Horse Speeding into Lead Changes

[equestrian3241]

My horse, Splash and I are just learning some dressage together and have been doing some flying lead changes lately. Splash is really good at them (a little too good) and he does them all the time when I don't want him to. When he does them of his own accord they are gorgeous and subtle and he is also fine when I ask him to do one and surprise him with it. But whenever my riding instructor sets up some cones (she sets them up to that he has to go between two cones and change his lead right as he passes between them). This has become very difficult because he has learned that the cones mean he gets to do a lead change so when we are coming across the arena towards them he speeds up and puts his head high in the air to I have no control, then when I cue him for a change he speed up even more into almost a gallop, it makes it REALLY hard! Any suggestions or excersizes I could do with him would be greatly appreciated. Sorry it's such a long post :o

[Bay Mare]

Ride him through the cones WITHOUT doing the flying change. If you intend to do a change but feel him getting excited then abort it and carry on as normal. Make sure that he can't anticipate that you're going to ask him which is going to include making sure that you don't start anticipating him messing around :)

What about also going back a step and doing some simple changes?

[IrisSilverMoon]

i agree with bay mare. Take it a step back, don't always do a change going through the cones. maybe don't change at all, or move to a walk/halt or halt and back a little. it will teach him to listen and not rely on other cues as to what he's supposed to do.

I say anytime he starts getting out of control stop and start over. Obviously the changes are exciting and he's eager to do them, but he still has to listen to you and he shoudlnt' be allowed to do them unless he's going to do them calmly.

I used to ride a horse that would do something similar when working changes, he'd get really hyper and try to run through them or do them early or just do some wierd cantering hop type thing. At that point it was usually a hint that i'd overworked his brain for the moment (he's a national show horse and prone to loosing his brain when pushed harder than usual, he gets over it, but you have to be careful about handling it) i'd have to stop and let him walk for a bit or go work on something else for awhile before going back to changes. Just in case your horse is at all similar....;)

[tigs]

sounds like he might not be ready to do changes yet, and the reason he is rushing on is because his hind isnt far enough underneath him-a very common fault.i agree to go back to basics for a while and get him respecting you more.doing collecting exersizes-especially in canter will prob be a big help.good luck