Clinics > FAQ

Q. Are volunteering opportunities available for CTDS clinics?
Volunteers are always needed at any CTDS function in order to make them happen. Volunteers are usually offered a free or reduced fee for auditing a clinic based on the number of work hours they are willing to contribute. Volunteer hours and reduced fees MUST be prearranged and preapproved with the Clinic Coordinator.

Q. How are the dates of the CTDS clinic determined?
The choice of dates for a CTDS clinic also depends on many factors and mainly depends on what else is going on that time of year. Such as: USDF shows, CTDS mini shows, holidays, other major clinics already scheduled, potential weather problems, availability of clinicians, availability of venue site, availability of the Clinic Coordinator. All of these factors actually narrow down the choice of dates pretty strictly.

Q. How are the fees determined for CTDS members riding or auditing a clinic?
The Clinic Coordinator determines the projected cost of organizing a specific clinic, and therefore the cost of riding or auditing a clinic. These costs are then presented to the CTDS Board for discussion. The costs can and do vary widely from clinic to clinic based on each individual scenario. For example: a big name clinician’s fees may be $2000/day while a smaller name may be $400/day; one airfare may be less than $200 while another may be close to $500; one clinician expects a hotel room while another may be willing to stay in a CTDS member’s home, etc. Once the projected budget for the entire clinic is figured out, then we can estimate how much it will cost CTDS per rider and auditor. We also take into consideration what a typical charge is at other GMO’s clinics for riders and auditors to participate with this same or similar clinician. At this point, we determine how much CTDS will subsidize its members’ costs to ride or to audit the clinic. We make a point of paying part of the costs for our members to encourage them to participate in each educational clinic (non-CTDS members are always charged a higher fee). CTDS does not intend to make money on clinics, we only try to control the extent of our losses.

Q. How can I make recommendations for clinicians for CTDS to consider bringing in?
Simply contact the CTDS Clinic Coordinator with your ideas. Members do not have to wait to be formally asked. Send an email, call, or mention your suggestions to the Clinic Coordinator when you see her sometime. It will also help if you have the contact information for that clinician that you can provide to the Clinic Coordinator.

Q. How does CTDS decide who will be the clinician and what do we look for in a clinician?
The Clinic Coordinator should have a list of clinicians that CTDS members have suggested or recommended, from newsletter and clinic polls, emails, verbally asking members, etc. We will avoid clinicians from within Region 9, particularly within the Austin area. Members can easily travel to these instructor’s own places for a lesson – no need for CTDS to be the one to organize a clinic with them. USDF judges who are scheduled at upcoming Region 9 USDF competitions are a benefit – if the clinic is scheduled more than 60 days (check current USDF requirements) before the competition. The clinician MUST be willing and able to teach levels from Training to FEI (Intro level is also a bonus). No “upper levels only” clinics will be allowed, or “adults only” clinics. No “private lessons only” clinics. Clinician MUST be willing to teach at least 2 riders per session, and at least 6 – 8 sessions per day. Clinics must be held on Sat and/or Sunday so that students in school may still attend on the weekend, as well as the typical Mon – Fri worker. Clinician and the focus of the clinic must be believed to be popular with the majority of CTDS members in order to be able to fill the clinic (approx 12 – 16+ riders) easily. For example, we are cautious about something like a Freestyle only clinic, which in the Austin area has few likely participants – although Freestyle instruction can usually be offered in a regular instructional clinic if it is with a USDF judge as the clinician.

Q. How is the location of the CTDS clinic determined?
The choice of a host site for a CTDS clinic depends on many factors including: features the facility has to offer; cost of renting the site each day; location with respect to participants, proximity to the airport, hotel, dining, etc; # and type of arenas - covered is a definite bonus due to the unpredictability of our Texas weather (a roof for riding in the rain, or shade from excessive heat); # and type of stalls available; auditor viewing areas; office/lounge area; concessions area; parking for trailers and cars; bad weather problems; specific rules and regulations for each facility; etc.

Q. How long does it take to organize and implement a CTDS clinic, plus duties after the clinic is over?
Organization for CTDS clinics starts 6 – 12 months ahead of time, and post clinic duties can usually be completed within a month after the clinic is over. The clinic planning starts with contacting potential clinicians. Many clinicians need to be contacted before one can be found that is available on the specific dates that we can host them. The most popular clinician’s schedules are often booked a year or more in advance. So the bigger the name, the earlier they need to be contacted or they will not be available for a clinic with us. The venue site should be contacted and reserved as soon as a clinician and a date have been decided upon. Venues also book up early, so the earlier the better in order to be assured we have an acceptable location to host the clinic. Major advertising for the clinic must be sent in several months ahead of time to publications, websites, organizations, etc. Airline reservations are usually cheaper the earlier you can book them, and the best flight schedules often fill up fast if not booked early. Hotel reservations should be made ASAP in case there are other major events taking place in the area the same weekend (ex, UT games). The concessionaire, whether a professional or a fundraising group, needs to be booked ASAP so that they can plan ahead and prepare. It is never too early to ask for volunteers, although many won’t know their availability until closer to the date. The closer it gets to the date of the clinic, the more work there is to do to prepare for it. After the clinic is over, there is site “take down,” review articles, photo submissions, financial reports, as well as many thank you’s to write to everyone who was involved in its success.

Q. What are the average costs to CTDS per clinic and what do these costs entail?
The costs of organizing a clinic for CTDS varies widely. Costs include: clinician’s instructional fees/day or per ride, airline tickets/parking and transportation, hotel, all meals, insurance, venue rental, stall fees, porta potty rental, tent rental, office supplies, printing/copies, snacks/drinks/ice, postage, etc. The past 6 CTDS clinics have had gross expenses of between $2400 and $5600 each. With careful management, the net expenses for CTDS have averaged less than $1000 each. There have been 2 clinics that we applied for and received a generous educational grant from the private organization, “The Dressage Foundation,” that helped greatly reduce CTDS’s clinic expenses for members. For one other clinic we were “awarded” a grant from USDF, but still have not received the check from them from Nov 2004. Occasionally CTDS can “share” a portion of the clinic expenses with an area barn who wishes to host the clinician privately on the Friday or Monday around our club’s clinic.