Down to the Wire

We're getting down to the wire here. Today is our last ride before we show tomorrow! It's been shocking to me that more things haven't gone wrong. I mean I know that I was seriously injured and it's a miracle that I can ride (only yesterday was I able to sit the trot with minimal pain); and I know that my horse's leg was acting up and we had to drain his leg; but I swear that we should be injuring another leg or that I should be seriously ill or something.

Everything looks okay though!

But rather than focus on the bad, I want to go through my test so I can memorize it and figure out what to work on in warm up. Yesterday I warmed up and then rode the test. I did a LOT of transitions and rode him a little extra round, then picked him up for the test. Mistake. I should have worked on the bend/suppleness more because the entire test was him leaning one way or another. So today I'm going to focus on the bend for all gaits, but I also have other stuff to work on:

Wish we could trot up centerline

A enter collected canter; X halt, salute, proceed collected trot; C track left
- straightness on centerline with no tempis
- balance and straightness in the halt transitions
- straightness in the collected trot (remember to turn left)
- suppleness in the corner

Mediums are difficult for both of us.

HXF medium trot with 5-7 collected steps over centerline
- GO GO GO
- then WHOA WHOA WHOA
- then GO GO GO, remember this amount of GOs

We're both better at half pass now.

KX half pass right; X 10m circle; XG shoulder-in; C track right
- half pass needs bend
- 10m circle needs bend, end it in a shoulder-in
- shoulder-in needs bend and steadiness, when in doubt bend without much angle

Hoping the extended trot doesn't throw my back out during the test.

MXK extended trot
- GO GO GO!!

Needs bend always!

FX half pass left; X 10m circle; XG shoulder-in; C track left
- half pass needs bend
- make sure to go straight before circling, which needs bend
- end circle in a good, steady shoulder-in

Extended walk is not a problem, collected walk is very difficult

S collected walk; SR half circle collected walk; RS half circle extended walk
- downward needs balance and softening
- no jigging in collected walk
- no diving in extended walk

SE collected walk; E half pirouette left; S half pirouette right; E collected canter
- no jigging in transition
- left pirouette needs to not step out
- right pirouette needs bend and no sit and spin
- straightness in collected canter

Canter left is pretty good

A centerline; DE half pass left; EC counter canter; C LR change
- no pirouette on centerline
- bend in half pass, slow and bouncy
- balance in cc, no kicking in the change

Medium canter can be fun... at times...

MF medium; A centerline; DB half pass right; BC counter canter; C RL change
- GO GO GO
- no pirouette on centerline
- bend in half pass, slow and bouncy
- balance in cc, no kicking in the change

If the rider would stop tipping, the horse would be better...

C 20m circle 5-6 strides of school canter; HK extended; A centerline; X halt, salute
- shoulder-in into the school canter
- GO GO GO
- no pirouette on centerline
- straightness and balance in the salute

This horse occasionally halts square

AH! It's such an intense test for a horse who goofs off. In the past he has done the following obnoxious things in a dressage test:
- dropped his shoulder and ran off on the forehand during an extended trot
- broke to canter and galloped away with me during an extended trot
- took off bucking in an extended canter
- tempi changes on centerline
- not really halting
- halting crooked
- kicking my foot out of my stirrup in the lead changes
- sit and spin in the walk pirouettes

Lead changes are a good way to express yourself

Luckily he isn't so heavy anymore, so I'm not too worried about being taken off with, but all of the others still apply! He's getting much better about not kicking my foot out of my stirrup, but it still happens occasionally. He's also getting better about the sit-and-spin walk pirouette that he likes to do, but I'm probably going to still ride them a little large just in case.

This horse could be a reining horse if he wanted

Honestly though, I can obsess over the test and how we are going to do all I want, but what really counts in the long run is that we are BACK in the show ring. Even if we suck super hardcore and get a 45%, I'll be so happy that he is sound enough and I am healthy enough for us to make it back into the court.

This person is almost as injury prone as this horse.