LAURIE: Lendon Gray Clinic Notes

Wow, I have six pages of notes! Lendon is truly a teacher’s teacher. As auditors, Whitney and I left the clinic enthused, inspired and ready to face the winter with energy! Overall, Lendon’s approach is that there are absolutes to this sport. You must be aware of your body. You must be aware of where you are going in the ring. You must know why you are doing a particular movement. You must take responsibility for how your horse is performing. Your horse’s progress is up to you and you must hold yourself to a high standard every time you ride. Her lessons frequently involved bringing the rider to a halt and asking them a question regarding their execution of a particular task or movement. This served to focus them and enlighten them as to how their aids were being perceived by the horse.

I will attempt to put my notes in a digestible size and format.

The horse learns what he practices. Good or bad.

A circle, to be a circle, has to end where it started.

Give! As you whoa. No pulling in the moment the horse makes the downward transition.

Ride meticulous corner. Every corner is a suppling, bending exercise.

Do not ride like you are in the show ring, making the best of what you have. TRAIN HIM!

ON CONTACT

Make the reins feel like the brow band on his head. No matter what his head does or where it moves, the pressure stays the same.

ON POSITION

When posting, feel the knees going up and down in the saddle slightly.

You cannot have an elastic arm with a tight fist.

Let your arms move as a unit. If your horse’s head is swinging right and left, touch your thumbs together to still your hands.

Weight must be in your heels. Go to jumping position to get depth in your leg.

You must have a passive, following position in your body in all gaits before you can have an active position.

Fix your bad positions habits NOW!

ON THE WALK

Ride the free walk marching, with the shoulders swinging and then pick up a PASSIVE contact to medium walk so as to maintain the quality of the free walk.

ON HALF HALTS

A half halt equals an immediate adjustment. The next stride must be different.

(In reference to collecting the canter) Anything you do every stride is not working! Otherwise you are part of the balance –creating the need for a fifth leg.

ON THE CANTER

The best canter/walk transitions come from a very short canter.

When having trouble in canter/walks, practice “not pretty” canter/halts, then at the last minute change your mind and walk.

ON FLYING CHANGES

For a lazy horse, finish the line of tempis faster than what you started.

(In relation to a lazy horse) “They are called FLYING changes!”

ON PIROUETTES

In both walk and canter, start from a shorter stride so that you can ride forward in the pirouette.

First stride must be small.

You must never feel that you can’t get out.

Any next stride must be able to be straight ahead.

ON IMPULSION

There should be enough impulsion that to whoa, fix your arms, to go, follow your arms.

You can only have a good lengthening if you can allow it, not make it.