No quotes today, folks, just a moment to expound upon the frustration of the elusive left lead pick up.

It's elusive because I'm not nailing the cues Mr. Bear needs to make it happen. He asks me "Is this what you want?" as he throws his head up and moves into a faster trot; "Or is this what you want?" as he slows down to do the little prance thing that he thinks I'm requesting? "No buddy, that's not it!" I respond as patiently as I'm able. I half halt to rebalance and attempt again to create the cue he needs to nail that canter transition. And then it happens ... for an ever-so-brief moment my bits are in order and Bear launches effortlessly into an unbelievably gorgeous rocking-horse canter, leaving me to wonder what feat of magic I performed to finally get his fuzzy butt into canter. For a few minutes I am blissfully distracted, as I ride on cloud nine and we float in circles and flying lead changes around the arena. Then I wonder "Dare I come back to trot and ask for the left lead canter again?" Being the optimistic sort, I do and, despite mentally reviewing what I just did (though I'm having a difficult time putting my finger on it) and the instructions from my lesson with Linda on Wednesday, making sure my left hand is allowing him to move off into the canter (at least I'm trying to feel that -- my left side is my weaker side and is like the proverbial second child who stares blankly back at you after you've asked her "why can't you be like your older sister?"), Bear and I have the same conversation as before, perhaps just in a different order. A successful transition eventually ensues. Still, I am left wondering what I did to make it so. Why can't I feel anything with that stupid left hand? Why does it always drop? Why does it hang on for dear life? Why? Why? Why? We continue another blissful canter for a couple of minutes. I am mesmermized by the ebb and flow of Bear's stride ... together we fly. Dare we try again? We come back to trot and change direction to pick up the correct lead going right, just for a change -- piece of cake. I try to absorb that feeling and replay in my mind what I did that made it all flow so beautifully and freely in that direction. Back to trot, change direction to try the left lead again. I'm anticipating trouble; he's feeling my tension. "I'm trying! I'm trying!" I feel him exclaim as he throws his head up and stiffens through his shoulders again. "What do you want?!!!!" In answer, I half halt and trot him onto a 10m circle to rebalance and renew the bend and get him relaxing his shoulders again. I feel him soften; I support with the outside hand, soften with the inside hand, put my left leg on and relax my left hip and bingo! -- we move off into the most beautiful canter transition and together glory in that brief moment of magic we have created. We float around the arena again for a minute or two and then transition down to a lovely forward and relaxed trot. There, we've done it. Square halt to finish. Good boy!

Now ... if I can just remember the next time what we did to make it all fall into place.

There ... I feel much better! ;-)

Thank you!