Regular lessons with a trainer that you know and trust are a good way to make progress with your horse and your riding. How are regular lessons different than riding in a clinic? A clinic is a lesson or set of lessons that are given by a visiting instructor. This can be set up at your home barn or at an outside location. The outside instructor may be visiting from another area, may be more specialized than your regular coach or even work in a different discipline. A clinician can offer new perspective and new challenges for you and your horse to work on. Some things may work well for you and others might not be as good of a fit in the long run. It is always good to take the opportunity to broaden your knowledge base and experiences. Don't hesitate to tell the clinician what you are working on or what you feel you need help with. This will set your lesson up for success! Most clinics allow an audience or auditors who are not riding. This means that you can learn from the clinician by listening to them and train your eyes by watching others ride. If you aren't sure you're ready to ride in a clinic, try watching first to gain some insight into the clinician's teaching methods.

Do you ever experience difficulty mounting? Or does someone you know? Riders of all ages can struggle with this, as the range of motion required to get onto a horse - and over a saddle - can be more than we expect. Stretching will help, but take a look at this video for some technique tips on mounting your horse more easily! One more tips - If you are experiencing difficulty, take a good look at the equipment that you're using. If the saddle is too bulky or has a cantle (that's the back!) that is too high, you can be making it more difficult than it needs to be. This can actually be dangerous if you get hung up during mounting or dismounting. A switch to a different brand or style of saddle, along with a better technique, can help mounting go more smoothly and safely

I love what you say in the first mini course. Where you say control is not about stopping the movement but about shaping it. You have taught me to change my mindset when riding and when the horse goes off course to not think don't do that. Instead continue in the direction the horse went and instead redirect the movement. Going with it vs against it. Such a huge difference.

Where are you holding tension when you ride? You might be holding tension without realizing it—your jaw, your shoulders, even your toes. This quick, head-to-toe body scan takes just seconds and is a simple way to release that tension and reset your ride. Check out the video for a quick demo, but small movements = big change in rider tension and relaxation! Where do you think you hold the most tension when you ride?