I have learned so much through the years by attending clinics.  My clinic notebooks are filled with observations, sketches and quotes from some of the world’s top trainers.

Although it’s always hard in the middle of a clinic to stop watching and start writing, I’m always glad I did when I revisit those notebooks days, months or years later.

It’s fall again, the best time for a clinic junkie, so I have clinics on my mind.  I thought it might be fun to open my clinic notebooks to you, and share some of their contents, from time to time, as part of my blog.

Let’s start things off with a quote from Geoff Teal:  “The bend in your elbow gives you suppleness.  If you have straight arms, you’ll have dead hands and probably a dead mouth.”

His words are blunt but he gives us reasons why we should ride the way he recommends and warns us what could happen if we don’t.  Reminding us that good equitation is simply effective riding.