Blown away

Blackberry

So started off legs over front whilst putting world to rights.

Worked on left and right pillars, stretch right soften left. Too easily pulled off right seat bone need to stuff pillar more.

Did left / right position is clear from back view and plumb line that position right my spine moves to side of plumb line and I remain 'stacked up' / straight. Not so much left spine barely moves so worked on that.

Then onto contact jeez how difficult was it to follow SFO :-(

Finally leg and rein sensors on and up to gallop 3 then down to canter 2, sounds easy but as my following is not that good too easy to go from 3 to 0. Managed it a couple of times.

Needs more work

Pooh glorious Pooh Bear

Decided to do a lesson off the lunge said I wanted to work more on steering and lateral movement in trot.

So started off with on the buckle gaah clearly I cannot bear not to hold reins with both hands.

I will need to sit on bloody free hand to stop it trying to join in, on the upside am happy enough at buckle end just not with having a hand wafting around.

So could then pick up reins and not told to change anything.

Need to watch I do not get sucked into joining Pooh's lateral wobble in walk stay on my seat no sideways for seat bones, streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetch right pillar. Found resisting the wobble bloody hard.

The bugger of it is Pooh and I have the same 'issue' strong left side weaker collapsed right side so I have to 'be' to enable him to follow. Which translates to on left rein, need slight travers with slight left bend whilst I stay down my right leg and stretch my right side. On right rein need to keep the right hind stepping and not allow hindquarters to swing in, oh and have a right bend.

Onto trot with SFO muttering at regular intervals more activity whilst I am thinking trot is active. Clearly it isn't else SFO would be quiet but did think what more does she want ;@}

20m circle to 10m circle and LY out, all easy enough when not under the gimlet eye, got some goods :@)

Canter exercise, actually easy enough but blew my brain, too much left/right too fast.

Walk to true canter at 1/4 marker along short side to next 1/4 marker then walk then counter canter long side between 1/4 marker walk and to true canter for short side.

SFO did say I could do a flying change I think she was pulling my leg :@)

Gawd put me under pressure and I forget which is left and which is right *doh*

Got some good transitions and all were on intended leg so clear and measurable progress but Pooh is a super star staying so calm whilst I faffed about on top.

Actually I feel he trusts me more didn't get that worried feeling from him on right rein when he overswings 1/4s in and you need to stop and move them over, he just did it without worry. Very chuffed with that.

After the canter exercise back to trot and wow just wow can now see why SFO wanted more activity, he was aligned and it was just so easy and whilst he was more forward than I've ever felt it was just lovely. :@)