dressage help please (again...sorry)

A

amage

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 December 2004
Messages
3,888
Visit site
Doing first dressage next sat. doing elem 44 and 58. 58 the more complicated test i'm having no problems with however have one issue in 44. theres a canter across diagonal changing rein through tro at x. no matter what i do there i times when i come back to trot that she is striking off again on the wrong leg. has anyone any ideas as to how to avoid her striking off wrong? i think she's so used to doing flying changes she's just slightly confused by trotting in the middle. she does it left to right and right to left. perfect in everything else and very unlike her not to pick up something like this. she's perfect on changes through walk...tis weird!
any suggestions welcom thanks!!
Amy xxx
 
Actually as you are finding this is an exercise that really exposes the connection between the leg and the hand and is why its in the test. When you get it right you will find it very valuable especially when it comes to teaching correct flying changes.
The reason she finds canter walk easy is because they can drop off the leg and it is an easy way out of not staying onthe leg, it becomes a bit of a trick once they have learnt the simple change. Infact at Gran Prix there is a canter trot canter transition and it causes no end of problems!!
The best way to get this right is first on the short diagonal ride canter trot and then on the track straight into shoulder in. [This helps with the connection into the out side rein and the acceptance of the new inside leg. Its about teaching them to wait and to accept the set up for the next movement and it teaches you the rider to set the movement up in terms of seat leg and rein aids. As you go up the levels where there are more movements and less time between them this test of submission to the aids is really important]. Ride the shoulder into the corner end then ask for the canter.Once she remains soft and relaxed the reduce the number of shoulder in steps so that you get short diagonal trot [remembering to ride that transition relative to the canter lead you are on, i.e change the rein inright canter just before E or B trot keeping a little more weight in the right seat bone and the left rein being the out side rein then change weight into the left aids for shoulder in left and from this ride the left canter transition.] The value of this is to stop you the rider just thinking of stop- trot -canter but more about the preparation in terms of connection into the outside rein and acceptance of the inside leg.
Once you have this on the short diagonal use the full diagonal, just before x prepare the transition relative to the canter you are in over x think about moving into position shoulder in, at first actually make her wait and ride the shoulder in inthe dirrection of the desired new canter lead for as many steps it takes to get her to release and wait then depart in the canter you want. Evenually you will be able to acheive the change of flexion and connection in a couple of strides of trot over x and relaxed into the new canter.
This done you will have no problem understanding how to do flying changes as this is the perfect prep exercise.
Good luck hope this makes sense and helps! I know it works because my very explosive stallion found this hard and the repetition and softening that this work developed paid dividens later.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top