Luckily Dan is an eventer and wasn't fazed by anything. They are still doing construction in the arena so there were saws buzzing and boards being nailed up. And the arena felt a tiny bit frozen (oddly) and had tracks from them driving through it, so a few lumpy spots. And in the corner there was a glob of concrete that had spilled and concreted. And there was a van parked in another corner. So... it was quite the adventure. But honestly, Dan didn't care. It just meant we had to ride around the hazards, which we do at home all the time in the arena with the jumps and deep spots. :)
I had told Rana that I was getting frustrated and feeling like we wanted to get the change so we could get our bronze. So I had asked that we come up with a plan to make showing 3rd level in the Spring happen, or at least accept the fact that it wouldn't happen if she didn't think we were ready. So that's what we did today. I asked if she wanted to ride and she said she'd let me start and see what happened.
We warmed up briefly and then went to the canter. She said that watching what he did during transitions and counter canter would tell us what his "go to move" during the change would be. And his is to brace with his under neck and hollow his back, thus inactivating his hind end. So I have to be very cognizant of the bend to keep him from getting hollow and stiff. For him, he has to almost be too deep and what I would consider too much bend, because when he gets straight. he can brace and invert. It has to be real bend though, not just me cranking his head in. So we picked up the canter and then she asked us to show her the counter canter but she had us do it by doing it on a figure 8 vs the 3 loop. So that threw us off, especially with the "hazards" in the arena. (okay, maybe that's an excuse!). It's so aggravating because we've been practicing the counter canter... we can do a fairly decent 3 loop... we have even been practicing our counter canter haunches in serpentine... but today, we couldn't hold the counter canter to save our lives. We tried a few different ways and he kept breaking or swapping. So then she laughed and said "okay, let's just skip 2nd level then" and move on. So then we tried multiple different methods of getting a change. We tried a 10 meter canter circle, serpentine figure 8 to a 20 meter counter canter and then as we came back to true canter, swap to the true lead and stay on the cirlce. We then tried that exercise but instead of staying on the circle, swap to the other counter canter. We tried picking up the counter canter and going down centerline and doing a change to true lead as we made the turn on the short side. We tried figure 8/serpentine changes. We tried simples with taking away the walk steps. And poor Dan. My brain was so frazzled with trying to keep my aids correct, hold the counter canter, process whether I was supposed to be counter cantering or true cantering and which direction she wanted me to turn... and then Dan got frazzled and we were all over the place. We managed to get a few changes.. maybe one or two clean ones but mostly in front and really late behind, or through a simple with trot or walk. And none of them were technically on the aids. And quite honestly, I was so flustered I'm not sure I was even attempting to ask and I know I wasn't asking correctly. It didn't help that the barn workers had sat at the rail to watch. Why?!?! Clearly this isn't going to go well. Sigh.. .
So yeah. It was a hot mess. And by the end I couldn't even get Dan to hold the canter on the left lead. He kept breaking ot the trot and attempting to canter again on either lead. So I tried to atleast just finish with a nice trot and nice normal canter. And his trot was pretty freakin' nice and we got a much more collected rocked back canter. But the rest of it was a hot mess. The good is that Rana said his upwards had gotten better, and his trot and canter in general were better. She said he CAN do a change, because he clearly did a bunch today, even if they weren't correct or on the aids. She said the trick with him is going to be getting him to do them on the aids vs just doing them to do them or because of where we are in the arena. In other words... not letting him take charge and doing what he thinks is best. Sigh.. I was kind of hoping that would work to my favor! Ha!
So.. my homework is to work on canter to walk to canters. Til I'm bored to tears. And while we do them he needs to stay round and supple and through and bent. No straightening and propping. Then we also have to work on the counter canter and keeping him soft and balanced and through. And working on changes within the gait to keep him from bracing when anything changes. And then... if I heard/remembered correctly, she said to play with it at home and see how it goes. Without the pressure and chaos, I can feel and focus better and maybe get some better results. I need to really focus on making my aids VERY OBVIOUS! So really bring my outside leg back. I need to make sure that my right leg doesn't slide back like a ninja without my knowledge and inadvertently confuse him. My inside leg needs to come off as I ask for the change. She also suggested that as I do my downwards and go to change direction... change the bend first.. then change my seat and leg aids as I do the transition. We do NOT want to teach him to change off the change of bend/rein aids.
Ugh... I almost cried. And I'm not entirely sure why. Mostly because it was just so confusing maybe. I mean, he tried.. we got some changes, maybe even one or two clean ones. But mostly I think I'm just so over this week and being stressed and then you add in the mental stress and confusion in my lesson today.. add in the pressure of wanting to get this and do it right... I really just wanted to cry.
Hopefully we can play with it some this weekend. In the windchill of 12 degrees on Saturday. :) Doh! Oh, and... she reminded me... that even if he's late behind... even very late... or essentially only swaps in front... as long as there is some sort of attempt to do something different on my aids..reward him! Which, I knew not to punish, but I wasn't actually sure that he should be rewarded unless it was a full change. But duh.. makes sense. Reward the effort.. make a big fuss... tell him he's amazing... so that he'll start seeking it and hopefully we'll figure it out sooner rather than later.
I really think I just need a nap and some chocolate.
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