The Plan

So the plan was to put flying changes on Ashke this winter, since Amanda and I both believe he is ready to learn this next thing. My plan was to wait a year or more before showing again, but Amanda wants me to wait and perhaps do some non-WE dressage tests for non-WE judges before making that decision. Triple Creek does schooling shows where you can ride any test you provide the judge. She also believes that even if Ashke has flying changes, doing a simple change through the walk is still good practice, so I could work on the Intermediate A test.

I'm going to smile and work hard and leave next year to next year.

In the meantime, we did a lesson on Wednesday. I rode more firmly than I typically do because things have changed in the arena. The pile of poles that reside in the south west corner have been elevated.

An European look.

There was actually less spooking on that side of the arena, and more on the other, where the new arena drag is kept contained behind a plastic baby fence (it must be a wary, wary wiley drag). Ashke was not a fan. I let him look and sniff and sidle past a couple of times in each direction while we were warming up, but then the nonsense was expected to stop. Unfortunately, it did require some additional work in the middle of our lesson. The expectation is to walk past it close enough to set up for our leg yields, which seemed to be completely beyond him. I hope that within a week or so of ignoring his response and insisting he behave, we will have moved past it.

For the record, he reacted with Amanda too. 

After we had worked on my stuff, Amanda got on to start the flying changes process.

Amanda telling him "No, we will not break to a trot at this end of the arena".

And yes, he really was that pissed at her.

We got a couple. He is much more fluid and it is easier going from right to left.

The after canter work.

Some nice half-pass steps in there

Amanda told me to make sure I resettle him after attempting the flying changes

so he doesn't get completely "Wheeeee" about the whole thing.