Dressage © Benkert

Change through the whole course

Description

One of the first schooling figures that the novice rider learns is "Changing through the whole course". This schooling figure "Changing through the whole course" is ridden to change sides. The 40 meter diagonal described by this schooling figure is also called the change line. The starting point of this schooling figure is to ride through the entire course on the first track. After riding through the short side, the rider turns back to the diagonal. Possible course points of the schooling figure "Change through the whole course":

F - X - H
H - X - F
M - X - K
K - X - M

The path point, which is reached at the end of the diagonal, is also called change point.

Change of rein on a long diagonal © Victoria_Rubly

Rider's aids

On the diagonal, the rider keeps his horse straight between the thighs and reins. When changing through the whole course, it is important to ride out the corners before and after the diagonal, because both rider and horse like to cut short here. The corners are ridden in exactly the same way as when riding on the first track, because the course figure only begins when the rider turns away from the first track and not before.
Averting is done when the rider's knee is at the height of the letter, not when the horse's nose has passed the letter. As soon as the corner is passed, the rider should look at the letter he is about to ride towards. The target letter should not be left out of sight when riding on the diagonal - this way the diagonal will be straightened by itself and without much correction.
With this he already gives the right weight help by himself, because the head has been turned and therefore the shoulders also turn slightly. If the schooling figure is executed in a light trot, the rider has to sit around between the centre line and reaching the track.
After the corner, ride straight on to the point before turning away. On the diagonal itself, the horse should be straight and neither bent nor set. The canter is the exception, as the horse is always posed in this gait. The line itself should be as straight as possible.
The point of change of this schooling figure is one horse's length before reaching the track. At this point the horse is set for the new side, for the upcoming turn. The horse is now repositioned in a light trot. This means that one is sitting out a beat.
If the rein is changed at a canter, the horse is either slowed briefly into the trot, changed over and cantered again or, if the level of training of the horse (and the rider) allows it, a flying canter change is ridden.

Changing through the whole course in training and at competition

In the lower classes, the schooling manoeuvre "Changing through the whole course" is performed at walk and trot. In many dressage tasks, reinforcements are required on the diagonal. At L-level, the schooling figure is also performed at a collected canter to reach the outside canter. From the M level on, the schooling figure is also executed in a collected canter and linked to the flying canter change. From class S on, series changes (flying canter changes to 4, 3, 2 jumps and from jump to jump) or canter pirouettes are executed on the change line.
From Class A on, various tempo changes and reinforcements are required on the change line.