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DRESSAGE, EVENTING, HUNTERS, JUMPERS VOL. 23 PHILLIP DUTTON ‘DO SIMPLE THINGS WELL’ 3 Steps to Stronger Stifles Phillip Dutton and Z Brought to you by © Amy K. Dragoo NEW PELLETS FOR EASY FEEDING! When Performance Matters, Choose COLLEEN RUTLEDGE, CHOOSING COSEQUIN . SINCE 2009 INTRODUCING AVAILABLE WITH COLLECTIBLE STORAGE BUCKET AT SELECT RETAILERS PELLETS FOR A LIMITED TIME! BUY NOW AT COSEQUINEQUINE.COM/PELLETS Survey conducted among equine veterinarians who recommended oral joint health supplements. 2 PRACTICAL HORSEMAN EXTRA VOL. 23 | TRAINING From Practical Horseman Archives with Phillip Dutton hair and makeup, Contest winner Nine friends get though, they buzzed Shannon Brown keeps her Black the chance of a around making sure Jack straight and tack and horses centered over lifetime—riding with would gleam for a vertical in a their face-to-face bending “S” line of three verticals. an Olympic gold meeting with their medalist and own superstar. When the clinic day dawned rainy and renowned three- gray, the riders’ smiles and the white patches on Paint horses were the brightest day event trainer. things in sight—an outward sign not only of their excitement and desire to make a By Melissa Roddy Wright good impression but also of their dedica- Photos by Amy K. Dragoo tion to give and get 100 percent out of the clinic experience. That meant showing he challenge: Take a small group of novice but determined eventers with up for every session and listening to every no regular access to professional event training and give them eight hours word Phillip shared with them. The infor- with one of the country’s best riders and coaches. How do you make the mation was stashed away so they could most of it as a rider? How do you make the most of it as the coach? remind each other of his tips once they re- That was the scenario when a close-knit group of friends and barn- turned home, where they serve as eyes on mates from the Savannah, Georgia, area won a clinic with six-time Olym- the ground to help each other improve. pianT Phillip Dutton through Practical Horseman’s “Training with the Stars: Win a Day with For Phillip, more accustomed to Phillip Dutton,” presented in partnership with Cosequin. The clinic was in March 2014. coaching Young Riders or short-listed The contest winner, Shannon Brown of Guyton, Georgia, brought a group of eight U.S. Equestrian Team hopefuls, the day friends who call themselves “Team Misfits”—a barn family ranging from preteen to mid- meant delivering instruction that provided dle-aged, who hail from a variety of equestrian backgrounds but share a common love of the most bang, with an eminently take- horses and help each other improve as riders (see “Team Misfits,” page 5). awayable bottom line: “Do the simple, The night before the clinic, the sense of giddy anticipation among the friends made important things really well.” the barn aisle feel more like backstage at a Justin Bieber concert. Instead of fussing over The “simple things” Phillip focused on 3 PRACTICAL HORSEMAN EXTRA VOL. 23 | TRAINING ABOVE: Phillip shows Macy Harden how leg or cut corners because you’re on “just” to ask Cherry for leg-yield. an informal ride. “Horses are creatures of habit, they learn by repetition,” Phillip LEFT: Beth Huddleston rides Inis up centerline changing flexion several times. said. “Every time you get on, you should re-introduce the correctness of your riding. lie Ward’s Paradise Farm in Aiken, South Keep it simple but the same every day: He Carolina. The riders were divided into should be obedient to the leg, going for- three groups for the morning session, ward and coming back easily, and should roughly based on the horse’s eventing be connected from inside leg to outside experience level: never-evented/Starter, rein. He should know when you get on Beginner Novice and Novice. that it’s time to get into work mode.” The arena sessions began with a speech from Phillip about the importance of hav- First Priority: Forward ing clear goals for every ride and under- Phillip underscored the importance of standing that everything you do on your good habits from the moment he sent horse is training in some way. riders out to the rail with their first assign- were fundamentals to help the riders and “Every time you ride your horse, you ment: Create a forward walk. Every step horses, most of whom were relatively should be creating good habits. You can’t counted, and those who ambled away new to the sport of eventing, build correct just pick and choose when you are going from the center of the arena were admon- foundations: First, teach the horse to go to ride the horse correctly,” he said. “Train- ished to get their horses marching. forward from the leg; second, connect him ing is all the time.” Kick him or use your stick if he doesn’t from inside leg to outside rein; and third, That doesn’t mean your horse must immediately move forward from your leg, teach him to stay on the line you ride. be on the bit every ride. Instead, it means Phillip told a rider whose horse moved that whether you are doing a formal dres- off lazily. When the horse cantered in ‘Training Is All sage school or on a relaxing hack, you response, Phillip instructed his rider to try the Time’ always insist that the horse respect certain again. “The canter isn’t wrong. He went Each participant rode in a morning arena parameters, like going forward when you forward from your leg,” he said. “Now session of flatwork and jumping and in put your leg on and following your steer- walk again and try to make the walk more an afternoon cross-country school at Lel- ing aids. Don’t allow him to ignore your forward and active.” 4 PRACTICAL HORSEMAN EXTRA VOL. 23 | TRAINING Meet Team Misfits Amy Collins: Primarily a hunter/ warmblood transitioning from jumpers to Rider descriptions from time of clinic in jumper rider, Amy rode her 4-year-old hunter derbies. Forwin had not jumped March 2014. Shannon Brown (fourth Canadian warmblood, Ruger. A jumper, cross country before the clinic and initial- from right): Contest winner Shannon Ruger had never seen a cross-country ly acted up when asked to canter in the Brown is finishing her master’s degree fence before the clinic but calmly tackled open. The only horse Phillip rode during in sport psychology and hopes to work them all. Like other noneventers and mul- the clinic, he abandoned his shenani- with equestrians in the future. She also tidiscipline riders in the clinic, Amy said gans quickly once the master got on and teaches beginning riders and takes on she was eager to learn from someone of demanded the horse go forward. After occasional horses for basic riding and Phillip’s caliber and happy to give her a brief gallop to establish that leg meant desensitization training. young horse a variety of experiences. forward, Phillip jumped the horse easily She has owned her 7-year-old Black over an impromptu course, building from Jack, a presumed Standardbred/Quar- Ann Boese: A friend from nearby a small log to a Preliminary-level roll-top, ter Horse cross, since he was about 8 Richmond Hill, Georgia, Ann got back much to the spectators’ delight. months old, when a family member in into riding five years ago, after a long law enforcement found him living tied to break. She brought her Artisan’s Mark, Beth Huddleston: A friend who lives a tree, covered in rope burns and lice, an 11-year-old Thoroughbred whom she in Aiken, South Carolina, Beth currently in a suburban backyard. She saddle- has competed at the Beginner Novice competes at the CCI* level. To stay with broke him as a 4-year-old, discovered level. “I don’t pay attention to striding,” the clinic groupings, she brought her he loved to jump and did jumpers and she observed after her morning session. Irish-bred 4-year-old, Inis, who has com- eventing with him, progressing to the “I need to push myself to be a more peted through Beginner Novice. Novice level before an accident at a thinking rider and use my dressage dur- cross-country ditch in 2011 shattered ing jumping.” Katy White: A friend of Shannon’s, Shannon’s arm and Black Jack’s confi- Katy brought her 6-year-old Thorough- dence about ditches. Abbie Jones: Also from Richmond bred, Monty. An athletic jumper and After rebuilding slowly, they now Hill, Abbie met Shannon through clinics one of the more excitable horses of the are competing successfully again at the and schooling sessions they attended to- group, he rushed fences and overshot Novice level and hope to move up to gether. She rode Bellagio, an 8-year-old turns in the morning gymnastic, so Phillip Training soon. During the clinic, Phillip dressage horse who only recently had her halt him after each fence (rather praised Black Jack’s “great attitude” and began jumping. than pull on him in front of the jump), desire to please as they tackled every- then pick up a canter and turn to jump thing Phillip asked of them—including an Macy Harden: The youngest of the the next. By learning to wait and listen intimidating Training-level ditch. clinic participants at age 12, Macy is between fences, he improved greatly. “I’m still a little star-struck,” Shannon one of Shannon’s students at Dove Field.

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