Flying Changes

Monday was a federal holiday so I was able to ride instead of work. I had no real plan on what to work on. Payin', the super fun horse I primarily ride, tried his best with me. I, however, was so clueless on what to work on and as a result our ride was rather hodgepodge.

Generally I have an idea of what we need to be focusing on be it working of the left leg, smooth downward transition, relaxation of the back. And in working on those things, Payin' will show me other areas that we need some more polish for the next ride. But on Monday, I basically just badgered Payin’ around the arena trying to find something wrong that we could work on. Eventually I settled on flying lead changes but by that time, Payin’ was tired and had thought we had done enough.

I think Payin’ should have his flying changes finished by now but he doesn’t. They’re there but not polished. Take him around a course of jumps and he’ll give them to you. Ask for them when you’re just out and about and he’ll sort of do them. I guess the main reason is he feels there needs to be a reason to change.

And they’re not particularly easy for him. For Rigel, a very compact well balanced little horse, they came naturally. But for over 16 hh not naturally balanced Payin’, with his string bean physique, trying to get all four legs switched and coordinated in a fraction of a second is not as easy. He can do them for sure. But when you ask for them in the arena across a diagonal, he gains air to switch by going faster and as a 6 going on 7 year old, those days should be past. It’s just convincing him that there are other ways to do it is the problem.