Flying Change Hell Support Group

[J-Lu]

@exvet

I’ve had to use this exercise for my current horse in order to get him to truly bend in his rib cage so that he could change properly. My horse has a ‘weak’ left hind and is reticent to bending around my right leg. He’s build like a brick sh!t hous so the bending issue was expected. Lots of work to get a true bend and suppling both left and right AND exercises to strengthen his left hind in particular have helped. Another exercise that I’ve used which has helped him learn the mechanics of the flying change is walk pirouette to canter. This is also a strengthening exercise, so I recommend not overdoing it.

OK, I started this today. At first he said “we don’t canter out of walk pirouettes” and I said “we do now”. After he understood that this was now a “thing”, he did it well in both directions. I didn’t overdo it and will toss this into the mix.

Will try @cnm161s exercise in the next 10-14 days. We’re working on going from true canter to counter canter and back without changing direction to help him understand to change flexion and “outside rein” and accept that this is a real “thing” now. I think successfully working that exercise will help him figure out the exercise more when I change my hips and legs to the new “true” canter. We’re still doing walk-true canter-walk-counter-canter-walk-true canter transitions around the arena to solidify the aids.

We’ll be working on more flowing lines and half-pass to centerline to put canter half-pass on his radar and really work on changing bend in the trot half-pass to instill changing bend and reins happens in the half-pass in his brain. Will report back on working your exercise, cnm.

Thank you both!

[Hrselvr1982]

I too am in FCH, and have been for quite some time. My mare is consistently late behind (sometimes just BARELY) but I think we are finally making progress, but it is slow going!

I rode with a clinician a few weeks ago and she helped tremendously! My mare is big and tends to be pretty laid back, so she immediately had us working on responsiveness to leg in turn on forehand, c/w/c, cc/w, etc…She also had us canter a serpentine, walk in each center, with a complete turnaround in each center, off the leg that will ask for new lead. Then in one of the canters, yelled out “change”, and we DID, and it was CLEAN!!!

[the_sandiest_shoes]

I think we had some progress at our clinic this weekend! Clinician confirmed our right to left change is great (yay). And that our left to right change is a tricky problem (ugh) - this is where she’s decided that half a trot step before changing is required (honey, no). First we tried really gearing her up - it works sometimes when I can shock her enough to jump into changing and forgetting to skip, but it’s not a great tactic generally. Then we tried counter canter, leg-yielding away from the wall/ haunches pushing out, keeping her rocked back, then change. This got better results, almost no hesitation, but not quite.

Then today we got a piaffe whip and from the left lead, I went center line, leg-yielding towards the wall, shoulders leading, keeping her collected as possible, meanwhile tap-tap-tickle-tap, flopping the whip on her right hock. This was a mini-breakthough, in that it got her to swap behind without trying to hesitate and half-trot first - an actual change. We got the jump from the hind into change twice, where she was late in front but it’s ok, I will take that for now. She was late in front on her other side, the good side, right before she “got” that one too - the not trying to hesitate with her hind end is what I needed.

And THEN she was on FIRE for the rest of the ride, giving me some trot work that would be 8s or better in the ring, like holy moly she was into another, amazing gear. I can’t very well ride around dangling a piaffe whip on her back leg all the time, but getting that feeling was SO helpful. This trot-skip has been ingrained her for months and so frustrating so it’s great to feel like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

[J-Lu]

Update! Not a very exciting one!

I have been doing some walk piouettes to canter in order st strengthen the hind legs. Check.

In Preparation for @cnm161’s suggestion, I’ve been working on counter-canter and transitions from counter-canter to counter-canter really emphasizing my aids and his responsiveness to the aids. Check. Changing the bend at the trot alot, even doing some trot zigzags. Check.

Today, I did prep work and asked him at the middle of the ride so I knew he wasn’t very tired. We did counter canter down the long side (good) turned up the second-quarterline (a bit shaky because he said “hey, we never turn here” but overall good). Put him into half-pass towards the rail (he was happy to go back to something he knew). Changed the bend and then asked for the change and only got a change in front.I actually persisted, re-asking with strong aids, using my whip on the outside leg at fist just to ask and then to say “hey”. I found he could to a 10m circle crossfiring.

I let him rest and then changed tactics. I true cantered down the long and then did a 10m circle and half-passed to the rail at the same place and asked again (got a great half-pass because he knew what was coming up). Changed in front but not behind. This time I took him in a large circle, headed to the rail and asked him to change in front by going in the other direction and he did. This was the first time he changed at all going right to left so I praised him and we stopped there.

That’s interesting @the_sandiest_shoes. I was thinking about that today. My horse gets that when I tap the back leg it means lift it from the ground but I can’t really reach it from the saddle.

I’ll have to try that @Hrselvr1982. Congrats!

[exvet]

Add me to the ongoing struggle but I’m definitely seeing glimmers of the lightbulb going off in Junior’s head LOL. I am continuing to work on straightness within all three gaits. I am also continuing working on responsiveness to the aids; so, when I say now it means NOW!!!. My coach stated last week in my lesson that I do not have a FC aid. That I need a clear and NOW! FC change to my aid. All of my preparation has gotten my horse to the point that he knows what I’m asking and he’s getting stronger so that it’s really not a struggle as long as I prepare for the change; however, I guess I’m preparing too long which leads to his anxiety about the change (this horse isn’t explosive in any way but he will start to suck back just a hair and drop down into his lower neck/chest like any card carrying Welsh Cob can). He changes great going right to left but left to right (using that weak left hind) my preparation gives him too much time to anticipate and then when I actually ask he’s already geared to throw in the skip a change because it’s easier. So against all other instructors’ advice I’ve had to punish him for the skip a change and become very very very very clear and demanding with my aids for the simple change in both directions - half halt outside rein and apply outside leg keeping the new bend into that outside rein…then making it my very demanding (supported with the whip) FC change with minimal preparation (I get three strides or less to pick the spot and prepare and ask). This has helped me put guard rails and finite, black and white communication on what I want from my horse, and you know I think he’s getting it. To help prevent him from backing off or getting behind my aids I’ve also been asking for the FC out on the trails. I’ve been legging him up quite a bit trotting and cantering 4-5 miles out in the desert and have found that asking for the FC in that venue has definitely helped to keep him from sucking back. We’re not solid/consistent yet but I do feel like he’s more geared to say, ‘Yes M’am!’ and give me a decent jump with a clean change most of the time and no skipping through the change.

[RJC]

THANK YOU! I needed to read this. My boy also likes to drop into thoracic sling and add a step or two of trot and we are missing the “NOW!” Good reminder to get the response where it needs to be and not spend 5 strides fussing in preparation.

We are at the “might get a change at the early October show but have also calculated what all my other scores need to be to break 60% if the change is actually leg salad” stage.

[Hrselvr1982]

All of the tools and suggestions here are so very helpful, so much so that I have started a notebook of tools! I’ve found that sometimes something may work for a few times, but then my mare gets smart to them. So then I try sometime else, and so on. Next on my list of tools are the following, from Lauren Spriesers article https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/training/toolbox-clean-28593/

I’m going to try the renvers canter to change, as well as the whip canter aid.

[the_sandiest_shoes]

This is all very familiar sounding. My little darling mare has always been weaker in the right hind and it’s why the change into right lead is harder for her/ she tries to cheat her way through it. I was also told to correct her/ make it really clear to her now that the skip change is NOT correct.

It’s really hard, since she gets frustrated too, thinking “but you want me to change? I changed!!”. I’m going to just keep trucking away with trying not to reinforce the skip-change and get quicker and quicker walk-canter-walks on that side too/ strength-building in general sitting in the canter. It’s true that one thing will work, and then she’ll try to figure out that thing and put the skip back into it. Argh. (E.g., firing her fast at the changes worked at first, and then she was like “OK I’LL SKIP EVEN FASTER”; the piaffe whip worked the other day, but today less successful). It’s all a journey. She figured out right-to-left and it took some time (she hesitated differently on that side but it was still hesitation). She’ll get this one as well. This support group helps lol

[J-Lu]

Thanks for posting Lauren’s article!

Today Sir SpooksAlot was spooking ALOT down one long side (zero changed, he spooked hard when a horse in a nearby pasture coughed…it was that kind of day). We worked on quick responses to w-c-w transitions and I did walk - canter - walk -cc-walk-c all around the arena. He got sharp once I got him to focus on me not the demon he was seeing. I tried a couple of flying changes but he cross cantered and just was not in the frame of mind to listen and I stopped. He can do a 10m circle cross-cantering. I got a change when he was younger in spooky situation and sometimes his spookiness really helps spark his gaits. But there’s a fine line between spark and AHHHHHH!!! I’m gonna die!!! with this horse,

Great idea about making a “toolbox”. I love the different ideas and am getting a snapshot of my own riding when performing them. For example, the counter-canter to half-pass to asking for a change was something I would have never thought to do but was pleased my horse could do this OK. He’s a huge anticipator and all of these exercises have really helped him to listen rather than anticipate what he thinks comes next. His rideability is noticeably improving even though he doesn’t do a proper change yet.

Thanks, everyone!

[endlessclimb]

I have found that with most horses the tight circle does not help. They’re really out of balance, and then DEFINITELY can’t get the jump to change.

[Bluey]

Talking about flying changes, watch this horse reining freestyle, with a second horse at liberty, at 2.05 and 2.15, the grey horse changing leads.
May want to turn volume down or off, reining is noisy.
Neat trick that, interesting to watch:

2019 Run For the Million Freestyle - Reserve Champion Dan James

[cnm161]

I am in awe of the hair care routine that produced that very white mane and tail.

[the_sandiest_shoes]

I know I’m making this a little training diary right now haha. The support is so helpful. I think we got a clean left to right change tonight!! Her skip can be sooo subtle (she has literally tricked judges several times into thinking it’s clean, but I watch slo-mo video replay and know better), but I was looking in the mirror and I think it was legit!! I just went down the long side really trying to get her over the back and straight, jumpy, straight, kinda renvers feeling, then I did a short diagonal and asked and boom!

But, then, later, she for whatever reason decided the blow off the good change (the one that’s been beautifully clean, big, on the aids and push-button for weeks) and just ignore it. A COUPLE times. LITTLE MARE WHY. I got it back and then hopped off her. This sport isn’t easy.

[J-Lu]

I get it. I totally get it.

Tonight, Sir SpooksAlot was a little spooky and I had to really explain why that wasn’t acceptable. Trot work was awesome as was warm up canter work. We did canter to walk to walk pirouettes to canter on the centerline. Mostly went well except for when he got sideways at the spooky end of the arena with nothing there (an excuse?) and I had to really put my foot down. He focused after that. He understands and can do the canter to walk transition, turn on the haunches, canter down the centerline, walk, turn on the haunches (in whatever direction), canter off… to build strength in his hind legs. I really really work on his propensity to by hypervigilant.

We got quality trot and canter work and are working on quality collected walk work. He either wants to trot or suck back. He initially sucks back but when I correct him or he’s energetic / spooky, he’ll slow trot. We’re trying to establish rules around collected walking. I will say when he’s on at all 3 gaits, he’s on. Collected, over the back, responsive and incredibly fun to ride.

All of that said, we used to have no real relationship when he was a crazy youngster, We now have a great relationship and he really likes to hang with us peeps. The other day, the BO came and sat in the stands when we were finished and I untacked him in the arena (as always). He hung out with us (as always) while we gabbed and investigated her shoes and then snoozed. He’s very people oriented with the immense work I’ve put into him and does want to listen, but he’s also Mr. 90% and doesn’t feel the need to work that hard when he’s feeling calm. Very athletic when he wants to be, can be “meh” when he doesn’t. His athleticism and laziness can turn on a dime. Or a penny. Sometimes, “he sees dead things”.

I haven’t returned to the changes but will next week as it is supposed to rain all weekend and we don’t have an indoor.

@the_sandiest_shoes, I’m happy for your “training diary posts”! I’m kind of where you are and appreciate hearing the stories of other people going through what I’m going through and what works for them/doesn’t work for them. Blog on!!

[the_sandiest_shoes]

I think the occasional piaffe whip on her hock is actually making a difference. Unless I’m imagining it, I think the left skip change is becoming increasingly clean and on the aids…I will keep chipping away on it. The last two rides I asked for it when she felt reasonably straight and collected and was like “uhm I think that was clean what” and jumped off. I almost don’t even believe our own progress haha. We will see…

[cnm161]

Meanwhile…

Showed 2nd level test 3. Got 4 one tempis crossing the centerline on the last canter serpentine. Collective marks: “Lovely hardworking horse who offers sometimes too much!”

[RJC]

In other words, you are ready for FEI now. Remember us when you tour Europe.

[cnm161]

Facts. Queso is the next superstar that will sweep the Euro circuits, boosted by the quality of his flying changes.

Also I had to give him a big pat on the neck during the test because man, he tried so hard to give me what I want, and as I passed C I heard the scribe and judge still laughing a little bit.

Fair critiques, all.

[J-Lu]

Want to come ride my horse?

[the_sandiest_shoes]

We successfully competed at Regionals and the first day sailed by with a 63% on the strength of her trot work because the changes were a garbage fire but on the next try she did her good change as well as she can and got a 7 (smooth, if a hair hurried)! Her tricky change was clean, preceded by her skip, but both judges gave it a 6 which is a big improvement (and proves the damn thing is clean, I just need to keep working at deprogramming the tap dance she does a stride before). All that without a whip in the ring and me forgetting to clip her so she was sweating like a beast, poor thing - good little mare!!! (How do winter coats show up seemingly overnight?!)

I’m relieved to be done with the showing and can stop test practicing and go back to taking her mind off anticipating. It’s full-time canter strength building now - that’s the main ingredient to ascending from this FCH completely. Praise be.