Day 2 and Day 3 of the SW Clinic focused on riding and learning to feel the different gaits and speeds of the Marchador.   SW offered:

• Artemis do Summerwind – marcha picada
• Siglioso do Rav – marcha picada
• Seamus da Boa Fe – marcha picada and marcha batida
• Bossa Nova de Miami – marcha de centro
• Gralha M.U.G. – marcha batida
• Koyote Libertas – marcha batida
• Caboclo da Piedade – marcha batida

Learnings from Laura: (see also clinic post from last year)

1. Use the land to improve the gait.   We left the arena and used a hillside meadow to speed up the footfalls and get more reach when coming down the hill.
2. We also used the road to listen for the sound of the gait.  Excellent feedback to the rider to hear and adjust the speed, collection or himself to get the perfect sound.
3. Focus on proper posture – no leaning!  Tuck your seat under you slightly so your hips can move.
4. The star exercise used poles in a circle on the ground and a pattern to ask the horse for concentration, bending and stretching.
5. How to work on the gait when not under saddle – free movement or running with the horse.
6. Lots of obstacles and patterns on many different horses raised everyone’s confidence level.