Hartpury March

After a hectic few weeks of being all over the country teaching, it was lovely to remain in Gloucestershire at the weekend and have another mechanical horse clinic at Hartpury.

Some of the riders travelled very long distances though to take part with two ladies coming over from Kent, one from Cumbria and one form Cheshire, along with the more local riders. As always, it gave riders the chance to really focus on their position and balance- even the more established riders always say they really benefit from tweaks to how they are riding. We often do quite a bit of work without a stirrup to strengthen the left leg position and make them more aware of how much their right leg needs to be doing to keep them securely in the saddle.

The opportunity to have a go at either or both the show jumping and cross-country modes is always popular too, giving the opportunity to really focus on jumping position and technique without having to worry about what the horse may do! It helps to build rider's confidence in a nice, safe environment.

I also had some riders trying side-saddle for the first time before introducing to their own horses, which is an ideal way to get started. Learning all about the saddle and how to sit effectively- striving to achieve the poise and elegance that we all aspire to when we get out on our horses and having mirrors to check your position is also very beneficial.

On a personal note, I was able to proudly show off my new Rob Jenkins saddle which I have invested in for teaching. Everyone remarked on how comfortable it was to ride in. Rob has kindly let me use various demo saddles over the last few years and I couldn't resist buying one to add to my already extensive collection of saddles for teaching!

Well done to all the riders. If you fancy giving a mechanical horse lesson a go, the next date will be available shortly.

Penny