XC Clinic

WellyBaggins

WellyBaggins

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 February 2010
Messages
1,787
Location
Sunny Shrops
Visit site
Ok, so I am *thinking* of organising a xc clinic and could do with some help from you clever lot ;)

1. How much would you expect/be prepared to pay?

2. How long would you ideally want the session to be?

3. How many people in an ideal world would you want in your group?

4. Would you like a subject (ie ditches, water, skinnies) or would a well suited group be better?

Any other thoughts welcome :)

Thanks in advance
 
I just attended the Jeaneatte Brakewell one at Somerford.

It cost £65 which i thought was very reasonable
It lasted 2 hours which was enough
Thr group was limited to 5 (which was enough i thought, anymore and you really would have been waiting around)

We did everything, water, ditches, skinnies, drops etc.

And a really lovely touch was a photgrapher was there for the day

Hope that helps you a bit
 
1. How much would you expect/be prepared to pay?
Depending on venue and trainer approx £50-70.
2. How long would you ideally want the session to be?
For XC about 1.5 hrs
3. How many people in an ideal world would you want in your group?
No more than 4.
4. Would you like a subject (ie ditches, water, skinnies) or would a well suited group be better?
Ideally the group should be working to a similar level. The group would discuss areas to cover with trainer on the day.

:D
 
EHOA had a clinic at somerford with richard carruthers - 1 hr sj in the morning and 1.5hrs XC in afternoon. £65
 
photo_jo said:
Saw it in the distance today and thought having eight in a group on the xc was a bit over the top.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't have been happy about being in a group of 8!! Think 3-4 of similar level works well. Felt that event camp at Kelsall last spring got it about right for group sizes (know that levels weren't spot on as some people hadn't been completely honest about ability but that happens unfortunately!) Let me know what you're planning as would be interested (need all the help we can get!!)
 
This year, I have paid £35 for a 2hr clinic with Nick Gauntlett (6 in my group but it worked pretty well to be honest as the horses in the group were well matched - and were all being good!!) and £75 for a 2hr clinic with Lucinda Green (5 in the group but not so well matched).

I appreciate that it is really tricky to group horses and riders based on: a) who signs up; and b) the riders' assessment of their experience and abilities. Some people are far too shy and retiring about their abilities and others grossly overestimate!

I thought £75 was expensive but obviously LG is a bit of a legend and has a wealth of experience. By contrast £35 was extremely good VfM and NG was a good trainer. I was cautious about 6 in a group - I think 4 would be my preferred, but was lucky on that occasion as the horses in question were at a similar level and all of them were on good behaviour that day!

Depending on the trainer I would generally expect to pay 40-55 for a 2 hr xc clinic at a good venue. I thought LG was pricey (but was interested to be taught by her as she is a bit of a xc idol) and the clinic was good, but I'm not sure I'd pay that much again. TBH £65 for Jeanette Brakewell strikes me as being on the expensive side, but she is not someone I have ever had tuition from, she's probably brilliant, but 65 does seem a lot.

Good luck with sorting your clinic!
 
I am going for a clinic at mostyn farm with poly Stockton only for an hour however max of 4 in group that is costing me £30 which I think is very reasonable.
 
lannerch said:
I am going for a clinic at mostyn farm with poly Stockton only for an hour however max of 4 in group that is costing me £30 which I think is very reasonable.
Click to expand...

That is reasonable ! Lannerch - do you mean Mostyn in North Wales just off the A55? I hope you don't mind my asking but who is it organised through and is it full? I have friends in the area who would probably jump at that if there were any spaces left.....

Sorry OP, not trying to hijack, just thought that sounds great!
 
Sorry reading my post it is not clear and cannot edit as on iPhone should read yes it is mostyn farm on a55 , the clinic I am going to organised by Flint and Denbigh riding club not sure if there is places contact details on their website http://www.flintanddenbighrc.com/
, although there
is also another one run by mostyn farm themselves.
 
VRIN said:
There was not eight in a group on XC on the richard carruthers course.
Click to expand...

Sorry-We all counted eight but some must have been from previous group just watching then-we only noticed cos one of the rides at the camp (due to a mix up I must add) had seven in and we were all saying it was a lot for a trainer to have to watch!
 
Thanks for all the feedback :) SW3 no worries, I don't mind, I hope you get on the clinic :D

SD will let you know what I am planning as I get sorted ;)

Thanks Smurf, I will take you up on that offer :)

I had better get my butt into gear now :o :) :p ;)
 
I think our RC members would gawp at some of those prices! We charged £45per rider for Ian Stark at a BE course and some thought that was too expensive! It was subsidised for RC members only too.

I think for Jeanette Brakewell we charged £40 but I know for sure that some people only attended because we were at a lower level course and wouldn't have gone if it was at the previous course. (Also subsidised)

Both were 90 mins, if I remember correctly groups of 5 and 4 respectively, or it could have been 5 in each, can't remember now. I had to canvass for other local RCs as there would have been no way our own club would have filled the places. Less people = more £££ per rider. It could only be RC members due to insurance.

It is quite stressful filling a clinic, people pull out/change their minds, horses get ill or lame and then have to pull out. Nightmare!

Can I advise you get a deposit from everyone and should you get sufficient numbers, keep a waiting list to ensure that if someone does drop out, there is someone waiting in the wings to take the place. It is satisfying when the day goes well and fortunately we had good weather on both days!! Go for it.
 
1. How much would you expect/be prepared to pay?
Up to £80 for a really top class trainer who has successfully competed at the hightest levels, at a very good venue
2. How long would you ideally want the session to be?
Depends how many are in the group, but about 2 hours if 4 riders, could be a bit less if fewer riders.
3. How many people in an ideal world would you want in your group?
No more than 4. I would also like the option of private as I have a horse who really cannot deal with clinic situations due to napping issues.
4. Would you like a subject (ie ditches, water, skinnies) or would a well suited group be better?
No I would like to cover everything, but if I tell the trainer I have a particular problem I would like to feel I have really had chance to work with them through it. It is always difficult to group riders who you don't know as people will either under or over estimate their abilities, sometimes groups work, other times they don't. If I am going on a one off clinic I go knowing it is a bit of a gamble with the grouping! How about asking for the horses BE name if the rider says the horse is competing at affilliated level, then you can check as see how established they are at the level??
 
4. Would you like a subject (ie ditches, water, skinnies) or would a well suited group be better?
No I would like to cover everything, but if I tell the trainer I have a particular problem I would like to feel I have really had chance to work with them through it. It is always difficult to group riders who you don't know as people will either under or over estimate their abilities, sometimes groups work, other times they don't. If I am going on a one off clinic I go knowing it is a bit of a gamble with the grouping! How about asking for the horses BE name if the rider says the horse is competing at affilliated level, then you can check as see how established they are at the level??

Now that is a good idea, I like it :) thank you

Irish Draught thanks for your input too, very helpful :)
 
emmyc said:
4. Would you like a subject (ie ditches, water, skinnies) or would a well suited group be better?
No I would like to cover everything, but if I tell the trainer I have a particular problem I would like to feel I have really had chance to work with them through it. It is always difficult to group riders who you don't know as people will either under or over estimate their abilities, sometimes groups work, other times they don't. If I am going on a one off clinic I go knowing it is a bit of a gamble with the grouping! How about asking for the horses BE name if the rider says the horse is competing at affilliated level, then you can check as see how established they are at the level??[/COLOR

Now that is a good idea, I like it :) thank you

Irish Draught thanks for your input too, very helpful :)
Click to expand...


When booking any clinics run by my local RC you have to put on your horse's competition name on the booking form, and it really helps sort out the groups. My RC is mainly eventers, and the odd dressage person, so the results are easier to check than for SJ!!! The thing is you can have 2 horses competing at BE100, but 1 might have done 1 BE100 with a cricket score, and the other may be consistently being placed. Both riders would be correct in putting on the entry form they were competing at BE100, but the horses will be very different in their abilities.
 
The most important things to me are:

The Trainer

The venue

A well matched group - I agree this is the hardest bit to sort if you don't know everyone booking on. Definitely not too many in a group. I think 5 is the most I have had but a good trainer can manage that number.

Price up to £60 - more if it was a venue or trainer I really wanted to use.
 
photo_jo said:
Saw it in the distance today and thought having eight in a group on the xc was a bit over the top.
Click to expand...

I think the number of riders per group is dependant on the trainer (some trainers are better able to cope with more in a group), grouping riders accordingly and the venue. I was in the first group with Richard at Somerford on Tuesday, and never stopped jumping! A good trainer (no matter how many in a group) never misses anything. Not one person complained of not getting enough out of the session, a compliment to the trainer I think.
 
I organised my first clinic earlier this year, I grouped people in pairs, they had 45 mins in the morning in the arena and 45mins in the afternoon in the schooling field. I charged 75 euros which included hire of the place (I paid the venue per horse, good as I had a couple of drop outs at late notice). I'm organising another in a couple of weeks, a different venue which doesn't lend itself to the previous format, plus I hope to have more riders, so it's going to be single sessions of 2 hours, with 3 or 4 riders per group. I'm charging 70 euros for this one, so better value in fact, although riders won't be in pairs. Again, the venue is charging me on a per horse basis. This time I'm going to be pushier about getting money in advance, that reminds me someone still owes me part of their payment from the last time!

I'm getting pretty ambitious about organising something along the lines of the EHOA camps in the spring as a pre-season thing. I will need to be confident of having the numbers though.
 
I organise all our RC Clinics about 30 a year in total! we charge between 30 and 40 for groups 4 max for 1.5 hours they have to fill out recent competing experience and if be bd bsja horse name so I can check record, pm me an email address and can send over the forms we use to look up
 
OK, I have had my thinking cap on, I have tonsilitis so am bored on the puter ;)

How does £35 for 1.5 hours sound, groups of 4? Or perhaps £40 for 1.5 hours groups of 3?

I don't want to make money but want to cover my own session and diesel ideally :)
 
£35 for groups of 4 sounds good value to me. I'm assuming that includes course hire as well as instruction with somebody decent? I think 4 in a group is prehaps easier than 3 as then you have an even number, so don't risk 1 horse being left on it's own as such? Or that just be me being wierd, as I don't like odd numbers (even down to the volume on the radio or TV has to be an even number)!!!
 
If you have people you're uncertain about ability-wise, if you can put them in a small group (so 3 or less) you can get away with the varied abilities more. I'm always hard to place as I'm competent as was my horse, but we were limited at 2'9ish- we'd always end up in the small groups where the fact that we were jumping a lot smaller than the others was less of an issue.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top