Edith Kane and Laura McMahon riding Welcome at the Equestrian Victoria summer training clinic
Edith Kane is an eventing rider who has been successfully been competing at 3* level for a number of years. She is a Level One NCAS coach with extensive coaching experience and last weekend she was one of the coaches at the Equestrian Victoria summer training clinic. Here she shares with us some tips for getting the most out of eventing clinics
To learn something new
To reinforce things already learnt (sometimes things said in a different way can click)
To harness the energy some of those riders can give
To try new things
To give experience to young horse
It always seems that the weather at Werribee Park is never perfect. It can be too cold, too wet, too hot and always too windy. So what is it that causes perfectly sane people to bring themselves out for two days over a weekend such as the one we just had at the Equestrian Victoria summer training clinic?
I’ve been riding in clinics for many years and more recently coaching at them. One thing always stands out about the participants. Everyone who is there is completely different and hoping for something slightly different out of the weekend, yet they all have one common goal... to leave with something more in the ‘bank’ than they started with. That something could be new information, a better understanding of some old information, inspiration, motivation, experience for young horses, or greater confidence in your own abilities and those of your horse. In particular they come for the opportunity to push themselves and their horses that little bit past their comfort zone in a controlled environment.
The best way to enter a clinic is with an open mind, ready to try new and sometimes seemingly unusual things. The aim of the coach at a clinic is not to try and completely change the whole way you ride in a weekend, but to give you fresh things to think about and small titbits that will hopefully improve what is already there. The coach is aware that they may not see the rider again and that the rider possibly already has a full time coach. They don’t want to send you away with your head spinning (just a mild churn). Never underestimate the power of ‘fresh eyes’ to see a fresh solution to an old problem. I always found clinics a great way to refresh old information as often the same thing said a different way can trigger a better understanding in the rider.
The clinics that stick with me the most have been the ones where I have come away with a feeling that I could take on the world. Sometime what you gain out of a clinic isn’t new information so much as a feeling of motivation and inspiration to be better and work harder. You will be set challenges, but your coach will make sure they are achievable, giving your more confidence in yourself and your horse. Once the rider feels this they become addicted to that ‘sky is the limit’ kind of feeling and they leave the clinic hungry for more. The coaches themselves are also mostly inspirational people who all have a story to tell. Listen to everything.
Clinics are a great opportunity for riders to test their skills on tougher fences before making the step up to then next level. Clinics are also a fantastic opportunity to expose young horses to a different environment before adding the hype of competition (particularly if you’re sharing windy Werribee with the polo and a horse show).
Clinics are like anything... ‘You only get out what you put in’.
Impress and respect your instructor by being neat, clean, smart and ON TIME. Listen to everything (try to avoid the chatterbox on the horse next door) and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Try everything and be prepared to work hard.
Eventing Victoria runs summer and winter training clinics which are always well attended so book early and make the most of this great opportunity.
Edith is based at GlenOwen Equestrian in Macclesfield Victoria and is available for private tuition or clinics. Her contact number is 0407864896
