August 2010 Susan Harris Centered Riding Clinic
April 2010 Endurance in the Future
March 2010 Susan Harris Painted Horse and Centered Riding
August 2009 Muscles in Motion
August 2010 Susan Harris Centered Riding Clinic
Susan Harris returned to the Biltmore Equestrian Center for a sold-out clinic featuring Centered Riding. Participants ranged from prior clinic attendees, prior clinic auditors, to new attendees, and all got enormous benefits. Each with-horse attendee had two sessions per day over two days lasting 45 minutes, so 'absorbtion time' was built in. The sessions were arranged so riders with similar needs were grouped, and thus benefits were enhanced, since they were tailored.
From Deborah Chay: I ... was privileged to participate in your clinic this weekend, and can't tell you how much I appreciated your tutelage (I use that term advisedly as I am definitely at the pupil stage-- may I become a scholar!) and your approach. I am sure I am not the first clinic participant to report that your acceptance and encouragement of me as a rider was as important in modelling the relationship I should have with my horse and myself-- and advancing my progress-- as were the more localised and equally important observations and instructions you provided.
Also: the small group and semi-private format was an enormous asset. I was lucky to have had Blue as my first school horse of the weekend, because after his recalcitrance, Lilly was a treat. .... I had you and this more focussed circumstance for my first clinic experience-- and I am therefore spoilt for anything less!
From Norma Beatty: BTW, this was the BEST clinic I've ever attended. Wonderful mixture of hearing and doing.
March 2010 Painted Horse and Centered Riding
| Renowned clinician and author Susan Harris got rave reviews for her two-day clinic at the Biltmore Equestrian Center. |
From Amy Sumrall: "We thought she was great and would definitely love to ride with her again!"
From Jessica Wysocki: " I can't thank you and APEX enough for the wonderful experience Mars and I had at the Susan Harris clinic last weekend! I learned a great deal, I met nice people and I learned more about Mars. It was very educational, and well worth the drive down! "
From Norma Beatty: "what make this past weekend seem so good for the riders is that they had shorter, but very intensive sessions rather than being in the saddle all day in a big group where they really don't get much individual attention."
What happened:
March 13 morning into afternoon: Painted Horse
Susan Harris painted the muscles and bones on a live horse then has the horse move through its gaits and jumping so that the audience can see the interactions.
March 13 afternoon: Lessons based on Centered Riding concepts
Susan worked with the 'with-horse' attendees on their riding skills and the bond with their horse in small group lessons.
March 13 evening:
Susan held an informative and highly interactive question and answer session.
March 14 early morning: Ground work
March 14 later morning into afternoon: Further lessons based on Centered Riding concepts
(photos courtesy of Elizabeth Bush)
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August 2009 Muscles in Motion
A with-horse practical session at Newman's outside Asheville, NC addressed these questions:
Have you ever wondered how your horse’s muscles work?
Have you ever felt your horse mis-step and questioned what may have pulled?
Have you ever felt frustrated when a vet checks your horse over and suggests you go massage your equine and see if you can make your mount feel better?
(photo courtesy of Mike Scott)
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Ann Stuart, DVM covered basic muscle physiology, function, and classic things that go wrong at rides – with individual participant - horse sessions;
Mike Scott, massage therapist, addressed best options for massaging out those issues – with individual participant - horse sessions;
Lisa Maxwell helped participants on how to condition muscles with ring work to avoid to a certain extent the pitfalls and trauma on trail -- with semi-private mounted sessions;
Stagg Newman brought it home on trail ride practice sessions merging the theory and ringwork into a practical endurance setting.
(photo courtesy of Mike Scott)
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“With Horse” participants attended lectures, then worked with their horses in individualized or paired rotations with the clinicians, and in trail groups to practice and assess. They received a written report covering evaluations with suggestions for things to work on as appropriate in all areas.
Auditers participated in lectures then associated with a 'With Horse' participant through the individualized sessions.
Bonuses available at the clinic: Many participants took advantage of these!
| Mike Scott is a certified Master Saddle Fitter, and worked on several saddle fits -- static and dynamic -- ‘after hours’ on a private treaty basis. |
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Dr Kerry Ridgway, DVM, was available for private treaty for equine acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments. Dr Ridgway is an excellent source of ideas on a wide range of topics and brings a wealth of knowledge as an endurance line vet and rider. |
Accomplishments and Kudos
(as sent to Cheryl Newman)
APEX's Deborah Reich, Melody Blittersdorf, and Dr Meg Sleeper have been named to the 2010 USA endurance squad of 10 for final training camp at Shaker Village, KY. They are aimed for the WEG 160km endurance race on 26 September at the Kentucky Horse Park, in Lexington, KY. Congratulations!!!!
2010 Teviswin! by John Crandell III on Heraldic. First and second place finishers at Tevis were Crandell horses. Both horses crossed the finish line within seconds of each other, and over 2 hours ahead of the third place horse.
2010 Old Dominion 100 win! by John Crandell III on Heraldic. In an impressive time, over a challenging course on a very hot day, clan Crandell had an impressive showing, finishing 3 horses in the top 10 in the Old Dominion 100. John Crandell III won not only first to finish, but Best Conditioned, High Vet Score, and the Old Dominion Trophy. Heraldic had been injured a couple of years ago in a pasture accident that threatened his career, but showed he was back in form!
Stephanie Hendrickson on her quarter horse, Billy's Blazing Time, continue to show the way in Limited Distance: winning the Pyramid Challenge 25 on 12 June in excessive heat and humidity conditions. And then topping it off with getting BC! Way to go!
2009 Tevis Win!!! by Alison Bailey's K-Zar Emanuel, ridden by Sarah Engsberg!
"K-Zar Emanuel, 15-year-old gray Arabian gelding won the 2009 Tevis Cup, crossing the finishing line at 10:20 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 1). Four miles from the finish, after crossing No Hands Bridge in the California moonlight, rider Sarah Engsberg urged her mount on with the words, "We're Going Home, K-Zar." Engsberg, from Fairburn, Ga., arrived in California early to ride K-Zar three times over the final miles in the days preceding the event to assure ..."
Read the full story at The Horse: K-Zar Wins Tevis
Or the thumbnail extracted from the AHA Region 12 Newsletter:
"Tears accompanied Allison Bailey’s hoots and hollers Saturday night shortly after Sarah Engsberg rode across the finish line at the 54th Tevis Cup endurance ride. Engsberg fulfilled a dream of Bailey’s late husband when she won the Tevis Cup title in her debut, edging out two experienced riders from the foothills.
Michael Bailey had ridden K-Zar Emmanuel to a national heavyweight championship in 2007 and passed away just a few weeks later. His wife Allison, from just outside of Charlotte, N.C., hooked up with Engsberg, from Atlanta, and set her up with K-Zar for Saturday’s 100-mile ride from Robie Point in Truckee to Auburn. It was a perfect fit.
'It was his dream to come and ride Tevis,' Allison said at the finish line
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'We paced conservative early and just built throughout the day,' Engsberg said. 'We had a whole hell of a lot of good luck. This horse was prepared. He’s a phenomenal athlete… And our crew, our entourage/crew.'
The lead changed hands several times during the course of the day. ..... 'We just kept moving up throughout the day,' Engsberg said. Engsberg took the lead for good just past the Lower Quarry checkpoint.....
Bailey and Engsberg made plans to enter Tevis back in January and the Georgia native had ridden K- Zar in three endurance rides prior to Saturday’s event. 'I loved Tevis, it was great,' Engsberg said. 'I’ve never seen so many volunteers. I didn’t want for anything. The course was absolutely challenging. The last part was frightening, to be galloping in the dark on a trail I’ve only seen three times in the day time.'
