THe Thoroughbred LOgic Clinic: AN Overview
The overarching goals of the Thoroughbred Logic Clinics are to increase rider skill sets for (re)training, riding, and handling Off-Track Thoroughbreds. Clinics combine lessons and demonstrations to address common challenges that riders face as they transition their Thoroughbreds into their second careers or continue to bring them along.
These clinics are aimed to enhance not only individual skill and address individual horses, but like a conference, they build upon each other to show collective challenges and solutions while also fostering community around the breed. To do that, clinics can be composed of individual rides, or can be a mix of demo-rides, training rides, individual rides, groundwork sessions, lunch & learn, and a Q and A. Clinics work both on the ground and over fences / poles, but I generally don’t do over-fences work without starting with flatwork first.
Each participant (or their horse) receives a 40-minute lessons, where the horse and riders’ specific concerns and goals are addressed. By focusing specifically on Thoroughbreds and fostering a positive, interactive space, the clinic classes build on each other to help create a broader knowledgebase for riders and auditors while fostering a supportive community geared towards the love of these horses.
Dates & Location
2024 TB Logic Clinics
Thoroughbred Logic Clinic dates announced for the first half of 2024:
- Saturday Feb 17th: @ Kivu Sporthorses (McDonough, Ga)
- Saturday March 16th: Kivu
- TRAVEL Friday March 29& Saturday the 30th: Fingerlakes Region, NY
- Saturday May 11th: Kivu
- July 12-ish TRAVEL Myopia Hunt Cub
...More for the fall
Location
We are also always open to hosting a clinic at your barn or in another state / region. Reach out to Aubrey to schedule! She'll have a clinic schedule for the Fall / Winter coming soon!
Thoroughbred Logic Clinic Series
Get Going
Improve ground-work and initial post-track rides
Skill Building
Work on rhythm, straightness, flexibility and pace
Poles and Gridwork
Nail down footwork on ground poles and through grids
Coursework & Polishing
Prep for the show ring with patient, balanced coursework, turns and transitions
TB Logic Clinic Redux
Additional Information
Thoroughbred Logic Clinic Fe. 2023 redux
(Feb. 19, 2023)
Last weekend we hosted the first Thoroughbred Logic Clinic of 2023 and I’m absolutely thrilled with how well it went! The clinic highlighted eight riders and two demo rides. Training rides ranged from very early rides on track-fresh horses to individuals regularly running Starter. Demos showcased ways to work with green Thoroughbreds at different points in their development (Pederson’s Courage demo-ed a first-post-track ride and Madigan Cat showed the development of early-on jump training and flat rhythm and shape). In addition, all riders and horses were able to participate in a ground work clinic to teach suppleness, bend, and the movement of the shoulders from the ground.
Throughout the day, we discussed bloodlines, shoeing, tack options, and worked on identifying horse needs and rider patterns and worked to build the toolkit and the confidence to take these horses through their early second career.
A few of the patterns included:
· Do not move (see the most recent Horse Nation Thoroughbred Logic for more)
· Keep up the awkward posting if they break to canter without asking
· Using the post to help control and balance transitions
· Balance the horse to slow them instead of using one’s reins to attempt to reduce speed
· The outside rein is your friend (and you have to give away the inside one)
· Get the quality gaits with round, forward impulsion and the jump will come to you
· And many others…
I’m enormously grateful to @redonrightequestrain, @Hallwayfeeds and @Countysaddlery for the kind and helpful door prizes! It certainly never hurts to be well equipped, in high quality, good fitting tack, on well-fed horses, so thank you all. Many many many many thanks go out to the Kivu barn crew for freeing me up to teach, and to @CoraWillaimson for the outstanding photographs and to @TravisWilliamson for manning the grill and keeping all of us well fed!
The next clinic will be here on April 2nd and will feature the opportunity for ten riders and horses to engage in the clinic and the activities. There will be additional door prizes and offerings from our sponsors and further ground work and demos to be done. I am super excited for better (warmer and drier) weather and more time on the ponies.
If you’re interested in the next Thoroughbred Logic Clinic. Please sign up on the jotform listed on the website and additionally featured here: (https://form.jotform.com/230576591270155).
The clinic is first come-first serve and usually fills up quickly. There will be a waitlist and spots must be paid for before the end of day Monday before the clinic. Auditing must be signed up by Wednesday of the week of the clinic so that we can coordinate food.
If any of you have suggestions or commentary from the last clinic, please respond here or send me an email! I’m always looking for how we can improve and bring more to the table.
Overall, thank you to everyone who came out and supported this crazy venture. My heart is very, very full. So many more photos to be posted in the near future!
April 2023
TB Logic April 4 Rundown:
Two weeks ago, we ran one hell of an amazing Thoroughbred Logic Clinic here at Kivu Sporthorses (more info at https://kivusporthorses.com/tb-logic-clinics ) I think this one might have been the best to date! The day came complete with a full roster of riders and horses ranging from early rides post-track to BN / Novice. I was thoroughly impressed with not only the care and compassion with which the riders approached their horses, but also with their teachability and overall willingness and desire to learn. I cannot tell you how much I love teaching in environments like that!
In a brief summary, horses and riders learned to move the horse over into their outside rein, to create pace that allows the horse to carry themselves, and to hold themselves so that the horses could lift their shoulders. When jumping, we worked on letting the horse figure out their own footwork with takeoff and landing poles as well as a small grid. The effect was to create more stable rider positions that encouraged quiet approaches, jumps, and landings from the Thoroughbreds. Overall, each pair successfully worked to create calm, willing, and forward-going rides who were brave on the flat / to the elements without rushing or questioning the ask.
Lunch might have been my favorite part of the day – not just for Travis Williamson’s amazing pulled pork, but for the mini-lectures and demonstrations by Doreen Sullivan-Durr of Hallway Feeds and Kat Page Dortenzo of Yellow Horse Performance (https://yellowhorseperformance.com). Doreen walked auditors and participants through feed options as well as body score assessment – working to create the knowledge base that will help these horses thrive. Kat then followed on with a great demo about muscle soreness and tightness post track and how body work and K-taping can help. Wolf loved being a demo pony and wore his K-Tape for the next five days happily.
Overall, many many thanks to everyone who helped put this together, the participants and the auditors! Huge props to Cora Williamson for her amazing photography. Equally huge thanks to @TravisWilliamson for cooking and taking that stress off of my plate literally and figuratively. I’m so grateful for Doreen and Kat for their expertise and to @countysaddles (I haven’t met a TB who doesn’t love my Xcelerators), Tapestry Equine Products Inc. for the stellar neck strap (also go check out their girths and spursuaders… I love love love these (code Kivu10 for 10% off), @horsegirlpottery (LeAnn Siefferman Busdeker) for the gorgeous equine-themed mugs, and Amanda Woomer / Ranger Danger for their talented canine and equine portraits.
Thanks also to Wolf for being a great demo horse and to Audrey & Justice, Amanda and Louis, Cindy & Johnny, Laura & Zoe, Skye & Intuitive, Maria & Rusty, Sofia & Crypto, Presley & Akhenaten, Holly & Lyric for being awesome, teachable pairs. I’m so excited to see where you all go in the future!
Learn More
If you’re interested in providing a demonstration or supporting this clinic series through door prizes, education, support, or volunteering, please let me know! I’d love to get you and your work featured. I cannot wait for the next one on July 2nd!