Hillcrest Stables Riding Clinic with Heather Snow-Flamer

Equine clinician Heather Snow-Flamer is a Humboldt County treasure! This talented,

eloquent equestrian donated her time to present a six hour clinic to benefit

Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue on Saturday, November 20th at Hillcrest Stables.

Jerry Boots, owner of Hillcrest Stables, donated the use of his beautiful facility for the event.

Throughout the morning we practiced ways to center and balance our emotions

and bodies so we might encourage reciprocal balance in our horses.

Taking time to complete a rider's self-evaluation helped each clinic participant set personal

goals for the day. Setting our intention this way helped synthesize the morning's theory and physical exercised with the afternoon's application of concepts while on the ground and mounted.

Balanced riding calls for a centered body. Jennifer Walts shows her Xtreme balance.

And THAT is exactly why she is our evaluation rider at HRHR!

For the first part of the clinic, participants got to experience many exercises to increase body awareness. Working on this board helped to focus attention of our seat bones and how to move.

The concept of "neutral spine" was useful and let us experience how the alignment of hips,

back, and shoulders could create a shock absorbing pillar or collapse and direct force onto the backs of our horses. I loved the image of lights shining from the ends of our seat bone,

shining those lights straight down helps to promote a neutral spine.

Centered, focused, and aware, HRHR volunteer Carey Call is ready to use her newly

learned strategies to support Angel has they negotiate a series of obstacles.

At the end of the day Heather brought out her devious "Tunnel of Doom".

Red Horse is letting me know he is not overly impressed by of the idea of my "gradually increasing pressure" to build his confidence. Gotta tell ya Red, that concept was my favorite "lesson" and one we will use over and over as we prepare for the next season of Trail Trials.

Angel moved through the tunnel and every obstacle with steady grace.

This little Arab mare is waiting for her forever home.

Jessica White and her coming three year old Diego build their partnership skills.

While Angel waits to change partners, she enjoys a few scritches in her favorite itchy places.

Robert and Angel. They adore each other.

Jennifer and Vida take on the tunnel.

Vida is an HRHR sponsored horse that is ready for her new home.

Kira Hawk, HRHR board member, sharing a few words of

encouragement with an equine participant in the clinic.

This was SO cool. I was thrilled that Red had gained the confidence to stand

steadily while I spun the rainbow umbrella. Red not so much.

Throughout the afternoon, riders practiced the strategies they learned during

the morning. We paid close attention to how we used our bodies to help our horses

calmly and confidently move through a series of obstacles.

Here is Jessica excelling at one of the hardest trials of all - the "pie-eating while your

horse watches" obstacle. HRHR volunteer Mary Urbach made the most

amazing, mouth-watering apple pies for clinic human participants.

Part two of the "pie-eating" obstacle is defending your pie while horses

team up to try to take the cinnamon apple delight away from you.

Even though the weather was very cold for Humboldt, with rain

and wind, the clinic was so absorbing and full of rich information that

I wished we were able to spend another week or so working with Heather.

Jerry, Heather, and the HRHR volunteers who provided dessert, thank you SO much

for a day I'll long remember as Red and I move down the trail.