Flying Changes

I have never seen Jet do a flying change of lead at liberty in the many years I have owned him.  Because of this I've always thought he had an inbuilt limitation of Second Level in dressage.  Sure we could put piaffe on(working on that!) and play with some of the upper level tricks like half pass and pirouette (working on that too!)but trying to do clean changes with a horse that never ever does changes in the field seems to me like a bridge too far.  Since he is the BEST BOY ever, I am cool with that.  I figure I am lucky that at 15 he is still sound and happy in his work and that we are learning and improving.  

Things have been going well this winter despite the hideous weather and my teeny-tiny indoor ring.  He is straighter, more through the back, the lateral work is getting effortless, and the canter is really, really nice on occasion.  Some long term little problems have gotten better and he feels great.  It's hard to judge how much we've improved though, when we've had just a handful of rides outside in the full dressage court to really vary the work and test things out.  Sometimes I wonder if he really is getting stronger and straighter or if it is just a figment of my (vivid!)imagination.

But then today I went to get him from the field and he was feeling "frisky" and bombed his way in towards the barn and directly towards me.  And did three clean flying lead changes on the way.  Seriously.  I couldn't believe it.  I've never seen him do a clean change in the 10 years I have owned him.  Don't get me wrong, I don't think this indicates that we are ready to start changes under saddle any time soon.  I do think though, that it shows we are on the right track of training for straightness, balance, and energy.  He is finally using his body correctly under saddle and that is changing the way he moves in general when free.  You know, in way that dressage is supposed to improve an ordinary horse, not just put tricks on a fabulous moving from birth warmblood.  That it shows up at liberty is just too cool.