Why is swapping penalized?

[To_the_MAX]

@Mac123

But it’s not a juxtaposition at all. Though the actual movement - the change of lead - may be the same, it is happening for two entirely different reasons when it’s a swap before a jump versus a properly executed lead change.

You CAN have one movement be both a weakness in one case and be properly executed in another. My mare can execute a helluva “leg yield” when she’s spooking away from the scary corner. In that moment though, it’s entirely inappropriate, and no matter how much it looks like a lovely leg yield, and it is a sign of her inattentiveness to me as well as a disrespect of the inside leg.

The swap in front of a jump generally happens because of the horse falling off the aids in some way. A swap is not a lead change. It’s a horse falling off his lead due to imbalance, weakness, spookiness, soreness, distance imperfections, anxiety, etc. A better comparison would be a horse that spooks so strongly to one side that he changes his lead. That’s not a true lead change either. That was a spook, a disobedience, that resulted in falling off the lead, which he happened to be athletic enough to do with a flying change.

In contrast, a true, properly executed lead change is the result of a horse staying on the aids, holding one lead until the moment that the rider requests him to execute a change of lead. It isn’t done at the will of the horse, it isn’t done because he loses his balance, it’s done at a specific time and after a specific set of aids that request him to change his balance, bend and lead accordingly.

The most proficient demonstration of a horse staying perfectly in balance and on the aids in a course is one who lands the lead (not because the rider has forced the balance that way, but because the horse’s balance and suppleness yields it). Tracking right on the straightaway the horse is so properly soft to the inside while carrying himself straight and solid in the outside rein that he maintains that over the jump and continues on the same right lead. Or in the case of a diagonal, the rider has so prepared him for this change of direction with the change of bend and balance that he will land on the left lead because his body has so accordingly been adjusted to the new direction. Go watch the big eq finals on USEF Network right now. You can actually see this shift in bend and the suppleness it requires in the good eq horses.

The second most proficient demonstration of a horse’s way of going is showing that though the horse wasn’t able to maintain the lead and instead landed on the incorrect lead, he is soft and rideable enough to then demonstrate a proper lead change to the correct lead at the proper moment.

The scenario that demonstrates no proficiency whatsoever is a swap in front of a jump, which is a direct result of the horse falling off the aids rather than staying on them. It is a fault because it represents a horse falling off the aids or a rider who hasn’t properly kept the horse on the aids all the way to the base of the jump.

This makes sense to me - thank you for taking the time to write it out in a way that I could wrap my head around. I understand now that it’s more of a sign of disobedience than anything, which makes sense as to why it would fall in the same fault bucket as, say, spooking.

[sassy]

My AO horse will swap hard in front of the jump if it’s spooky to him and I have to actually ride to the base. He’ll also swap to the out of a line if I get there too soon and the distance is tight. I don’t think he’s weak or off balance, really. I think it’s usually my fault for overriding/being deep and he’s trying to make more room for himself. He’s done it for 10 years. Once I learned how to ride it I can prevent it.

[gottagrey]

@MHM

I have not noticed any preference among judges for landing on the leads. In my mind, a smooth change is just as good as landing on the lead in the first place. The score is affected only if the lead change is rough or late.

If a horse does not have a good and reliable lead change, then it would be a smart strategy to land on the leads. But then there is the risk of pulling the horse off the lead in front of the jump, creating the swap, or changing the horse’s jumping style in a bad way.

I didn’t really phrase it right, I think there was a trend where judges wanted to see the lead change, then it got to be that the change had to be around X spot after the jump so riders/trainers felt in good company a change that was a little late may cost them a placing. Not wanting to risk a less than stellar change, lead landing is back in popularity.

I completely agree with you as far as seeing the lead vs a smooth course. Some horses can be quite animated with their changes others if you dare blink you miss it they’re that smooth. I think the swap in front of a jump can represent a variety of issues for judges - the same as a bad change - soundness, lack of focus/nervousness etc. I was watching the dressage at Boekolo Horse trials this morning and some of the horses were a little fresh with their canter departure or lead changes… you think ah that’s it blew it… but not necessarily as that blow up counts as part of that element, not the whole test. Sometimes I wish hunter judging could be a little more forgiving especially in the green /young horse divisions. Oh well.

[Mac123]

@To the MAX

This makes sense to me - thank you for taking the time to write it out in a way that I could wrap my head around. I understand now that it’s more of a sign of disobedience than anything, which makes sense as to why it would fall in the same fault bucket as, say, spooking.

No problem - thanks for distracting me from my work with an interesting question! :winkgrin::lol: