Can't Turn Left

There is a funny scene in the movie Zoolander where Zoolander says he can't turn left.  He's not an ambi-turner.  I've kind of been feeling that way with Cupid; we can turn left fine but just haven't been able to pick up the left lead canter consistently.  I was starting to get a little concerned, but my trainer didn't think there was a medical reason.  It's just naturally a little harder for both Cupid and myself, and he is being lazy and my aids just aren't clear enough.  Fitness does seem to play a role, because once Cupid gets tired it can be almost impossible.  But maybe I'm giving him too much benefit of the doubt and it is still mostly just laziness? 

-Tuesday: Had our lesson early so we can use the outdoor arena and practice our dressage tests.  Had a little trouble getting the left lead canter.  The halts need some work too; I still find myself bracing, so I'm pinching with my upper legs and hovering over the saddle when I ask for the halt instead of sitting deeper.

-Wednesday: Hacked around the property, bareback.  Practiced opening and closing a gate, but I can't do it with keeping my hand on the gate.  It doesn't help that these are designed to be opened form the ground, so the latch is quite low!  We also rode around an empty pasture.  Cupid used to live out there years ago, but he hadn't been in for a while so he was a little looky.  He balked a little at a cone on the ground, but then walked past it.  Overall he was very good.

-Thursday: Lesson riding on the longe line!  My trainer asked me if I wanted my reins, I said no because I wanted to focus on my lower body and not feel like I'm getting pulled forward.  (We did use side reins.)  It felt good when I was trotting.  I could smoothly change my posting diagonal.  But doing a trot to canter transition without reins felt really strange!  So I tried to really focus on sitting up - actually I think about leaning back because even when I feel like I am, I'm still actually more forward.  Still wasn't able to get the left lead all the time.  Cupid was very good on the longe line, and made me feel pretty confident.

-Friday: Day off.

-Saturday: Jumping lesson!  We only have 3 jumps in the arena currently so we did a simple little course.  I felt a little rusty doing our warm up jumps, but Cupid was perfect.  We jumped a little white panel gate for the first time.  I wasn't sure how Cupid would feel about it so I tried to make sure I kept me leg on as we approached, but Cupid thought it was no big deal. Had a little trouble getting Cupid to land on the lead I wanted, but it happened both directions, sometimes he landed left when we were going right.  So at least I know he doesn't totally hate the left lead?

-Sunday: I was hoping to ride in the outdoor again but it was closed since we had a little rain recently.  The covered arena was a little busy, but luckily all the horses were behaving.  I was still having trouble with the left lead.  We got it the first ask, when I cantered a lap around on the right, went across the diagonal and did a trot change into the corner (which tends to be the easiest way for us to get it).  But then I let Cupid break early, oops.  I tried getting it on a circle, making the circle a little smaller and leg yielding back out and then ask but it still wasn't working.  Then I realized that although Cupid was very good at leg yielding I was losing the bend.  So we tried it making sure we had an inside bend and were able to get it a few times.  So maybe that's the key??

-Monday: It was bleak and rainy so I decided to longe instead of ride.  Did a few minutes walk and trot each direction to warm up, then put on the balancing reins and did some trotting (making the circle smaller, then bigger again) and cantering each direction.  We went to the right first.  He was being lazy, it was hard to keep him cantering!  Then we switched to the left.  We trotted a few circles, then I asked him to canter and he picked up the right lead, so back down to the trot and tried again and got it.  Big good boy!  Then I let him break from the canter (oops), asked for it again and got the right first, before getting it.  More praise.  We did a few more transitions and I think he was correct here on out. 

Maybe I can avoid these darn things by ducking under?

OK fine, if you insist