Adult Education

The Region 9 Adult Education Coordinator(s) is Betty Beebe. For questions or futher information, contact Betty (gb6265@sbcglobal.net).

How to be chosen as a clinic participant

There are a number of “little” things that you can do to improve your chances of being selected for these clinics as well as any other that you wish to apply for. Keep in mind that the selection committee will have a number of applications to sort through and the more they have the pickier they may be about details.

Here is a list of dos and don’ts that may improve your chance of being selected.

  • DO fill out the application completely. Missing pages or incomplete applications are usually the first ones in the “no” pile. If you need extra space, include additional sheets.
  • DO print or type the application. No one on the selection committee is into code work, and committee members don’t want to take time to decipher unclear writing.
  • DON’T have conflicting information on the application. Under Selection Criteria the first question is “At what level are you currently riding?” The ninth question is “at what level is your horse currently trained?” We all know a horse can be trained to a level above that which you are riding, but what often appears is the opposite. The answer of fourth in the first question and the answer of first in the ninth makes it difficult for the selection committee to determine what level you fit into. Viewing the tape usually fixes this, but don’t leave it up to guesswork on the committee’s part.
  • DO send in a video. If there are a large number of applicants, the second ones in the “no” pile are those without an accompanying video. Remember, the first ones in the “no” pile were those with incomplete applications.
  • DO put the level and test on the competition part of the application. Just the date, location and score are not enough. The videos have a special dos and don’ts section.
  • DON’T send a video of a lesson or clinic. This often does not show all the current work of you or the horse.
  • DO make a special video for this. Show all your current work. First, the work at your present level; that which is listed on tests from that level, then the work of the level you are schooling. If you are stating you are second level but don’t show any shoulder-in or medium gaits, the committee is likely to decide you aren’t in fact second level. An option to this is to send a video of a ride at a show.
  • DON’T send a tape that is 30 or even 20 minutes long. You can demonstrate everything in 10-15 minutes or less. When the selection committee has a stack of tapes to go through, it doesn’t want to see you spending ten minutes warming up.
  • DO make sure that all gaits are shown on the tape. The selection committee doesn’t need to be wondering if the horse has a walk or a canter.
  • DON’T have more than one horse on the tape. If you are applying with more than one horse, use separate tapes. You don’t want the committee to be wondering or guessing which horse is which.
  • DO have the tape rewound and cued up to the start of your ride. Again, when the committee has several tapes to go though, ‘little things’ start to irritate them.
  • DO dress for the occasion. Formal attire is not necessary, but breeches, boots, a shirt tucked in and neat hair are preferred.
  • DO label the tape with the name of both rider and horse.
  • DO make sure the video is current. The committee doesn’t want to see what you and your horse were doing a year, or even six months, ago.
  • DO check the quality of the tape. Tapes that are out of focus, jerky, bouncy, poorly lit (meaning that all that can be seen is a silhouette) are very difficult to view, not to mention that some will make the viewers seasick. Remember you are one of many applying: a good clear tape is a necessity.