Clinics – A Great Way to Learn
Posted on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 by Heather Dodd
Clinics – A Great Way to Learn
Are you looking for a new challenge with your horse this summer or are you stuck in a rut with your training?
Clinics offer a great opportunity to get out and about with your horse, ride in a different environment, learn new training techniques and use facilities you maynot have access toevery day.
Harriet Morris-Baumber holds regular dressage, show-jumping and cross-country clinics at her base, Granary Hall, in Everingham near York.
Having ridden internationally for Great Britain, Harriet has been lucky enough to train with some of the world’s best coaches, gaining a wealth of experience that she puts into practice during her clinics.
Experienced in teaching all disciplines and riders of all levels, Harriet will make sure you gain some invaluable advice no matter what your aims are. Every session begins with a discussion to help Harriet understand the strengths and weaknesses, of the horse and rider, as well as your plans for the future and what you think you need to work on.
By getting to know the rider and their horse, Harriet can tailor the clinic to maximise the benefit for every horse and rider combination taking part, and is a firm believer in explaining why she asks a rider do things in a certain way.
As the ridden work gets underway, Harriet builds confidence by pointing out the things she can see that are working well, before moving on to areas that need improvement.
“During a show-jumping clinic I watch clients jump some straightforward fences then put a small course together and offer pointers where necessary. From there I might ask them to complete a more challenging combination, or ride some technical lines to aid their progression and help them realise they are better than they think.” said Harriet.
At the end of every clinic clients are encouraged to ask questions to ensure that they fully understand the things that they have worked on and the progress they have made throughout the session. For Clients to be able to work on the things they have learnt on their own at home, it is essential they have a true understanding of what Harriet has asked them to do and why.
“Sometimes I ask people if they can tell me three things they will take away from the session, as this helps me to understand what has been useful to them.” added Harriet.
The aim of every clinic is for clients to leave feeling inspired and enlightened by Harriet’s unique and engaging teaching style.
Harriet opens her clinics up to all ages and abilities from beginners to experienced riders, focusing on either a single discipline or working on combined training.
Said client, Samantha Thurlow, event rider and manager of Tudor Rose Equines, who regularly participates in clinics at HMB Equestrian: “The training package on offer from Harriet is second to none.
“Meticulous care is taken in ensuring the best session plans are in place for both horse and rider and realistic and achievable goals are established from the outset.
“Harriet has an incredible talent and niche for pushing clients far enough out of their comfort zone but without scaring the pants off them! This makes her sessions both enjoyable and rewarding. I would highly recommend.”
Made in Yorkshire syndicate member, Alex Hughes also praises Harriet for her teaching style: “Harriet has been my instructor for a few years now. She pushes me to develop my riding across all disciplines and has massively improved my riding. She is enormous fun as a teacher – as long as you enjoy the regular yell of ‘Look up!’ as you are heading for a jump!”
The facilities at Granary Hall include a cross-country training field with a wide variety of cross-country fences from 50cm to 1.05m including logs, tyres, angled lines, banks, ditches, skinnies and corners. The show-jumping facilities include fillers, planks and water trays.
During Harriet’s clinics you can expect a day of hard, yet fun, work, in which you will make some new friends and go home feeling full of confidence and ready to learn more.
TipsFor Getting The Most From A Clinic
To ensure you get the most out of clinic at HMB Equestrian consider the following points.
- Make sure you follow any instructions given before the clinic, for example some instructors may require you to be ready to ride by the starting time given so you will need to arrive to allow time to tack up and warm up first, before starting your lesson at the allotted time.
- Don’t compare yourself to the other riders taking part as each individual will have different goals. Simply be realistic about your own horse’s experience and skills.
- Be realistic about your ability. Don’t overestimate or underestimate either your own or your horse’s ability.
To find out more call Harriet on 07795 562745 or visit www.harriet-morris-baumber.co.uk
Looking After Your Grubs Boots
Posted on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 by Heather Dodd
Whether out on the yard, working on the farm, having fun walking the dog or tending the garden, wearers put their Grub’s Boots through the highs and lows of life. So when it comes to care and maintenance it is important to look after your boots in the best way you can. Here the team at the leading footwear brand offer some helpful advice on how to look after your boots.
A Bit of Boot TLC!
Grub’s boots are manufactured to be able to withstand flexion in the material making them substantial and durable enough to endure a long lasting life.
The rubber and nylon uppers in Grub’s boots can be cleaned easily with just water or gently scrubbed with soapy water because of their durability, but it is still important to ensure that you give them regular cleaning and conditioning.
Spray them with water and use a soft brush to remove any dirt, then apply a rubber conditioner to replace the lost plasticising agents in the rubber.
Unfortunately in the equine and countryside world our boots come in to contact with acidic or alkali soils, animal waste and chemical fertilisers which can all be found in common walking fields and sadly all affect the plasticisers from the rubber upper and soles without wearers even realising.
If your boots come into regular contact with these surroundings and are not cleaned or maintained it will cause the rubber to harden and dry out, increasing the risk of further damage.
Sun damage can also cause excessive drying, so when storing your boots keep them out of direct sunlight.
We recommend conditioning your rubber regularly with a polish or liquid detergent to keep them soft and supple.
A McNett Revivex spray available from the Grub’s website is a great conditioner that also has UV protectant which protects the boot from UV exposure, dirt and oils.
RRP: £9.95.
For further information please contact Grubs on 01204 567700 or visit www.grubsboots.com
