forward, bending, on the bit

but that's 3 things at once!

and really what we have been struggeling with the last month or so. I can get Odin bend, and on the bit and then we slow to crawl. Or he goes forward and goes above the bit. Or he rushes through my hands and stiffens and straightens out.

Sigh. It is a little bit frustrating, but I have had lessions which were really good, where it felt like his hind legs came up under him, or as L. put it: "His back needs to carry your seat forward and up".

the core of the issue is that Odin in general is not in front of my legs, especially the right leg.
This results in the sluggish-ness and the unbending and him feeling heavy in my hands.

After the schooling show I had rubbed him a bit with my spurs, because I nag, nag, nag, like you really shouldn't do. So off went the spurs, and we have sessions of small aid -> big correction. A lot of this has to do with getting my timing right, and expecting a big reaction from the smallest aid. I have to be constantly aware of this, so I don't go back to the nagging, and in the end this will be what we need for a harmonious ride. But doing it while I try to sit correctly, keep him bend, and then think in a micro second: did he respond correctly? that is hard.
Of course, this is also why riding is fun to me, it is the challenge of mental and physical work, of coordination...

Still doesn't make it less frustration when I feel I know what I should do, I just can't. argh!

We do have some good lessons, I get him responsive, forward and bending, and then he doesn't feel heavy in my hands which is a great feeling. However, we do have to go through some arguments to get there, Odin really wants to slack off, and gets a bit pissed when I insist that he works. L. tells me I need to learn with time how to get over that hump so I can get him working and him relaxing into the work. I think the main issue is that I am not always good at consistently asking for the same level of work and reactions, so he will try to skip out if he can.
But I think: More practice.

Oh, and the other day I got him nice and forward and collected in the canter, and we did a flying change or two (on purpose!) at the end of the lesson. And he felt really great. His trot also improves a lot after the collected canter, it just takes me too long to get him there.

chipping away at all those things...