Few lines with Christa

Much to my disappointment, we did not jump a million times better today than we did at the derby last weekend.  Although maybe I should be glad, because it gave us another chance to work with John.
We started with a little cross rail which became a vertical.  These were fine.
Then we did a bending five stride line, which was a hard right turn to a vertical and then four strides towards E and then the last stride was the turn to an oxer.  Christa rode it beautifully every time.  I couldn't make the turn correctly to save my life.  We launched, we chipped, we flailed.
Once - ONCE - we got it right, immediately after John told me to focus on the top rail, but I felt it as we came in that we had the distance right.
From there, we added a left turn to oxer to vertical, and then John added a line down the center of three angled jumps.  Then he switched the direction (instead of turning left to them, we turned right), and then a couple other combinations of those same fences.
I'd say about mid-way through the lesson Duke quit flying around and we started riding a bit more controlled, although one left turn I tried to wrestle him around and it made his hind legs buckle.  John said I need to give a little and although it felt contrary to all instinct, when I did, it made a huge difference.