Dressage clinics - Egos and two sides to every story

First a note to my European friends: A dressage clinic is nothing medical! It's a "Lehrgang" in German, or "cours" in French.

Ok, after all the controversy regarding the blog “It’s time to train the trainers” on the Chronicle Of The Horse website, and friends asking me what I thought about it, here are my five cents:

The woman has a point. There definitely is a lack of well trained, local trainers that can teach the ABCs of dressage (or any riding discipline, for that matter) with skill and compassion for both horse and rider. Yes, she sounds rather abrasive and condescending, but I also think she wrote what some other clinicians think but don’t dare to loudly express. It seems silly to pay around $300 for 45 minutes to get told how to hold the reins or post the trot. And yes, teaching the rudimentary basics probably does not utilize the clinicians considerable skills and experience to the fullest (to say it kindly).

A visiting European clinician once quietly asked me “Why do the Americans spend all this money for a clinic?” Ah, good one!

Take your pick, in no particular order:

(A)    Because they can afford it

(B)    There are no good local trainers available

(C)    They don’t want to make the commitment of having regular lessons and hope for a quick fix

(D)   Practice in a show like atmosphere (spectators) without the stress of scores

(E)    Their trainer needs to fill the clinic and ‘strongly encourages’ students’ participation

(F)    It’s something to brag about

(G)   They want to work on specific problems and/or strive to learn from international accomplished experts

My reasons are always (G), with a bit of (D) mixed in. I have been fortunate to ride with a few outstanding clinicians over the years, and I got a lot out  of it (Thank you, George!). Once so much I felt compelled to write a -published- article for the USDF Connection about it.

So, it’s a free country, and whatever the motivations are, clinics are mostly beneficial. A word to the wise: ALWAYS check out the clinician beforehand, don’t just sign up because somebody recommends the person, or the person has published an article or a book. I remember auditing a clinic where the well known rider and published author beat the heck out of a participant’s horse. Or the time a friend of mine rode with a European trainer and he threw a chair after her horse because the trot wasn’t forward enough (!?). There is responsibility on both sides to be as professional and committed as possible.

Finally, if you are a rider and you can’t sit the trot or hold the reins correctly, don’t sign up with a clinician that feels offended by it. And on the flip side: If you are a clinician and feel “dissed” (disrespected) by having to teach beginners, don't whine - just make sure none sign up.