We are at the second chapter ACS feat. TVDM :)

I was asked for advice on the change of gallop on the fly and as I tried to answer, I realized that the speech is so complex and complex that it is worth dedicating a post to it.

When you ask yourself why your horse does not change correctly on the fly, there are a number of factors to consider first.

1- Change on the fly as required and how is it prepared?

2- How much preparation the horse has in general. Are you really ready for this kind of request?

3- What are the necessary requirements to be able to face the change on the fly?

4- Is the rider ready for this type of exercise?

Once you think about these questions and what the answers are for the individual case ... many people get stuck. They have no idea what "being ready for" means.

The horse, as soon as it gallops on both sides, is simply put to the test. End. Sometimes it works. Then horse and rider are brilliant.

No. That's not how it works!

In most cases, in fact, the changes are not prepared correctly and are performed by unbalancing the horse from one side to the other so that this, losing balance, changes gallop. Usually it changes only in front and, only after a few gallop strides, also behind. The rider in all this assumes quite bizarre positions, being first exaggerated on one side and then throwing himself on the other with his body and looking down to see what the outcome of this maneuver is.

Good. Let's start from the base. The first question I ask when I am asked for a change advice on the fly is:

"Your horse, how does it change to a simple gallop?"

Another moment of crisis!

The simple change involves a transition (transition) from the gallop to the pass and, after a few step steps, another transition from the galloping step, changing from the left gallop to the right gallop or vice versa. If the horse and / or rider do not know how to perform these transitions perfectly, in curves and on the obverse, one is not ready. That's all!

Therefore, even before the simple change, I must be able to perform step-gallop-step transitions, without the change.

I mean CLEAN TRANSITIONS, without a trot in the middle, preparing them correctly with half-stops and bringing the gait together slightly before the transition.

The latter must be absolutely impeccable (both from the step and from the trot). I often hear people say that by the trot they are no longer able to gallop (comeeeeeee ????) ... ..

Another thing that must be done as a preparation is the inverted gallop. First it is performed on soft and wide lines, for a short time (eg after a half-time on the long side or by performing simple galloping coils). Only after these exercises are done well and are performed cleanly, do I recommend moving on to more demanding things, such as keeping the same gallop on the 3-way coil throughout the field, or on the runway and the second track, all around the rectangle. The level of meeting, at this point, is increasing and the horse is always more able to stay in balance.

That's why I love dressage shooting! They are all found on the FISE website. They are an excellent guide to understand when it's time to do what.

In this case the simple change is requested for the first time in the F-level shooting. The F-level shooting is for 6-year-old horses. Considering that horses usually tame at 3 years of age and work gets serious from 4, it means that, from when you start working to when you start with gallop changes, 2-3 years pass (they are therefore 24-36 months). They are not few!

And we are talking about horses that have been worked right from the start, with a constant and progressive method, running smoothly during training ... so if you think of taking the thing lightly, without due preparation, perhaps with horses that have problems even with the basic gaits and transitions in general, it will not come far.

What you will succeed in doing anyway is the change on the fly that is seen to be done in most cases, especially in show jumping (jumpers often feel exempt from certain things ... but if we think about the fact that basic training, then what we are talking about, its aim is to guarantee the maintenance of the health of the horse at 360 °, it makes no sense to think that these things are only "for others").

In the jump, precision counts less (for me this does not mean that it does not make sense to learn things correctly anyway) and horses change due to loss of balance. This means that the rider suddenly shifts the weight from one side to the other and changes the flexion, perhaps during a change of direction. In this way the horse loses all its balance and changes gallop. The weight goes on the shoulders. The opposite should be true.

THE The horse, bringing the gait together, should lead further down the rear and, during the change, push with it, so that the gearbox is beautifully jumped, expressive and that, in flight (as the name implies), the change takes place so complete, front and back, with a sort of new start in the new gallop.

What I mean is that preparing for this kind of change is not something you sometimes try and then demand results. It is not a circus exercise to brag about. Also because the horse must first have developed the correct musculature in order to be able to gather and to be able to flex, from both hands, correctly, so that the gearbox can be prepared and executed correctly.

It takes a lot of patience and many months of preparation. Smooth and correct gaits, precise and increasingly delicate aids, good relaxation, good contact and maximum transitions and lots of exercise are the prerequisites for a good change on the fly.

Once the simple one is good, in fact, it is enough to continue to improve that, making less and less step between one gallop and another, until it is completely left out. At the same time, we continue with the gallop exercises. You enter more and more into the corners, the gait always gets closer, without changing the rhythm and without losing the expressiveness, therefore maintaining the right impulse.

All this is connected to an infinity of other factors that must be kept in mind of which we will speak another time otherwise we risk that the post is rejected ...

We have reached the end of "today's episode".

A hug and see you soon!

Daniela

PS: On my Blog www.addestramentocavallosportivo.it you will find other posts and material to deepen the topics covered.

If you have suggestions for new topics, don't hesitate to let us know!

If you want you can also join our ACS Online Equestrian Academy (Community Facebook - Closed Group).

Every week there are several scheduled appointments and soon "live interactive lessons" (1 week) will start.

Thanks to TVDM Equestrian!

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