LEE SMITH - Flagstaff Az.

by Dianna

I came to this clinic with a past history of having seen Saavyday, a 2 day primary clinic given by Lee and a 2 day level 2 by Linda Parelli plus several lessons from Mary Sutherland and had passed level one with Mark Smith (on a different horse from one brought to this clinic). I had never ridden in a clinic before but have shown a lot so am used to being in front of a crowd in an arena full of other horses. While I wasn't sure exactly what we would be doing there was the feeling that it would be similar to the previous clinic I have seen and that it would be "practice". WRONG!

By the end of the first day I was pretty sure I had accidentally ended up in some kind of level four thing. We were learning at warp speed. Judy is writing the detail report of all the tasks/theory/actual things we did and I believe it will be far better than I could drag from memory so I will only write about my experience as I lived it. Thanks to Judy for bringing lunch and moral support both days.

Both days began with groundwork and the inevitable disengaging of hindquarter. However we learned some new tricks - driving with the lariat rope - how to put it through the halter (you get some interesting things when the horse is suddenly 30 feet away instead of 12). I really felt intimidated by the lariat, but Lee explained about the coils, how they act and how to deal with them so well that I felt able to deal with this new tool much more quickly than I had expected. Being able to use this will be one of the most important things I learned this weekend.

About Saturday afternoon. I had come to the clinic knowing my horse had a bucking problem and sure enough she let go immediately with a rodeo. Lee took my horse and worked it online (reproducing those bucks right away) and what I remember were her comments about the horse being bracy. I have some emotional baggage I am still dragging with me about getting my back broken (again) and spent most of Sat afternoon mentally gone so I have limited amounts to share except that Lee seemed to know I needed to sit out a spell and regroup. Then when I was ready to rejoin I was welcomed back without any beg deal made about it. Most of the riding part had to do with turns on the hindquarters or forequarters and how to isolate each end. We worked on identifying where each leg was when it lifted off the ground and getting the soft feel with the rein.

One thing I remember was the supporting/pushing indirect rein BALANCED by the same weight of the direct rein. We put our arms straight out - no bent elbows - and turned the forequarters. When I figured out how important it was to have the right amount in each hand my turns improved dramatically. I no longer had to "shove" the horse around the circle. Then we did the straight arms out and moved the hindquarters. Lee had another lessons for us I really like about teaching the direct/indirect while mounted on another horse. Using a horse with a history of being hard to disengage she showed how to get the understanding through to the horse by setting it up and letting the horse figure it out. While I am not sure why exactly I think this it seems to me that using one horse to teach another must be a benefit in the level of anxiety the experience brings to the horse that has a history of mistreatment from past humans. Having more than on horse and only me to get them all exercised I end up ponying one. Watching Lee move that horse around was beautiful. I realize how limited I have been in what I have been asking and how much more there is.

Finally, I would like to tell about using the lariat while riding. We started on the ground getting the horse used to it being swung around and touching all parts including in and about the legs. Then progressed to swinging it and throwing it while mounted. Never figured I'd be doing this but it turned out to be much fun and the horse was not nearly as berserk as I figured. On additional note here - I have found out since the clinic just why lots of people wear gloves. I have a nice rope bum on my hand, as horsie didn't remember not to bolt while I was holding the lariat today. And it is NOT the nice old soft PHN rope so it tore through pretty good.

There is a lot more to remember but it is getting long so I will end here. There is another Lee clinic being talked about for the fall and I plan to be there. Hope to see you there too.