Drumroll please...

I booked a hotel for a recognized dressage show for Aug 14-16! Which means Mikey is going to make a return to 3rd level! Super excited.

I'm looking at finances, and while I'd love to go 9/12-13 to the show at Morven Park, I don't think I'll be able to afford to go. If I can, it'll be awfully tight. Plus, I really need to stay home and dog sit for my parents. That weekend is the tail end of one of their trips... though they pay me to dog sit and the first part of the week will cover the entry...

I need to pick which tests I'm going to do. I plan on doing 4 tests, two each day. I think Mikey will be able to handle that. We started conditioning work this week to help both of us with that.

Definitely 3-1. It's basic and it doesn't have canter half pass. Our canter half passes haven't been touched since January, and back then they were great or they were horrendous.

Basic Review of 3-2:
Double Coefficient Movements: Renvers right, Extended trot, Renvers left, Extended walk, Flying change, Flying Change, Release of Rein in Canter, Extended Canter

• MXK Medium trot
• F-B Shoulder-in left , B-M renvers right
• HXF Extended trot
• K-E Shoulder-in right, E-H renvers left
• C Down centerline
• G-E Trot half pass
• A Down centerline
• D-E Trot half pass
• C walk, turn on haunch x2 between H-M
• S-P Extended walk across the super short diagonal
• F Canter, immediately turn down centerline at A
• D-R Canter half pass
• R-M Flying change between letters
• H-K Medium canter
• A Turn down centerline
• D-S canter half pass
• S-H Flying change between letters
• C Circle right 20m showing a clear release of both reins for 4-5 strides over centerline.
• M-F Extended Canter
• A up centerline, L trot, I halt salute

For your reference and mine!

Basic Review of 3-3:
Double Coefficient Movements: Trot Half pass left, Halt & Rein back, Trot Half Pass right, Extended walk, Canter half pass left, Half circle and Flying change, Canter half pass right, half circle and Flying Change

• HXF Medium trot
• K-E Shoulder-in right
• E-X 10m half circle right, X-B 10m half circle left
• B-G Trot half pass
• MXK Extended trot
• A Halt, rein back 4 steps, trot on
• F-B Shoulder-in left
• B-X 10m half circle left, X-E 10m half circle right
• E-G Trot half pass
• Walk, turn on haunch x2 between H-M
• R-V Extended walk across the super short diagonal
• K canter
• F-X canter half pass
• I-S 10m half circle left
• S-F across the short diagonal, flying change near centerline
• K-X canter half pass
• I-R 10m half circle right
• R-K across the short diagonal, flying change near centerline
• F-M Extended canter
• H Trot, E turn left, X turn left, G halt salute

So I don't like how the extended trot falls in either test. Mikey does best when it falls after the canter work. So moot point for that.

And holy hell on the number of double coefficient movements.

3-2 comments: Shoulder in to renvers isn't a big deal. Mikey's good at it. There is an obnoxious amount of trot between each trot half pass and the next movement. It reminds me of the first level tests that just took so darn long to get to the next movement. That doesn't suit me or Mikey very well. He loses focus and connection. I end up losing my seat a bit because his trot is so hard to sit that riding it down a straight line is actually hard. It's easier when I'm actively asking for something or going across the short side. The canter work comes up quick in the beginning, but I like how the flying changes are presented- on the long side after a half pass. He really understood that last fall and would give me good changes when I asked when we hit the rail. Release of rein in canter, no problem. The test doesn't have a halt/rein back. Our rein back is reluctant and crooked.

3-3 comments: I worked those exact trot half passes last fall on my own, combined with those 10m half circles. He did very well on those. This test has a halt/rein back, meh. Last fall Mikey was a little iffy when I asked for canter halfpass from the wall to X. It either went really well or really badly. I do like this canter work, half pass, a couple strides of straight into 10m half circles to diagonal and flying change. It gets a lot done quickly (which surprises me). I'm only concerned I'm going to fry Mikey getting him to the flying change. I think by the time I get to the flying change he'll be ready to tell me to F off! If I botch the half pass though the straight and half circle will fix his canter. This test only has the extended canter, no medium canter. Those are usually some of our best scores, so I'm losing places to make up points.

Based on the coefficients and test, I think I'm leaning toward 3-2. I'll work the half passes in my lesson this weekend and see how they go. If they're awful, there's no reason to try the double coefficient one and botch the half pass and the flying change. We'll see though!