Every sport (much like any other endeavor) requires years of learning, training, and practice to reach elite levels. Most equestrians align themselves first with a coach or trainer for daily or weekly feedback, and plan to work with those trainers for many years. Attending clinics are another way to improve your riding and expand your knowledge in unexpected ways, but there is definitely a good way, and then a better way, to get the most out of a clinic.
Clinics are generally one or two days long and are sometimes structured with multiple one-on-one lessons, or with several groups of riders with similar abilities. Whether or not you are riding in the clinic, plan to watch as many of the sessions as possible. Good clinicians will teach based on the riders and horses right in front of them, but you will notice trends and recurring themes from one group or rider to another, even across levels. Learning to recognize how riders of various experience levels can use the same fundamental skills can help to reinforce and reiterate those skills even for those auditing. Take notes! So much can be covered in these sessions that notes are the best way to keep all the information and so you can review and reorganize it at a later time.
Don’t forget to prepare for a clinic. You want to ride your best to be able to get the most out of the limited time you will have with that clinician, so don’t skip your regular lessons leading up to clinic sessions. In fact, prepare for a clinic just like you would prepare for a competition. Tune up your riding, take an extra lesson or two so that you feel confident in your current riding abilities and can focus on learning new skills in the clinic. Make sure that your horse is impeccably turned out and that your riding clothes are well-fitted and professional.
Practice is a time for repetition, but clinics are a chance to learn new things. Maximize your time with these trainers and try not to make them repeat instructions, like to keep one hand higher or keep a steady pace. This is your opportunity be as responsive as possible with your riding so that every sentence is a new instruction. If possible, have someone video your ride or session so that you can review everything later. Sometimes you’ll receive so much information at once that it’s impossible to absorb and retain everything in real time.
Clinics are a wonderful chance to get in front of trainers that are highly sought after and not easily accessible. The atmosphere of clinics is different from regular training sessions and provides riders the chance to learn and practice in a more charged and public setting. The opportunities to expand your riding through clinics are limitless!
