Flying Changes!

HufflyPuffly

HufflyPuffly

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So I'm being bold and posting for advice of training :eek:, I know I have my tissues at the ready for when I'm told to stop riding immediately and get someone who knows what they're doing in ;) :o.

Topaz loves FC's, has always popped one in as and when she could get away with it :lol:, however it wasn't until we started dressage and in the more recent months that I started to ask for them intentionally. When first asked for we got explosive Topaz back :eek:, however we have progressed so we are a little more sedate about it all now so I asked mum if she'd film them for me last night:

[video=youtube_share;kmMKdP8RoyE]https://youtu.be/kmMKdP8RoyE[/video]

So loads to work on, the second one was very messy she was trying to anticipate and I was trying to ask her to wait, and really should have gone back to trot and come back and tried again so it was a little calmer and neater, but as mum was filming I was trying to just crack on so I had something to watch back :o.

[video=youtube_share;yTgF4hdMAcU]https://youtu.be/yTgF4hdMAcU[/video]

Finished here as she was getting a bit hot about them, so we went onto some different exercises.

My big question is how to improve her hind legs in the change? I'm sure when she does them by herself she doesn't seem as bunny hoppy behind, or indeed when she launches into them and bounces in the air, I'm thinking there must be lots of expression then :lol:. To my eye it is almost like she's changing in front before the hind legs, but maybe not?

I'm guessing it comes with strength in the canter and a greater ability to sit and get those hind legs underneath her more? Am I doing anything massively terrible which is causing the lack of jump from behind, have I killed the canter down too much?

The being too quick behind is not a new thing with her and can often make her seem 4 beat in the canter, it is something we're working very hard on and it has improved a lot! So maybe it is just showing up again here because FC's done properly (ie not charged at and launched into :o) is new and hard work for her?

Obviously will be discussing with my instructor, but thought I'd ask the wise HHO'ers for their opinion too :).
 
She looks like she needs a bit more jump in the canter generally, you look like you are pushing a bit with your seat. What are her simples like?
I might be a bit tempted to ride a change and then ride a bit of medium to get her thinking forward not up through them. I actually liked the second one as it was more forward thinking.
Try and think of your collection coming from you holding her through your core a bit more and really riding her uphill rather than slowing her down
I love her enthusiasm though! <3
 
In the first video she is mostly just jumping together behind. In the 2nd video she is one stride late behind. From experience both get **** marks! It is a sign of either lack of straightness or lack of throughness. It's perfectly fixable though. Monty used to do this all the time from right to left. As he's got straighter it has improved loads and they're mostly fine now. He only tends to do it now if I let him get in his forehand after extended canter. Make sure not too much neck bend in the change and make sure you ride forwards through the change. Don't kill the canter on the approach. Experiment with doing them in different places and see what she finds easiest.
 
First thought is that the canter looks very forced. She doesn't really look relaxed through the neck or jaw and though the neck's bent she looks quite hollow. I'd do lots of long and low, really driving the canter forwards and then really bringing it back again with your seat, as opposed to your hands (which look a bit heavy in the clips) to get her listening properly and back on her hocks a bit more, which'll make the changes much easier too!
 
Roxylola said:
She looks like she needs a bit more jump in the canter generally, you look like you are pushing a bit with your seat. What are her simples like?
I might be a bit tempted to ride a change and then ride a bit of medium to get her thinking forward not up through them. I actually liked the second one as it was more forward thinking.
Try and think of your collection coming from you holding her through your core a bit more and really riding her uphill rather than slowing her down
I love her enthusiasm though! <3
Click to expand...

Simple changes are spot on and very clean generally, the only thing we can sometimes struggle with is keeping a clear calm walk in between if she's feeling a bit hot/tense. Which means that I didn't progress to FC through the SC's as I don't want her to anticipate and loose the walk entirely, but maybe I should go this route?

Lol I feared I had slowed everything down too much, but at least we've stopped bucking/launching/ and then pi**ing off afterwards :o. So will think upwards, forwards and maybe add a neck strap :D.

star said:
In the first video she is mostly just jumping together behind. In the 2nd video she is one stride late behind. From experience both get **** marks! It is a sign of either lack of straightness or lack of throughness. It's perfectly fixable though. Monty used to do this all the time from right to left. As he's got straighter it has improved loads and they're mostly fine now. He only tends to do it now if I let him get in his forehand after extended canter. Make sure not too much neck bend in the change and make sure you ride forwards through the change. Don't kill the canter on the approach. Experiment with doing them in different places and see what she finds easiest.
Click to expand...

:D Don't worry I'm not about to go do an adv-med now :D. I think I've killed the canter down too much to try and keep control, and list the throughness as I've not found I have to do too much neck bending to get her to change, but it's certainly something to be conscious of! Glad it's something fixable though, thought I might have ruined them :o.

SpringArising said:
First thought is that the canter looks very forced. She doesn't really look relaxed through the neck or jaw and though the neck's bent she looks quite hollow. I'd do lots of long and low, really driving the canter forwards and then really bringing it back again with your seat, as opposed to your hands (which look a bit heavy in the clips) to get her listening properly and back on her hocks a bit more, which'll make the changes much easier too!
Click to expand...

Lol sorry I don't mean to giggle at this advice, but yes the canter's not great here but she still finds changes so exciting we're not really at the relaxed phase yet! She has relaxed a lot about them, so maybe sneaking them in only when she's relaxed and clam will be the best foot forward? It has been how we got to this stage, as normally I wouldn't do so many in a row as it were as it just hots her up, but rather I'd get her soft in the canter and then casually change rein and ask for it, so maybe this is a good approach!



Thanks all, she's a funny one and I think maybe the more I leave her alone about them the better they might be ;), will have a play about and see what we can do :).
 
Not enough energy in the canter, that's why you're getting the launchy bunny hop type thing. Also really try and avoid throwing your weight around and over bending the neck to get the change.

I'd suggest work on two 20m circles with a simple change over x when you change circle or drop to trot and go medium round the circle. On the circle work on yielding in and out in the canter and getting quarters in and shoulders in on command. Go large and do the same with the quarters and shoulders in. You want to get to the point where you can be straight and if not you can get straight. Then ask for a slight flexion whilst staying straight and focusing on you being still on top!
Back to the two circles and work on bend, straight bend between the two in walk and trot. Then same in simple changes. And then try for the FC. Keep control of the quarters and keep the canter bouncing.

Last time I worked on FCs the horse was changing late behind as the quarters were dragging and drifting and not snapping to the new bend. Very annoying!
 
Crikey! I know nothing about these. Saw them on the test sheet for Aston, decided I probably couldn't do them, and just trotted through them instead.
 
Kylara said:
Not enough energy in the canter, that's why you're getting the launchy bunny hop type thing. Also really try and avoid throwing your weight around and over bending the neck to get the change.

I'd suggest work on two 20m circles with a simple change over x when you change circle or drop to trot and go medium round the circle. On the circle work on yielding in and out in the canter and getting quarters in and shoulders in on command. Go large and do the same with the quarters and shoulders in. You want to get to the point where you can be straight and if not you can get straight. Then ask for a slight flexion whilst staying straight and focusing on you being still on top!
Back to the two circles and work on bend, straight bend between the two in walk and trot. Then same in simple changes. And then try for the FC. Keep control of the quarters and keep the canter bouncing.

Last time I worked on FCs the horse was changing late behind as the quarters were dragging and drifting and not snapping to the new bend. Very annoying!
Click to expand...

If I let her have more energy we get launchy, wizz through the air and pi** of ones onstead ;), but no I think we're all in agreement I need more energy, bigger canter (going upwards) and more relaxation.

Very reluctant to associate the SC's with FC's as she anticipates and currently the SC's are good... But a useful exercise nonetheless!

HotToTrot said:
Crikey! I know nothing about these. Saw them on the test sheet for Aston, decided I probably couldn't do them, and just trotted through them instead.
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:lol: Made me giggle that did :lol:, but as we're not destined to wear tails eventing I have to teach the ****** to do them not only correctly but in a row and more than one :eek: if I want to get to wear a one!
 
She is travelling in more of a 4 beat canter than three beat, especially before the changes are asked for, she can't do a smooth change from a 4 beat canter so this is one reason why she is bunny hopping it. More forward! There is no fluidity, she doesn't need to be held together so much, it's restricting her range of movement, plus you are over thinking it causing her to become tense. :p

The changes are also being asked for too late on the stride phase, they need to come from behind with the hinds hitting the floor first, not the fronts, like this.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUgnXKK0ris

Lesson with a good instructor really would help. Her general movement needs to be much more relaxed but with much more foward energy before she can begin to learn to execute a correct change.

You'll get there in no time, good luck. :)
 
AlexHyde said:
If I let her have more energy we get launchy, wizz through the air and pi** of ones onstead ;), but no I think we're all in agreement I need more energy, bigger canter (going upwards) and more relaxation.
Click to expand...

If it starts getting whizzy, go back to simples and vary them a bit. I suspect the whizzy silliness comes from the anticipation more than the changes themselves. If she fires off after the change bring her back down to walk and do something different

Although you might not consider me terribly well qualified to offer advice or opinions considering that I turned the air a bit blue this morning at a truck drover who got far too close to my piaffeing warmblood who is in fact supposed to be walking forwards in straight lines as rehab for a ligament strain not spinning, piaffeing, half passing or reversing at speed ;)
 
Also do remember that energy and impulsion does not equal speed.
I agree with illusion that you are holding together too much. Need to go with the bigger canter and use the impulsion and energy rather than squash it for what feels comfortable for you. Very tempting to do and easier to help in person but just breathe through the movement and go with it working on balance and placement of bits of the horse where you want it.
 
HotToTrot said:
Crikey! I know nothing about these. Saw them on the test sheet for Aston, decided I probably couldn't do them, and just trotted through them instead.
Click to expand...

Omg that made me laugh!

OP - try doing them on a figure of 8 against the short end of the arena. You can ride a little more forward but the fence backs them off which helps. Try doing them after a few strides of counter leg yield, get the shoulder out and clear in front to give her room to jump through into. Careful with the neck bend, she needs to be going off your seat and legs. In counter canter go large, practice moving the neck around. If she changes and you didn't ask put her back into CC. Only when she is truly waiting does she get to change. The change is the reward for waiting.
 
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