Hanging on Like A Cross Country Rider

 Wednesday's lesson started out nicely enough. I was trotting around the dressage arena, heading across diagonals and doing what I usually do for  warm up. I made a circle at , asking for  slight bit of connection, then began cantering on  circle. It went nicely enough at first until I glanced down when Chester and I reached  a pole. I've been good about not looking down lately, until then, and when I did, everything went crazy. I lost my balance and fell onto Chester's neck. He continued to move around while I clung to his neck, trying to stay on like you would see someone do during cross country. I managed to hang there for several seconds while Chester wondered why I was still on his back. Unfortunately, it didn't end the way it often does when top riders do it. I ended up hitting the ground. I missed the pole, landing in unhurt on the arena sand. Meghan was impressed with how well I was able to stay on, saying that I held on like an event rider trying to stay on as they begin to fall in cross country. A little bit like the third video of Andrew Nicholson on this page, except without the jump and the save. :)

I got up and remounted, the went on a circle again to begin the canter. There was another rough time when Chester stopped by the same spot because he was afraid of getting in trouble, but I sat back, stayed on, and continued riding. A few times he picked up the wrong lead since he was still  bit worried, but was fine after that. I asked for the canter by the rail instead so he(and myself) would forget about the incident. Once I calmed him down, he was much better.

This one is beautiful

 Next, I rode through my Training Level Test 3. It went nicely, a little fast over the cantering diagonal from H to F, causing a rough downward transition, but the rest went okay. After finishing that, I tried  new test: First Level 1. It will be while before I'm showing at that level, but Meghan wanted me to try it to both prepare me for the future and teach me new movements. The First Level Tests introduce the ten meter circles, and Test 1 has the half circles. The test itself goes like this: Enter working trot, X halt salute, C track left. At E, half circle to X, the to B. At K ride diagonal to M, stretchy 20m circle at C. Free walk from H to P, medium walk from P to F. At F working trot, at A canter right lead, and at E 15 m circle. Canter round the arena, head across the diagonal when you reach K, trot at X. C working canter left lead, E 15m circle, canter round arena with trot at C. Ride a diagonal from h to F, then up centerline.

Chester being cute while I learn my new dressage test.

 The test is complicated and a big step up from Training Level. The purpose of me trying it now, as I mentioned earlier, was to prepare me for when I have a horse of my own. It was fun giving it a try.