Clinics - preferred formats? Opinions please! (esp SJ and dressage)

[Twiglet]

For those of you who attend/organise/enjoy clinics with trainers, which formats do you prefer?

Ie. would you rather pay extra and have an individual lesson?
Or make it cheaper and share the session?
With flatwork clinics, what do you think of the 'ride a test - have a lesson - ride a test again' format?

What ideas have made really good clinics for you?

How much would you be willing to spend on hiring the school for the clinic? Would you rather pay a certain amount for better facilities or have the use of a more average school and keep the clinic cheaper?

Sorry for all the questions - input welcome

 

[Shipley]

Twiglet

I am currently organising our RC (all disaplines) ones and have the same issues you have rather than gonig into full details pm me if you want but I have a few ideas i work on, which is at least 20m pp and prefer instructors who have a hourly rate rather than pp.

 

[Super_Kat]

I would rather pay extra for a private session (I find I can learn and improve more in an individual lesson that I can doing 6 months worth of weekl lesosnswith 5/6/7 other people).
I would also be willing to pay out more to hire aschool with a better surface.

 

[JLav]

Personally I wouldn't as either a rider or trainer do a shared flatwork session. I would prefer to do those one on one even if it's only half an hour as I think it's much more beneficial than a shared session.

For jumping though I think shared sessions are fine as long as everyone is about the same standard.

 

[ajf]

Flatwork, individual ones are much better.
Jumping, nice to have small groups (never more than 4 for an hours lesson of similar standards) as you can learn from watching, and see whats good and whats not

 

[Jo C]

Another vote for individual flat work clinics here, I personally wouldn't bother with a shared one. Not too worried about the surface provided it is rideable (is that a word?) on and isn't going to cause injury. Can't help with jumping as I don't ever leave the ground by choice!

I do like the ride a test ideas but also like the traditional clinics, if you were going to run more than one I'd go for both types but if it is just one clinic a year say, I'd go with normal clinics.
Hope that helps!

 

[Vicki1986]

i hack to rallies/clinics at our local EC run by our RC. they run SJ and flatwork clinics, 1 of each every month. they are 1 hour long roughly. and are groups of max 4-5, but the indoor school is HUGE though. For non members flatwork is £18, jumping is £20.

i prefer groups as i can learn by watching others too and also i don't get too tired out - so me and pony stay fresh and can produce best work as get to have little breaks here and there.

it also keeps the price down so means i can have 2 a month on top of competing etc and any other lessons or whatever else.

I did a SJ Clinic once with a retired top name SJ'er, there were 6 big horses in the 20x60 school plus a course of jumps and that was a bit rammo, in a situation like that i think its better to limit numbers even if only for safety!! We paid £60 i think, for an hour and a half and it wasn't really money well spent.