Stella and Casey took part in the June Joel Conner Clinic and had this to report about their experience:

I worked Stella during the groundwork sessions the first two days of the Joel Conner clinic. I had noticed that Stella was very troubled about changing eyes, the flag, having things touch her legs, and having the back cinch and saddle strings touch her sides. This trouble was apparent both on the ground and under saddle, and I needed help developing the skills to support her. Over the course of the two sessions, I made gains in making sure I was supporting her from the correct angle, getting a balanced hind quarter movement, and releasing when her feet were truly freed up. Stella is so athletic that she can really move her front quarters and hind quarters, even when she’s unbalanced or braced, which I didn’t fully realize prior to this clinic. Over the course of two days, we made huge gains in flag work and rope work, so we participated in the riding session on the third day. She is much less troubled by the saddle and my legs on her sides, but we still have some work to do. With Stella’s work ethic and my newfound awareness, I’m confident that we’ll work through this trouble pretty quickly. I really enjoy working with Stella because she is so sensitive and responsive to a feel.