Slimy layer of the onion with Beth

Today we got a little closer to the explanation for why I'm so crooked.  Not solved yet, but closer.
Right leg is stronger, especially in quad.
Exercises to do at home are quadriped (on hands and knees, right arm and left leg out - don't make a C curve when left leg is out); rocking on the ball and then roll back, making sure to elongate the back and shorten the ribs to pelvis, with knees relaxed - not just plummet back from shoulders; and scarecrow or swimming, with an emphasis on a long neck and the space between the shoulder blades, not the space below the shoulder blades.  Also, plank, but up on the forearms so it is hard to do only after a second or two.

On Charlie, we worked on halting or other down transitions from relaxing the inner leg, not squeezing him forward with my legs; then with an engaged lower ab and the motion coming right hip - left hip - not forward and back with the belly; then adding in relaxed legs, not gripping legs; and finally scarecrow back with the correct amount of tilt forward (that last bit is super hard).
Then we did some leg yielding with me not shifting my weight.  One way was easy, the other way much harder (off my right leg - I pushed my weight way over on my left seat bone).
Then a bit of sitting trot and posting trot without my right stirrup, which helped even out the snakey twist a lot, but Beth says don't work on too much at home because it might make my right leg clamp up more. 
For sitting trot, it was leaning back with my shoulders (which really wasn't in the mirror) and then feeling a lift up - like a hook was pulling me up by the belt.  I had a few really good sits where I had relaxed legs and could bounce up.
We did some trot work where I'd slow him down by slowing down my posting, but when we go forward, I tend to let everything go loose and let the energy all dissipate.
Charlie did a good job trying to stay under me but then got bored and nonresponsive, which was a good example of leg aid on, then off, then a smack with the whip if he ignores me.
Finally we did some canter work both directions, but I don't remember the homework.

There is a lot to think about just in the walk with the hips leading and pelvis staying still, and finding that balanced, even weight over the seat bones.  It still feels all vaguely out of grasp, like I'm not quite catching on, but I am getting bigger and bigger glimpses and feeling it more and more when I get it right, so I think we're continuing to make progress.

Another great lesson with John

We lucked out with some fabulous fall weather - warm with just a slight breeze - although with his full coat, Charlie got pretty sweaty.
We warmed up and John said to make sure to keep him connected and not to let him get too stiff going to the left or hang on the reins going to the right.  I had to push him forward and then bend him out with the inside leg.  We also did some half halts in the canter and then sending him forward.
Then we did a few tricky combinations.  We ended with an oxer - 5 strides - vertical - 2 strides - hard left turn to oxer - right roll back turn to vertical - 2 strides - hard right turn in 4-5 strides to an oxer - then a left turn to a skinny.
I could NOT get the left lead on the last two (oxer, skinny) so my first homework is just to set up a pole or a small jump and work on my left lead.  I could get it fine when it was just the skinny or just the plank, but not when I was doing it as part of the course.
Instead, I would pull hard on the left rein, but the good news was that I could feel that I was doing it, like that eureka moment when I felt I was pulling back before each fence and could finally stop.
We also worked on doing the line in 5 strides, then 6, but just a little bit.
I also had another eureka moment where I finally got "sit up" around the corner, and I half halted without losing impulsion.  Then, we bounced in and just flew over the fence, instead of kind of chipping over it.
A third eureka moment was when I got too close to the first vertical of the three combination, and how it screwed up the next two and I still didn't get it back together for the skinny.
However, since we haven't jumped since the derby, and John said we just jumped right in and were pushing Charlie, I was really happy with how well we did, considering.
My homework is leads and then to work on three fences in a row (two strides between each) but the center one wonky angled, so that I learn to ride to my spot regardless.
John said that yes Jumpernite is worthwhile - because any time in the arena is.  He said to ride one level below, my level, and if he's going well, the next level up.  So three classes.
He also said that Devoucoux are the best saddles, and there are a couple other good ones (one that starts with A and one that starts with R) but that I don't need to specialize between my xc and sj saddles until my second year at Prelim.  He said that's when I'll feel that with a different saddle, I could go faster.

Charlie majorly good for Major Beale

I forgot to include in yesterday's post the hardest part about the collected canter - doing the uberstriechen when Charlie gives with his head.  That actually applies to all things Charlie does - I'm a good clamper but not good at letting go (like the rest of my life, actually).  So I need to concentrate on that.
I started today by asking Major Beale for specific exercises to improve Charlie's musculature on his topline.  In addition to transitions and marching, he said to do lateral work and today's exercises.  I also asked about bending properly, and he said that yes, the aids were right (a squeeze on the inside, leg aid on the inside, and a firm hand (but a bit of give, to give him room to bend) on the outside).  He suggested thinking of it as a contraction on the inside and a lengthening on the outside, because a horse can't actually bend through its ribcage, but also it is ok to bend a bit more in the neck at this stage.
So then we got started, and he was not happy with the walk to halt transition, especially after we worked on it yesterday.  Ominously, he got up, got down a lunge whip, and came out into the arena.
If Charlie is working with impulsion, he will naturally halt square.  So all my efforts to fanagle him into halting square would have been better spent working on the underlying cause - adequate impulsion and proper carriage - than trying to skid him into it and all my other shenanigans.
What he ended up doing was NOT beating me with the lunge whip, but using it like the stick with Charlie's hocks to encourage him to step up and under - like I have seen Mike do when he is teaching piaffe.
We worked on "half steps".  This is walking, then pull both legs back a bit (hard to do in my hips, side note), and ask for a trot aid, but then hold it to tiny steps.  From half steps, we would transition down to walk or to a regular trot.
The regular trot then felt lofty.  It was not rushed - something I tend to do when I try to get "big" - but there was suspension - I could feel how long I was in the air posting compared to normal.
From there we worked on small circles around Major Beale (maybe 10 meter or 8 meter?) with haunches out but neck bent in - so if we were moving counterclockwise, haunches were out to the right, but neck was bent a bit to the left.  Then we would go bigger, reverse it - haunches to the left - and then straighten and go to a trot or straight to a canter.  We did this several times both directions, with improvement each time.
My left leg (and Charlie's left hind leg) are still noticeably weaker than the right, making it much harder to do it with the left leg as the dominant aid, and I am also slow to put on my "outside" leg to keep him moving "forward".
But when we connected all the dots and then did trot or canter - yowza - his shoulders were so high it was like sitting on a pillow.  It was divine.
From there we did some shoulder-in to trot lengthening exercises, with the important part being to give Charlie enough time to collect again and BEND before we headed into the corners - I would just barrel into the corner and he'd lose his balance.
Major Beale said it is correct to give him tomorrow off - he'll probably be a bit stiff and sore from using all those muscles for so long, but I have to say - Charlie was such a gentleman.  It was hard work - he was sweating and huffing and puffing, but he tried to figure it out and then gave it his best.  He didn't get frustrated or worn out.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to ride with Major Beale and learn from him.  He is very good at describing what the rider and horse are doing, and how that affects the movement.  I felt like I learned more in these two days than in years of struggling on my own.  And I am so, so lucky to have Charlie.  He is just a phenomenal horse, exactly the right personality at exactly the right time.
I feel like I am finally starting to catch on, and that maybe it isn't hopeless after all.  I've made so much progress from when I first rode with him!

Major Beale - major fun

I was a little anxious about today's ride with Major Beale.  Charlie got 3 weeks off of work instead of 2, and his right front hoof feels warm to me.  He felt off the last day I tried to ride him (so I quit) and a few days later he was noticeably lame. The one day I got to ride him (two days ago), he was downhill and rushing, and I couldn't tell whether he felt off or not.
And, like every other lesson, with Major Beale, it was miraculous.
First, I come in and loaf around.  No more.  Charlie can walk on a long rein, but he is going to MARCH forward. 
Second, I asked for help on the two 15 meter circles at X for Training Level B.  The problem is the outside shoulder - I'm losing contact in the outside rein, and Charlie's shoulder bulges out, and that's what makes the circle the wrong shape.
Third, I had lengthening the canter all wrong.  It made sense for a horse not round, but for a horse that is connected, there is a different way to ride it.  If Charlie has impulsion, then I don't need to kick, but just let my seat swing bigger - that stretches him out without driving him down.  But to collect it back up, I need to wrap my legs around him and then hold it in front. 
Lengthening the trot is not the same aid as canter.  There, I do need to use leg to lengthen - and also post higher.  But the feeling of bringing it back is similar.
Fourth, I asked for help with the trot stretchy circle, and as I suspected, it's because I'm not riding the right basics.  If Charlie is working over his topline, the stretchy circle is a relief, and he naturally goes round and low to stretch out his topline.  But if he's already downhill on the forehand, he has no reason to stretch, and I have to make him do it.  So after I worked him correctly, and allowed the reins to lengthen, he just naturally went down.
Fifth, when Charlie is tilting his head it means that he's not working symmetrically on both sides.  I can't always feel this, but it's good to know that's the root cause.
Sixth, I need to push Charlie into the halt (or whatever downward transition) with my legs and not pull with my hands.  I have heard this before and thought it was crazy, but today it totally worked.  I just kept my hands steady and used my legs and miraculously we stopped every time - and we stopped with lifted (lofty) shoulders instead of heading downhill.
Major Beale said that we have made definite progress, but that I need to sharpen Charlie up so that instead of it taking 13 steps to make a transition, it takes no more than 3.  He also said because Charlie is lazy and has always been lazy I really have to stay consistent and dedicated to working on making him move forward with impulsion.
He also said that Charlie needs to develop muscles over his topline.  It sounds like a chicken and egg problem.  If Charlie had those muscles, it would be easier for him to do this work, but he needs to do this work to get those muscles.  Mostly a lot of transitions but they need to be from a marching walk and done properly, not puked out onto the forehand downhill stuff.