Saturday, May 7, 2011

Wimbley's Second Dressage Clinic

At the end of February, we went to the second Henk van Bergen clinic.  This one was at a new facility in White Fences, in Loxahatchee, which meant a longer trailer ride.  Wimbley and Dance both took it in stride.  This was not a covered arena, but there was a mirror on the full length of the short side.  Wimbley paid it no notice.  And the footing was absolutely perfect.  The whole facility is absolutely gorgeous!  It belongs to a friend of mine that I met while I was in Germany, and before she moved to the United States, but that is a story for a different time....
Henk could see that his training was progressing since October, and seemed pleased with that progress.  His main comment was, “Yah, I see he makes a mistake here and there, but I also see that you immediately correct the mistake and go on.  I can’t say more than that; he is a young horse still.  It is a bonus that he already can do a bit of leg yielding so you are, for sure, on the right track here.” 
The further suggestion he made was that I make sure to keep him soft in the contact in the downwards transitions and that he doesn’t lean on my contact, so we practiced that a little, with Henk giving me the help from the ground to feel when it was absolutely correct. 
We ended on a great note, and I was looking forward to the second day of the clinic, when it happened…..

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