What is the best way to teach your horse flying changes?

Question

My horse's old leaser started teaching him but never got the chance to finish, im not sure exactly how far she got so i just want to start teaching him from scratch.

Answer 1

The most common way is to start cantering on the correct lead (so for example, left lead when travelling counterclockwise), go across the diagonal, and then when you are approaching the corner, bring your left leg back as if you are asking for a canter depart onto the right hand lead as you begin to travel clockwise.

Some horses will do it automatically at that point, as they sense the change in direction and balance, and are also prompted to push off into right lead canter by your leg aid.

It takes a sort of definitive leg aid and also a shift in your body weight to really induce the horse the switch leads in this way.

Make sure you are cantering nicely forward (the horse needs momentum to push off and switch his leads). Being in a half seat or two-point position also helps the horse to use his back.

If it doesn't happen automatically, repeat the pattern (going down the diagonal) but instead of asking for a flying change, do a simple change of lead (by coming back into trot and then picking up the other lead.) Do this over and over until the horse starts to anticipate the simple lead change. Then try just leaving out the trot part, and using your leg aid to ask for the new lead. Most horses will understand at this point that they are supposed to get onto the other lead. If he tries to break to trot, try it again but with a more forward canter. The horse is understanding at this point he is supposed to switch leads but hasn't sorted his legs out yet. Just keep trying and don't get upset - if the horse gets nervous about flying lead changes, it will make it all that much harder to get clean changes!

Once a horse has basically figured out how to do a flying change by using the diagonals, I will take him out into the widest open area available, such as a field, get up into half seat, and get going really forward, and just make big sweeping figure-eight loops, doing flying changes at the changes of direction.

Not going forward enough is a really common mistake when trying to teach changes. The horse gets hung up and tight because he doesn't have enough forward momentum to push himself off the ground for the change. This creates tension and nervousness.

Going freely forward in a field is fun and teaches the horse to do nice, forward flying changes in a relaxed and happy way. Getting up off his back into half seat and not pressuring the horse to be in a perfect "frame" also allows the horse to be left alone to figure out his own balance and where to put all his legs. :)

Answer 2

1) start with lateral work and make sure your horse moves well off your legs.
2) Then move on to simple lead changes. Pick up the canter then come back down to a trot and pick up the oppositte lead. Each time you break your canter try to get back into the caner in as few strides of trot as possible.
3) when you are down to only 1 stride of trot then start the flying changes by using a figure 8 with a pole in the corner. As he comes over the pole quickly give him the ques to pick up the other lead. Practice this many times and then leave out the pole.

Answer 3

I used toeach my horses to do flying changes over a single pole on the ground. Start your canter on whichever rein is most comfortable, then do a couple circles (not over the pole) till your canter is nice and even. Then go over the pole.

Use the same principals as when you are going over a fence, count down your strides (3 - 2 - 1) or what ever, and then as you lean forward, apply the opposite leg aids, so if you're cantering on a right lead, as you go over the pole ask for a left lead canter,

As the previous poster said - it does tae a bit of practice, but your horse will learn. for me this was the easiest way, it took me 2 months on one horse, but by the end of it we were doing 1 time changes on a straight line.

Good luck!:)

Answer 4

Good advice given so far.

I just wanted to add that I use a log in the middle of the arena. I start off in the correct lead, making a figure 8 pattern. When I come to the log, I ask for a tight turn, the horse has to pick himself up to get over the log and it helps with the switchover. You work on your cues at that time too.

Answer 5

it just takes a lot of practice- where i was u can "cut" the arena in half and make the horse turn into the center when getting close to the center u give stop them then give them the cue for the other lead..... will take several attempts
eventually u will be able to change without the stop in between- just by giving the other cue