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So when I think work can't get busier, it does. Depsite riding two or three times a week, my little horse is getting better and better. Hani vidoed my ride last week, so that I could see what my third level test one looked like. I was actually pleasantly surprised that it looked pretty good.

He offered to video again this weekend so I could see if there had been any improvement (depsite having only ridden one day during the week). We started out with the normal challenges, but today Gadget really gave me his best effort. We got some lovely collected canter, clean changes to the left, and overall a really nice ride.

I really focused on collecting him in the canter and keeping him collected through the flying changes rather than throwing him the contact. This resulted in my always clean right changes being late in front. However, this fixed the usual late left change. With a bit of tweaking, I think we've made a breakthrough!

It was such a wonderful ride, and I really was so impressed with Gadget. Here's our practice ride of third level test one from today:
 

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PRE-SHOW NOTES

I leave for Mid Ohio Dressage Classic in less than a week, and today Hani vidoed my ride. I had so many break- throughs!! For right trot halfpass, do not put outside leg too far back ! This results in breaking to the canter! Keep leg at girth and move haunches. Left trot halfpass -- start in shoulder-fore, then keep shoulders to right , and add haunches. For left canter halfpass , ride canter with very following hands . Gadget will bend around inside leg and flow sideways. If you hold too much in reins, the canter falls apart. Turn on the haunches -- soft hands , strongly hold haunches to inside , then ride shoulders around like cow pony , only half-halting between steps to keep rhythm. Stay soft/following in the hands to keep Gadget soft in the neck/back.