"The most important thing is to not stop questioning" -Albert Einstein

Disclaimer: I realize the above quote may not be applied below exactly in the context intended by the speaker. However it very directly applies to my dressage lessons, as described and then heard below. 

"How did that go?" 

"Okay, considering we've never done a turn on the haunches before." 

"Hmmm not quite, you did turn around. What is a turn on the haunches?" 

At this point I stopped because I 1000% knew I was not going to be able to both ride correctly and process what we were talking about.

Funny enough, we stopped without wiggling into it. And we were almost square. Hmmm weird the way that works. 

More patient silence

"The hind legs stay stepping in place and the front legs move around them?" 

"Yesss... and what about their body?" 

50/50 shot and I guessed wrong... I had bent Butterball to the left to execute our right turn on the haunches. Which it seems is incorrect. 

Da fuk are you doing mom? I haven't done this before either, but I think you're wrong. -Butterball

Then we moved on to a similarly elucidating and embarrassing set of questions about the aids for turn on the haunches. 

"Well how do you ask your horse to turn?" 

After several *wrong* guesses - "With the reins?" 

"Exactly!" 

Turns out (hardee har har) you start with an inside bend, then half halt with both reins, then, ask for a turn with the rein aids. The outside leg is used to control whatever it needs to. If the shoulders aren't moving enough with the reins then the outside leg is used forward to ask for the shoulders to move more. If the haunches are swinging wide, the outside leg is used to keep them in place. 

Although our attempts were not anywhere near show ring quality, we did get better

Our progress backslide on the last one. I used my right leg but he continued to push through it and swing the haunches. Which went back to cardinal rule number one. When an aid is used it should get a reaction. If it doesn't then there is a correction (increasing aid) then the aid is reapplied lightly to test if the correction worked. When laid out that way it all seems so straightforward. 

The ToH work was a brief respite from a lot of trot and canter work. It also came with the direction to not walk too long during warm up. If the walk is no longer getting better, go ahead and trot and canter to increase the suppleness, then come back to the walk. But don't do too much of it. To increase the suppleness in the trot, we did a lot of leg yields. He started out the ride kind of braced and stiff. But I have been directed NOT to pull him into roundness. So I sat chilly and just worked on forward. Then the leg yields magically created the roundness and acceptance of contact we had been lacking. 

We spent a WHILE in the left lead canter. Turns out we're never actually straight on that lead. Which we set to work fixing by thinking shoulder-in. When that didn't so much work, we did some counter bend. Once he was straight, Butterball had a hard time holding the canter. But there were some lovely moments in between falling apart. 

We also played a tiny bit with extended trot. Which was really fun.

Hillary was kind enough to come and watch and take tons of video. I REALLY need to get my shoulders back. He looks so lovely and I don't hate the rest of my position, but my shoulders are round all the time. Rgh. Where is my inner dressage queen? 

I am continuing to absolutely LOVE these dressage lessons. The effect on Butterball is dramatic too. He is happier when he is working this hard, actually. It is weird, but he loses the sticky resistance and chomping that I call his pony side and just swings forward from the lightest aids with a quiet mouth. It is delightful. 

Next day, absolutely exhausted, just went on a walk hack around the neighborhood. I was sore, so I figured he was too.