Any Ideas on Teaching Canter Lead changes?

[Nickie]

My pony is 11 and has been schooled. He has been jumped and done most things however, I would like to ask him to do a flying change which I have been told he could only ever do on one rein. How can I teach him to change lead. I think I am going to have to start as if he had never done it before in his life.

At the moment we go down to trot for a couple of strides then back up to Canter. I have tried changing the rein and figures of 8, so he changes lead naturally but he is rather stiff.

Does anyone have any suggestions for either:

working with him and improving his suppleness?

how to teach him a change of lead?

He does fine in every other gait and is very good on circles and serpentines.

Nicola

[larri]

Hi Nickie
Sounds like you're going the right way about things with using serpentines and circles for suppling. vary the sizes with leg yields to really get him responding to your leg & weight aids, which must be absolutely clear. To enable him to do flying changes he must be able to go into canter on either leg on a straight line and jump into it as soon as you ask. So that's something to really work on - good transitions.

[Nickie]

HI Larri!

We are very good at circles and have perfected pretty much all the 10m, 20m and 50m (I think I may have my measurements wrong but you get the idea) circles at walk and trot - canter we can do most except the smallest ones. I think the turn is too tight at the mo. We can get canter now straight off - although he is reluctant to go forward if we are not in a corner - any ideas?

I have accidentally had one wrong lead canter on a straight, but he didn't change leg of his own will - even at the corner - he returned to trot and then straight back up to canter. (MAybe we canget this soo fast you don't notice eh? :p )

Any suggestions for canter on the straight as well? Sorry to really pick your brains on this one!

By the way - can I say also that of all the hand-drawn horse pictures I saw at Olympia - none even half-matched the quality of yours! One day I may even be able to afford one of them!

Nicola

[HunterGirl]

Does he always trot when he changes on his own?? Is that may be a bit trickier to fix than if he dosent know how to do them at all.
If he goes over poles on the ground ok try this.
Set up a pole in the center of the ring one one of the diagonals. On the left rein pick up a canter that is collected but has implusion. Canter over the pole(dont do a jump position or foreward seat) keep your seat and ask for a change to the right.
If your horse is well schooled you could try the pole but in the corner and ask for a counter canter and then ask for the change over the pole in the corner. This takes a horse/pony that has a lot of balance so it might be harder.
Let us know how you get on!!

Forgot to mention, you might want to have someone on the ground that knows if a change is correct or not.
And if your horse gets the front and not the back, put him.her in a circle the way you want to go and kick with your outside leg. Be sure not to let the horse slow down to trot and then change as that is a bad habbit to correct.Also you dont want a mad gallop either as you will loose any balance you have.