Uphill

Friday of last week was our first day back working specifically on the flying changes. We haven't schooled them regularly since August and while they've definitely been better, he's doing them consistently clean and on my aids, so great! And what is true now about them that has been true in the past though is that they remain croup high. 

Basically in a flying change, you want the front and hind end to be at least level, if not have the front end above the hind end. But a lot of horses, mine included, changes with his ass in the air, pulling himself into the new lead with his front end. Honestly, most horses get them put on like this so it wasn't a big deal to me that my somewhat on-the-forehand horse changed... on the forehand. Even Rico's changes got downhill sometimes in the beginning. 

But in looking forward toward Fourth level and above, I know that I want the tempi changes to be a highlight (and also, you know, possible), so this year, because we're sitting at Third level for most of it, I want to make sure that his single flying changes are perfect. And that means teaching him to sit down in them and stay uphill. 

Probably the last screenshots for a while

The fact that we can now set up for a change and then I can tell him "no, not like that" and have him give me a relaxed, obedient change after that is really good news. A lot of the time, changes aren't particularly relaxed, so making changes to the way they are done is HARD. I'm battling that with a client's horse right now and it's tough. But TC is so agreeable that I tell him "not like that" and he goes "okay I'll try!" because that's his answer to everything ever. 

I started by doing them on the diagonal and sitting in a way that would suggest a school canter, but pushing him forward into a collected canter. This allowed me to really weight the back edge of my seat bones in the moment that his haunches were the most lowered (and when he should be striking off on the new lead). 

He knows on the diagonal that I might ask him to change, so he propped his butt up against me and we did a ten meter circle until he'd go across the diagonal without a butt prop. Then I asked for the change and got a butt prop so he got a ten meter circle. And then finally I got a truly uphill flying change and it was downright magical. 

No butt props, TC!

There are times where my funny horse, who makes me want to pull my hair out in some ways, just casually sits down and gives me things that feel just as good, if not better, than Rico. And that change was one of those times! I made a big deal out of him to inspire him to continue to do the thing in that way and he DID. 

He still needed some reminders when he'd prop up against me, but after a while, more changes than not were uphill and balanced properly. We didn't do a huge number of them, just a few each way, but I felt very good about keeping this on our to do list once a week for a while until they were balanced all the time. 

From that change, it feels like everything through the 2s would be possible. I'm still getting a little dislodged in them but that's on me, not him. Once I get my shit together and these changes are his regular changes, we'll get to play with the tempi changes! He's done fours before but it was not an easy feat for him, it took a lot of organization and timing on my part. 

What I tell the SO when he has to deal with my
"disgrace" of a car lol 

I want his tempis to be like Rico's, easy to ride with not too much thinking required. It really matters in the upper levels to have some "gimme" movements where you don't have to use your brain. Using your brain for an entire FEI test is impossible. With Rico, the zig zag and the changes were always a time where I could turn my brain off and relax for a second. I want at least the tempis to be a time where I can relax on this horse!