Flying change?

[horse_love]

How is a horse instructed to do a flying change? I have been looking at some dressage tapes i have and i can never see (i no thats acctully the point of dressage lol). Just wondering thanx
Amy x x

[james]

Try looking at films of the dressage section from eventing. You usually get 4-6.

[IrisSilverMoon]

it can vary...really well trained horses should do it off of a rein change. Squeeze the rein opposite of the lead you are on to ask for the change, so for left lead squeeze the right rein and vice versa.

When a horse is not that well schooled its more like asking them for a canter on the other lead when they are already in canter. Currently i am helping to work with a horse at my stables to improve his flying lead changes (he just got to the point he doesn't run and buck when changing). Once i am in position to ask for the change i ask him to canter on the other lead, if he is cantering left on the right lead I can put ym outside leg back to ask for the canter, at the same time i want tto change his bend from right to left.

you can see how it leads to small rein squeezes in a more advanced horse, the small squeeze is enough of a bend change they know to change their lead.

its fun to watch the more advanced tapes of dressage (especially musical freestyle) it looks as if the horses are skipping across the diagnol.

[ros]

First stage is to make sure your horse will strike off on both leads correctly on a straight line. Once that's estabished you can ask for, say, left lead canter, do a good few strides and drop back to trot, then ask for right lead canter. Gradually you should be able to reduce the number of strides between one lead and the other until one day you end up doing a flying change.

[IrisSilverMoon]

I personally would not be training a horse a flying change through the trot. Maybe its because I am at a dressage barn, but a horse needs to be able to go from a canter to a walk and back again before it is ready for a flying change. It is also harder for the horse to stay together through the canter walk transitions, being able to do it makes them more balanced and ensures they are situated on their hindquarters rather than just falling into the trot and then picking up a bad canter.

I will also mention that flying hcanges ona straight line are harder than on a circle. the horse doesn't have to follow the bend you have set for it, it may be they decide its easier to ignore you can canter on in counter canter. Changing on a circle in the beginning gives a really clear picture to the horse that a change in bend equals a change in lead. An example of an exercise that would help a horse learn a flying change you would do side by side 10 meter circles. walk at the center point of the circle, change the bend, canter and then walk and change the bend at the center of the figure eight. Your walk steps will then get closer and closer to a flying change until that is what they are. If you let the horse trot, you've lost it and need to start over again with walk transitions. There are other ways to teacha flying change, but I like this one. It is easy to keep the horse together.

[ros]

Yes, walk-canter transitions are often easier for the horse, but I'm not sure that canter-walk transitions are quite so easy.

The point of ensuring you can do a given canter strike-off on a straight line is that you know that your horse fully understands the difference between the aids for one or the other, rather than being aided by the bend on the circle.

[IrisSilverMoon]

?????

Canter walk transitions are not as easy for the horse. That's why they are good to use. I may not have been clear, but its easier for a horse to go from a canter to a trot and not stay balanced. A horse going from a canter to a walk HAS to stay balanced. that is why you will get better results teaching the flying change with walk transitions. A horse that is unbalanced won't be able to make the change.

I would also expect any horse that is at flying change level to be able to do their transitions on a straight away. Even going from walk, canter on different leads. I just think training the lead change is easier on the circle, the straight away changes will come later once the horse has gotten the hang of it and doesn't need such a big bend change to make his flying change.

[fair~filly]

IrisSilverMoon, that's the way I taught my boyto do flying changes (on a figure 8)
My instructor can get him to do 2 time changes right across the arena.
I was also told to try canter to walk transitions & it's very hard indeed, but we did it in the end.
Excercises like these make riding in the school more interesting & benefit both horse & rider...great if you usualy go round & round in mind numbing circles.
You might not realise you are doing flying changes when you change direction when jumping as horses do it naturaly..they also go from canter to walk (watch them playing in the field)..they can do it, it's us that need to learn how ;) .

F~Fxxx
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[ros]

A lot of horses actually do find walk-canter transitions easier than trot to canter. It's easier for them to sort their legs out. I think it's just us riders that tend to think it's more difficult.

[amadeorider]

i was told that you had to shift your weight in the saddle slightly which puts them off balnce so that they change leads.
i dont know though coz my pony already knew how to do a flying chnage when i got her. lucky me.