2nd lesson with Katharina

I think it's my 2nd there anyway - it's been months and I was quite nervous. In fact, I couldn't sleep last night but I'd drift off, I'd dream about the lesson, mostly bad dreams, or that I overslept and missed it.

I got there early to lunge Mag and K agreed so she left me alone for 15 minutes and that wasn't enough to get Mag settled, he was choosing to race full speed around the arena. I let him because he wasn't pulling any of his tricks. I had the rump rug on and he considered fighting it but then changed his mind.

At one point he kicked the arena wall for some unknown reason and it was so loud people came running over to see what was up. Having an audience was mind blowing to Mag so we kept on going, with him being animated but under control.

I wanted to start where we'd left off, with me riding and asking for some leg yields to keep his attention on me, and stretching down. And lots of bending and serpentines.

K said I don't have to ride today, we can just do ground work. She said it's up to me, but she felt  based on his unpredictability and lack of focus that I shouldn't ride. I said I appreciate that she wants to protect me, but I'm really anxious to make progress.

As a compromise we just worked on lining up to the mounting block, me getting on, breathing for a while, then walking forward a few steps and then me jumping off. We did that a few times. (The walking forward part was necessary because I don't get off horses like normal people, I just jump off and I didn't think I could land on the stool without tipping it.)

Then she put a lunging cavesson on Mag for the ground work. Although this trainer said she doesn't give ground work lessons, I guess seeing Mag has changed her mind. She said, "I just can't read him." I said, "Me neither!" She said he's chewing submissively, but being mouthy and pushy with his body so she feels he's very dominant. I said he has no work ethic and we have to give him one ASAP.

The lunging cavesson really works well (Germans sure love these things!). It got him bending toward her and she was driving him forward and also giving signals on the line to send him the message to drop his head from the heavens. It took for-e-ver. Mag just went around, bent toward her nicely, but head in the sky, like he needed it there for balance on the 5 meter circle they were trotting on.

Finally I said, in English, "PUT YOUR HEAD DOWN." It can't hurt, huh? I've said it before while teaching the cue. Eventually he did, and we praised him and quit for the day.

I'm glad that she agrees with me that side reins are counterproductive, because I know a lot of people would have been tempted to just "show" him where to put his head by force.

She said she wants me to come back on Sunday because we need to repeat that lesson while it's fresh and if he's in a better frame of mind, I can get on him.

I appreciate that she's trying to protect me and not push me if I'm uncomfortable, but I felt that she was more uncomfortable today than I was. Or perhaps I'm just impatient and more willing to take a risk? I am glad she wants to go slow. I just want to move forward at some pace: )