I personally use both legs (positioned as described) for both the canter departure and the tempis, although with the tempis, there is much less leg and more seat - the horses come to realize that the half-halt from the seat is the change aid. Here again balance is the most important aspect of the movement. Now remember subtle changes cause the horse to "hear ques". The question is often proposed "do folks get the changes from just the weight shift?" Well...Yes, sort of - it's not so much the weight shift (this is not too good and gets you swinging your shoulders) as the half-halt with the seat.

Often riders get confused in the use of the swing of the outside leg. The half halt given in a mixed cue with the outside leg while moving the inner leg at the girth to achieve a strike off from trot or from walk. This is often scary to the student and gives the impression to the rider that they are confusing the issue.

No, I don't think so, although the rider is going to start running out of time to do all this. The rider may wish to clarify the aids, with more emphasis on the half-halt and less on the careful positioning of the legs. For one thing, the rider will want to really work at making the horse straight in his changes, since any crookedness or swing of the haunches will be most evident in the tempis.

Some riders tend to lose his balance some and become too speedy, but feel since the horse is still learning the tempis this is okay. They may ask, "are my aids part of the problem?" Well Perhaps. The rider needs to simply use less leg and more quiet seat aids. I've been there with my horses as they almost always seem to do this also, if I start swinging my leg and using the "greeny" aids I would use on a younger less educated horse. Just remember balance and the proper procedure will get you further.

Now on to the next question in this little essay, "How do others do the flying change?." I know folks tell me they have seen well known riders do the strike-off from just the swing of the outside leg, but fear it tends to be a "big" aid in terms of movement and look a alittle unsightly from the outside.

I agree. I personally ask for the flying change by shifting my inside leg forward and softening the *new* inside rein, all the while supporting the new outside rein. A very useful exercise is counter canter with counter flexion, which will help confirm the independance of the forequarter, and enable you to smoothly prepare for the changes. It's also a good preparation for pirouette (see below).

In the same vein riders at this stage are generally struggling a bit with learning the canter pirouette. The big question? "Do you sit inside or outside or stay in the middle for this exercise.?" STAY IN THE MIDDLE, and keep your weight down in the saddle.

There are two things I do to prepare for pirouettes:
1) Canter on a 10 metre circle, alternating shoulder-in positioning and haunches in positioning - really confirming that you can move the forequarter and hindquarter independantly and place either where you want them.
2) Canter "super-collecting" on a straight line, positioned in shoulder-fore - it goes like this - Collected canter, turn onto quarter line. Three or four times, ask the horse to really engage in the canter (use a light tap of the hip high on the croup if necessary), coming to a canter almost in place, ride forward with energy and no loss of rhythm. When the horse can "super-collect" without loss of the canter rhythm and without becoming hollow or tight, you can supper collect and then move the fore-quarter around for a quarter pirouette. The half and full pirouettes are an extension of this exercise. A couple of helpful points - a really supportive outside rein is completely essential for quality pirouettes - the horse's neck MUST remain squarely in front of his shoulders. Preparing for the pirouette with shoulder-in and shoulder-fore is also a much better way (in my experience) than to use haunches-in or travers.

The ability to move the shoulders and whole forequarter from the outside rein without loss of rhythm is mandatory.

The flying changes, tempis and pirouettes are three of the things that really make upper level work FUN, for both horse and rider. Try to keep this in mind, because while you are teaching the horse these movements, you need to be aware that the horse will no doubt find them very exciting and exhilarating, so you need to work quietly and with great patience, being satisfied with a few tempis or one good pirouette. These are also difficult exercises which require strength and co-ordination. Don't over-correct errors - just calmly walk and begin again. Patience, and lots of *short* practices, with plenty of reward and walk rests.

And then , once your horse is clearly confirmed, sometimes just DO IT!, and relax and have FUN! I know that's not really the "dressage thing" , but I find it makes a world of difference in the way the horse interprets the exercise.