"No one gets changes in a week"... "no one gets changes in a week".. "no one gets changes in a week"... Except.. it hasn't been just a week.. it feels like it's been over a year in the making. Like... we've been "so close" for so freakin long, but we can't seem to get a darn change. And I know.. technically I've only been trying for the actual change for 3 rides. We've just been prepping before now. But ugh... and now I'm afraid I've really screwed him up because.. now... well... my aids aren't right. I am pretty sure that he now picks up the canter based on my inside leg squeezing and my seat bones asking. We can pick up either lead whether we're on centerline or the rail and we can even pick up the counter canter on the rail on demand. Yay... Except no. So then I tried to do a half pass. And now, at least when we go on the left lead, every time my right leg touches him (like when I ask him to bring his haunches over), he props/drops/or swaps. Ugh.. no.. that's not what that leg means. I think I made it worse because... I may have misunderstood Rana, but.. the last two rides.. when I do my downwards from the canter, I close my outside leg, change the bend, and then ask for the downward and then we go back up on the other lead. So now my poor guy is so confused. And for whatever reason, he can hold the right lead but now he can't even hold the left lead once I start asking for anything other than cantering on a straight line or a circle. Ugh. I don't know how to fix it either. Do I just carry on until we figure out the change and then try to go back and finesse/soften the aids or do I fix the aids now first....
But.. we did have a decent ride otherwise. We got some really nice upwards... our downwards are still a little bit stabby but we had a few good ones. We had some nice trot work. By the end he was getting frazzled and on the muscle so we lost some of the suppleness. Which is another issue... do I go back to getting supple? Or do I accept that it's going to get messy for a bit while we figure this out? Ugh. or do I just suck it up and let Rana do it? Let her put the change on him and call it a day. Sigh... I really kind of wanted to do it myself but maybe I'm just not capable... or too impatient to wait as long as it will take me.
Afterwards we walked to the lake with Kelli and Marvin and then walked back. Dan was still motoring and felt like he could have done another round. When I got home I realized he had some butt foam too. I kind of like his new diet - more forage, less grain. Clearly he's not lacking in energy, at least today.
And... he was trying very hard today. I just hate it that I'm confusing him because he clearly is getting frustrated too and wants to do what I ask.
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