Clinics

Clinics

The clinics are tailored to each group's (or individual) requirements. Offering 1 day, 2 day or 3 day clinics at different venues. If you would like to host a clinic at your yard please contact Katie.

The aim is to make the clinics fun and interesting for riders/handlers and horses of all levels. Most clinics are a mixture of ridden and in-hand work, a fantastic opportunity to strengthen your communication and relationship with your horse with like-minded people. Watching different people work their horses is not something we get to do everyday, and is a valuable opportunity to learn different ways of training. The clinics are designed to get you connected to your horse and really talking to them, the aim is that you go away inspired to explore your relationship even further.

Self-awareness is a key part of all Katie's teaching, but the clinics are a way of really assessing how you communicate with your horse and watching how other people communicate with their's. Body language is a huge part of communcation that a lot of people forget about.

What to expect:

In-hand/Groundwork Clinics:-

Improve rhythm, suppleness and strength
Encourage good posture for a healthy back and good quality movement
Use lateral movements to increase suppleness and build core strength
Involve polework to build strength and coordination
Work at walk, trot and canter to improve balance and cadence
Encourage the horses to be less heavy on the forehand and work more from behind
Teach people a way to work their horses to reduce lameness and injury
Set boundaries to encourage good manners
Build trust between horse and rider, get them tuned into listening to the handler
Physically and mentally engaging for the horse
Create a beautiful, harmonious partnership between horse and ride/handler which can then transform your riding
Perfect for unbacked or green young horses to teach them the basics
Helpful for experienced ridden horses to promote wellbeing and balance
Suitable for the older or retired horses to keep them mobile and supple in their later yeawhen they are perhaps not quite ready to give up all work.

Flatwork Clinics:-

Improve the horses way of going under saddle to ensure their wellbeing and peak performance
Encourage balance and cadence
Encourage the horse to be light on the forehand and work from behind to reduce lameness and injury
Create a harmonious combination of horse and rider than work together and mirror eachother's movements so the whole picture is soft and supple
Use lateral work to build core strength and suppleness
Play with the tempo within gaits to encourage the horse to listen to the rider's subtle aids
Show the rider how to maintain a soft, gentle contact to teach the horse to also be soft in the mouth, even when the horse may be a 'puller' or a 'leaner'
Correct muscle development for the horse
A stronger core and balance for horse and rider
All techniques are useful for those who compete and those who don't but just want a happier healthier horse
Exercises to build confidence in the saddle

Jumping Clinics:-

Improve rhythm, suppleness and strength
I work a lot with horses who are irregular to a fence i.e. rush the last few strides or back off the last few strides, to develop a confident and rhythmical approach to fences
Gridword is used for rhythem, strength and stamina
Course riding is great for practice for the competitions
I use exercises to encourage balance on the corners so the rhythm doesn't alter around the course
Gymnastic exercises are used for suppleness and to get the horse thinking about foot placements

Polework Clinics:-

To improve rhythm, suppleness and strength
Well spaced poles encourage regular, good quality striding
Raised poles encourage more core muscle engagement and builds strength
Correct polework should encourage a horse to lift and utilise his back whilst pushing more with the hind end.

Katie travels around the UK carrying out assessments and training clinics, if you would like to attend or host a clinic please get in touch!