4 Guidelines to Survive Any Clinic

2nd legit cross over pic!!

In lieu of a detailed write up of dressage minutiae that would bore most of you to tears (BUT MAKES ME REALLY EXCITED), let's talk about my four biggest takeaways from the clinic we did this weekend. You can read this even if you are bored to tears by watching, doing, or thinking about dressage.

I'm 2% too classy to show a picture of this.

1) Keep repeating "this will prepare us to show". Even if you have to do it through clenched teeth. Over and over and over. 

And over.

Because yes. Sometimes the person who rides after you will start warming up in the same tiny indoor as you and make really questionable choices. Like. You know. Cantering around on their semi-broke horse, not holding the reins, waving their arms over their head, and trying to crash into you while your horse is going "WHAT THE ACTUAL F***" and trying not to die.

And I wish I was kidding.

I was THISCLOSE to my first real dressage queen meltdown.

about as comfortable as it looks

2) There are parts of your body you do not know about.

You do not, in fact, have muscles there.

This will hurt.

Try to think of the pain as a good thing.

redheadlins tries to keep me from dying

3) You will regret flipping off the clinician. 

Maybe.

Actually, I really can't give you accurate information on this one, because when I really wanted to flip her off, my body was in contorted agony and I couldn't rub enough brain cells together to also lift my middle finger while riding like a frog on a fish making cake with dry clay. Also frosting. It made sense in context, ok?

pretty much like this

4) SHOWTUNES

This was the best. The clinician was trying to explain leg yields and literally broadway danced for us on foot in the middle of the arena. I about fell off laughing, but HOT DAMN we got that crossover step.

And maybe jazz hands too! (Kidding! No jazz hands were harmed in the making of this clinic wrap up.)

possible new profile pic

I have more homework than I can wrap my brain around right now, which is exactly what I want as we slide into winter and indoors and darkness and ALL THE PRACTICE TIME.

You guys. I can't even pretend I'm sad about winter. Courage is turning into a real dressage horse and it is so much fun!