East Hill Farm, Vermont: Programs

EAST HILL FARM FALL ADULT HORSEMANSHIP WEEK

September 6-10, 2010

The response to our Adult Dressage Horsemanship week was so fantastic that I have happily agreed to do another one!

The date’s will be from the 6^th of September to the 10^th of September. No, I can’t guarantee that there will not be snow this time, but USUALLY the fall here is my favorite time of the year.

After polling the last group of riders, I guess I should not make many changes to the format. We thought of cutting out the evening dinner and education but the entire consensus was NOOOOO! The evenings were great fun for me too, and gave our riders time to get to know one another as well as learn, enjoy friends, and eat great FOOD!

So there you have it. We will follow the same basic format. If you have any ideas or requests to what ELSE you would like to have incorporated into your day, please let me know early so I can try to accommodate!

Lessons- You will enjoy one daily lesson that is focused on your own individual goals. Whatever your goals are, we can help you attain them. Whether it’s basic riding skills, preparing for a dressage test, riding outdoors, learning to count your flying changes, preparing to move up a level for the show season, or making a freestyle, we can help.

Videos- We will video as many of the lessons as possible, and review them in the evenings. You will receive a video of your rides.

Position Analysis- All participants will receive a half hour position analysis from Ruth on her Equicizer Rocky. You will receive a video of your analysis. Every single person who has ever had a lesson on Rocky has had major revelations about their own position and contact. Learn more about Rocky here.. http://www.ruthhoganpoulsen.com/video.html.

Educational Programs and Evening Entertainment- We will have educational programs in the evening with question and answer sessions, training videos, and videos of inspirational world class dressage competitors. Classical dressage theories and other topics will be discussed.

Mini Clinics and Help Sessions- Everyone enjoys the mini clinics about topics such as braiding, clipping, bandaging, grooming, heath care and whatever else you want to learn about. Give us your input and we will try to add new topics to the list.

Food- Just ask anyone who has ever been to Adult Horsemanship week. It does not get any better. Each evening wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served while talking about the day. Dinner is never better between the cooking of the Moultons, Poulsens, and Hogans. If you don't come for the riding, come for the food!

We are accepting applications from the first 12 people! The school horse slots are already full so you must be able to bring a horse to apply now.

Here is the drill.

I need to have an email from you confirming you are coming, and I need payment from you before you are confirmed on the list. You can send a check, drop off cash, or pay by Pay Pal. My Pay Pal account is under the email of vibaek@aol.com . I need an email the day that you are sending your deposit.

Get your calendars out and get your deposit in!

Join your friends for a week filled with the following:

 One daily lesson (more if you want that option).

 Position analysis with Ruth Poulsen on the Equicizer. ( I will TRY to video those)

 Question and answer sessions.

 Mini clinic sessions on grooming, braiding, heath care, wrapping etc.

 Beverages/ wine and appetizers served before dinner. M-F

 Dinner every night. (NOT to be missed) M-F

 Evening education program. M-F

 Videos of your rides throughout the week.

 Video analysis of your rides on DVD.

 Riding With Soul group musical ride.

 Watch Ruth instruct her staff in the early mornings and late afternoons.

 Enjoy the traveling tack shop that will come to the farm and do a saddle fitting for you if you need it.

 Have a wonderful farrier (yes Bo, my husband) look at your horse and answer questions you might have.

 Use of the Equicizer (Rocky) when he is not teaching.

$100 deposit will hold a place for you. Deposit not refundable. 50% of you entire camp fee due by August 15^th 2010. Your balance of camp fee due on arrival.

Lodging not included. We have arranged a discounted rate again at the Hollow Inn in South Barre.

REGISTRATION

Name _________________________________

Address_____________________________________________________________________

Telephone______________________________________

Horse Name_____________________________________

Tuition for Adult Horsemanship Week-----$800

Stall for your own horse -----20 $ per night

Rental of school horse -----100$ for the 5 days This option no longer available for the fall week.

Questions to Answer When You Register

1. Do you need a school horse to ride?------------------------

2. Are you bringing your own horse?--------------------------

3. What mini clinics are you interested in?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Do you have any special dietary needs? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Do you have a preference for instructors?----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Do you have any time or scheduling difficulties?--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7. What are your own personal goals for the week?--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HERE'S WHAT PARTICIPANTS IN THE SPRING WEEK HAD TO SAY

Both of these posts were taken from the DressageMentor.com web site with their permission. These two gals were participants in the April East Hill Farm Dressage Camp week 2010. Thanks for the insights gals! Ruth

I am over the moon ecstatic about the day! Everyone rode to music today, usually 2 or 3 people in the ring at the same time and Ruth would play different music for different gaits. How much fun! Everyone did so well today. The music seems to take your mind off all the little nit picky things that go through your head and you just ride. You focus on the music, the beat and you BREATH!!!!!! Horses are so much more relaxed then as well.

The biggest pearl of all today for me: I need to ride to music to do sitting trot! The music helps me sit in him instead of on him. I can feel the beat in my body and so my pelvis can dictate the rhythm instead of me desperately trying to sit on him as he trots! Just FREAKING COOL

Good position is essential to be with your horse! My position changes are the biggest thing I learned this week (beside the above pearl). I have a vid from today's ride and as I got tired my position deteriorated a little but it was still vastly better.

I truly felt what pushing the nose out on the third beat of the canter felt like. Cantering Gainer was like sitting on a beach ball that was bounding down the rail! I thought I would break in half keeping my seat scooping! He was soooooo round. But I felt that I was connected to his mouth by 2 sticks. There was not 1 mm of slack in those reins! It was also too FREAKING cool! I will remember that feeling forever. The sound of the music, the feel of his round back, the incredible swing in my pelvis, the motion of my elbows and the feel of those 2 sticks in my hands. I have never felt so connected to a round canter before.

Biggest thrill of the day was that I got to do a flying lead change I do not really know how, and Ruth did not make me practice on the ground and on Rocky like she usually would, but she let me try one! I got the 1 minute cram download, just do these two things and he'll change!

Yea, change he did, clean and just when I asked and about 14 ft in the air I stayed on (actually I felt really centered, just thrown up in air a bit, maybe it looked worse than it felt) and afterward I could not help doing a bit of a wave to the crowd rodeo style! Just so generous of her to let me try!

I am so happy that I came. Ruth is such a patient, calm teacher. But she does get excited when you do well, and she knows how to ask you to do just a little more, a little bit better.

More later but for now, to bed. There were some pics taken that may show up. Of course, there was also a camp song or two that will probably also show up! Pammek

My mind is so full and there is so much to post! The format of camp is so great our lessons are filmed and we get to review them before our next days lesson. I told Pam we I was going to sound like the girl from American Pie, instead of "and last summer at Band Camp" it will be "and last summer at Dressage Camp".

The first day I wanted to worked on my position....I have the chair seat habit as well. I couldn't believe how far behind the motion I was, then I saw the video. Many more position fixes to work on, gardening knees is a big one for me.....I feel the burn on that one. If I get my position in the correct position the change in Willy is like at light switch is turned on, and he seems a pretty "Happy Horse" about it. Then a lesson on "Rocky", if you are too stiff and not following he doesn't rock.

Willy was well rested from his big trailer ride by day 2, this lesson was awesome. I had confused his hollow and stiff sides so I have been suppling the wrong side all this time.....talk about the light switch being turned, this time in me!

The Food is absolutely wonderful !!!! I've been collecting Mr. Hogans recipes. The entire East Hill family have worked very hard to make this memorable experience for us and have succeeded!!!

Oh, Pam gets to have the honor of hand walking Moshi, she walked him during one of our videoed lessons so Willy and Moshi are on film together!!!

Day 3, now that I have figured out the correct weak side we introduced 2 exercises to strengthen that weak leg. Moving the shoulders over in a square box with the outside rein. And keeping him between the aids and straight on the quarter line. While still trying to keeping the same rhythm.

Another big day Thurs. and the saddle fitter is coming with the Tack Trailer! Friday we ride Ruth's music clinic!

The Pearl for me is.....when there is resistance up front - check the hind......he unloads the left hind. So I flex him +1 to the right and slide his shoulders left, when his body is straight his face can go back to neutral position. This all happens in a snap.

I could have continued to +7+1 to the left till the cows came home and it wouldn't have fixed the problem. I needed to check out the hind to figure out the correct hollow side.

Irish Ridge

Contact Information

Email: contact us
Barn: 802-479-9258 Poulsens: 561-346-4859
Hogans and fax: 802-479-2723 Moultons: 802-479-0858
Address: 540 (mail to 324) Gonyeau Rd., Plainfield, VT 05667

Page updated September 2010
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