Counter Canter Calamity??

[YorkshireLass]

Hi everyone
We've started to learn counter canter but I've got absolutely no idea what I'm doing! I get that the horse changes legs and he's effectively on the "wrong" one when going large, however, what's the best way to get a counter canter? I seem to get it by accident! Also, what's the best way of doing a flying change - say I'm doing a figure 8 in canter and I want him to be on the right leg the whole time?

 

[Skib]

Have you a teacher? I started counter canter with easy exercises first . A pole parallel to the long side of the scholl and as we cantered large and reached that long side we looped in, passing inside the pole.Then back to the fence. I didnt do anything except keep a regular sewing machine rhythm in the canter. By thinking the beat. If the horse is in regular rhythm it cant do a lead change.
I learned much of my riding from Mark Rashid who teaches riders to feel the beat of each gait. So you may like to think about this whenever you ride. Lots of things in dressage seem to depend on keeping the beat absolutely regular.
After counter canter on shallow loops we did it at the end of diagonals.The idea is to teach a horse not to change leads at a change of direction. You do counter canter before going on to ask for a flying change.