Confidence Clinics
Whether you are a serious competitor moving up from BE novice to Intermediate or a middle-aged housewife nervous of trotting round spook corner in the ménage, most of us at some time will come up against the moment (or longer period) of doubt. Mark works with a huge range of riders to help them cope with the confidence issue that plague so many riders enjoyment.

Long ago Mark worked out that in order to ride successfully at any level you need both technique AND confidence. Either one without the other is totally useless.
He also observed that, in the vast majority of cases the female's technique is vastly in advance of her confidence, and that in general the male's confidence is way in advance of his technical ability.

Many professional coaches teach the technical side of riding in a way very similar to that of Mark. In many cases they fail to empathise with the confidence issues because they have never experienced them personally. Whatever your riding level what goes on inside your head can make a serious difference not only to what you can achieve but also how much you enjoy achieving it. The motto for all riders should be ''it IS supposed to be FUN''.

Confidence clinics – Mark Smith style – involve one to one sessions, in which Mark utilises well-tried and successful methods of getting riders to focus on the positive things they are doing and achieving rather than the negative ones. Invariably by the end horse and rider are both smiling. Step one achieved.
If you would like Mark to organise a Confidence Clinic at your yard, ring or e mail him (Remember, riders don’t have to be jumpers. Equally well Mark currently trains four international event riders). Average cost for sessions are £25, and they could completely change your enjoyment level.

There is nothing wrong with being nervous ... there is something wrong with not letting an expert help rid you of those fears.

Watch this session in pictures proceed from uncertain rider and horse to Fruition!!!

PICTORIAL HOW TO JUMP NARROW FENCES
FROM THIS

TO THIS 

This is NOT a professional rider or an experienced horse.  Neither of them have jumped narrow fences before.  The whole thing depends on confidence.

Pic 1
The fence is two barrels wide
with high wings on either side,
situated in middle of school ,
so approachable off either rein.

Pic 2.  Having jumped the fence with
her reins the rider then moves onto the next
step, letting go of the reins and holding
onto the neckstrap only. 
Horse is demonstrating his confidence by
Continuing to jump.
Rider is demonstrating her confidence by
Allowing him to jump
Pic 3  Head on shot shows how straight
And true horse is when rider has no reins.

Pic 4  shows how one barrel in removed and
Horse continues to hold his true, straight line.

Pic 5  Horse and rider have to demonstrate their
Confidence at each stage by completing the
Exercise without reins.

Pic 6   Horse continues to grow in confidence
As rider holds onto neckstrap only, and horse
Holds true and straight.

Pic 7  Only now after possibly as many as
twenty or thirty jumps do the wide, wing
poles get removed.  Horse is so confident he
sees no reason to deviate around the barrel ...

Pic 9 Next step is to remove the rustic wings

Pic 10  resulting in same straight line

Pic 11  Nothing changes when it is neckstrap ONLY

Whole session lasts less than 45 minutes and both horse and rider have been introduced to narrow fences in a simple, uncomplicated, progressive manner which results in them both now being ready to take on a SKINNY out in the middle of a field.