Nicole has started doing something similar to tempis. They aren't tempis because we aren't counting anything out, just doing lead changes down the long side as she feels through and capable of doing them correctly. But tempis are just a step away from that. Oddly enough, her left-to-right lead changes are better than the right-to-left lead changes.
Her trot work is getting more consistent. She isn't afraid of the bit anymore, although her favorite evasion is still to suck up like this little rubber ball and not go forward. Those moments are becoming fewer as she realizes that going forward isn't the scary event she makes it out to be and is more comfortable pushing into the bridle. Now to start getting a more uphill and floating trot...not as easy as it sounds to convince a horse that she should move her energy up and not just out and forward.
My trot work with Nikita is getting better. I've had to learn that blasting around at full power doesn't equate to a relaxed dancing trot. All things being equal, blasting around at full power is easier and more relaxing to ME, but drives the poor mare up the wall, and is counter-producive to the tenets of dressage to which we all aspire. So, I've had a lesson in learning to do nothing and to become more comfortable with a more dancing trot. :-/ I guess mediums and extended trots will be my favorite exercises.
Nikita and I are working on canter pirouettes and collecting the canter well enough to do those expressively. And I feel like killing myself. We do great to the left, but I can't bring that same level of competence to the right side. I'm having trouble keeping her through properly to the right AND keeping a forward canter. The issue is that I'm not using my left leg enough to get her properly forward. It just about kills me when the horse isn't through and I'm dealing with this board underneath me that won't bend because I haven't made her forward enough, and I'm momentarily lacking the skill to keep it all together.
I've learned that I have this comfort zone - I'm most comfortable when I don't have to work to get the horse forward, but instead focus all my attention on bringing the horse back. I'm also pretty comfortable with a horse that is tense and jumping out of its skin; a relaxed horse leaves me feeling lost and confused. That's nice, but it doesn't really work to my advantage. I've learned with Nikita - who isn't nervous like Nicole - that I'm not that good at getting a horse to go forward from my leg. I've never had to learn - Nicole has always been extremely forward thinking and my job has always been to bring her back and hold the energy. These days I live in this paradox that I'm just beginning to resolve; it just about kills me to have to work to get a horse forward, yet sitting and doing nothing (i.e., to stop asking for more when the horse is going well) produces a restless confusion. Making Nikita crazy has been a lesson; when the mare is going well, I'm having to learn to let her relax and not ask for more more more all the time. The relaxed dancing trot is the aim. I'm also having to learn to ask for more forward from my leg and to insist on it when my request goes unheard. This has helped with Nicole, because another lesson I've learned is that forward does not equal "forward with power into the bridle". In other words, as Nicole has been asked to go forward into the bridle, using the legs to keep her forward and through has been necessary, and at times she has ignored the request in favor of getting out of the work.
