few basics;
- Maintain a good lower leg position - your stirrup leather should be perpendicular to the ground
- Carry your hands –don’t rest them on the wither
- Your hands should follow the horse’s mouth – when a horse resists, lift your hands, don’t lower them
- Always check your rhythm in all paces and especially after changing rein
- Use inside leg to outside hand enabling you give and take with the inside hand
- Always carry a stick – every horse should be educated to accept the rider carrying a stick ( a couple of riders not carrying sticks wisely made eyebrow motions to their grooms in the audience to bring them a stick, pronto)
- Don’t see saw the hand, simply fix the hand steady and close the fist
- Horses must be taught to respond to the leg
Point four could be summed up in George’s own words “What do you do with your horses all week, people?" (inferring obviously not flat work)
We’re a good 55 minutes into the one and a half hour session and the riders are still nowhere near jumping a fence. First they need to show they can counter canter as required with a three loop serpentine at the canter on both reins that shows up a few problems and then some work in the 2 and 3 point positions.
Just as you may be thinking there will be no jumping this session (after all, this is a three day clinic), George lets the riders have a little relax, asks them to put up their stirrups to jumping length and check their girths, an essential before any jumping
From here, the videos help explain the exercises starting with a little grid and now he wants the hands softer and lower and the body forward
They are quickly on to a few trickier jumps and now the discipline instilled by good flatwork comes in to play using some awkward angles and turns. The riders’ eyes also start to play an important role by contributing to getting a good distance and setting the right direction. It isn’t the height of the jumps that cause problems but, as George wants to the turns to get tighter but not faster, the exercise quickly becomes more difficult and the horse needs to be really responsive and understanding of the aids
Point five – a tight turn comes from outside neck rein, outside leg and inside opening rein
As a really tight turn is required straight after the gate in one exercise George wants them to stay forward in the air and give a little which is not easy. One rider runs into problem, has a few stops and is told in no uncertain terms that she rode that ‘like a little girl’ and ‘you taught him to stop’. Next comes a classic quote as she gets through the exercise and gives George a smile to be rebuked with “Don’t give me that grin as I’m particularly unimpressed by you”
At the risk of seeming childish, I just couldn’t stop giggling (very quietly in case I too was banished from the arena like the little boy)
In his summary George asks the riders to name the six points of the German training scale. For those not familiar with them they are
- Rhythm (Takt)
- Looseness (Losgelassenheit)
- Contact and acceptance of the bit (Anlehnung)
- Impulsion (Schwung)
- Straightness (Geraderichtung)
- Collection (Versammlung)
Point six – know your six points
The jumping part of the session had been short but very effective in determining what needed to be worked on and George leaves them with this thought “You will get better people – that’s why I need three days”
We caught up with Amanda afterwards and asked how she enjoyed her first clinic with George and why pure show jumping training is important for eventers
Amanda Ross
