Cashmore clinic- Rascal

So Grant Cashmore was back in the Wairarapa and 18 months since i last cliniced with him, we were back into it again. It totally reinforced that his system is the one I most agree with and works well with my horses. Thankfully, that even over 18 months I hadn't lost too much form and my lower leg had even improved so hell yes for that! My biggest issue is that on the left hand circle I struggle to get the feel in my hands just right. I want to pull back on the inside rein and allow to much neck bend, when I need to open my inside hand, and guide with it, while supporting and keeping the neck with a small bend in it towards the inside with my outside hand. All of my horses will blow off my outside leg aid and fall out the right shoulder because of this lack of supporting outside rein. It's one of those things I need to stay aware of and work on constantly, because I know it used to be better than
this.



So anyway, like all the Grant clinics, it's working on perfecting the basics, which means lots of walking and lots and lots of circles, to make us like little Ludgers. Still it's a good approach, until you have the walk, you can't get the trot and so on. Connie is a little bit ahead of the other two, she gets to do some work on straight lines! Woo! Anyway, on the Saturday, which was a stunning day of perfect weather after a hell of a frost, Rascal was really really good. She was a little sharp off of the leg, so it was a lot of walking circles, getting her to accept the inside leg and move off of it and into the outside hand, which in turn makes her soften. Maintaining the contact with the outside hand to keep her straight, and stop her falling out of the shoulder, and to prevent her speeding up.



She was always trying to trot at the same spots on the circle, so I could anticipate and half halt on the outside rein and prevent the trot and maintain the softness which is good. Even in the trot and canter she worked really well, though I have a lot of work to do on improving the transitions, and the acceptance of the leg. Hopefully, I can get her going really well and sell her for some decent money.

On Sunday, the weather was not so forgiving and actually really sucked. Torrential downpours, with brief cold but not raining patches (I only rode in trackpants because the weather was so bad, I would never clinic in them otherwise). And Rascal! Well she had been up all night in the stables flirting with her brother (eeww!) and threatening the other horses, and she was probably sore from the day before and she was really witchy. That isn't fair probably, she was really unsettled and even sharper to the leg, so eventually I had to lose the spurs. It was a lot harder to try and give her a nice ride with her being so reluctant to soften and move away from my inside leg. We did get some nice work, but it wasn't as nice as the day before.



And when we cantered down to the cross she stopped! She hadn't locked on at all so I may have surprised her. But still! And then she stopped again! And that was just being naughty. Still once she did jump, she jumped well and felt good, with a nice trail over the fences. Time will tell I guess, need to put some more work in and see what I can make of her. Would love to get decent money for her :) because she is a really nice little horse, but she isn't going to be a jumper really.