Georgia Dressage and Combined Training Association, Inc. April 2018
GDCTA is a Group Member Organization of USDF. Their members are automatically USDF Group Members
In This Issue
3 Meeting Highlights 4 Sun Tzu Knew by Bill Woods 7-8 Fitting the Correct Bit by Clayton Fredericks 9-12 GDCTA Trainers’ Symposium Review 14-15 Chattahoochee Hills CIC 3* Review 16-17 The Uncomfort Zone with Robert Wilson 20-21 Member/Donors 22 Calendar 23 Membership Form
On the Cover
India Wilkinson
PHOTO: Liz Crawley
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GDCTA Board Meeting Overview April 16, 2018
The regular meeting was held at Shannondale Farm on April 16, 2018 at 7:00 pm. Board members in attendance were Caren Caverly, Joanne Morse, Julie Shannon, Peri Lambros, Rebecca Bowman, Erin McCloud, Amanda Garner, and Peter West. Also in attendance were Lori Goodwin, Chris Hutchings, and Kathy Duffy. Treasurer’s Report: There was a small profit for February and March. Dressage: Trainer’s Symposium was well attended and well received. Planning for hosting again next year has begun. Videos of rides will be available for sale on the website. Combined Training: The Stephen Bradley clinic will be held at Poplar Place Farm in June. Membership: Membership is the same as this time last year with 681 members. Horse Show Recognition: We have received 61 applications for horse shows so far. 30 of those shows have taken place for the 2018 awards year. Riders have been very prompt in getting their scores submitted for year-end awards. Youth Chairperson: Their monthly meeting has moved to a conference call format which has allowed more people to participate. The new committee for 2018 has been formed. The kids are currently preparing for their spring education event. Kudzu Klinic: Erin McCloud has committed to another KK dressage clinic this year. Other clinics are in the developing stages and will be announced as soon as all details are finalized. Collegiate: The website has been updated so that collegiate scores can be easily submitted by riders. Old Business: An email will be going out to members about upcoming events and opportunities available to members. New Business: A position had opened up for organizing sponsors for GDCTA. Caren met with India Lynn Wilkinson
(indiawilkinson@comcast.net) to discuss filling the position. It was a unanimous decision by the board to bring her on. She will be on a yearly contract and will be in charge of sponsorships and marketing for GDCTA.
A new volunteer appreciation program is in the making which will include an award for the volunteer with the most hours being presented at Gala. Official details will be finalized this summer and put into effect for the 2019 awards year.
Next meeting: 7:00 PM May 21, 2018 Shannondale Farm 2395 Birmingham Road Milton, GA
DISCLOSURE
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Complete GDCTA Board of Directors meeting minutes are available upon request to the Recording Secretary.
Financial records are available upon written request to the Treasurer.
For information regarding Awards, Show Recognition, Membership, Education, or the Web Site, contact the appropriate chairperson on the website Contact Us page.
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Fitting the Correct Bit By Clayton Fredericks
As everyone knows achieving success and that feeling of one with your horse is not just about training and lessons. There are so many factors that you must consider as a rider. Getting this just right for your horse can be the key. As riders (or perhaps better described as managers) of our horses we are tasked everyday with decisions that will affect our horses performance such as feed, supplements, training schedules and tack choices. One key piece to this puzzle that is often overlooked is ‘bitting’. Finding the right mouth piece for your horse and fitting the correct bit will allow your horse to be ridden in the comfort they deserve and help avoid any training issues in the future.
BOMBER BLUE PELHAM If you are having problems finding the correct bit for your horse the first step is to ensure that there is no mouth, back or neck problems with your horse. No bit will help if there is any pain or discomfort already causing issues.
Have a look in your horse’s mouth and see if you can see anything obvious such as a thick tongue, sharp bars, fleshy bars, low roof of the mouth. Also give your horse a once over from your vet or teeth specialist to determine if there are any underlying issues.
FULMER WATERFORD The next and perhaps the most important step is to find the right mouth piece for your horse. To do this the rider must look at what the horse is doing with its head while been ridden and be able to understand what the horse is trying to tell us. The 4 most common reactions from horse are: • The horse sticks its head up in the air when the rider takes up a contact. This indicates that the horse objects to pinching of the tongue and bar pressure. Riders should opt for a three-piece bit such as a French Link or Control Plate. These bits will reduce the pressure on the tongue and bars and as a result the horse will bring its head down and in.
• The horse shakes it head when the rider takes up a contact. This indicates the horse has a sensitive tongue and would prefer a bit that relieves tongue pressure. These types of horses would be happier in something that is curved or ported to give maximum tongue relief such as a Segundo or Happy Tongue. • The horse brings its chin to its chest when a rider takes up a contact. This is a sign that the rider is using too strong a bit and the horse is trying to evade the pressure. The rider must either ride on a softer contact or look for a softer bit. • The horse put’s its head down and out trying to pull the reins out of the rider’s hands. It is objecting to the continuous pressure of the bit or the rider’s hands and would appreciate a softer bit. Once the correct mouthpiece is chosen it is essential that the mouth is measured correctly and the mouthpiece fitted accordingly. Most horses are fitted with bits that are too tight and this just adds more pressure. To measure a horse’s mouth use a straight rod, put it in the horse’s mouth, lift it to the correct place in the mouth and mark the rod on both sides just outside the lip crease. With a fixed mouthpiece the bit size required is the measured size but for single and doublejointed bits add 10mm to the measured size.
DEE FRENCH LINK One other crucial aspect to a horses comfort and softness when riding is the tension and locking of the jaw caused by nosebands and flash straps cranked tight. Ask anyone that has ridden or audited at a clinic with me about the huge amount of nosebands I need to loosen or completely remove to help the rider achieve softness. While the riders sometimes take some convincing I have never seen a horse get stronger or pull harder once the pressure from the noseband is relieved.
GDCTA TRAINERS’ SYMPOSIUM - in Review Based on the overwhelmingly positive remarks on Facebook, the GDCTA TRAINERS’ SYMPOSIUM: Solutions for Dressage Training Collaborative with Anne Gribbons, Jeremy Steinberg, and Chris Hickey was a smashing success!
GDCTA Trainers Symposium was super special! Thank you to Anne Gribbons, Jeremy Steinberg, and Chris Hickey for inspiring our selected trainers. So much education in one weekend!! Thanks to everyone behind the scenes that did the work to make the magic happen. Thanks to the Dressage Foundation for giving GDCTA a grant to help put on this program! ~Julie Shannon, VP Dressage, GDCTA
I had such a wonderful time at the GDCTA Trainers symposium this weekend. Such a wonderful experience to have 3 incredible trainers helping me! I felt like I couldn’t soak it up enough! Thank you, Julie Shannon, so much for organizing! ~Julie Cochran
Big thanks to Julie, GDCTA, Shannondale and all the crew that worked to put on this wonderful educational opportunity. It is quite rare to be able to work with three clinicians in one weekend with different, yet complementary perspectives, and to be able to see the progress made with each rider and horse. Their collective ability to quickly
with Caroline Broadley and June Brewer Photos by Chris Hutchings [Shannondale Farm]! Hope to be back again soon. ~Marjolein Geven
point out flaws in a kind way, and help the rider/trainer find exercises to improve the weak areas was truly amazing. Would love to see this become a 3-day, perhaps annual, undertaking for GDCTA. ~Lynne Jones
Thank you, Julie, for this amazing opportunity. A buffet of information that was relatable and insightful for all types of horses. I came away with a new perspective and renewed focus. It is so important as a trainer and instructor that we look very closely at our approach and constantly evaluate each horse and their needs; and most important, not dwell on what used to be, but see what is and where we need to be going. So thankful to have met some great people in the process. ~Anne Zaharias
It was fantastic! Both riding and watching! Thank you, Julie, for organizing and hosting this and giving us an opportunity to learn from the best! I always love coming to your beautiful
This symposium was the most educational clinic event that I have ever attended, not only for my horse Coracao and my trainer Julie Cochran, but also for me. I learned so much watching all of the other horse and rider combinations. The format was great and all three clinicians were awesome! Thank you for hosting this fantastic symposium! ~Naida Mirza
Julie, thank you so much for organizing and hosting this clinic. It took a lot of work and kept you from being able to ride yourself. Your sacrifice helped a lot of people enjoy a great symposium at a great venue with wonderful trainers. ~Christy Scotch
Thank you, Julie, for helping to create such a wonderful learning environment this weekend! It was a huge treat to ride with three of the best trainers in the US!! I loved the clear and concise approach to bring out the best in each horse and rider pair. I took pages and pages of notes and I’m already looking forward to riding Casin and continuing what we learned over the past few days. Thank you for the opportunity. ~Leah Marks
This weekend was great. I enjoyed each of the leading trainer’s perspectives and opinions and appreciated the diversity. Thank
GDCTA AWARDS CHAIR Caren Caverly ccaverly@comcast.net 770-713-4025
CALENDAR (GDCTA events in red) USEF/USDF/USEA, 2018 Show Season May 12-13 Sep 1-2 Oct 12-14
Greater Atlanta Dressage Southern Labor Day Classic I & II Region 3 Championships
GIHP GIHP GIHP
GA GA GA
Milton Hamilton Aiken
GA GA SC
Clinics & Symposiums & More
Jun 9-10 Jun 16-17 Nov 17-18
Laura Graves Dressage Stephen Bradley Eventing Stephen Bradley Eventing
Sandy Donovan Sandy Donovan Sandy Donovan Julie Shannon Peri Lambros Peri Lambros
sandydonovan@gmail.com sandydonovan@gmail.com sandydonovan@gmail.com julie@shannondale.com plambros@bellsouth.net plambros@bellsouth.net
GDCTA-Recognized Schooling Shows (green=pending), 2018 Show Season Apr 14 Apr 14 Apr 21-22 Apr 28 Apr 28 May 5 May 5 May 12 May 19 May 19 May 19-20 Jun 2 Jun 2 Jun 16 Jun 23 Jul 14 Jul 21 Jul 22 Aug 4-5 Aug 4 Aug 11 Aug 25 Sep 8-9 Sep 8 Sep 15 Sep 15 Sep 16 Sep 22 Sep 22 Sep 29-30
LEAF Gainesville The Welcome Farm SP Classic Roopville AYDC Series@the Horse Park GIHP Chattahoochee Hills Fairburn Oxer Farm Clermont Foxberry Farm 3-Ph, CT, Dr Dallas LEAF Gainesville Full Circle Horse Park Pell City North Atlanta Dressage & 3Cartersville Phase Oxer Farm Clermont AYDC Series@the Horse Park GIHP LEAF Gainesville AYDC Series@the Horse Park GIHP Oxer Farm Clermont Foxberry Farm 3-Ph, CT, Dr Dallas Big Cheese Schooling HT/CT Athens
GA GA GA GA GA GA GA AL GA
Cartersville Alpharetta Athens
GA GA GA
North Atlanta Dressage & 3Phase Jumping Into the Stars GDCTA Summer Finals Big Cheese Schooling HT & CT
Cartersville
AYDC Series@the Horse Park GIHP Oxer Farm Clermont AYDC Series@the Horse Park GIHP North Atlanta Dressage and Cartersville 3-Phase Foxberry Farm 3-Ph, CT, Dr Dallas LEAF Gainesville GAHA CT, Dr, WD, Hunters Dallas Oxer Farm Clermont The Welcome Farm Fall Classic Roopville Southeast Schooling Show Championship
Fairburn
GA GA GA GA GA GA GA
Dana Ferguson allfergs2@yahoo.com Katharina Huenermann info@thewelcomefarm.com Liz Molloy missliz@taramiaridingschool.com Kelly Miller kellymiller@chatthillseventing.com Sandra Carnet scarnet@carnetstudio.com Kim Abernathy kimfoxberry@gmail.com Dana Ferguson allfergs2@yahoo.com Janice Ballard janice@fullcirclehorsepark.com Rebecca Bowman gallop766@aol.com Sandra Carnet Liz Molloy Dana Ferguson Liz Molloy Sandra Carnet Kim Abernathy Caroline Marlett
GA
Rebecca Bowman
GA GA GA GA
Liz Molloy Sandra Carnet Liz Molloy Rebecca Bowman
GA GA GA GA GA
GA
Kim Abernathy Mary Lou Freil Caroline Marlett
scarnet@carnetstudio.com missliz@taramiaridingschool.com allfergs2@yahoo.com missliz@taramiaridingschool.com scarnet@carnetstudio.com kimfoxberry@gmail.com silverthornfarm@gmail.co m gallop766@aol.com kimfoxberry@gmail.com maryloufreil@gmail.com silverthornfarm@gmail.co m missliz@taramiaridingschool.com scarnet@carnetstudio.com missliz@taramiaridingschool.com gallop766@aol.com
Kim Abernathy kimfoxberry@gmail.com Dana Ferguson allfergs2@yahoo.com Pagan Gilman pagan@lisasegerinsurance.com Sandra Carnet scarnet@carnetstudio.com Katharina Huenermann info@thewelcomefarm.com Penny Morse
sessc@chatthillseventing.com
2018 Membership Application GDCTA is a USDF Group Member Organization and a USEA Affiliate
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Additional Supporting Family Members: $20.00 each/year or $60 each if a 3 year. 2nd Supporting Member:
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GDCTA membershhip year is December 1 through November 30 each year. A senior member is a member who has reached their 18th birthday by January 1st of the membership year. A junior member is a member who has not reached their 18th birthday of January 1st of the membership year.
Support GDCTA with a Tax Deductible Sponsorship Volunteer for a GDCTA Event GDCTA sponsor contributions are a tax-deductible gift to Your active participation keeps dressage and eventing our organization 501(c)(3) in support of the continued alive in our region and is vital to GDCTA's mission! development for Dressage and Eventing in our area. Check off the areas you would be interested in! Contributions are required to be incentive free gifts and Runner Ring Steward may not be exchanged for advertising or other incentives. $10 $150 Board Member Gala Write for Newsletter $25 $200 Credit card payment by M/C, Visa, & Discover only.
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You may also choose to contribute to the GDCTA Grant Program which provides members, who are in good standing, an $800 grant to further their equine education. See www.gdcta.org for details.
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Please make checks payable to GDCTA and mail or Fax to: Mary Lou Freil, 335 Meadowcrest Circle, Canton GA 30115 - 770-330-2489 FAX - 770-727-0146 Email: gdctamembership@gmail.com
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