The Training Diaries with Allie Slusher: Chapter 2

As we reported on Eventing Nation a couple of weeks ago Sinead Halpin came to Kentucky recently to teach a clinic and as Allie Slusher not only hosted but rode her two featured Training Diary horses in it, I can’t think of a better Chapter 2 to continue the series. I got a selection of video of Allie riding both her horses on each day with Sinead’s comments, and talked to Allie about her ride on Komik after the first day.

Sinead told me that Komik was actually very similar to her own mare, On Cue, that she recently imported to the US although her Cue might have the edge in hands, “My mare is even bigger, she’s massive, huge! She’s 16.3 and keeps growing but she’s very narrow. I think Komik is a lovely horse, I’m glad I hopped on her because sometimes with young horses like that and with riders as good as Allie you’ll be watching and know that there’s something that they need help with, but you want to make sure you’re addressing the right thing. Komik has a lovely attitude even though she gets a little fussy in the bridle sometimes when you’re trying to adjust her, it’s just that she’s an opinionated mare and actually in a nice way – she’s pretty sure of what she wants and she’s brave and genuine so I think it’s a really nice mix, and I think the two of them are going to be a pretty great pair.  She’s got a nice step, and a good jump and a great brain on her and I like it that she has a little spunk, you kind of have to make her believe it, I think she’s a lovely horse. I recognise a lot of the same quality in both our mares that they’re great and brave and bold but that you need to make them believe it.  If you’re going to take a check you’d better believe you’re taking a check for a good reason but my mare is coming seven whereas Komik is rising six so mine is probably a touch more confirmed in her style, but they’re both very similar in that mentality of that great, genuine, honest, brave mare on your side but you’d better know what you’re doing when you take hold of their mouth!”

(continue reading, with more videos…)

 

Although Allie’s farm is still a work in progress and they don’t have a vast cross country course Sinead was able to simulate exercises useful for the phase out in a big field on the second day, alternating between bending lines and angles, and straight, galloping fences.

 

 

I spoke to Allie after the clinic to get her thoughts, “I feel as if it was something like a real breakthrough for them and myself, sort of like the next place to go to with them and the next step of upping their game and expecting a little bit more from them. I think the biggest thing I took away from the clinic was getting their rideability better for both of them, so now I know what to work on when they start back.  Both of them are weak behind, they both need to strengthen their hind end and part of that is age and part of that is training.  I think that if I can get their canter more developed that’s going to help everything – that’s going to help the frame that they can stay in, that’s going to help the consistency of the jump, and both of them very differently fight being able to hold that balanced canter and really stay on their hind end while jumping and on the flat so I really need to work on that. I think that’s going to help Komik keep her consistency in the bridle, and she’ll stop fighting me so much and have confidence in her own canter.  Roxy is basically either behind my leg or she’s pulling but she’s also behind my leg; she’s either really strong or not there in my hand, she disappears and curl under so if I can get her canter where she feels strong and confident in the canter then the contact will become a lot more consistent.  I think it will help in the trot as well, but really for the jumping  the canter is just so important and they’re not developed enough in that, especially not if I’m thinking about moving up to the  preliminary level next year.”

Komik and Roxy both enjoyed a brief break immediately following the clinic and as soon as Allie returns from teaching a clinic back home in California next weekend she’ll bring them back slowly into work, “This was really the only time that I could give them a break, and for being five they’ve really worked very hard all year for Komik, and Roxy’s jumped right into things since I’ve had her so this was sort of the natural time to give them a break and it was a nice way to end their season on a really positive note, and something that they can really take back and think about for a couple of weeks.”

Allie does plan to try and bring Sinead back for more clinics as schedules allow, and explained that she feels pretty comfortable in the meantime working indepently, “It really felt like Sinead and I were working together but she had a little bit of a different look at things. I haven’t had the opportunity to take many lessons on Komik since I’ve had her so I think just naturally riding them day in and day out you can tend to get stuck in expecting a certain amount from them, so having someone up your game and suggest you put them in a different place might be a little bit of a struggle for a day or two, but really it’s going to help a lot more, and especially that Sinead got on Komik and rode her and felt what she’s like; I really thought that was very helpful because then I felt as if we were working together towards a common goal, and I think Komik will be a lot happier in the end.  It’s always nice to have eyes on you because I haven’t had a regular trainer myself for years because when I moved and started my own business in Northern California I didn’t have many lessons – I’d go down south for the clinics with Buck (Davidson), or Hawley (Bennet-Awad) would help me, but for the most part I didn’t really have help except for my dressage lessons which were in clinic form as well, so luckily  it’s not something which is new to me because I think the move to Kentucky has been overwhelming enough that had I come from weekly lessons or daily help to nothing on top of that it would have been a very difficult switch. I’m sort of used to this style where you work at something for months, then have a clinic and then sort of re-vamp your training plan and work on that for a couple of months. This style is normal to me, and it suits me because I feel like I can get a lot done in a couple of days and then I have time to really work on it.”

Once again many thanks to Allie for all her time and input, to Sinead, and to you for reading. If you have any questions for Allie about her horses, their training, or a general question about bringing on youngsters please feel free to ask in the comment section. We’ll be bringing you another installment, weather permitting, just before Christmas.  Go Eventing!

 

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