teaching flying changes

[Andrew657]

If you were thinking about asking for flying changes for the first time - both horse and rider. Would you ask your instructor who has only ridden the horse occasionally to try first - and then teach you. Or ask her to teach you both together.

Also as Henry's prefers cantering on left - would you ask from canter left (ie starting on the better canter, more natural balance) or ask from canter right to have the encouragement of switching to the preferred lead

 

[Tiddlypom]

Can you have a session or two on a schoolmaster type to learn the feel of the changes first?

 

[Andrew657]

Can you have a session or two on a schoolmaster type to learn the feel of the changes first?

Would love to - but don't know of anywhere doing schoolmaster lessons (am based in North Yorkshire if anyone has suggestions)

 

[MissTyc]

I would discuss it with my instructor and see what they think is best.

In my experience, when you've reached the point of introducing changes (to a normal horse that you're schooling following the scales of training, not a sooper dooper well balanced magical dressage horse), you start to feel those moments of connection more and more and more and then suddenly you're there!

 

[milliepops]

how old/established is the horse and does he offer changes naturally? i think that would affect my plans.

as for which way you go, I find mine produce the best and easiest changes when starting from the best canter. if it's easier to prepare the change then they are more likely to do it correctly. though you do obviously need to get the harder way too

 

[Andrew657]

how old/established is the horse and does he offer changes naturally? i think that would affect my plans.

as for which way you go, I find mine produce the best and easiest changes when starting from the best canter. if it's easier to prepare the change then they are more likely to do it correctly. though you do obviously need to get the harder way too

Hes 16 and would normally school novice/elem level but don't compete - but has never offered changes

 

[milliepops]

if it's your first time training them and the horse isn't offering them naturally then I'd be inclined to ask trainer to have a sit first.

 

[MissTyc]

Saying that, there's no harm in the instructor having a play to see what the horse knows. But, it also depends on what your own training goal is. I would expect a horse an elementary level to be ready for changes since the simple changes should be established, so discuss with instructor and keep on working in the correct direction.

 

[milliepops]

the reason I'd say get the trainer to start is IME an older horse with an established counter canter sometimes finds it harder to understand what you're asking. if the horse popped a change in here and there or did so jumping etc it's easier to get the right response because it's already there in their skillset, but if they're a bit set in their ways then it can be confusing when you change the goalposts and tell them to change instead of maintain a CC.

that's when the rider having a bit of experience of setting up and presenting the horse in a way that makes it easier to change than not, can help. so much of it is timing and small adjustments to give the horse the hint that it needs to change, and that's hard to learn at the same time as teaching the horse the exercise for the first time.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

In this case, I would have a trainer have a good at it first.

Wooo boy, you do not want to end up in flying lead change hell, let me tell you!

So if you have the means to have a pro install them, do it. I mean, you can also do it the hard way and go at it yourself, but you might pick up some sort of drinking habit along the way ? I don't suggest horse and rider both learning the changes at the same time. If it were a horse that offered changes at a young age, I might think differently.

But, there are a lot of building blocks, so to speak, that you can work on leading up to the changes and exercises that will improve the canter and the changes without actually doing them.

 

[Andrew657]

Was a bit surprised in last nights lesson (working on my position) flying changes got mentioned in passing - and I said can we start working towards those. and basically got told we can do them tonight (we didn't - time/didn't want to overwork horse as needing clipping). But thought I would get a few experienced opinions from here before next lesson. In the meantime will continue schooling. Not sure if I have means to get pro to install the Flying Change - but could certainly ask her to introduce them

 

[tristar]

i would be trying to get the canter well developed on both leads first

 

[greenbean10]

how old/established is the horse and does he offer changes naturally? i think that would affect my plans.

as for which way you go, I find mine produce the best and easiest changes when starting from the best canter. if it's easier to prepare the change then they are more likely to do it correctly. though you do obviously need to get the harder way too

Interestingly both my horses find their changes far easier going from their weaker rein to their stronger rein - I wonder why it's different!

 

[milliepops]

Interestingly both my horses find their changes far easier going from their weaker rein to their stronger rein - I wonder why it's different!

possibly depends on why the canter is weaker? with mine, current one I would guess it's a straightness & balance thing. she has a correct change both ways (plenty of them ) but if she is going to miss behind it's always going from the weaker canter.

last one was def a collection/engagement thing, i couldn't get enough of either on the weaker rein to create time in the stride to get the change through to start with.

 

[daffy44]

If you are in Yorkshire would Moody Dressage be a place thats feasible for you to get to to try a schoolmaster to give you a feel of the changes on an established horse?

In your situation I think I would probably ask your instructor to try first for all the reasons MP said, but of course discuss it with your instructor and make a plan together.

As to which rein to start on, I find its different at different stages; when the horse understands the question of the flying change I think its better to start on the stronger rein as the horse will have better engagement, balance etc and so it will find easier to make a good change. But, when you first start the changes, and the horse is totally new to it, I start on the weaker rein because I know that the horse wants to get onto the stronger rein, so the horse is motivated to get onto the rein it finds more comfortable.

 

[Andrew657]

Thank you all for helpful replies. Daffy do you know if Moody Dressage do schoolmaster lessons (website only mentions on your own horse) - would be a possiobility

 

[daffy44]

Thank you all for helpful replies. Daffy do you know if Moody Dressage do schoolmaster lessons (website only mentions on your own horse) - would be a possiobility

I dont know, all I know is that I've got friends who have had regular schoolmaster lessons at Moody Dressage, but its possible that they are not doing them at the moment? I would drop them an email and ask, because I know for sure that they used to do them.

 

[Andrew657]

I dont know, all I know is that I've got friends who have had regular schoolmaster lessons at Moody Dressage, but its possible that they are not doing them at the moment? I would drop them an email and ask, because I know for sure that they used to do them.

Thank you

 

[Andrew657]

Just realised Moody Dressage are in tier 3 at the moment - so shouldn't travel to them. Don't think schoolmaster dressage lesson comes under the governments definition of essential.

 

[SmallSteps]

I'm a disaster at flying changes. If the horse offers them naturally then great, we can get confident correct changes, but if the horse doesn't offer them naturally I'm a shambles and can't install.

 

[ohmissbrittany]

I'd start with your instructor.

I normally set them up by cantering the diagonal across the arena, slowing to a NICE trot, then picking up the opposing lead and carrying on. Eventually, I attempt to do it without the trot. It is important the horse is working nicely off your leg, because I go from "bent one direction" to "straighten up" to "new inside leg bumps them to lift the shoulder, followed by the outside leg back to activate the hind end". Some find it easier with a pole, but your timing needs to be better with that of course.