Another Aha!

 I love riding! I love that, despite doing this for who knows how long.... 30 years?, I still have aha moments! I especially love that at this moment at least, the aha moments feel like they are sticking! I feel like I'm actually progressing!!! And yes, there are still things to work on and still things that I feel like I should have gotten already, but... overall, there seems to be a general trend in the right direction. :) 

We did a dressage lesson today. We started out at the trot and then moved to the canter for most of the lesson. Poor Dan! That's a lot of cantering! Not that he seemed bothered by it one bit. The focus today was suppleness and bend. Correct bend and keeping the outside rein connection. The good parts were that Rana said that my connection was better - he wasn't bouncing in it like he had been in our last ride.  She said that my seat was better and my leg aids were a little better. I was able to keep him cantering without having to constantly nag him. And I felt like I was able to keep my seat in the saddle today and "Swing" like Robert Dover suggested with his swing set analogy. I wasn't popping out like I have been known to do. :) And I was able to keep my leg off better and bump him better rather than constantly nag him. And his canter departs were better and his canter was better. BUT.... he still braces and inverts in the transitions some. He also was cheating a little, but... I figured it out! 

So, we started cantering to the right, which is his easier side. But it makes it harder for me to notice the "cheats". So we worked on keeping him bent right. And not just hanging on his face.... giving and releasing the right rein when he was soft. But he had to go into the left rein. Which is not easy! And unfortunately, when I tried to use the outside rein, he inverts and props. And when you add in the fact that my panic response is to dig my right spur into him, while also bringing my right leg back, I'm essentually cueing him for a change. And when he's braced, he can't change, so we get this propping/stopping/change up front nonsense that is a disaster. So... the plan, I think, was to collect that canter with my seat and not have him break. We didn't even get close to doing that. Not really. BUT... we did do important things. I learned that I have to keep the bend. When he gets straight or loses the right bend, he inverts. And when he inverts, he shuts himself down. I also have to keep my right leg at the girth. And when he starts to brace, I need to get the bend first! So the plan is to get the canter, get the right bend... then half halt on the outside rein to make sure he is still in the outside rein and not spur him with my right leg and ... then use my seat to collect the canter. And keep him uphill. He also tends to dive downhill too much in this direction. So... we mostly got it. 

Then we swapped to the left. AHA! This made it even clearer. Because this way it's more obvious when he cheats. He is stiffer this way because this way he has to open up that right barrel and stretch it. So he tries to cheat by tipping his nose. And it's more obvious to me when he changes the bend. It's the same thing. I need to keep him bent. I need to use my "Grrrr" seat (ha ha... this is just proper dressage seat but I have to GRRR to engage my core apparently). Bump him with my legs to keep the energy and then half halt on the outside rein while keeping the inside bend. And then he gets rounder and loftier and springier :) We got a few steps of it. :) 

So yep... more to work on. :) Afterwards Rana dug in her pocket to check for a treat and Dan pricked his ears and walked close to her, being all friendly. As soon as he realized she didn't have a treat, he pinned his ears, wrinkled his nose, and was an angry bird. Hee hee. He never does anything but the angry faces!! He was snarling. She was giggling at him and tried to pet him and he made even worse faces. So then I leaned down and hugged him and he was so mad! hee hee. Poor guy. He hates PDA! (Although he can be snuggly when it's just me and him). I then got off and let him graze some while he got bemered and he got treats and a big ol' fat carrot too of course!

Oh, and... apparently my jump into the lake to save my phone did my boots in. And my spur strap! I let them dry and oiled them a few times, but... oh well. I put them on today and there was a big hole in the calf of my right leg. Sigh. So then I put my winter boots on and went to move my spurs over and the buckle busted through the leather on one of the straps! Dangit!!! Luckily I had a spare strap.  Although maybe I should have left my spurs off today since I kept cheating and using them the wrong way. Oops.