Lesson 8/30

This is a bit late since it was a week ago, but I just didn't have time to get it posted. At this point, it's more about recording it for future reference than editing properly, sorry!

Look, it's a theory picture.

I have to say, I found lesson this week a little discouraging. It wasn't bad by any means. We chatted about weak spots from the show and went to work on canter and trot lengthenings and the transitions between them. It's just we picked apart so many things and good isn't good enough, and I struggled because I'm so crooked to the left. Trainer assured me it's picking at the difference between good great/excellent, but I can't help but feel discouraged because I felt like I struggled SO BADLY. And it's because I'm crooked.

We did our walk zig zags and hopped into the canter right. I did a couple one loops, and Trainer got after me for being too heavy in my left rein. She had me put him on a circle, collect the canter on a spiral in, then punch it out to a lengthened/medium canter on a big circle. Then when I asked him to collect the canter, it had to be NOW and I had to spiral in.

To the right wasn't bad, my crookedness helps me this way, which is probably why Penn is stronger to the right.

To the left. OMG the struggle is so real.

This is not a struggle. This is adorable and cuddly and wonderful.

I kept losing the right hind. I kept being crooked and throwing myself off one side of my horse. My left leg contracted. We did halt, rein back, walk forward a little, halt, rein back, walk forward a little, repeat, canter. Do not throw my shoulders forward into the canter, do not lose the right hind, stretch my inside leg down. Even more collected. Don't lose the rhythm of the canter and don't lose the motion of the canter with my left hand. Too much left hand. Too much blocking with the left hand. MORE FORWARD into the lengthening. MORE COLLECTED RIGHT NOW into the collected work. LEFT LEG DOWN. Cry. Repeat.

We took a break after some progress since Penn and I were both turning to jelly.

Off to the trot. We did the left first because it's tough and we didn't have much steam left in us. Same exercise, just in trot.

This is where we really attached my position. Trainer had me stretch my left leg down, pull my elbows down into my sides, stretch my neck up. I felt so crooked, and Penn felt so crooked, but apparently we were actually straight. Ugh. But, I can absolutely tell a difference in his gaits when he's actually straight. It's worth the effort to fix (doh).

The right was better- I got several great lengthening/almost medium trots on the circle. I was still feeling bummed, but Trainer assured me this is something I can easily work on in the next few weeks and it'll be a ton better by championships.

She also told me to set up a chute using poles to work on squaring up the halts at X between the two 10m trot circles in 1-3. I worked on that on my own Thursday in what was a horrible horrible ride.

Great feelings coming in to the show this weekend! I swear, this lesson was actually helpful, no matter how discouraged I seem to feel. Next few posts, the AWESOME weekend we had!