Polishing our dressage test before NWEC

And oh man, we needed it. After my last lesson, and then the following week's brilliant ride, and then last week I did conditioning instead, I have been watching this video of us in my mind where we are COMPLETELY KICKING ASS in our dressage test. Well, that was not what was projected onto the screen of reality. Instead, it was like riding through wet sand - everything felt sluggish and in slow motion and while very steady - also very dull and flat. Mike gave me three things to keep in mind tomorrow that we practiced all lesson, but I'm going to add a couple other gems I picked up during the lesson: 1. Bend Charlie to the left when we're going left. Shannon also pointed this out when I was warming him up and when she rides him after I've ridden him, but I curve him to the right - something is off in that leg! So I don't need to think about it to the right, but I do need to think about it to the left (and coming down the centerline). 2. Think "behind the bit" because my feeling of behind the bit is like not even close to vertical. This one is perplexing. Why am I not getting this? I went and walked the course at NWEC afterwards, and like 50 people were warming up, and they ALL had the vertical head. I don't understand what my problem is. 3. Be flashy. This is a show. Ride with some ooomph and pizazz. I was trying to do this and not succeeding, so #6 is how Mike got our flash back. 4. Brake with my back. Using my hands as brakes is like the emergency stop on a bus - Charlie is trained so light and responsive that he just plummets down to a stop. 5. Transition from trot to canter - give him a few good jiggles with the reins, and then DO NOT LET HIM toss his head up! I've been letting him get away with it. 6. Ok, as best as I can tell what we did in my last lesson, and what I did the following week was (same old theme) actually ride him, and then I reverted to my tepid, passive style. So he gets a little warm up, then he get a good konk, then I get my legs off him, then he goes a few strides and gets another konk. If he doesn't leap forward, he gets a smack with the whip. I only have to do this 3-5 times total and then he is like "ok, fine" and goes to work. Then, to keep him fresh, listening, and responsive, I ride each gait big and then little. I extend the trot, and then I collect it (my versions of extension and collection) - I ride him on the cusp of breaking from canter to trot, then lengthen it. And I do not let him drop his head too low or get too strung out. So we improved a lot from my first run through of the test to the last, but I wanted to saunter out like a rock star, and instead I feel like we have so much to work on ... and a class of 21! Charlie is such a great horse, and I don't want to let him or Shannon down. So I'm going to think the three main points tomorrow: bent left, behind the bit, and flashy! And then really ride him in my warm up, and brake with my back. My fingers are crossed. It's a great forecast (even better for Saturday) and I think this is going to be the best riding weekend of my entire life so far!