Dressage Changes from Hell - Help ?

[Ellie2893]

Hi everyone

I’m after some advise after finally reaching breaking point

My horse is 14yo and has been established at Medium for quite a few years, about 18 months ago we started teaching the changes.
Now it’s not been a straightforward task, his counter canter is so balanced and developed he really didn’t understand the aid for a long time and then we have the late behind drama but recently right to left he’s been bolting off.

So after a lot of deliberation, I scoped him and they found G4 ulceration which I thought explained the behaviour. Since then he’s been being treated and his entire demeanour has changed, my box walking stresshead is finally relaxed and stretching down in his work but low and behold that change is still bolting. In fact, arguably it’s getting worse.

Today I had a lesson and the reaction to the change was so quick to run off with his head slammed in the air, I just wanted to get off (I’ll add here I’m quite a nervous rider) my trainer has voiced to me that she thinks it’s because I’m anticipating it and getting stressed but I just don’t know what to do other than to call it a day and retire him to a happy hacker because I’m at absolute breaking point and losing the love for both the sport and him.

Has anyone ever had any similar experiences and could offer some advise?

 

[milliepops]

I had this with my horse that got to be VERY estabished at medium level work and previous trainers had discouraged me from starting changes with her. I had a functional change for jumping (I came to dressage from eventing) but a neat and tidy, correct and on demand dressage change was not a thing for her!

I did solve it but it took a good while and lots of practice. I swapped to training with someone who actually wanted to see us progress and was prepared to roll up his sleeves and help. My mare had a big canter but fairly slow hindlegs and I think she didn't really believe she could change in the stride so a lot of the work we did was about quickening the stride off the floor. not sure if that applies but it was that work that I think eventually helped her to figure out that it was possible.

there was also a fair amount of just basic submission work needed because like yours, mine would bronk, rear, hollow, run off - basically anything other than just accept the change. She never frightened me but it was pretty awkward to deal with.
we experimented a lot with what came before the change and didn't linger too long on an exercise otherwise she basically became more frustrated with it and the explosions became more extreme.

Once I could get a single change correctly now and then the thing that really made the difference was starting tempis, and now I know that seems like a crazy ambitious project, but it made me ride with real purpose which was, by then, the missing part of the puzzle. I just did sets of 4s now and then and in a strange way the combination of me riding a really defined exercise and her having to do more than one change at a time sort of took the yee-ha element out of it.

if you're getting anxious about it then I'd agree with your trainer that you're not able to be effective and are possibly adding to the tension.
Rather than give up, would it be an option for your trainer to ride the horse for this work for a while? perhaps if they can get the horse over the over-reaction stage you will find it easier to carry on from there?

 

[Goldenstar]

Firstly I would be thinking the horse is carrying a physical problem that showing up in change .
However the running off thing is really very common in horses learning the changes and it usually stops with time and repetition .
Theres lots things that you can do to help which I could go through but what I think you should do is get the horse ridden regularly by another rider ( your trainer ? if that would work ) and them to work intensively on the issue .
If it continues to get worse that and the fact the horse had ulcers would have me getting a problems with performance type work up from a suitable vet .
Horses being explosive about learning changes is not at all unusual but your horses age and the fact he had ulcers really makes me think some things not right .

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I could've written some of this on my recent journey through flying lead change hell.

I bet a lot could really be your anticipation. If I anticipate, tense, or do anything other than relax and properly ask for a change on my PRE, he will throw shapes, run (well, not that fast), or have a crap change. I cannot block him or have the slightest hesitation, he feels it. I've got to be relaxed but very aware of what I'm doing.

Or, Is there a school master you can hop on for some lessons? And have your trainer school your horse for a bit? The trainer can get the horse doing them more confident and correct, then you can try again perhaps.



I know the horse is running off, but don't forget the forward. Sometimes I would over collect or use too strong of a half halt and my horse would jump in the air or run a bit afterward trying to produce the forward momentum they he needed at the time that I wasn't allowing. There was a while, especially from right to left where I'd get the biggest canter I could across the diagonal, bring him back slightly and change just before the corner. I felt like I was galloping into the change (dramatic) but it helped. He would often carry on nice and light after the change. I had to play with the canter a lot and my aids. He hardly needs any. Too much leg and it's a mess. I also have to make sure my hips guide and follow as they can be a bit tight.

I actually got more confident with them, as did he, the more we did. We changed from canter to counter canter, we did (or tried) 4's, and did changes all over the place. Then we both loosened up and realized what worked. I had a trainer who was having me not do changes and it just kind of made us avoid the problem/the elephant in the room and didn't solve the issue. If not or if you just cannot right now, take a breather. I was too stubborn to back down ?‍

 

[BunnyDog]

For what it's worth, I just want to remind you to be proud of yourself. Medium level dressage (with or without changes that are perfect) is a big accomplishment.

I can jump a 1.50m course, but for sure I don't have that level of riding established on any of mine, at least not well enough to try to show. I just want you to hear that I think you're awesome. Even with the changes 'in process" I'm sure you and your horse are very able to do a lot of good things.

I can't tell you to give up or not, I am not familiar enough with what you're feeling inside as a rider, but I can tell you to never forget to look around and be able to pat yourself on the back for what you CAN do.

Em

 

[milliepops]

For what it's worth, I just want to remind you to be proud of yourself. Medium level dressage (with or without changes that are perfect) is a big accomplishment.

I can jump a 1.50m course, but for sure I don't have that level of riding established on any of mine, at least not well enough to try to show. I just want you to hear that I think you're awesome. Even with the changes 'in process" I'm sure you and your horse are very able to do a lot of good things.

I can't tell you to give up or not, I am not familiar enough with what you're feeling inside as a rider, but I can tell you to never forget to look around and be able to pat yourself on the back for what you CAN do.

Em

Oh yeah good point!
Its hard to remember to notice how far you've come when you get stuck on something. My little Welsh has got all the GP moves more or less in her repertoire EXCEPT passage and it feels like we're never going to get that esp as she's been on sick leave this winter. It's so hard to not feel like I've just failed. But she's a good solid performer at small tour; I'm an idiot ?

 

[ihatework]

I had this with my horse that had spent so long at medium and was balanced and established in counter canter, that she got worried by the changes as she thought she was doing it wrong. She had a real strong work ethic, but was quite an emotional red head, so just got a mental block about it.

I put her in foal, let her down a little, stopped competing and while she was preggers just played around with it without added pressure. By the time she went on mat leave I had a reasonably reliable change each way. But we did have weeks/months of leaping around, running off etc which I’d tried to avoid happening before due to competing pressures.

The lesson I took away from that is play with the changes early. My rising 5yo has a green jumping change already.

 

[milliepops]

The lesson I took away from that is play with the changes early. My rising 5yo has a green jumping change already.

Definitely this! It's just a bit of fun then, using the horse's natural desire to keep their balance, and because you're a long way off wanting them for competition it's easy to be relaxed about mistakes.

 

[oldie48]

Going through this to some extent with Rose. she actually had a good change but not on the aids, just did it instead of CC. Pretty much all my thoughts echo what has already been said but definitely check your horse is 100% behind. I'm lucky that S is quite happy to deal with the acceleration following a change and also the occasional small explosion (I wouldn't be) so having someone else teach her might be worth doing. Definitely our biggest problem is anticipation, Rose knows the exercises very well and wants to change when the canter is not quite good enough which results in a late behind so when Rose is back in work properly S is going to do some different exercises without much of a build up but that means the canter does need to sit a bit more, I think. It's also easy to get into the same pattern of schooling eg doing the changes later on in the session, my gelding was also very enthusiastic but quite established but I still found it better with him to slip them in without a huge build up. Good luck I know lots of horses are like this but have found rose's trot work improves so much after doing a few rubbish changes!

 

[Goldenstar]

Without doubt I think it’s best to start them early the best changer I had learnt them as a four year her chanages where super .
Its not always how it pans out though in the real world .

 

[ycbm]

Glad to read people's views about early changes. I'm planning to start them soon with my backward 6 year old and my more recently broken (8 months) 8 year old offers them instead of counter canter and I'm just working her quietly towards waiting for an aid first.

This has set my mind at rest about that plan.

 

[milliepops]

I asked kira for a change as soon as she could canter round the school and they've always been so easy and no drama, the hardest part has been ME learning to be quick enough in 1s.
Although he retired soon after Darcy had a rough and ready change at a similar point in his work. I'd never deliberately wait ever again after the huge struggle I had with Millie.

 

[GinaGeo]

I’m stuck with them with my older horse. He’s another mega established with counter canter and he didn’t know it was possible. We could never even get a functional jumping change, he would just counter canter ? Classical instructor had some clever ideas to force the change, but I’ve never really managed to fine tune it to an aid. We’ve never really got passed the charging through it stage. He’s had a winter break from schooling so I’ll pick it back up again at some point. He’s another very established at Medium. ?

The five year old was introduced to the functional jumping (glorified polework) change last year and I’m planning to start fine tuning it this year. Like others have mentioned, I’m not making the same mistake again ?

 

[nikkimariet]

The anticipation is a big thing for both rider and horse. Fig always struggled with the tempis. We could get them at home but we always made a hot mess of them in the ring.

Without seeing the reaction one exercise I can recommend is working on a short side figure 8. Halt walk trot CC change even add in rein back. Don’t make it a thing to flying change every time you change direction.

Forget about them being clean. Just focus on slowing the reaction down. I also found coming back to halt ASAP (nicely) after any change good or bad to help.

I start changes ASAP. Just drop the idea of them into the work so they’re not a huge deal. Most horses offer them so accept them and don’t panic if they pop one in at novice etc. I started Nova at 4yo and Rooni at 6yo (once I’d had him a few months, he was only 6 months into ridden work so 4 in his head too).

 

[Leandy]

Today I had a lesson and the reaction to the change was so quick to run off with his head slammed in the air, I just wanted to get off (I’ll add here I’m quite a nervous rider) my trainer has voiced to me that she thinks it’s because I’m anticipating it and getting stressed but I just don’t know what to do other than to call it a day and retire him to a happy hacker because I’m at absolute breaking point and losing the love for both the sport and him.

I think you have two choices here, either give up and be happy at medium level or get someone else to ride and work this through for you. Perhaps send him away for a couple of weeks for some intensive training with someone who will calmly and quietly work him through it. Once that is done and he realises it is not a "big event" then hopefully the problem will be cracked. Alternatively, if, despite what you say, you are determined to see it through yourself, have you tried popping some in out on hacks, or when jumping. It doesn't matter how tidy they are they just need to happen without the drama and taking the pressure off you both by just playing on a hack when you are forward and relaxed could perhaps do the trick.

 

[Birker2020]

Hi everyone

I’m after some advise after finally reaching breaking point

My horse is 14yo and has been established at Medium for quite a few years, about 18 months ago we started teaching the changes.
Now it’s not been a straightforward task, his counter canter is so balanced and developed he really didn’t understand the aid for a long time and then we have the late behind drama but recently right to left he’s been bolting off.

So after a lot of deliberation, I scoped him and they found G4 ulceration which I thought explained the behaviour. Since then he’s been being treated and his entire demeanour has changed, my box walking stresshead is finally relaxed and stretching down in his work but low and behold that change is still bolting. In fact, arguably it’s getting worse.

Today I had a lesson and the reaction to the change was so quick to run off with his head slammed in the air, I just wanted to get off (I’ll add here I’m quite a nervous rider) my trainer has voiced to me that she thinks it’s because I’m anticipating it and getting stressed but I just don’t know what to do other than to call it a day and retire him to a happy hacker because I’m at absolute breaking point and losing the love for both the sport and him.

Has anyone ever had any similar experiences and could offer some advise?

Had this with my mare who I used to compete unaffiliated dressage & SJ. She would happily do a flying change from right circle to left but used to run off when doing it the other way. She had hock issues and neck arthritis.

I got a couple of people to sit on her and one couldn't get her to change in that scenario and one could but not consistently.

I never bothered to pursue it because I didn't need to do flying changes for the level I was working at (Elementary) and she would automatically change direction with a touch of neck reining on landing after a jump so we had that one sussed out. In fact when it came to doing counter canter following change of rein across the diagonal it was a nightmare to stop her from do a flying change when you wanted her to do a few strides of counter canter on the long side, so I gave up.

But like I say she had hock arthritis and neck arthritis although both were very minimal and were in the process of ongoing maintenance treatment at the time.

 

[TPO]

Assuming all physical checks are done and ok this method might help.

The demo horse is one that rushes off after a change. The way it is broken down helped (my) lightbulbs go off

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Assuming all physical checks are done and ok this method might help.

The demo horse is one that rushes off after a change. The way it is broken down helped (my) lightbulbs go off

Thank you for sharing this, I think this will actually help little Skylla loads!

 

[Littlewills]

Assuming all physical checks are done and ok this method might help.

The demo horse is one that rushes off after a change. The way it is broken down helped (my) lightbulbs go off

He is a genius! I always assciate him with QHs but he had that sussed and fixed so easily and quickly