New coach, great lesson

We have a new english coach.  He's a hunter jumper guy and I don't
jump so I was skeptical but in the backwaters you take what you can
get.

I did two private lessons from him and worked harder than I ever had
before!  Thankfully I'm a mouthy byatch and had no problem telling him
when I needed a break.

Dennis is pu****ng me waaay beyond my comfort level and I am SHOCKED at
how well Sox is responding!

I am using waay more contact then either of us are used to but it is
working spectacularly.

Sox has an issue with "forging".  I've tried to blame in on his half
TWH or on shoeing issues (he has to be tranqed to be shod) but Dennis
wasn't having any of it.  He said if I balanced him properly he
wouldn't forge.  Yeah, so now I mentally say "damn, damn, everytime I
hear that clink.

To my amazement, following Dennis' "pushy" advice we had an incredible
lesson last week.  It seems I CAN balance Sox and he doesn't forge
when I do my job.

WE also got some amazing "canter departs".  Sox has his "bad" side but
Dennis showed me how to "block" his outside shoulder to prevent him
from picking up the wrong lead on his bad side.

I'm thinking we are going to have an amazing summer!  We are both
sooooo ready for this (OK maybe me, not so much) but Sox is being sooo
responsive to all this extra work, it seems we really needed is for me
to be "pushed".

Poor Dennis to end up in the backwaters of the horse world, he gave up
a lucrative career as a coach to follow "love".  But man, am I
glad!!!  His timing couldn't be better!

We had a great and patient coach last summer and Sox and I needed that
-then.  Now it seems we need to be pushed.  I am THRILLED to have such
a great coach.

Someone must be looking out for us.

Anyone else have a great lesson to share?

Splash