STRAIGHT LINE FLYING LEAD CHANGE!
Let’s go with the unique first: More than a few years ago Fancy and I were participating in a clinic with horses and a mammoth mule. Fancy wasn’t scared of the mule, but she was buzzed about something. We stood next to the mule awaiting our turn at a pattern. After an hour or so, I guessed she liked the mule and wanted to be close. I experimented and sure enough, her buzz subsided when we were close to the mule. I know Fancy’s history.I asked her breeder if Fancy had any encounter with a mule at her birth home. “No” was the answer. As far as I know, she has never known a mule.
Years later, Fancy share a boarding pasture with a mule. They loved one another. Today, that mule came walking down the driveway where Fancy and I were having a group lesson. Fancy recognized a mule from quite a distance. She “buzzed”. I had to go into control mode. Had I been riding without a bridle, I might have lost control of her. Wait I would have lost control! “Mulie” was saddled and came into the arena and then into the round pen. Fancy buzzed up, requiring me to do some sidepassing, backing moves to return her focus to me.
Our first pattern was a figure eight small circle at a flat foot walk, big circle at fox trot, do a figure eight and repeat. Next we were to try for a figure eight flying lead change canter. OMG! Fancy did it! Flying lead change both directions! Scream!
Our second pattern: Fox trot to a cone next to the round pen, canter to another cone change leads and go around the arena. Whoops! Canter threw a temper tantrum when asked to pass beyond the round pen. Her rider, group lesson people and our instructor had never experienced or seen Fancy do this. Her fit was ears pinned, shut down and bounce up and down on her front legs. We were all shocked. Her amazing rider was not scared. There was no “buck” in there, but the rider has to do some control moves to get Fancy’s attention.
We tried the pattern again and succeeded!
Fans: Straight Line Flying Changes! The most difficult of all maneuvers! Fancy and I did straight line flying changes! SCREAM