Thanks for the list of folk.....maybe will see you also here attending clinics....esp if I bag John Lyons, and Ray Hunt!!!!

Am trying hard (and yes I am trying! ) to get stuff going, I do not have the best of venues as its just an outdoor 20 x 40m.

The idea is to get folk knowing stuff is going on up here in the frozen north so then when we move to a biger place, I can have a 60x40m arena put in and eventually and indoor (please...pretty please lady luck lottery)and can then offer a very cheap venue for western stuff oouupp north.

oooo yes n Gem.....to be 17 again.....fit and agile and brave rider......ahh long lost memories....sob.....enjoy while you can..old age pounces fast!

Post edited by: Ellibell, at: 2007/09/16 20:57

Sometimes people get upset by a trainer that won't let them do things at a clinic that the trainer feels neither the horse not the rider are ready for. I have seen it many times. But that is no reason to bad mouth a trainer (who ever it may be) just don't go to them if you feel that way.

I for one, have gone to Bruce for many years. He worked wonders with my Dales cross pony who was quite a handful and then when I moved on to Quarter horses, he worked to MY ability. The horse was much more advanced than I was and Bruce helped me to to relax and trust the horse, and all of a sudden we are working as a team taking home loads of blue ribbons.

I have such confidence in Bruce and that is the root of my success, my trust in him. I have no doubt that others may be just as good as trainers, but it helps me to mainly stick with one person who can get to know me and my horse very well. I can get nervous on a new horse and Bruce helped me through that.

I would not be proud to own a horse that likes to deck it's rider, whether it was me or a trainer. I like a horse that is broke enough to aid it's rider, no matter how inexperienced he/she may be.

Lets keep this forum a friendly place and offer advice and assistance without mud slinging. Anyone willing to host a clinic should get a medal and all the assistance they can from everyone to promote that clinic no matter who is teaching the clinic. Like I said before, if the trainer is not to your liking, just don't go, but do not post negative thoughts to stop others from attending. They may find the trainer works well for them, and if not, they will know first hand and not from gossip.

You forgot the MASTER on your list of clinicians, BUCK BRANANAMAN, (hes way up there with Ray Hunt) My God if you capture that one you will have, a good part of the south east up there too,
This post is better than a nights veiwing on the telly!!!! All jokes aside,
people are intitled to their opinion, but these trainers are professional people, & should be given proper respect for just being that, they all have diferent veiws on horses, & how to train them, as the saying goes HORSES FOR COURSES.
Good luck with your clinics if you ever have one after all this,

I can say from personal experience (differences aside) Bruce was good and no doubt still is, at guiding riders in the right direction. I can also say that others thhave offered good help. Whether in a very short interlude or sometimes ongoing include, Andrew Fox, David Gray, Bob, Mark How and more importantly fellow riders who just keep pointing out the good points in your bad runs.

Now we are going for the big guns

Mike McIntyre
Dell Hendricks
Shawn Flarida
David Dellin (for all you pleasure folks)


All these guys come to Europe (with the right incentive)

Good luck with your clinics. Dont be desuaded. Good clinics are desparately needed in this country as much as good facilities, indeed possibly more.

Hear Hear for what Billywhizz says - from someone fresh off a Shane Borland clinic yesterday.

Did I hear anything I didn't know yesterday? No, not really. Did I hear anything I wasn't consistently doing - oh yes . Was it fun to hear it - you gotta be at one of Shane's clinics to nearly fall off your horse laughing at some of his metaphors!! (But his point was clear, I'd been lazy, I'd been caught!! )

Clinics are just a great place to be to - learn; meet; enjoy; laugh; consolidate - whatever. And thanks to all you folks who make the effort to stage them.

Aww thanks folks for all your positive replies.

Now while it will be great to get some HUGE trainers, lets not forget the fab trainers we have closer to home in the UK.

These trainers need work to, and I intend to harass and bug folk to attend clinics and trainers to come and play out up here at clinics to.