The good thing about Speedy is that as long as I am willing to work through the ugly at home, it all seems to come together at a show as long as I remember to back off in the last few rides before we leave home. He loves to show so he doesn't feel as resentful when I ask for more of this or that. At home however, it's a different story because he doesn't see the point; no one is watching!
After my pretty big epiphany with Sydney on Saturday, I realized that I am having similar issues with Speedy. He really likes to ignore my outside rein as his shoulder bulges and leads us wide of where we need to go. I decided to address the issue.
On Sydney, the bulge is much more extreme, and I have to really counter flex him to get that shoulder out of the way. Speedy's bulge isn't so severe so I simply rode him straight as I thought about riding a square. I counted four strides and then asked him to turn with my outside leg. You would have thought that I was poking him with a branding iron instead of my calf (and later, my spur).
We rode forward four strides, and then I again asked him to turn from my outside leg. It turned into an all out bucking and kicking temper tantrum. I was thrilled. He was mad that I had found a doorway through which he had been escaping, and rather than cave to his "pissiness," I dug that spur in until he was hopping away from my leg.
I simply counted, one, two, three, four, and turn. One, two, three, four, and turn. The harder he bucked or resisted, the firmer I used my spur until finally, he shifted his weight and got off the outside shoulder. When he did, I started asking for inside bend with my inside leg while slowing down the outside shoulder so that he could use his inside leg to step under and around.
Presto!
I know things aren't fixed for good, but finding another weak spot and addressing it will only help us get stronger and more correct. I am really thrilled with the small nuances that I am starting to feel and recognize. My tool box has been filling up without me quite noticing. I might need to get a bigger box!