Dressage Brain Day

What a fun lesson day! Cindy had us start with some trot work. We worked on a bigger more reaching stride WITHOUT me posting faster. :) Then we worked on some turn on the haunches. It was much much better but we still have issues going to the left. Cindy noted that my left hand was grabbing him and preventing him from bending around my left leg. I also noted that my left leg was completely off of him. So she had me bring my left hand out in a leading rein. I could NOT grasp that.. .my brain was freaking out!! No, no, no.... it needs to hold him and create bend. Argh!!! Even as my brain was screaming at me to do that... I'm thinking... NO... it's the left leg that creates the bend.. the left rein has nothing to do with it. Argh. Cindy laughed at me because.. once I convinced myself to let go and do that opening rein he actually was able to give me a nice turn on the haunches. But I was so frustrated and mad... Cindy laughed and told me that it was a physiologic response to get angry when I had to force myself to overcome muscle memory and prove to myself that my way wasn't correct. Hee hee.. I'm glad that there is a reason for my anger. Cause I was really pissed! 

So then we worked on the canter. As soon as I asked for the upward... Cindy stopped me and told me to get off. She had an exercise for me to try. She had me put my spine up against the wall and stand up straight. Then I had to bring my leg back, like I was asking for the canter.. AND keep my back up against the wall. OHHHHHH!!!! That is hard to do. Bringing my leg back almost automatically pulls my lower back away from the wall. Interesting... So then I had to canter with my other hip as my leg pulls back and... that was even tougher. BUT... I figured out how to do it. So then I had to translate that to while I was on Fleck. And I actually did. It was pretty cool. Once Fleck got over the whole "what the heck is Mom doing up there"... we got some pretty nice transitions and my canter was oh so lovely afterwards!!

Way cool!!! So yep... a fun interesting lesson :)