Tips for 1st level

In today's lesson, we started with canter, and then worked on my leg aid - thinking about swinging my legs like scissors (something remarkably painful to do - I need to do more hip opener stretches at home), and then asking for the canter thinking about my leg back touching my saddle pad. Mike got draw reins for Willig so I'd have one less thing to think about, and I also learned that they can be attached to the girth OR under their belly!
Willig was pretty leery of both ends of the arena (judge's stand, weirdly placed stuff outdoors), but in a way, it makes him easier to ride because he's got more get-up-and-go, but I'm also thinking that both ends are scary, and so I ride pretty much the whole arena instead of slacking off on the non-scary side.
Then, after some of the "regular" work (quick responses to quick changes - walk-stop-trot-stop-walk-canter-etc.) I rode both my tests.
Here's the take aways:
- Remember to start the movement before the letter. If I'm turning left at C (from X) to extend at H, then start revving him up at C.
- It's ok to use the whip to get the movement correct (but not cluck).
- Make everything bigger and more exaggerated. It feels exaggerated to me, but it's really not. Make the lengthened canter enormous - like those horses at the Olympics who are rearing back and LIFTING their front legs - instead of Willig, plowing his way to China. Mike said the lengthen needs to at least double from what I think is crazy fast.
- A 15 meter circle is smaller than I think it is.
- And for some reason, I was off on all my letters - undershooting them like I was in a 3/4 size arena.
- On the counter canter loop, spend a couple of strides on the center line before going back over.
- Don't let his head/neck bend too much on leg yield.
- Same as lengthening canter - actually lengthen the trot - but don't throw him away. Get that "lift" and skip in the steps.
- Our centerline and halt is a bit crooked. Feel that, and correct very lightly (he very quickly overcorrects to haunches out the other direction). (This one is a follow up for a future lesson because it seems to be coming from crookedness in me.)
- It's ok to walk a couple steps to get a square halt (and to walk a couple to go back to trot).
- I can spend quarterline to quarterline on the lead change, so trot at quarterline, get him readjusted, and then ask for lead change before the other quarterline.
- Ride him forward in the scary corners so he doesn't have an opportunity to break.
- Medium walk should have momentum. I lollygag. Willig has a nice walk (naturally) so I'm diminishing our opportunity to take advantage of the double coefficient!
- More stretchy on the stretchy circle (and warm up with some stretchy, not with holding him all rigid and tight).
- The judge is looking for the momentum mostly.
No wonder I feel like I never get it all. These are just Mike's tips to help us take off the rough edges just from 12 minutes of riding in a 45 minute lesson. I need to start recording and transcribing the lessons to catch more of it!