Tom Widdicombe in Shropshire in 2007

[jill]

I am about to send out the following email to all my contacts. If anyone on here is interested, you need to PM me as soon as possible for a place.

Hi everyone, here at last is the news a fair few of you have been waiting for.

The dates arranged for Tom Widdicombe's early summer clinic at Mill Green are:

31 May, 1, 2 and 3 June, that is the weekend at the end of the Spring Bank Holiday week. This is a four day clinic, but if you want to do 2 days, you will need to apply with another person and "jobshare" - I will take a booking from a 2 person combo but the price etc will be as for one person and you decide between you how you split it.
The price is £185 for the four days, to include one stable for three nights - 2 bales of shavings provided.
Any variation from that is negotiable, just let me know. I won't charge £25 for an additional night!!.
Spectator places at £10 per person per day (but see below)

At the moment I am just seeking DEFINITE expressions of interest, with contact details, preferably email. Please email me as soon as you know you would like a place. I will log them in the order I receive them and places will go to the first 6 who pay their fee. I will approach the first 6 on my list in the New Year. You will then have a couple of weeks in which to pay the fee to reserve your place (please don't send a cheque until you are asked for it) - if you don't send it in the time allowed your place will go to the next on the list. Fees are only refundable if I have another taker in the event you can't make it. Sorry, but there are too many people asking about too few places!! Hopefully we may be able to arrange another one later in the summer for those who missed out this time.


I will also in the New Year be inviting applications for pre booked spectator places - all four days for £30.

You are advised that if you are bringing your horse, you should ensure that he is fit to do the necessary work comfortably, and having his back and skeleton checked by a specialist is sensible. I am hoping to have Anna Fox on site on Thursday (yet to be confirmed in the final details) so if you can't organise your own, that would be an option. It is better to have them checked and if necessary manipulated at least three days beforehand.

If you haven't seen Tom work before his website is www.bewithyourhorse.com/

And Happy Christmas!!

[tammy68]

I was just wondering who he is and what he does. I have just been on the website but would like to know what the course entails and what can be learned and improved on? Is it best to take a horse with issues to try to help or is it more as a learning exercise for the handler? Where is it to be held?

[jill]

Sorry Tammy, just saw this.
Tom works in a very similar way to Mark Rashid, from whom he takes a lot. He starts from where the horse is, and asks the rider/handler what they want to acheive or improve and takes it from there, by observing what the horse is telling him, from its way of going and behaviour etc. He will work on ridden work or trailer loading etc., and as a four day clinic we are hoping to see great improvements - one horse is coming that wasn't being ridden last year due to various fear issues from a previous home, one is ridden but fairly uneducated, and so on. It is really aimed at the horse and rider (or handler) combination and the relationship between the two - what cues are you giving and what cues is the horse receiving etc.
We are planning that you each have an hour with Tom, and then go and play with what you have learned for a further hour in an adjacent paddock (still within sight of Tom in case you get stuck), so that by the following day you should be ready to move on a bit.
It is at my yard (manege, round pen, flat fields etc) which is in north east Shropshire south of Market Drayton.
You could come and spectate to see what sort of work is being done - we are hopeful of doing a further one later in the summer if there is enough demand.

[zw]

Hi, am interested in attending as a spectator, please contact me if this is possible. Many thanks

[jill]

Welcome to the board - I have PMd you with contact details

[maggiesmum]

There is an artice written by Tom in the latest Horse & Rider mag. :-)

[Karon]

Jill - if I am able to get a place on the course, would it be OK to travel there each day with Shefali or would she have to stop there for the 4 days? It just seems a bit daft to stay away as you're only about 20 miles or less from me

[jill]

No, you can travel if you want to, no-one is forced to stay over.

[gem]

jill i would like to come as a spectator, need to get some money together for tickets though

[jill]

So long as I have your email address you should get the email later on when I invite anyone who wants a 4 for 3 spectator ticket to book it.
If you aren't sure whether you are on my mailing list, let me know

[Karon]

Thanks Jill Just need to overcome a slight problem with Shef then (when I can finally get a place on a clinic!!)... she doesn't load Loads of time to practice though! Otherwise, it'll be a nice hack....

[jill]

Why not ask Tom to help you with the loading???

[Karon]

I did think of that, but then I've got to get her there... I'm assuming we probably won't get on a clinic until later in the year so that gives me time to work on it