Schooling at NWEC

Today Shannon and I went out and schooled at NWEC. This wrapped up my three day weekend with a huge success, although in an entirely different way than I hoped for.
Shannon brought her horse Charlie to work on some ditches and water (she is competing Training Level!), and it was both nice to have someone else riding but it was also really useful for me to watch her and be able to ask questions right after she did each jump.
So Charlie started first, by giving Shannon the opportunity to demonstrate how to deal with a horse trying to refuse, but despite the educational scenario, I still wasn't vigorous enough with Willig on that one. But he went over it successfully a few times, we moved on, more success, more success, and he got a little stronger.
After about the sixth jump (we did some a few times), way off in the distance Willig saw a truck and used it as an excuse to try to misbehave, and this was educational opportunity #2 - my instinct would have been to stop and look at the truck and let him calm down and get bored, and instead, Shannon had me keep riding him focused and hard over the same fence until he got calm and relaxed.
Then we went through some water, and then Shannon gave me the option to try a baby ditch, with the caveat that I had to finish what I started. Since last year I blew off Willig at a ditch at a clinic and ended up in the hospital, I was pretty nervous. She had me ride right behind her and Charlie, and Willig was fine until the last second when he saw the ditch and he screeched to a halt.
Shannon's approach was very patient. He couldn't go backwards, and I praised him and patted him and gave him slack when he moved forward. He swung his butt around a lot, and then decided to stare, focused and intently, into a tree in the distance for no apparent reason (again, thanks to Shannon being there, she said it was just to avoid focusing on the scary ditch).
Mostly, it was just him trying to figure it out. Eventually, Shannon got off and kind of assisted him over from the standstill, then he did it from the walk, then he did it from an easy trot, then he did it and celebrated at the end with a bit of hopping. So then we got to do it a few more times. Shannon is merciless. In a very good way.
So then we made it into a combination with another one at the top of a hill - he actually got a bit freaked out by Charlie leaving, stopped but then hopped off of it, so we did it two more times to get it cleaner, and went charging up the hill back to Charlie.
Shannon made another combo, then she did a big ditch a few times, and then, as we headed towards the other water complex, I pointed out some "big" jump Willig's eyes were bugging out at (his face was saying to me "I sure hope you're not pointing me at THAT!") and so Shannon had us go over it.
This was where things got really interesting.
He jumped it gorgeous, with no indication of the rodeo to come, and then started his little bucks. Thanks to my improved leg position, hand position, and skills (crank his head (but not too hard!!)), we made a circle around Shannon. So he continued the bucking/hopping but added in some front leg hopping. (He had done a couple tiny, frustrated rears back at the ditch.) And then we hopped around Shannon what seemed like a ridiculously long time - like several laps. Me without stirrups (and we lost the stirrup pad - I think during all this), and I actually managed to do an extra loop into the reins with my pinkies, I had so much time. It was a lot more exciting than I wanted (all I really want is some clear jumping), but it was also GREAT to have Shannon right there to show me and help me with what to do when he acts like that.
And that was super, since it was again contrary to my instincts - she had me canter way way out across the field, take one of the jumps again - he tried to buck again - so she had me canter way back out, around the field again (at a vigorous canter) - back over the fence (he was a tiny bit naughty again) - so we did it a THIRD time! By this time we were both pouring sweat, and I felt him kind of "give" - we went back over the fence and all the way back out to the fence that started it and then back over it and off in a straight line.
With no acting up at all.
And then finally in and out of the water a couple times - at the trot - no big deal.
And then right back in the trailer like it was no big deal.

So the valuable take-aways:
I'm not pushing him hard enough.
I need to take him more places - that is the sort of experience he needs to be having.
But for both of those - I could push him much harder with Shannon there helping me than I could do alone - especially if I was literally alone way out there.
And then I need to keep working on riding him defensively - with the scooped belly that is the solid defensive posture, pushing him close to the fence instead of pulling back, and "helping" him go over it (not just passively waiting for him to jump it himself). He is a great jumper, and he gets enthusiastic about it, but he still needs the confidence boost.
And Shannon thinks his little bucking/hopping is more like a celebratory happy dance (those are my words) - not being a naughty bad horse. They do seem pretty consistent when he's done something he thinks is hard or new. (This also coincides with a lot more of the downward dog stretches.) The other new behavior is he's checking in with me more - literally turning his head and nudging my foot to let me know things.

I'm actually really happy with today. I stayed on, learned a whole lot, and feel like I have a much better "feel" for how I need to ride towards the fences - it is a touch of fear with a real drive to get over it.
I'm going to try to keep up this vigorously the rest of the summer - now that it is finally summer.
This was VERY useful, and just what I needed to get off my butt and all my excuses why I haven't schooled yet this year.