Getting over excited about flying changes?

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beano

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For the first time ever last night I got my clever horse to do some flying changes
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after I'd got over the shock that we'd actually managed it we practised a couple on each rein, which he did sweetly. But after about 4 he started to get more and more excited until in the end I had to stop as he was trying to gallop off with me after each change!

Is this normal? Was he feeling pleased with himself or was he just using it as an excuse for being naughty? Either way I was far too pleased to be cross with him, just curious as to why?
 
Definitely normal - they all seem to find them very exciting! I really like that as it's nice to teach them something they think is fun.
 
Our pony does them for pure enjoyment, and always has a rather smug look on her face afterwards... It does mean that she will never ever do counter canter- she's had it so engrained that she has to be on the right leg in her old life as a showjumper!
 
Cool, oh well I'm glad he's enjoying learning something new
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will give it another go today and see if its still as exciting!
 
as above, some just find them really really exciting, all the time. my old lad was good at them but the most i ever managed to string together was two, then we proceeded at warp speed across the diagonal with his tail stuck in the air, and him snorting like a stallion. mind you, that was in a snaffle, maybe i should have anchored him in a double!
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i wonder whether some horses find them very easy, and so don't get excited about them, while they are quite an effort for others, or they feel a bit uncomfortable, so they make more of a deal about them or try to run away from them...?
btw, have a look on youtube at Reiner Klimke's victory lap on Aherlich, perfect 1-time changes all around the huge arena, with 1 hand on the reins, the horse totally happy and relaxed. wow.
 
But ones are supposed to be easier than twos (as if I'd know - I'm going by what people who do know tell me) as the horse gets into a skipping rhythm and momentum carries through.
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Changes are a well perfected art in "American" hunter classes (the most popular type of English riding by far) as they are essential to a winning round. A horse that doesn't change cleanly and quietly won't get a ribbon even if everything else is great. Even the lowest level kids hunter is expected to have relaxed "hunter style" changes and good changes are gold.
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The horse running off is not necessarily "pleased" it may very well be getting stressed and upset about the process. The general consensus is that if the horse is doing them cleanly and relatively relaxed stop practising them!
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It's really, really easy to screw them up and make a problem where there isn't one. I've had horses to ride that would change automatically on course but would absolutely freak out if asked when schooling precisely because someone has tuned on them (with some it doesn't take much) until every turn across the diagonal was a big deal.

Yes, some horses find them very easy and just don't stress. Some find them tougher to learn to do on command (it's almost always a quality of canter and reaction to the aids issue) and it's a real temptation to rush them through but that almost always affects the long term quality of the change.

If your horse is doing them well, in a relaxed manner, back off them a bit. Do one or two then go on to something else. Intersperse them with other work. Do them in different - appropriate - situations. Make them a game rather than a drill.:)

Btw, dressage horses learn them very differently, as demonstrated by where and how they appear first in tests. If your horse is running from half pass/counter canter to true canter changes - the first step for dressage tests - then back up a bit and work more in counter canter, coming back to walk for the new lead or just back to walk, in between asking for the change.
 
Ernie used to do his changes in an OTT way..
The way we calmed it down was to make the change the signal for a rest..
ie work around for a while in counter canter, then somewhere in the counter canter, make a change, if it's settled canter a few extra strides before coming back to walk, letting him have a long rein and a relax.. he now associates changes with relaxing on a long rein
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That's really interesting stuff, thanks guys
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this is the first time I've ever taught a horse changes, and its new to me too so we're both learning.

Kerilli - that's exactly what mine was doing, top speed across the diagonal, tail in the air! And yes I did watch Klimke's video - absolutely amazing, just made me grin!

TarrSteps - interesting I'm not sure if the running off was excitement or him getting upset, he's clever and always a sod for anticipating what's next whatever we're doing, so I figured once we'd done a couple he knew what was coming...actually I'd planned to try them again last night but the first time I came across the diagonal he sped up. So I left it for last night and we concentrated on other stuff.

Think I'll def try doing a couple, then letting him stop and have a stretch. For all his excitable-ness he's a lazy monkey at heart and loves his stretching, usually accompanied by a big grunt
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so hopefully that will do the trick.
 
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