Wheels on the bus

A brain fell out last week.

The great thing about winter is that you can school more difficult movements, and learn new ones.

The sucky thing about winter is that sometimes when you are learning something new the wheels fall off the bus.

The hamster dies on the wheel.

The horse's brain falls out.

He can no longer horse.

Which is what happened to Hampton and I last week.

Has anyone seen my bwwwrrain?

During our lesson, we were working on the tempi changes. The usual - straightness, suppleness, etc. He felt great during a line of 4s, then 3s. And we did several solid 2s in a row as well. Then my coach says "Ok let's try some 1s!"

I have played with a one-one before, and Hampton has done well. But I have only tried going Right-left-right lead.

And during this lesson we did get a couple of those.

But I then I tried going left-right-left lead. It didn't work, not such a big deal. We just go back to doing 3s or even twos to get the rhythm back.

Except. A porkchop brain has splattered on the ground because he would not do a right to left change AT ALL. And that has always been his GOOD change. I went all the way back to doing ONE SINGLE CHANGE like in third level and NOPE.

And then of course it becomes A THING because my coach insists that he HAS TO DO IT, he cannot ignore me. And at the moment I did agree but after I had time to think about it I realized he was truly confused. My legs were flopping all over and I kept asking him to change his lead and eventually he was like "I AM NOT DOING IT I DON'T KNOW OH MY GOD."

Then is escalated to me asking for a change and then he would BOLT. He bucked HARD a few times as well. He was getting tired and frustrated. Eventually I got some random tempis on a circle, and while they were tight and stabby behind he did them so I quit on that.

Oh god I ruined my horse he no longer does changes.

Like I said, thank fuck it is winter and there are no shows coming up.

So the past week I went WAAAAY back to basics. I did walk canter transitions, switching leads each time. Then I would ask for random tempis with no count. And after a few days I now have my Hampton back who does 4s, 3s, and today a beautiful, balanced line of 5 2-tempis with no theatrics whatsoever.

I think he lost confidence and he really does not like being confused. Learning the 1-tempis is like learning a whole new gait (Megan told me this and she is right). I will keep touching on them here and there when he feels good, and I know eventually he will figure it out.

What I will be doing the next couple of days when it is cold as a polar bear's balls.

And for now the wheels seem to be back on the bus.

Until next time.