Well hello automatic changes. Nice to meet you!

I believe it was last week that Rose accidentally did a flying change on the quarter line. I thought it was a mere accident, and it probably was, so I didn't get too excited about it. She did it a couple more times that week as well. Then there was our ride today! We worked on a lot of transitions today, and toward the end she was using her hind end better and getting off her forehand.

Then she picked up the wrong lead, so I brought her into a circle as per usual and made her counter canter. After the circle I asked for a trot transition, with the anticipation of a simple change to the correct lead, as this usually fixes her mistake. Well, guess who figured out that it is easier to do an automatic (flying lead change) change instead of a simple change! Of course I figured it was a one off, so we started doing some serpentines with the intention of doing simple changes at the center line....and hello automatic change! Every time! Then after that along the rail, she picked up the wrong lead again, but as soon as just began to bring her into the counter canter circle she changed her lead. It was so much fun. I knew eventually we would have automatic changes, but I never figured she'd just start doing them on her own.
 
Happy trails and swooshing tails!