Ch-ch-ch-changes

My horse has... lead changes. I couldn't figure out how to describe them. They're GOOD changes, they're big, they're clean, they happen when I ask and don't when I don't. They're not GREAT changes. Occasionally he kicks through them. Occasionally he slows down and hops. Occasionally he just won't do them when I ask.

Why can't we practice extended canter all the time?

I realized that in order to prevent these things from happening, I was massively overriding them. I would take way too long to set up the change, I would shift my weight severely to one side, duck my shoulder, and swing my leg way back. Then my horse would think for a couple of strides and finally change. Meanwhile I'm hanging off his back like a lunatic.

Really? You're going to ride like that?

Luckily this realization coincided with my saddle issue. I've been riding in my jump tack recently with a big western pad, another less large folded western pad, and a riser pad. He's relatively comfortable so that's good! Problem: I can't sit the trot in my jump saddle. Solution: improve the throughness and responsiveness in the trot (baby steps) and improve the easier upper level work in the canter. THEN when I get my saddle, I'll take the time to teach myself to sit the trot again and spend time on the pirouettes.

The most impressively difficult trot to sit (dramatization). Also, the most impressively unflattering shirt (not a dramatization).

So I've been doing a fair amount of trot figures and transitions. Trot is getting better! Super through and doesn't pop off the bit randomly like he used to. The canter is much more interesting, I'm currently really focusing on the canter half pass pattern from 4-1 and PSG (TBH, haven't looked at the 4-2/4-3 tests yet, woops), the counter canter, and of course, the flying changes.

Totally ready for Prix St George. In fact, skip it and go Grand Prix.

As I implied above, this has been the most difficult part for him. Poor guy only gets a stride to straighten himself before I swap my legs and THAT'S IT. No more leaning, poking, tapping, or other weird movements that Rico has learned mean lead changes. It has been hard on me, but it's been especially difficult for him. At first he wouldn't change at all, that was difficult... then he would change but it would occur several strides after I swapped. Now I finally have him swapping either right as I ask, or one stride after (and he gets stopped and turned around if he does it a stride after). Yay!

Extreme air not required? Dressage is boring...

So I started on the tempi changes again last night. He had twos a few years ago, and I put the ones (well, I have one one) on this spring, but I wanted to start with the basics again. I cantered across the diagonal, straightened, asked for a change and just asked whenever the canter calmed down again. We got up to doing threes! Good pony. Now time for the challenge...

Challenge??? Can't we stop with that and go get some alfalfa?

Counter canter has always been an issue for us, so I decided to challenge him by doing tempis around the entire arena, so he had to swap to the wrong lead. Not a problem on the long side. Very much a problem if we were turning AT ALL. It wasn't like I was asking for them on a 10m circle or anything, but still, I switch my legs, he needs to change! So that's our next project, getting them in the corners/on circles.

How about instead, we play unicorn ass again?

In the long run it will help SO much, but for now, poor horse is really hoping the dressage saddle comes soon so that the majority of my rides are spent attempting to sit the trot!