Horse Show Nerves?

Belle's getting the day off from trailer training today, as I have much to do to prepare for this weekend's double header at Sunland Park Race Track (nope, not racing, going to a dressage show) near El Paso, sponsored by the Paso del Norte Dressage Society.

Yet suddenly, out of the blue, B doesn't want to pick up the left lead canter. When he is cantering left (after much shouldering-in and whip tapping) he feels dead and almost like he's going to just plunk out. I know I am locking my left hip and working too hard at asking for both the transition and the ten meter canter circles, overdoing everything. I'm probably so tense about it he's just like, well, forget it.

Question is, do I go for a lesson or just work it out myself in the next four days? I hate lessons when I'm tense and frustrated. In fact, I came in the house after my ride with a wicked stiff neck. I must have been doing something funky out there.

Horse show nerves never show up in the way you think they will. I'm never "nervous" at a dressage show, but I do get kinda down in the mouth about the hole experience-you know, a bit blue. And I get really, really intense right before the show and tend to work too hard. After all, I can't fix it all in four days.