Smack dab in the middle of
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I am thankful for going through this hell.
We had many problems getting changes. The problem was not the change. The problem was a 7-layer dip of training holes, conformational challenges that needed to be addressed with PT, and me not having the skill to explain to him what we were actually trying to do when he has the natural “oomph” of a potato (but like…a super cute and willing potato).
We cruised through Training-Second and developed a false sense of adequacy. I’ve been able to work with some amazing clinicians and PT (for horse AND rider) specialists to break down the lack of back to front connection for me and help us rebuild. He feels and looks like a new horse. To the point that I need a new saddle because he packed on an unforeseen amount of muscle!
For us, canter leg yields have been the key. Something I hadn’t worked on in years because trainer said it would cause confusion with the change. Turns out it was essential to our change.
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Not sure whether it is smart to show but for me this is huge. For years I was not able to get the change to the left reliable. Sometimes my horse did it and sometimes it was like she was stopping during the change. It was horrible. But now she does this change at any place whenever I ask…. Because I simply changed something in my aids….
Oh and additionally I am quite pleased with my fitness programm 
. I believe it shows !!!
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Chiming in as a mainly h/j rider and part-time eventer who takes monthly dressage lessons. I have found this thread to be so comforting because its echoed many of the struggles I’ve encountered teaching a flying changed to my horse over the past year. We went through a phase where he anticipated so much he only got the front or rushed through it. Then we switched to solidifying his counter canter and he started offering clean changes unasked when I actually did not want them. We also went through a change where he was changing behind and then up-front which is a very bizarre feeling to ride.
After a lot of going back and breaking things down, working on straightness through the simple change at the trot and walk, and then working on really asking him for forward into contact with that straightness (and me not leaning!!), my past two dressage lessons we started building on what I’ve been working on and suddenly its really come together.
The feeling of asking for a change, feeling my horse understand what I’m asking for, and then giving me a polite, clean, drama-free change was so rewarding. (Now maybe one day we’ll get our counter canter back…)
It isn’t perfect, but when we inevitably have a backslide I’ll be glad to know I’m not alone!
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Great work! I barely even noticed the change!
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Thank you 
. That is going to be the next step to get this reliable fluent change more expressive
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Baby horse went to his first show (to do baby hunters and training level), and he kind of melted down as the show progressed. But on schooling day in the hunter ring he was a rockstar and did 2 very lovely, forward, and straight changes on the aids. So that was a great win. But it all went downhill from there.
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I learned a great exercise today to help get ready for changes. It’s a K. Mikolka exercise. .
On a circle half pass in a few steps and pick up true canter a few strides then walk and half pass out and pick up counter canter a few strides then walk and repeat. Once you have the pattern then do it with purpose and count the strides. It really improved my horses canter which will lead to better changes I hope.
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Two years into showing at third level and I still cannot reliably get two clean changes in a test at a show 
In 3 tests this weekend only one had 2 clean changes the other two had one clean. We’ve even dabbled in 4-1 a few times and got an 8 once on our 3 changes across the diagonal and yet the next time out we will bungle it. It’s all me. I either block him with my hand so he changes late in front or I don’t have the quality of the gait up (engagement and jump) so he hops together behind before changing.
Makes me want to give up.
Yes this was a flying change hell pity party.
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Right there with you. I stopped doing recognized shows and am doing schooling shows. We also have the added problem of a lot of tension away from home. I may give up shows altogether.
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I never thought I’d do it, but I did and I enjoy my horse just as much. She is quite happy to go do other things, but never loved dressage shows. So we just don’t.
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This was very confusing until I clicked that I have to start out in walk 
It sounds really cool and now I want to try it.
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Between the flying change hell and the tension, I may give up shows altogether, too. I am almost there.
The tension is so tricky…I deal with the same thing. I have an 8 yr old PRE and he can go from relaxed to tension at the drop of a hat. I have been working on it all winter. Making some headway!
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With my PRE I did a boat load of clinics, in hand work, and ridden work (riding or in hand walking through fields, woods, the town) or trailered to a different arena to ride, but not necessarily work all that hard, before we ever competed, and he was one of the easiest horses to take to a competition. He wasn’t the confident type and could go tense, but as long as I acted like things were “nornal” and no big deal, he was cool. I basically told him this is just riding no matter where we do it or who’s there! Not exciting.
So it took some prep work, but it ultimately produced the best competition partner. On these types, you also cannot be the slightest bit tense yourself. They’re sensitive and they know what mood you’re in before you even get to the barn
That all said, you don’t have to compete, and riding should be fun. I see people at competitions looking miserable and horses too, which leads me to think, why? Why do we do this? It’s stupid. No horse NEEDS to do this. So if my horse would’ve royally hated it, I would’ve just not have gone to competitions.
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The first time I tried it I had to whip out my phone to re-read it to get it right 
When this works, it works really well. My current little nutjob is hyper aware, always monitoring the world around her. “You are such a flipping tourista!” LOL! This works fine on trails, clinics, obstacle courses, etc. She is her most relaxed in the forest. Dressage shows are somehow just too much - perhaps it’s the lack of social interaction. “All these potential new friends and NOBODY to talk to 
Harrumph!”
It’s very weird. We ride alone at home more often than not. We may join a group in the sandbox and leave, we may be there and have others come and go and that’s not a problem. Horses in nearby fields may be running like hooligans - no issue. She’s bold in terms of other horses - I could literally ride her into another horse or have another horse ride into her and she would not bat an eye.
Tangent over. FCH Update for me - we’re just fooling around with various canter exercises. Almost asked for changes last night because everything was in place, but didn’t. I’d like everything in place (ease of more difficult exercises, maintenance of relaxation and suppleness when I ask her to come up in front, etc.) every day and everywhere (we often work on trails when the sandbox is too dry and she can be great or sometimes get strong and bullish) for a while until I ask again.
In terms of the walk canter half pass exercise - I got some FLACK the first time, “What is THIS bullshit and when do we get to try some flying changes? We don’t? THIS IS STOOOOPID and I HAAAAATE it!” But it’s going much better after a couple more short sessions on it and I can see how it will really improve rideability in time.
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My coach is back from spending the winter in Germany training. First lesson back we worked on the changes a little bit and here we have some proof of progress!
Disclaimer- before this horse I never showed above First level and we are learning together. Lots to learn still for eternity lol
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My horse was supposed to have all that experience when I bought him. And started on the flying changes. Anyway, it’s all been a challenge. I do get nervous at shows, so that doesn’t help. But he is a ton of fun to ride, so if we end up staying home, so be it.
PRE’s can be so sensitive. It’s possible that he did have all of that experience when you bought him, but now it’s different with you. Not that you’re “bad” or doing anything terribly wrong. It’s just a different person, and a different feeling he gets from you. Their sensitivity has pros and cons, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It does vary, because I think that my 2 year old PRE will give far less f*ucks than my older model.
“Ton of fun to ride” is the most important part though! And staying home isn’t the worst thing.
I think I burned myself out on competitions, and got too serious with myself at times, and I just realized that competing doesn’t matter as much as I thought it did.
For the flying changes, if the horse is the sensitive type that’s nice because your aids can be so subtle and they’ll get it. Mine was so in tune to my body. On the other hand, if anything isn’t just so (like my balance, hips, whatever), then it doesn’t work and he isn’t just going to give it to me.
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