From clinic organizer Lauren Romanelli:
We were lucky enough to have Canadian Olympic and World Equestrian Games Eventing team rider, Kyle Carter, join us for a clinic last weekend at the lovely Southern Promise Farm in College Grove, TN. Kyle spent Saturday and Sunday instructing groups ranging from kids (and adults!) on cute ponies to several of the area’s up-and-coming professionals riding at training level. Kyle’s sense of humor had us chuckling all day while his instruction pushed us all to raise the bar on our horse training. By the end of the weekend, everyone who rode felt like they came away with increased confidence and a new perspective on their daily rides.
Kids on cute ponies! Ansleigh on Classic and Tori on Snickers warming up for their group
We all saw this face time and time again throughout the weekend!
Thanks to all the auditors who braved the cold and windy weather!
Kyle’s overall theme was creating better horse trainers. He emphasized that everything a rider does teaches the horse something. He often reminded us that if we were riding what was happening at that moment, we were already too late. We had to ride the steps ahead of us. While he was very quick to make corrections on things that we might be prone to let slide while schooling at home, he did not hesitate to give positive feedback when we fixed it- but don’t make him repeat himself! He mentioned that pretty riders are not always effective, and the best riders are the ones that, when they need to, can grit their teeth and get the job done.
Kyle talks to Lauren, Claire and Megan about what it takes to succeed beyond training level
Lauren, on Rion, practices anticipating her horse’s response to trotting straight through two poles on the ground several strides apart.
Even though he had groups of all levels, he started each session with trot poles, using the exercise to help the horses and riders understand concepts appropriate for their level.
Megan and River trotting through the poles in the training level group
Laura and Ronny through the poles in the 2′ group
In the Novice group, the riders were asked to jump three small fences on a serpentine, focusing on the line between fences. After each rider made it through satisfactorily, Kyle told a story of having to ride a similar question on Madison Park (“Parker”) in the cross country phase at a WEG selection trial. He said that he had accidentally dropped his inside rein and still managed to make the turn and jump clear out over the second obstacle, because he had schooled the question correctly at home enough times that Parker ASSUMED there would be another question after the first! It is always nice to know WHY we school difficult questions.
Megan on Mia jumping the first jump in the serpentine
Jess on Gracie and Martha on Brownie practice their turns in the field
Kyle admitted early in the weekend that he prefers to teach an older crowd, but it became clear as the weekend progressed that he has a soft spot for the eventers of the future. He spent time with each of the younger riders, expecting them to step up their riding, but altering the question if their experience didn’t allow them to perform a more advanced version. He spoke to the young riders as adults and expected them to make the same corrections as their older counterparts. And he expected all the riders, young and old, to try to make the adjustments he asked for promptly.
Kyle chats with young rider, Amanda about her ride on Zara
Will on Arizona, our youngest and the only brave male rider! Watch out, this guy has 4* potential!
Much of Kyle’s teaching was done through storytelling and explanation. In one group, he was faced with an opinionated Irish gelding and three opinionated red headed (well, one was dun) mares. He schooled two of the horses before he got the lesson rolling and spent that time explaining the difference between mares, geldings and stallions. He also explained that it is not in a horse’s nature to do many of the things we blame them for– they don’t run us into the rail or fail to turn just because they they don’t run us into the rail or fail to turn just because they “feel like it.” They are simply responding to what we do– or don’t– tell them to do. 
Kyle schools Courtney’s Cinniman, one of the opinionated mares
Kyle talked with both the Beginner Novice and Training groups at length about the proper definition of the word “aids” and how we use them, using the placement of our bodies to help our horses respond in the correct manner.
Kyle explaining how the horse’s body position affects his responsiveness to BN riders Anna and Olivia
While riders Melissa and Holly look on
He talked frequently about the quality of the canter and the rider’s to find the “middle stride.” That middle stride is a forward canter, in the middle of the horse’s range of stride lengths, that allows the horse to have options when she gets to the base of the jump. After a visual demonstration using a diagram drawn in the sand, riders practiced finding the middle stride. The Training group practiced feeling it through a gymnastic exercise that eventually had our horses adjusting their own strides with elastic toplines and powerful, correct last strides before the fences.
Megan and Caesar jump out of the gymnastic in the training group
Claire and Ralah sorting out their footwork though the gymnastic
On the opposite side of the spectrum, in the 2′ group, he promoted making a good turn, then softening to allow the horse to sort out his feet while going forward. Each rider found that we were much more confident on a more forward step than a small, backwards canter.
Shannon and Pumpkin confidently finishing their turn in the 2′ group
Kyle, being of the male persuasion and also quite tall and strong, emphasized the use of finesse instead of muscle, telling one of the smallest female riders in our group that she had to refine her aids to ride softer instead of stronger.
Kyle talking Terri, on Truman, through a softer connection for a more responsive horse
Kyle schools Brandy, demonstrating her responsiveness to a more subtle ride
Overall, Kyle’s quick witted sense of humor kept us straining to hear every quip he had over the 40mph wind gusts. He didn’t mince words, nor sugarcoat his feedback when someone had a particularly messy (or bloody awful! as Kyle would say) effort, but his humor made him approachable and not arrogant. He was an excellent judge of individual character and sorted out participants he could tease, targeting us for faults that we would come to find out were often mistakes he had made in the past.
Kyle teasing Lauren, on Brandy, about a botched warmup fence
Aside from the excellent mounted instruction we received, Kyle took the time to answer our questions about our ambitions and professional development with very serious and thought- provoking answers, along with stories of his own struggle to become the rider he is today. One of our riders, Megan, said it best: Kyle Carter = irreverent mastermind of shock value humor and superior horse training.
Another face we saw frequently through the weekend…
Chilly auditors look on as Kyle coaches
Big thanks to Kate Hegge, Leslie Vancil and Cathy Efinger for the photos!
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If you have clinic reports this winter that you would like to share with Eventing Nation please send them to [email protected].
