flying changes, advice?

[jUmPingIsLifE]

Milky knows how to do flying changes, she has done them since she came to camp. the only problem is she has to gallop almost to get them. if i try and keep her slow they are VERY late (half way around ring, and she only gets the change on her front) if she starts to go fast, she gets them perfect. I don't want to just let her run, expecailly going around cources because she gets fast and i have spent a great deal of backing her off while jumping, i don't want to start letting her run just to get changes. i have tried getting a lot of simple changes, than ask for a flying change, i have used a pole on the diagnol, she doens't do it unless she is flying! i wouldn't mind if it was a small increas in speed but she is really flying to get them.

[floppy]

i also know a horse that does flying changes in gallop - but she does them herself when the corner bends the other way out riding and when you ask her to do it she doesnt understand.

maybe some dressage/ general schooling lessons with someone would hlep to see hwat you are doing wrong or what else you need to do would be a good idea.

[intouch]

Ive always gone back to the beginning to teach flying change - master simple change, then reduce the walk till you end up with a half halt at canter, and then ask for the change when the quarters are engaged. If you try to do it from a faster pace it can be hit or miss, it has to come from behind.

[galadriel]

Hmmm, sounds like she needs the extra balance of being o nthe proper lead, when she is moving more quickly. Could be that when she is not really zooming she is balanced enough that being on the wrong lead doesn't bother her.

The way I have always taught flying lead changes is the figure-eight (simp,e change, I think, from the above posts); you circle to the left on the left lead, in the center transition down and ask for a right lead, canter a right circle, transition down, ask for a left canter, rinse-repeat!

This was just not *working* for one of my boarders, so she has begin on a different tack: She circles right on the right lead, then turns and circles left WITHOUT asking for a lead change, in a fairly tight circle. Just when her horse starts to feel unbalanced from being on the wrong lead, she asks him to change. It's working beautifully. He is even starting to understand the signal to change leads now

[Lgd]

From a dressage point of view the changes are introduced only when the horse can maintain his balance correctly in counter canter, work in a reasonably collected outline at a steady pace, do simple changes through walk. The changes are not required in competition tests until Advanced Medium which is only one level below the international FEI tests. Dressage horses generally work at home 1 - 2 levels higher than they are competing at. As a rough guide my youngster is competing Novice & Elementary but has just started to learn her changes in the last few weeks.