Man... sometimes I wonder if Dan and I should just be trail pony extraordinaires!! Today was tough. It wasn't a bad lesson, but it was tough. He felt lamer but this time it felt more obviously in the connection rather than in the shoulder. And I mean.. it is in the shoulder, because that's where he's super crooked and tight, at the neck base, but... I felt it more obviously in the connection today. He just kept bouncing. I was trying to meet resistance with resistance and be soft and forward thinking with my hands, but... he just kept bobbing in and out. Which meant.. he wasn't truly ever in the connection. So.. it took a bit of a fight. Not a war.... I was much less frustrated today and therefore able to keep riding without losing my cool. (Sigh.. I know... I really really really hate this trait about me... I know it's toxic.. I know it doesn't help, but... I just get so frustrated and then I get angry and sadly, I take it out on the pony... it's not his fault!). I was not entirely emotionless, but.. it was better. I just out-stubborned him today. It took awhile. But eventually.... we got to where he went into the outside rein. It wasn't the best of connections... more weight than I wanted, and not as soft and fluffy, but... I think we had a true outside rein connection. And I was able to fluff it a little bit by thinking walk but then trotting on. But man, so much to work on. So much homework. We started doing some turn on the haunches in the corners and then turn on the forehand at C... he must stay forward and moving forward and not get stuck. He must not pivot on the hind legs or front legs and keep walking. He must not fall in on the right shoulder.... but yep. That's our homework. In each corner, turn on the haunches and then at C, and probably wouldn't hurt to do it at A too, a turn on the forehand. Then we moved on to trotting and that's where it took the battle of wills to not get sucked in to letting him hang on the right rein. We finally got that and then worked on the half pass. Ugh... Half passing left is darn near impossible for me. My body cannot make it happen. Rana finally got on to show me and realized that basically Dan is so dull to my aids that I'm having to work so hard to get him moving that I'm contorting my body. So... she had her own battle of wills with him. She pushed him into the contact and he said no and started to back up. She kept the contact and kept pushing and eventually he went forward. And then she kept her legs off except to thump him when he started to fall out of the gait. So when I got back on, he was much more forward and in front of my leg, and if I didn't overthink it, and kept my body movements more subtle, it worked. It's not perfect, or probably even accurate yet, but.. it's progress. And that took 1.5 hours. Sigh. Poor lady. That's a long lesson!
Homework:
- Shock and Awe! He MUST be in front of my leg. He must go until he gets aids saying otherwise. I cannot keep nagging him with my leg every stride. He must be self propelled. SO, keep my legs off him.. use my upper thigh and seat to ride... and when he starts to falter, thump him with my leg. Back it up with the whip behind my leg if need be. And at home, some shock and awe at the beginning of my rides wouldn't be a bad thing. And it's totally my fault... I let him suck me into it. So I need to be just as disciplined about it as I'm expecting from him.
- Straightness!!! Ride the neck between the shoulder blades. Don't let him over bend. Keep him in the outside rein, but don't abandon the inside rein. Even when tracking left, almost counter bend him to keep him straight and upright. Meet resistance with resistance and soften when he softens, but don't drop him.
- Keep my elbows and hands in a box. My elbows need to be at my side for my core to be strong. My hands need to be forward thinking and float forward with him, but.. only to a certain point. Then he hits the wall of resistance and needs to soften to that. (Y'all.. this is HARD!! I'm either floating and bobbing in the contact, or my contact is too much and not forward. ugh...). She said to picture a box and we can float within the box, but at the edge of the box, we hit the wall. Maybe I need to do some equicube days. Sigh... I know I do. :)
- Turn on the forehand comes from the outside rein aids. This is a great exercise to get him into the outside rein, especially in my hands. (In other words... this is a good way for me to get the right feel and the right result without taking over an hour to accomplish). He must keep walking with all 4 feet though, so if he gets stuck, abandon it and go forward (but forward into the contact).
- Turn on the haunches also must be forward and marching. Don't let him fall/list into it.
- Half-pass Left: My left hip and shoulder must come forward, which means my right hip and shoulder stay back and my right elbow must stay at my side... don't give up the outside rein!!!! But... if I don't think that... just think of halfpassing my own body to the left, and he is a little more reactive to my aids, it works.
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