We got a flying change!

My last lesson started out well... we warmed up and immediately hit the shoulder-in on the circle.  That exercise that makes Sera mad?   I'd practiced it at home and was crossing my fingers there would be improvement. 

Sometimes you practice and you think you are kickin' ass and takin' names but when your trainer sees you or you go to a show?  You find out that maybe all that ass kickin' was mostly a mental fantasy vs. reality.

However, this time our shoulder-in on a circle did improve and Sera was more uphill because of it.   While it still made Sera mad, it didn't make her AS mad if that makes sense?  We worked her out of her snit with some leg yields, half pass and trot extensions.... all work she really enjoys.  

We gave her a walk break.

After the break, Rex says, "OK, lets try some flying change... pick up right lead canter and in the middle of the arena, ask for the change to the left lead...."

I took a deep breath, asked for canter, told myself not to think about it too much...  I didn't give myself a warm up circle but looped out of the corner toward the middle of the arena.  I asked for the left lead.

Sera shook her head at me, pinned her ears and tho' I couldn't see, I'm pretty sure she wrinkled her nostrils in distaste at me... and she changed... perfectly... not late no half steps - a solid, clean, flying change!  She stayed relatively round, deep and through!  No kicking out with both hind feet, going on the forehand or inverting into a big, ugly capital U....

I immediately gave her both reins, stood up in the stirrups and began skritching her neck and telling her what a great, smart, fabulous mare she was.   She dropped into a big, springy trot... neck arched, both ears pointed so far forward you'd think they grew out of the middle of her forehead, chest puffed out and she looked so danged PLEASED with herself!

We ended the lesson there....   good, good, red-headed mule! 

Due to the  Equine herpes virus type-1 (EHV-1 or Rhino) neurological outbreak after the National Cutting Association's Western National Championships in Ogden in Utah (April 30-May 8 2011) and with 3 confirmed cases and 9 horses being investigated in CO... we are all staying home until this nasty virus is figured out.  

I can enjoy Sera Sue at home and I'm awful glad I had such a nice lesson to end on if I have to take a break from learnin and workin on new things....