Good lesson

 Today was a good day. We started our lesson talking a good bit. Rana still see's that Dan is dragging that toe and he didn't feel lame, but there was some asymmetrical steps. It did get way better though as we worked through our lesson. 

We started off with the turn on the forehand. I have to remember to get him marching, then collect him, then keep walking. Forward and walking trumps a smaller circle. Dan likes to cheat and turn into a reining horse. But if I collect him first, it helps a lot. And duh. It even states that in the test... walk, collect the walk, then turn on the forehand. Duh!

So then we went to the trot and worked on getting him to go into the right rein when tracking left. Which requires some counterflexing, some outside leg and inside rein, and not hanging, but not letting go of the outside rein. We did lots of serpentines and Rana reminded me of the serpentine while in haunches in trick. Oops. I forgot to be doing that one. 

So then we moved onto the canter, because I actually got Dan in the outside rein tracking left. It was tenuous and he sometimes snuck behind it, but.. he actually got soft! I didn't even realize it was him being soft at first and actually thought he was just not seeking the contact, but I think it was a good soft contact. 

In the canter, we started out going left. And ugh. It's hard. He wants to go haunches in so bad because that lets him prop that right shoulder out and then he can hang on the right rein. He's never really in that rein, just hanging on it. But we got a semi-decent canter. Then Rana had us do shoulder in. She reminded me that the name was a hint! Ha! Shoulder in means move the shoulders. (not ride the haunches over to make the shoulders appear in) Haunches in/Travers (or renvers...whatever it is) means ride the haunches. She said that in an effort to get the shoulder in... I was letting my left leg come too far back, which was pushing his haunches out and confusing him. And also asking for a change. I need him to bend around my inside leg, but... that means it has to be at the girth. Okay... I thought it was, so good to know. So she told me to think about not putting so much weight into my heels/feet. I should be able to lift my foot out of the stirrup... hold an egg between the stirrup and my foot! (Um.... we're having scrambled eggs over here!). But for whatever reason.. her telling me that and telling me to soften between my knee and my ankle... I don't know... I was able to soften my leg and my toe turned in, instead of out digging my spur into him, and my leg lengthened. Then I also used my whip behind my leg vs on his bum. And then I rode the shoulder in like I do at the trot... by pivoting my upper body, keeping my elbows at my waist (ha... so I TRIED... it was a disaster at first), and asking him to move his shoulder over with my outside rein and a little outside thigh. So at first... he was fighting me and I had a death grip on the reins and my legs were all over the place. So then I breathed... we tried again, and... I relaxed my leg and kept it closer to the girth. And then Rana reminded me to hold and let go with the reins... Self carriage. Once I finally released my death grip... he took a big breath and gave me a lovely shoulder in at the canter. Good grief I was making it WAY more violent than it needed to be. I was basically hanging on his face so no wonder he was twisting his head and inverting. Once I softened, he softened. Ahhhhh. We did it a few times and it was actually quite nice. 

So then we decided to try the other way. Rana said actually... let's not do shoulder in, let's do haunches in. Because he already is essentially doing haunches out this way. So.. we did. And same thing. But because my seat and legs were softer, it actually went pretty well. The trick is... holding the outside rein but keeping the inside bend. So it's a lot of give and release. Give and release with my leg aids and give and release with my rein aids. (Which... good reminder... he's got to be MUCH more responsive to my leg aids so I don't have to work so hard to accomplish anything.... and if I only have to tap him, I won't clamp and creep my leg up). So then... She asked me to close my outside leg more and I assumed she was wanting me to do a half pass, so we did. It was better than previously!! I did tell her that I know that it's supposed to be moving the shoulders over using the outside rein, but that I felt like I couldn't give up the inside rein. I mean, I had to constantly half halt and release with the inside rein and it almost felt like I was moving him over into the inside rein. She said that in a way... kind of. I had to create the bend with the inside rein and in order to not hang on each other and brace, I had to give and take and give and take. And it's going to be a little ugly right now. But that by keeping the outside rein firm, but also half halting on it... I am moving his shoulders over. I just have to keep the bend with the inside rein to direct the lateral direction. Maybe I put words in her mouth, but... roughly... that. So yay. It was better. And man.. that trot I had after that was LOFTY!!!!

So yep.. the plan is... start previcox and leave him on it. Get foot rads to evaluate. But Rana agreed that his feet are getting too far in front of him. And tonight when I got home I noticed he's not even tracking up anymore. I mean, he's tracking even but not over tracking and he was the king of over tracking! Ugh.. I wish I had said something to Freddie, but at least now I have back up and can prepare myself a little more for "the talk". And maybe I'll get rads before then to back me up. We'll see. But Rana thinks that's why he's tripping and dragging the toe and perhaps even why he's becoming rein lame again. And he's standing out in front of himself and lately he feels like he's running rather than sitting, which would sort of make sense. So.. .hopefully Freddie can get him pulled back underneath himself. And maybe we can pull the wedges out.