The event season is pretty much over for the winter (it's too wet in Area VII to school cross country courses, much less compete outdoors. So while it is fun to jump in the indoor arena, it is also a good opportunity to focus on flat work and dressage. This past week I had gotten super frustrated with my riding and pretty much convinced myself that I had somehow become a terrible rider. Even though my last lesson with Erin was great with help on canter transitions, for some reason I was not getting it on my own. On top of that, I was having major trouble keeping Deuce together and bent on a circle without falling to the inside going right and popping the shoulder out going left. Then the more intent and frustrated about it I got, the worse he went. Poor Deuce. He was probably wondering what the heck I was trying to do up there on his back!
So I decided it was time for another lesson with Erin who again helped us tremendously. We broke down the steps to canter transitions, again but to tiny parts. The key (even though, I know this and have heard it a million times... it just clicked this time, at last!!) is to keep him bent to the inside with a giving rein and lots of leg (squeeze the rein for the bend then push hand forward) while maintaining the outside rein, sit up, right leg behind the girth and shift my weight to the inside leg and step into canter. It took some doing but we got it and then got it consistently. Erin also give me some pre riding strategies to help develop a mental action plan to help keep from getting into the vicious frustrated cycle. Then tonight I road again and practiced everything Erin and I worked on in our lesson and while it was not perfect, it was so much better!
Now that I can reflect on it objectively; our point of frustration is actually a good thing. It means Deuce and I are progressing in our training and we are now getting into more technical aspects in our riding and training.
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