Haunches In and Timing

For the past few weeks, I have been readying students to ride their first dressage test off site. We have had the dressage arena set up and WallE and I have taken advantage. During our schooling sessions, we have been working through arena figures and dressage tests. And for the most part, have been very successful and happy with our progress. 

However, the canter transition in the corner of Training Test 1 has been giving us some grief. We have poles as markers on the ground for the dressage arena - not raised fences. We have been getting the canter transition, but bulging out of the arena right after the corner. I experimented with counter bend through the corner and getting the transition that way, but have not been ultra satisfied.  

Yesterday evening we had a lesson on haunches in and counter canter. The haunches in is going to take some work, but WallE was great and patient with me as I tried to figure out where to put my body. Eventually we succeeded in getting the haunches in and transitioning to the canter from this position. 

The timing was impeccable, this is what was missing the last time we did Training Test 1. We could have used this exercise in the corner to help our canter transition. 

As for the icing on the cake, WallE and I got to experiment with counter canter at the end of the lesson. It was modertately successful for our first go. And I am excited to keep schooling!