Before you plunk down your hard-earned cash use the following steps to get the most out of your next or first clinic.
Do your research. Before you groan you don't have time to do a little investigative research on the clinic being offered--think again, the safety of you and your horse depends on it.
One five-minute phone call will answer:
a). How long the clinician has been training horses and people. b). Type of handout and evaluation given by the instructor. c). The goal of the clinic as seen by the trainer. d). The affiliations the instructor is associated with. e). Costs, scholarships, discounts, refund policy, cost of continued lessons. f). Additional informative brochures, websites, you can view before making a decision to attend the clinic.
Once you made the decision to attend a clinic, decide if you will be bringing your horse, or auditing. If you are taking your horse, find out what skills the horse must posses before the clinic.
Example if it's a saddle breaking clinic. Your colt may need to be halter-broke and all ready tie, clip, and trailer. ASK QUESTIONS before your arrive at the ranch.
If you have never attended a clinic, start out with a day clinic before venturing to the 2-10 day overnight clinics. Not only are the day clinics less costly, but you and your horse will be less stressed.
Ask the instructor if they give mobile clinics. Some local clinicians will travel to your ranch if there is a guaranteed number of attendees.
Bring an open mind to the clinic. Your instructor is a knowledgeable horseperson, but he/she should treat each horse as an individual. A technique that works on one horse may need to be fine-tuned to work for you. If you don't understand something ask the clinician to explain it again. Communication is the key in getting the most out of a clinic.
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