The Aiding and Abetting Amateur

George Morris :: It’s a Love-Hate Relationship

I’m sure a handful of you watched the George Morris Horsemanship Training Sessions in Wellington. Every year the equestrian community kicks off the advent of a new year by hosting a four day clinic with our patron saint, George Morris. While I love George’s wisdom and one-liners just as much as the next person, there are times he can be downright nasty. But, there’s no denying the genius, the impeccable horsemanship, and the love for the animal. Auditing in person was an entirely different experience. The crowd would totally hush when George was about to deliver a nugget of insight into the mind of the four-legged athlete. There is certainly a palpable sense of reverence for George and his system.

Here are some memorable moments from the G.H.M Training session 2013:

Morris reiterated time and time again the importance of flatwork. The routine each day started with simple walk-trot transitions, but fairly quickly grew in complexity, asking the horse to gallop in a spiral, to carry the haunches-in for an extended period of time, or to carry the counter canter. He stated that these exercises were completely necessary for the modern jumping horse, to develop his short set of muscles and provide balance and self-carriage.

Morris highlighted the importance between contact on the bar of the horses mouth, versus contact on the corners of the horses mouth. He indicated that contact on the bar of the mouth was completely unacceptable to the horse and painful. If a rider wants to be supremely effective, he must keep “the contact hiyahh, not lowahhh” said George, in his oh-so-recognizable North Eastern accent. He said that at every clinic, no matter what geographical region of the nation he finds himself in, this low carriage of the hands is the worst and most unacceptable habit demonstrated by riders.

One of the riders, during a jumping exercise, continued to find the distance to the jump a bit gappy. George stopped her promptly and asked her if she liked oysters. The seemingly unrelated question was answered with a short, “No.”. George then said, “Oysters are an acquired taste. So are deep distances. You must start liking oysters, and deep distances too."This was my favorite moment of the four days. No doubt he is quick, crass, and funny.

There’s no doubt that one thing that G.H.M cannot stand is sloppiness. He said, "Never forget that this is a military sport. Be precise, people. Be precise.”

One of his mounts, after a significant amount of flatwork, let out a big puffy breath, letting go of his tense back and neck. George said, “This is music to the equestrian. Always reward the horse that gives you his back.”

There were other moments of G.H.M humor and wisdom, but these are the ones that stood out most to me.

And as George would say, “if you disagree, shut up.”