Mission: Consistency

I still have lots and lots of work to do to get our dressage halfway decent. The most recent focus is to get Deuce to move off my inside leg and into consistent roundness.  The trouble I am running into (well one of many many many issues) is that he will get nice and round and bendy for a few steps and then I lock my elbows and have no softening in them.. So Deuce locks his neck and braces and then slows down; thinking I am asking him to slow... so then I get after him with a big kick to go forward and in that moment I tend to completely drop contact, so he pokes his nose up and out and gets flat.  Argh. Then I get back into a battle of getting him back to round again. Its a viscous and frustrating cycle.

So the past few rides, I have really tried to focus on using my lower arm and fingers to work the reins with a subtle tickle of the rein and stronger inside leg to encourage bend. (while feeling if his shoulder flexes to and remembering to use a supporting outside rein and a outside leg.
I also started riding with a dressage whip and the first time he slowed, instead of getting after him with a kick, I closed my lower legs and then reinforced with a light tickl on his outside haunch with the end of my dressage whip ever so slightly, and woosh that woke him up! He swished his tail in irritation and went forward. I think that little tickle offended him, because after that he was uber responsive to my legs and seat and every trot stride was big and forward and springy. Wowsas! Now I just have to figure out how to ride all of that consistently. Still working on it... lots of issues to imporve on..... but we'll get there.