rushing after changes

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not_with_it

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Gin has suddenly decided that she wants to learn flying changes after 6 years of not being able to do them. Its amazing what 2 months rest can do.
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She offers the change but loses balace straight afterwards and runs off. I dont want to punish her for the change and I know that once she is better balanced and taking more weight it will all come together. My instructor has told me to ride her in a double bridle, reward her for the change and then stop her.
Riding her towards the wall doesnt work.

Any suggestions?
 
She's prob running from the feeling of bringing her hindlegs through.
Try riding her more forward into the change so that the change is a bit flatter and easier.
 
Echo what Boss says, a common mistake is to over collect the canter, instead you need a decent working almost medium canter which is really jumping underneath you.
 
She is forward in the canter but she doesnt find it easy to get the jump behind. Once she runs she gets so strong and I find it difficult to bring her back to me, thats the real issue.
I once watched a clinic with Arthur Kottas where he rode a horse that did the same thing. He stopped it dead as soon as it ran but I dont want her to associate the changes with bad things.
 
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I once watched a clinic with Arthur Kottas where he rode a horse that did the same thing. He stopped it dead as soon as it ran but I dont want her to associate the changes with bad things.

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The trouble with Arthur is that he's such an exceptional rider that he can get the horse to do things no other rider on this planet has a hope of acheiving!!

You could try changing onto a circle so that you use the turn to help you to keep control.
 
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You could try changing onto a circle so that you use the turn to help you to keep control.


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My old horse used to do that when we were learning changes together and that's exactly how we improved things. Circle after the change and then bring her back to walk on the circle and make a big fuss of her.
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It's most likely a balance and confidence issue.
 
Is she as engaged as she could be and are the simple changes truly crisp?

Once you have changed you should try for a medium canter, not necessarily a driving aid if she is sensitive, but more a controlling aid of the canter she offers, with subtle half halts to engage the hind quarters.
 
where are you asking for the change?

Also can she do Counter canter/Simple changes/Canter Half pass... if no, then I would suggest a bit of work on these things to help to really balance her and get her responding completely to your aids.
 
She is probably running away due to the lack of balance. I dont think riding too strongly forward is the answer . Most horses change better after the half pass as this prepares the 'new' hndleg better for the change, whilst keeping the shoulders directed down the corridor of the connection.
Most people forget to teach the change between two legs and two reins. You really must have the feeling that you can keep the shoulders in the 'corridor' between the two reins. With the outside leg preparing and 'holding ' the new inside leg for the change. I find that most horses will runaway when they dive onto the new inside rein because the new inside leg is not sufficiently prepared.
Really getting the simple change on the diagonal line is a good preparation . Getting your horse to react to the preparation without running away from the aids so that she understands and does not fear the change.{simple or flying, i keep mixing them so they dont antisipate]
As for the double bridle to me this will only mask your problems and i do not think 'anchoring the front will help in the slightest, infact it can often make changes late infront ad the shoulders become closed down .
To me the problem is almost certainly balance, or lack of which effects confidence and therefore results in the running away from the movement.
Kyra K has some sound teaching on this one, especially by always starting with the easy change then doing the difficult one then relax, then pick up and repeat always using the relax, ie walk and stretch so that she understands that difficult work is always followed by relax.
 
Yes she can do half pass, counter canter. The simple changes she can do but they need practice. Ive tried asking for the changes in different places around the arena. I want to keep the changes fun for her so I only ask when I feel she is ready and balanced. Its the change that throws her off balance.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone.
I will try asking for a change after the half pass. We did loads of work on the counter canter yesterday getting her really straight. My instructor had me moving the shoulders to where I wanted them to be so it sounds as if we are on the right lines.
 
Where ever they are most successful.
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Seriously though, as partoow says from a half pass, or I use leg yielding too. So hp or ly from the track to the centre line and before the end, so the horse doesn't feel 'trapped' by a fence/wall which can encourage a 'short' change, change and turn away onto a circle, walk and relax.

I would be wary of doing the changes too often in one session or always in the same place as anticipation can creep in and cause tension.

Good Luck
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