flying changes??

[monica123]

ok, well i now have a pony that has been taught to do flying changes, i have been riding ponies that havent been taught to do them so i dont know the aids. When i canter her, she will suddenly do a flying change onto the qwrong leg so i am obviously asking her to do it some how - she is very sensitive so the slightest leg movement or squeeze and she will react - so my question is what is the lag aid for the flying change - thanx in adavance

ps. is this the right place to post this?

 

[KatB]

Just opposite leg aids. So if on left rein changing to right rein, you go from having right leg back, to left leg back, and small change of weight.

This is very simplifyed!

 

[flyingfeet]

If the pony has been well trained, they may do a flying change on a change in your weight rather than a leg aid (polo ponies do).

Otherwise the standard aid for a change is (in crude terms) to put your legs on where they would be if you wanted the horse to strike off on the leg you wish to change to. Some horses go more from the outer leg back and others from the leg on the girth - its all very personal!

 

[monica123]

ok - thanx

but what if i am on one rein and she changes to the wrong leg and i want to change her back? same thing a am guessing?

 

[monica123]

i think it might be the wieght thing....

 

[monica123]

im not saying that she is amazingly trained - but when she does it i get a bit unblanced as sometimes it is like every other stride!! but others its not

 

[KatB]

Some horses do it for the hell of it, or to correct their own balance. My boy does it occasionally, but thats to correct his balance as oppose to because i've asked him!!

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
i think it might be the wieght thing....

[/ QUOTE ]
I know of an ex grand prix dressage horse, that when it was retired from competition went on to have some fun on the hunting field. It was ocassionaly used as the field masters horse - who used to find himself doing things he never dreamt of!!

It was all down to the shifting weight of the jockey. The horse was so finely tuned, that the master only had to shift his weight slightly and the horse would do all sorts

 

[Kelly1982]

We have got a little pony on our yard tha changes her legs at the slightest shift of weight. When the little girl first got her the pony was forever 'skipping' coz she changed so much.

Now they have both got used to each other she usually only does it when asked but will still do it off her own back occasionally.

 

[monica123]

ok - thanx everyone

 

[Tierra]

My PSG horse changes leg at the slightest movement of weight on his back which can make him very tricky to keep on the correct leg in canter. When I first got him I used to find myself doing the most wicked one time changes that I never asked for... but I couldnt ride one lap of the school consistently on the same leg to save my life

With him its all about maintaining a good seat (make sure you can "feel" the inside seatbone more than the outside seatbone in canter) and also keeping the outside leg behind the girth in true canter (although with him, you have to be careful this leg is passive otherwise you get into all manner of problems from him responding to this leg aid). Also be sure that you keep the horse moving forwards, as Kat said, some horses will change legs when they start to feel unbalanced.

If she does change, push forwards with the counter canter (this will mean your inside leg will be behind the girth and your outside leg will be on the girth) and then ask her to change back to the correct lead (inside leg back on the girth and outside leg back behind the girth) Dont get into the habit of bringing her back to trot or walk the minute she's changed as some horsies soon learn that changing their leg can be used as an avoidance tactic

 

[monica123]

oo...thanx everyone