Volunteer rider Phoebe T participated in the Joel Conner clinic with Teddi. Here are her reflections on the clinic and Teddi’s progress:
This is my 4th groundwork clinic, I now feel comfortable asking questions and asking for help. I have realized that much like for the horses, the time between clinics is important for me to ‘soak’ on things heard & seen in prior clinics. It’s part of the growth process for me, and to have a flash of understanding during a clinic is a remarkable thing. My foundation is growing.
My favorite part of the clinic was twofold: Watching Joel groundwork a horse that doesn’t know how to move hie feet, and having volunteers step in at the end & take a turn leading a horse. It was a great clinic, my favorite one yet!
At the June Joel Conner clinic, I did groundwork with Teddi. This is the first time we had ever worked together. She is quiet, reserved, sensitive, responsive, wanting to please, and because of her quick responses, she helped me get my angles right when asking her to drift off the unified circle. She was teaching me as much as I was teaching her! She wants to pull back when asked to come forward — I have to ‘open the gate’ by turning my shoulder away so she will move with me. She is getting better and not requiring as much as she learns to trust me more. She is very good about having her feet picked up, and she has an area on her neck where she holds her stress, and she loves having that massaged. It was a pleasure working with her.
