Today was a good ride! We started off with some trot work and Dan was inconsistent in the bridle but Cindy said that it was a balance issue. She said I could feel it but my answer was wrong. I need to collect the right side of his body rather than grabbing on for dear life to the left rein. Oops.
We did some leg yields and Dan was much more reactive to my leg today. :) I think my german leg yielding in my lesson with Kelly made an impression. :) And of course, when I actually LOOK where I want to end up, Dan moves more laterally. Cindy only had to remind me of that once today though. I reminded myself the other times. Go me!
We also worked on the canter serpentine. And it fell apart today. Ugh. We haven't done that in awhile. Interestingly enough, I'm pretty sure that the difficulty today was with the right lead when it's usually the left lead. I almost think that Dan was so reactive to my leg today that it mistook it for an aid??? I don't know. Maybe not... because once Cindy told me to use an opening rein (but I can't honestly remember if it was the inside rein or the outside rein! ACKKK!). The other direction he was good. (After my lesson I went out to the outdoor arena and did one more counter canter serpentine each way to help me nail it down. And this time I think the right side was the tough one. So.. who knows?! Maybe it was the right lead every time. Regardless, I was able to get it both ways at the end of the day.
Anyways, we finished with a 10 meter circle at the rail right after the corner, then shoulder in to B, then an 8 meter circle and then haunches in. It was tough but once I got my body in line it worked much better. Duh... I've been fighting my position because I don't want to put my inside leg on, but I know I need to. Today I did, and shocker... it worked. But I also moved my shoulders more appropriately. Yay!
And Cindy commented today that I was turning my shoulders much better in the turns and not just turning my head. Yay!!! I'm getting it... little bit by little bit. :) But still... better than not getting it.
Dan was a really good boy today.
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