Meh.

Had my first lesson after the breakdown on Saturday. Wasn't great, but also wasn't horrible. We spent a lot of time at the beginning of the lesson working on getting her to give to my hand/the bit, and getting her to not lean on my inside leg and actually bend correctly around a circle. I got a few steps in there where I went "ah ha!!" but then I would lose it. I asked my trainer if she has to continually ask Arwen for it too, and she said "oh yea". Only difference is for her, its automatic. She reacts before it even happens. I, on the other hand, react after it happens. Which again, all comes down to feel. That elusive "thing" that we strive for in riding and that I just seem to be somewhat lacking in naturally.

Anyway...after working on the flat for a bit, we started jumping a crossrail. Trotted both ways, was excellent (at least those trot jumps have gotten really good. I am happy about that). No longer sticky to/over the jump, and she canters away sooooo quietly. Makes me wonder why she can't canter away quietly like that when cantering a jump? Will have to ponder this one for a bit. Trainer then had us do the collected five stride again (which she was fine in 3 out of 4 times. The one time she did try and drift right, I pulled her up after and made sure she was moving off that right leg. She didn't try it again), then the two stride to a bending six. Two stride was much much better in terms of straightness. But, she still wants to land and scoot off, and then the canter through the bending six is tight where we either chip, leave out, or its all pogo stick bouncy. I just want a nice,  even canter through there people!

99% of this is flatwork. That much has been made clear to me. Through the bending six, its like she isn't wanting to accept my aids. Trainer had me just taking a steady feel and while she was coming back to me, she wouldn't do it until about three strides away from the jump which is too late to get that smoothed out, even tempo canter. So trainer agreed with my plan that its going to be all about flatwork with her right now and that it will definitely benefit both of us to get me working with her on the more advanced flatwork stuff. Because after all, she knows how to do, she just hasn't been asked to do it much in the past year I've owned her. We'll still jump, but we're going to keep it super simple.