A great clinic weekend at Delta Q Stables in Smithville, Missouri. Saturday was the general horsemanship clinic. People brought their horses and Cal gave demonstrations about getting your horse more soft and supple. Cal worked with the riders on the following topics.
- What do I do if my horse does not stand still?
- What do I do if my horse is to pushy?
- How do I get my young horse to pick up the correct lead?
- How do I catch my horse?
- How do I get my horse to load in the trailer/load better?
- How do I perfect the transitions from walk, to trott, to lope?
Before and after the riding portion of the clinic, there was a very informational barn discussion were Cal sat down with all the riders and discussed questions that they about their riding and/or their horses. Cal would like to extend a thank you to everybody that participated in the clinic.
This brings us to the second day of the clinic weekend at the Delta Q Stables. The second day was focused on trail riding. Before we went on the trail Cal discussed how important it is to have basic control of your horse, and how to achieve this, in order to handle trail situations. Cal took time with each rider to be sure they had these basic maneuvers while we were in the arena. Take a look at the list of basic maneuvers.
- Walking and trotting on a lose rein
- Steering right and left
- Stopping and backing up
- Standing still and relaxed on a lose rein
Next Cal discussed how we use these basic components to handle any situations they might come across while on the trail. The sunday afternoon trail ride was fully loaded with nearly every type of situation you might came across while out trail riding.
- How to deal with a barn sour horse.
- Dealing with highway traffic.
- Dealing with dogs.
- Dealing deer, turkeys, and other wildlife.
- Dealing with 4-wheelers/dirt bikes.
- How to handle log crossings.
- How to deal with water crossings.
- How to safely maneuver on narrow trails and steep hills.
- How to keep a safe distance between your horse and the horse in front of you on a narrow trail.
After the trail ride they had a short barn discussion and Cal gave all the riders some trail riding tips to remember.
- Focus on your horse at all times.
- Keep both hands in ready position and refrain from using your cell phones, ipod, or any other devices.
- Always stop and dismount your horse before eating or drinking.
- Always lead your horses back to the barn and/or trailer.
This was a great clinic weekend and we want to thank everybody for joining Cal.
