Lead change habits

[Chestnut24]

Hi Everyone,

My 7 year old Holsteiner will do clean changes when we are working on the flat, diagonal across the arena. It took a little while to get them, but now it is consistent. On course he will sometimes only switch up front, if there is enough distance between fences he will catch up behind, but if the next jump is right there we are stuck in cross-canter. My trainer tends to encourage me to ride him forward through cross-canter to get him to switch behind, but I am a bit concerned this becomes a habit for him. Any thoughts? Will he figure it out eventually or should I really work to get a clear, precise change, and if he does cross-canter, how to react?

Thanks a lot!

[McGurk]

If the horse isn’t getting clean changes consistently, he isn’t fit enough to be working on changes or he has a soundness issue that makes the clean change difficult.

I’d stop working on changes for now (do simple changes instead) work on fitness and really developing a clear three beat rhythm at the canter.

A late change behind or multiple strides of cross canter while on course in the hunter ring is usually scored as a major fault, though it’s at the judge’s discretion. It can knock your score down to 60 or lower.

You’re right in thinking that continuing to do this will make it a habit. Right now he’s saying that cross cantering or changing late behind is easier for him than a clean change, I would not continue reinforcing that.

Here’s a great exercise that may help:

After you ride a line or a single fence, come to a complete halt at the end of the ring. Pat the horse, and move him over a step or two, off your inside leg. Then pick up your canter and go to the next fence or line.

This teaches the horse that to expect a rebalancing prior to a turn or a change of direction, a very useful thing.

IME, if you do this consistently, one day your horse will offer the clean change before you ask for the halt/mini leg yield/canter.

If the horse has a late change in this scenario, I would bring him back to a halt, move off the inside leg, and canter again.

[crackerjack]

Focus on his straightness and your own straightness in the saddle and allow him to go forward. No weird body twisting that some hunter riders do! My horse doesn’t have auto leads but if you set him up correctly he will do them. Working on counter canter/walk/ counter canter and canter/walk/canter transitions with also help. Amelia Newcomb has some fantastic exercises on YouTube for lead changes. I learned to get the changes on straight rather than the diagonal. This avoids the rider thinking they have to get the change in the turn and doing the weird twisty thing which won’t get the change.

I find that if mine switches up front but not behind I rebalance (myself and him) and once I’m on the long side I ask again. Also, if you feel he’s going to do it make sure you follow it through ie. don’t count on the change. Keep the straightness and the forwardness.

[Paint_Party]

In my experience, the young or green horse that’s getting changes in flat work but misses clean changes on course is lacking strength, a complete understanding of the task and also (and perhaps most importantly) is simply flattening out on course.

On the flat, whether you’re consciously doing it or not, you’re setting your horse up better for the change, keeping him straight and balanced. On course, you’re more focused on riding forward to the next jump and your horse is not as prepared for the change.

Breaking it down into specific steps, as @McGurk suggested, has always worked for me. The halt in a straight line, moving over and a crisp canter depart helps to reinforce the basic elements of a lead change. Eventually, when you’re on course and you begin to half-halt, balance your horse and press with that inside leg, your horse has that, “Aha!” moment and gives you the clean change.

Lots of counter-canter work is productive, too. What you do not want to do is drive your horse into a change, chase him into a change or drill, drill, drill. Then you end up with a panicked, confused horse that develops anxiety about changes and that’s a whole other mess.

At least that’s the plan and how it works in a perfect world. But, ya’ know, horses…

[EmilyM]

A lot of times horses that know their changes may miss one on course due to their balance being wrong in that moment. When you do changes on the flat you can manage the canter and the balance for each step. When you are jumping things tend to get more strung out due to the momentum the jump creates/whether the distances are perfect etc. I would plan to do simple changes routinely as part of training to so the horse remembers to wait, sit on its hind end and then change leads. mix it up. when the balance feels good ask for flying changes. Mostly plan on simple changes.
Hope that helps.

[Chestnut24]

Thanks for these great replies. It is really helpful to consider breaking it down instead of “hoping” they come The exercise from McGurk sounds good to get him off his forehand after the jump and be ready for / respond to leg cues.

@Paint_Party

In my experience, the young or green horse that’s getting changes in flat work but misses clean changes on course is lacking strength, a complete understanding of the task and also (and perhaps most importantly) is simply flattening out on course.

The flattening out point also makes total sense, I see this in the video, the moments we get cross-canter are usually after a less-than-perfect distance or when things feel a little hectic on course. We do 90cm jumpers, not hunters, so sometimes the turns are sharper or not in the most obvious direction.

[McGurk]

For the record, that wonderful exercise is not original with me. Credit where credit is due.

I learned it (stole it? ) from hunter and equitation trainer Pam Cantwell Baker, and it immediately resonated with me as a way to establish good habits without drilling, fighting the horse or asking before the horse is fit enough to comply.

[McGurk]

One last thing - OP mentioned that she’s doing jumpers, not hunters, so my comment about scoring wasn’t relevant. But half changes and cross cantering are still a liability in the jumpers.

And yes, Touch of Class won an Olympic Gold medal In Los Angeles cross-cantering between fences. (She also had Joe Fargis riding her, so…)

But for MOST horses and riders, cross cantering means the horse arrives at the next fence unbalanced and weak at take off, and likely to pull a rail, even at 1m. It is also unlikely to be the fastest round if the horse cross canters on the turns. So not an instant deal breaker like in the hunters, but still not ideal if you want to be competitive.