Working sideways?

Continuing our confidence building project Wednesday, being a beautiful sunny day, was designated ride in the field day.
It seemed wise to start off in the school especially as I had swapped Charlie's bit. We did some long and low and then stepped up a gear (in walk) trying for the slowest walk on the planet.

Then we introduced Tori's counter shoulder-in exercise. When we did this earlier pre-op I believe it was a little like a car crash he lost the plot didnt know where to put his bottom and went the only place he could .....UP.

Well we must have been doin it wrong today it worked fairly well in Tuesdays lesson apart from my addled brain but today it was a piece of sticky bendy Chocolate Gateau.

Walk down the long side off the track point your hips at the wall raise your inside hand to get some bend lower the outside, controlling using your outside leg behind the girth remember to keep your inside leg on the shoulder.
Round the top of the school down the quarter line then open the outside hand and leg yield across the school whe hay! Both reins!

Working on the Lego building block scenario I dismounted left the school and popped my BP on. I led Charlie down the track to the field mounted up and rode him around for about 15 minutes that felt like an hour. I tried to be good and relax but it wasn't easy and Charlie tried to be good but have liked me more relaxed. Anyhow we achieved again and he was a good boy considering how bad I was. I concentrated on doing little exercises we do in our schoolwork and there were a few odd poles on the ground we could step over. I will be so glad when my nerves are packed back away in a dusty old tin and buried in a hole at the bottom of the garden.

Today, Thursday, is hacking day and sure enough Chris and Robin took me out again. And yet again Charlie had a hiccup at the end of the field when we went through the gate. I think I am getting used to the fact that he has 'hiccups' and Chris actually said that she thought I dealt with it very well. The annoying thing is I think it's when my heart starts to race he thinks 'shit where is the dragon!' (Can I say sh*t in my own blog?)

I will be honest I kept a strong leg contact all the way up the field opened the gate went through relaxed and then my heart started pounding and bouncing off my epiglottis.
Luckily though both Charlie and I appear to be able to recover our heart rate quite quickly.

Bill my partner as supportive as ever suggested that i treat him as if I had just bought him and build my confidence up as I did last year when all was new. That is a good point as we are on a new chapter after all he never knew that he was
a) Going to be a Dressage Cob and
b) he liked banana.

So onwards and upwards... Oh no maybe onwards sideways and with hocks engaged? I dunno.