and ask for a flying change.... wait, what?!?

You know it's a good lesson when you are working at the canter and your coach says "and go across the short diagonal and ask for a flying change".... Um, ... Wait, what? I don't know how to do that!! :) 

Fleck was FRISKY today still. We warmed up around the farm and Flecky was scooting a bit. He was still up in the ring but worked well. We had some good work. And he was a little fussy, but I think it's cause he had to work. :) He was really using his back and butt! The big things were to keep my sternum up which will help keep Fleck's withers up. Keep my left thumb up. SIT through my transitions. 

So we were cantering along, having a NICE straight canter, and actually able to even think of asking for a shoulder in and having him respond!! At one point, we did (at the canter!!!) shoulder in three strides, haunches in three strides, shoulder in three strides, haunches in three strides. It was awesome!!! And if he broke because it was hard work.. my job was to make it harder to trot than canter. In other words, haunches in, haunches out, shoulder in, then back to canter. So anyways, we're cantering along, did a really nice three loop serpentine, and then Cindy says "cut across the short diagonal and ask for a flying change'. Um... what?!? So I come across the diagonal and flail my legs around... shockingly Fleck does NOT change... ;) So we come down to the trot, and back into the canter. We do the three loop serpentine the other way and she says the same thing. This time I have enough sense to tell her I'm not really sure how to ask for that. So we come across the diagonal and when we hit the far corner line I was supposed to "Think Walk", walk for half a step, and pick up the other lead. It sorta worked :) I mean, it wasn't a true flying change by any sense of the means, but... it was a much better change than we've ever done. :) Whoo hoo.

So we finished with the stretchy canter and stretchy trot.  :)  And then had another short hack. :) 

Happy day!