this morning on another lovely day that became more comfortable as the clouds covered, the temperature rose and the humidity commensurately dropped, I continued with Theodore OCassidy, and yesterdays watching-paint-dry lesson paid off in spades. :-) We set the pace pre-lesson with some uneven terrain efforts -- always good -- on the hill above the ring, and sorted out our partnership up-and-down the hill so that when we returned to the ring to start the lesson we both were satisfied with energy and mutual expectations. Possibly this also worked out my shoulder and weighting symmetry issues, as well as the tone for what would follow. Then, HWTC, up and down, switching off we continued from yesterday, if not that narrow specific agenda, for clarity of expectation and cue in the same way wed established the day before. Side to side and front to back imbalance, as well as my habit of nagging with my right but not so much left leg, and my tendency not to adjust my calf appropriately the the changed width of the horse or pony of the day, were not necessarily eliminated but I was aware of them and able to correct them in subtler ways than before yesterday. Bottom line is that almost with few explained exceptions the entire lesson through, when as almost always I was clear in my mind about where and what and in the corresponding cues, each energy adjustment and then each transition, up or down, HWTC, occurred almost exactly according to my plan as to where and when, and that they were almost all clean and crisp and balanced. Doesnt get much better than that.
Posted on: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 18:41:18 +0000