George Morris Clinic

I have a GM clinic coming up in April and I have some questions! I have really been drilling our transitions, but still having some trouble with the left lead. Any tips? Do we need to know flying changes? It's an up to 3' hunter/eq class. He leg yeilds, what about shoulder/haunches in/out? Akso, What length crop should I use? I usually ride in eskadrons, can I use then or do I need leather open fronts? Thanks every one!
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Very very cool! I have been fortunate enough to ride with him a few times and I LOVE him. He is a wonderful clinician and you will get a tremendous amount of wisdom from riding with him!

As for getting the left lead... why is he not getting it? Is he stiffer to that side? Is there a soundness issue? Is he duller to your leg? Can you leg yield into it? How balanced is he? Without knowing anything about him I can't really help, but find the source of the problem and go from there.

For the 3" groups the flatwork is honestly not very complicated. At one clinic we did leg yields but that was the most complicated lateral exercise we did. There were several transition exercises (left lead, walk, right lead, walk, etc) and things like lengthen the canter, shorten the canter, etc. At the last one I did in the fall the most complicated exercise we did was an exercise where we did a turn on the forehand to a leg yield to a counter canter. But that was the 3"6 group and he increases the difficulty with each group. I don't think I've ever had to do a shoulder/haunches in or shoulder fore. The jumper groups always do (those are normally the most advanced grousp, ~4") But I think as long as your horse is pretty responsive I think you'll be ok.

It is nice to have a lead change but I have taken a green horse that did not have a solid change. Always swapped in the front but not the back. Funny, after the clinic he got very consistent with them! There were others in that group that also missed changes too and he didn't make a big deal about it. He talked a lot about balance and suppleness and mentioned that better schooling would solve problems like that, but he never yelled at anyone for not getting a change.

Use whatever crop length is best for your horse and you are most comfortable with. I ride with a 28 in long crop because I am very short and some of the horses I ride are very big so I need something with a little length to it! He did tell me it was almost too long, mainly because I sometimes flip it out a little as I jump and it was distracting to my horse. But I think if I rode with a much shorter crop he would tell me that I couldn't use it effectively. No matter what though, BRING A CROP and no matter what, WEAR SPURS. If your horse doesn't need them and has never had them, start wearing them now and get him used to them! I guarantee he will make you go get a pair of spurs before you do anything else. The green horse I rode was very hot and sensitive and I bought these little 1/8 round nubs! But he did not yell at me for not having my spurs!

Eskadrons are very acceptable. I use them. Just make sure that they (along wtih everything else) are very very clean. I scrubbed mine every night of the clinic and gave them another wipe before I went in the ring. Also scrub and polish your bit, stirrups, spurs, etc. Scrub your tack, polish your boots, wear a hairnet, blah blah blah.

If you have any other questions please ask!

PS, where are you doing this clinic? I'm riding with him in the spring as well...

I can't wait, he is my role model for sure!

I asked my vet and he doesn't think it is a soundness problem. He is an OTTB, so it seems he should be better with that one. He just leans on the bit and trots faster until he slips into a counter canter. Even on the lunge.

Okay thanks!

I usually don't use spurs but I knew he required them so they are on their way from smartpak lol! I'm taking my sister to help me make sure everything is cleaned and up yo his standards! . I am doing one in oklahoma at KJM Equestrian, where is yours?
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AAAHHHHHH I'm SSSOOOOOOOOOOOO jealous!! I would be so nervous!!! He's amazing!!!!!!!!! Upnover where is your clinic??!!!!! I want to see one!

I am sooooo jealous ! Have fun !

Biggest thing to remember with GM is when you are sitting watching someone else do the exercise make sure you are still sitting up tall, feet in the stirrups, both hands on your reins and as far as you are concerned there is no one else in the arena but him and the person you are watching him work with. He HATES it when people slouch all relaxed watching someone else.

Make sure you have a belt, a clean tucked in polo shirt, hair up in a hair net, mane pulled and tidy, tail clean and brushed out.

Make sure you do a refresher on your theory as well.

Enjoy! You will learn so much in your lessons. Soak it all in and then write a report for us when its over

Oh gosh, thank you for telling me that! Bad habit of mine!

Definitely! I need to find out if pictures/ videos
are allowed!
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Glad I gave you the heads up on that then lol. He gives you one warning. I've seen him kick someone out of a lesson for that. Sitting talking to the person beside you when you are all slouched and feet out of the stirrups and out to lunch. Its a HUGE sign of disrespect to the clinician. It doesn't matter who you are in a lesson or clinic with, never do it. So sit tall, feet in stirrups, hands on reins listening to him and watching the rider.

Pictures and video are allowed in his clinics as far as I know, unless that changed recently. Its been a long time since i've been to a clinic of his. Love GM though. He is hilarious and has so much knowledge to share. His sense of humour gets me every time.

Third hand, anecdotal evidence only, from reading a couple of GM clinic threads and reading his column and articles-

He expects you to watch the other riders perform the exercise and LEARN from it.

If you make the same mistake a previous rider or riders have made, expect to be called out on it.

If you've failed to watch the previous riders and have to ask for clarification about the exercise, REALLY be prepared to be called out on it.

Do use traditional tack with little or no bling - traditional fillis stirrups, not jointed, not black, a girth without the sheepskin trim, no bridle or spur strap bling.

Make sure everything fits - trim excess stirrup leathers, have everything in snug keepers.

Wear a hair net and do "hunter princess" hair.

Oh, and post back and tell us how it goes!

I keep forgetting to pass that bit on. I don't use blinged out tack so I never think of it lol.

But yes no bright crazy colours, bridle bling, belt bling etc... stay traditional. Less is more.