So this past weekend was the Region 1 Workshop at Scott’s. What a fun day! It was a little chilly, but there were warm drinks to keep everyone going through the afternoon. I was very fortunate to be a demo rider again this year. Last year I rode my own Windsor and this year I rode a clients horse, Fiona. Fiona is owned by Mike Linardi, he is the best client anyone could ask for!! I help Mike with Fiona on a weekly basis with either me riding her and/or Mike having lessons. We usually work together 2 to 3 days a week. We have a nice little plan developed that helps Fiona to keep progressing and for Mike to continue to learn and feel from her. Anyone that knows me, knows how much I love this horse!! She is such a wonderful temperament, very rideable and trainable but also very talented. She has that wonderful combination of easy going and you can jazz her up when you need to but she never gets tense, and talk about great hind legs, boy can she use them!!! Overall, she is just a really fun horse to have in the barn.
When Scott asked if I could bring her for the workshop, I was very excited! I love any chance I can get to show the world how great this little mare is. We were the First level demo horse, schooling 2nd level. Fiona was a star! We were able to do some closing at the trot and canter as well as shoulder-in and haunches-in. Fiona still struggles with the haunches-in, so it was good to work through the difficulties with Scott’s help and to show that to the auditors. She also struggles with the canter walk transition, so we did some shoulder-in on a circle followed by bringing her in to a smaller circle and then doing the transision to walk. This was very effective in giving Fiona the idea of what we wanted without feeling as if we were running into the walk transition. We finished with some medium trot that was super! Fiona had her own little fan club by the end of the clinic. I think Mike was taking offers to the highest bidder for Fiona eggs by the end of the afternoon! I think we will have some pictures up on the website soon for you to see and there is also the video that will be for sale on Hassler Dressage’s website www.hasslerdressage.com
My plan is to bring Devon home on Saturday. I will miss going to Scott’s everyday and being in that atmosphere but I am eager to get Devon home and start working on everything we have learned the past month and a half. Sometimes the best learning comes when you have some time by yourself to ride and let things sink in… this is usually when I have my aaaaahhhhhhaaaaaa moments! I am sure Devon will be glad to be home and shake his head at the other horses as they walk by as if to say, “the King is back”!
