How to teach horse flying change???

[taracrowe]

Hiya!! So I know that I should have done this with my 7yo loooong ago but he still doesn't know how to do flying change! I have done it on other experienced horses and its no problem but it just seems that instructors thinks that every horse was born knowing how and when to do flying change so no one ever actually told me how to teach it to my horse and me a bit I guess lol.. So I'm putting it to you guys thanks!!!

 

[LouS]

Is it for dressage or show jumping?

You can teach them by using a small fence/raised pole, just canter over it and give the aids for the change and they'll start to associate and you can then change without the pole but this does encourage them to jump into the change and sometimes not do a true change.

Otherwise you need to have your canter very balanced, be able to counter canter etc. There are several ways to do it, some people change the rein, come back to walk then pick up the other lead and gradually take out the walk steps. Someone else taught me to ride a 10m loop back to the track and ask for the change and almost off balance the horse so he's encouraged to change his legs. But you must have the canter there.

 

[Mike007]

Be carefull, if you wish to do dressage, teaching your horse to do flying changes can make life very difficult

 

[taracrowe]

Sorry it's for showjumping

 

[Herpesas]

some people change the rein, come back to walk then pick up the other lead and gradually take out the walk steps

^^^This! Practice your simple changes (canter-walk-canter) using half halts to prepare for each transition, over X in the school. When they can do a balanced simple change, start reducing the walk steps until you can half halt and ask for canter on the other leg.

I'm not a fan of putting the horse off balance to change legs as IME it ends up with the horse's head coming up through the change resulting in a flat stride.

 

[ellie_e]

A canter pole is A great help!!

 

[fornema]

Be carefull, if you wish to do dressage, teaching your horse to do flying changes can make life very difficult

THIS!!! MY pony is a showjumper so she has automatic flying changes for the sj ring, however she also schools to about elementary level and although her movements are advanced she really does struggle to not flying change when asked for some counter canter on circles/change of direction. They really start to anticipate them once taught i think But agree using poles will make teaching changes a lot easier i would start when changing rein down a long diagonal as have most space.

 

[KatB]

If your horse is off your aids and infront of the leg, and taught how to canter properly, teaching changes will not cause a problem for dressage. I do a lot of counter canter and normal canter as well as changes, to keep my mare in frontof the aids and listening. thje more balanced the horse, the easier keeping counter canter will be

 

[Jenni_]

Be carefull, if you wish to do dressage, teaching your horse to do flying changes can make life very difficult

This, deffo!

Was at the Scottish Champs this weekend and there were a couple of horses in the Medium who had obviously been learning Changes at home (including the one I was with) who as they came off the diagonal in counter canter, were shortening themselves to offer a change. Some managed to hold it, others didn't.

And you can't tell them off! You just have to go back and 'unteach' them it for a while....

 

[wench]

Use the help of an instructor?

 

[MillionDollar]

Agree with KatB completely. Yes, you prob don't want to compete while you're establishing changes but you can't leave it until you're at Adv Med to then teach them. My friend had a lesson on my 4yo with Charlie Hutton and he said his 4yos learn everything (albeit babyish) including changes. The earlier they're taught the better IMO.

 

[christine48]

Be carefull, if you wish to do dressage, teaching your horse to do flying changes can make life very difficult

Very true!! We sent our young horse SJ last year and they did changes with her. Now she's eventing and the counter canter is a problem at the moment - she just keeps throwing in the flying changes all of the time, so frustrating!