Flying changes help!

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PingPongPony

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I've been trying to remind my mare how to do flying changes as she has been taught them but hasn't been asked to do them for ages!
So when I ask, she changes her fronts beautifully, but that's it, she 'forgets' the backs and canters disunited. This is on both reins.
The canter is nice and bouncy, and i'm asking correctly, she has enough muscle and balance to do them, physio hasn't found any problems so she isn't uncomfortable or in pain but she will not change the backs.
Any ideas?
ETA. when I ask for trot - canter she goes on the correct leg with fronts and backs, I can also ask for trot - counter canter and she will also do that correctly with fronts and backs.
 
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You could try asking for a change over a pole on the diagonal.

Make sure you are not just bending the neck and throwing your weight. ( I'm sure your not) for baby changes almost put the horse into a shoulder in and then simply ask for a shoulder in the other way if that makes sense. If she keeps 'forgetting' her back end carry on asking in the same way without stressing, even in it feels awful. She will correct herself and then praise! Practice!

Good luck! Hope it's useful in some way!
 
having a pole on the centre line helps as they have to think about where all their feet go. also canter up to the centre line go from canter to walk for one stride then ask for canter on the other leg so she has to think about it. Also looking in the opposite direction to the direction you are changing to so you have more weight to the outside so you encourage her to take the change correctly. are you doing it on the diagonal or as 2 half 20metre circles as the latter will encourage her to change all together to stay balanced
 
I do it as 2 half 20 metre circles, she becomes unbalanced, disunited, and if I keep on asking, she panics and doesn't know what to do, her back goes hollow and she drops into trot, everything has been checked and there is no possible physical cause :confused: she does tend to do this panic thing as an evasion technique, when I ask her to do something she doesn't want to do or its too much work :rolleyes:
I will try a pole, and the centreline thing as well.
Thank you :)
 
Well then she's not really doing changes then is she? She's just losing her balance and diving over her shoulders. The hind leg has to be engaged in order to jump a proper change through from behind, and remember; the body stays straight so no good throwing the front end around. Go back to simple changes until they are automatic; work on canter half pass and try a change after the diagonal; works for our lads.
 
Two half circles are possibly not the best place to start as you really have to quite suddenly change the bend.

First things first you have to make sure you have a good quality canter with the hind end engaged otherwise the horse has no chance. In this case I wouldn't use a pole as it can encourage horses to change front legs first and then back which is what is happening already.

There are many different exercises you can work on to help with changes (too many to write here) and I think you should be working this through with your instructor.

I would go back to simple changes canter to walk to canter as other posters have suggested and gradually decrease the walk steps
 
If you want to teach changes you need to ensure you have a quality canter that you can collect and lengthen with ease with the horse balanced and the hind leg active. You also need to be able to do canter walk canter transitions in balance and be able to pick up either lead leg on the aids.
Once this is established I would teach by making a loop back to the track and asking when you reach the track. Make sure you change the bend before you ask. If she still keeps forgetting her hind legs then carry a schooling whip in the hand that is your new outside leg and tap her hind legs through with the whip, at this point she may buck or get strong. Don't tell her off, just repeat until she accepts the aids.
 
charlie76 said:
If you want to teach changes you need to ensure you have a quality canter that you can collect and lengthen with ease with the horse balanced and the hind leg active. You also need to be able to do canter walk canter transitions in balance and be able to pick up either lead leg on the aids.
Once this is established I would teach by making a loop back to the track and asking when you reach the track. Make sure you change the bend before you ask. If she still keeps forgetting her hind legs then carry a schooling whip in the hand that is your new outside leg and tap her hind legs through with the whip, at this point she may buck or get strong. Don't tell her off, just repeat until she accepts the aids.
Click to expand...

^^^^ This exactly
 
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