Postby StraightForward » Tue Jul 02, 2019 4:17 am
The clinic was great! Several people had driven hours to be there as auditors, so I didn't feel weird. I actually think I got more out of auditing than if I'd been a clinic participant. Buck was great about answering audience questions. He is really funny and insightful, and doesn't pull any punches (actually, he says he heavily edits what he's thinking before it comes out of his mouth).
There was one English rider there - a jumper with a mare that was almost Tesla's spitting image, including the impatience and pawing habit.
Unlike the standard dressage clinic, he does demos on his own horses, and gives everyone as a group exercises to do, then steps in as people need help. It was amazing how much he caught between the 20 or so in the colt clinic, and 30 or so in the horsemanship clinic. Very sharp eye.
However, if I'd had Tesla there, I would have crapped myself, I think. After the colts were saddled in the morning, they wore their saddles over lunch, and then were all turned loose together in the arena and herded around. There was some kicking, and one horse fell right in front of me, but none got hurt. Then they'd bring 6-8 at a time in the arena to back in rope halters. Nothing like sitting on a colt for the first time while another one loses it and starts to run. Only one person fell off. He had his apprentices step in and ride colts the owners weren't ready to get on.
He heavily emphasized continually going back to ground work, and working with little problems to nip them in the bud. For instance, he was using his own 3 year old to demo, and it rushed a little walking through the roundpen gate. He spent probably 10 minutes taking it back and forth through the gate until he was satisfied that the horse was walking through 100% calmly.
So I'm really glad I went, and it helped me connect the dots and fill in a couple blank areas with the way I've started colts in the past (lunge them, tack them, get on and hope).
Keep calm and canter on.