Training flying changes- Trainer vs Crappy Ammie

[the_sandiest_shoes]

i found reading a lot and watching videos helped me, plus the odd lessons / clinics i can get. There’s an exercise I read about that suggested renvers in the canter to prepare and this helped me a lot, but the biggest help was having good eyes on the ground with a great clinic coach. Personally, the quality of canter makes all the difference for me (true supple collection, with the ability to counter flex in a relaxed way, and go forward and back, jumpy, crisp and straight) once they have the basic idea of the change.

And I like the advice I got recently (for my antsy gelding) “if he’s anticipating the change, he doesn’t get to change”. I did third with him this year and can confirm that changes “mostly there” at home will be 50/50 at best in the ring . And you won’t likely get out of the low-mid 60s without clean, confirmed changes at third.

I’m an amateur but I have shown 3rd/4th level before on horses who already knew changes. It’s not necessary but I’d say helpful to have that experience before training them on a horse that doesn’t know them.

[Feathered_Feet]

@the_sandiest_shoes

And I like the advice I got recently (for my antsy gelding) “if he’s anticipating the change, he doesn’t get to change”.

While this is generally excellent advice for many parts of dressage, it’s worth clarifying that when you are first teaching something difficult like changes, having the anticipation can be a very good thing and very helpful to the horse. I often train things like this (e.g., changes, piaffe, even half pass) in one spot of the arena at first, until the horse is more familiar and comfortable with the aids and process. That way, the horse can have more time to figure itself out without the element of surprise. For instance, if the horse knows you’re going to ask for the change at E, then coming out of the corner they can start thinking about how to organise themselves for the upcoming change. Eventually you have to move it around a bit, but only when they are more familiar with what you are asking and what the aids are (kind of like using a pole to teach the changes, as discussion in the flying change hell thread).

[the_sandiest_shoes]

Yes, the anticipation issue I think is once they understand the changes basically but get tense and try to take over. It’s not typically a clean, nice change when he barrels through it on his own! When we did our first Third Level show, it was his decision on half the changes and I realized how much more relaxation and throughness I needed for the showring.

When I feel him too antsy, then I go back to counter canter patterns, simple changes, lateral movements, etc. and try to ask again when we’re in sync. I still consider this an element of “training confirmed changes”, but not the first step of course.

[rothmpp]

I meant to comment on this last month, but apparently never did.

I installed them on my own horse with the aid of my trainer on the ground. I had never specifically installed changes on a horse, but had ridden them before. We went this route for one main reason - I am 8 inches taller than my trainer at the time. It had already become a bit of an issue for my horse that my legs were so much longer than hers - it was confusing for him. We decided that it would definitely be asking for trouble for her to install the changes and then switch to me.

I don’t think it is a bad thing for an experienced trainer to work on changes with a horse just learning them, but different circumstances can make a difference, such as in my case.

[RJC]

Whelp, I went for it and so far we have some clean change right to left. Change from left to right does not register because counter canter is so very solid, but we’re working on it. We’ll see if I’m ready to show them in May/June!

Good thought on the height difference…I am also much taller than my coach.