Hi,
I'm just quering about flying changes. I have read in some books that there is no signal to do them, and in others I have read that there are...I would love to hear of anyone else who knows how to do them and their methods to gaining an accurate change.
Thanks
Of course there is a message to do them!! Goodness me. the horse has to be asked to canter on the left or right lead and basically that is your aid for the flying change. But first you have to make sure your horse understands the walk to canter aids and on which leg. Make sure your horse understands which leg you want him to lead on when you ask him to canter.
Agree with you Rosemary - I was blessed when I bought my horse - flying changes are his forte but he won't do them if I don't ask. There are several different methods to teach the flying change through canter walk trans. or counter canter. If you can - get hold of the Kyra Kirkland tape and watch her method.
Thanks for your help JP and Rosemary...I haven't got a hold of that tape yet but hopefully I shall do in the not to distant future.
Well, we are getting there....We have been doing a lot of signal work and we can do walk-canter etc. I have been doing loads of figure of eights in which at the cross over, I am allowing her to do 2 steps in trot before she is asked to swap her leg over..She is getting the idea which is pleasing...I'll keep you informed on our progress.
Catcha soon..
Luv Duvfi
xxxooo
Try Richard Shrakes Resistance Free Training the Older Horse. Although this tape is by an expert on Western showing, he shows in detail a stress free way to teach your horse to do a flying change, starting using a trot over pole, and gradually going on to changing where ever you what. It would work equally well with a dressage horse, the only difference being the way you would hold the reins. Remember what Pat Parelli says, if you ride English never take a Western lesson, if your ride Western never take an English lesson, cos if you do, you might learn something by mistake!!!!
Good Luck
I've recently started introducing flying changes to my horse's training. We've done plenty of counter canter, canter-walk-canter etc and the thing that works for me is to ask for canter. Then you need to slow it down, carrying my whip in my inside hand. Canter across the diagonal and just before you get to the corner, very clearly take your inside leg off and apply it further back and tap with your whip in the same position until he changes. If he disunites keep tapping with the whip until he changes.
There is two effective ways I've been taught to teach my horse to do a flying change, they are:
Firstly you have to have your horse mastering the simply change,
then do pretty tight figures of eight and just apply the aids (Right leg pressure just before the left rein when asking for the left lead and vice versa) and hold untill the horse changes which he will eventually do because it's quite uncomfortable for him to counter lead. Be sure to keep at a slow pace and possibly have your horse worked down tired firstly, because this type of work will most likely have your excited and he won't learn as well.
And the other, is to have your horse slowly cantering a half pass diagonally towards a corner but reach the fence line just before the corner and apply the aids, your horse will most definatly change for a 45 degree turn, and after doing that both directions a few times your horse will begin to relate the aids to the changing of the leading leg.
There is two effective ways I've been taught to teach my horse to do a flying change, they are:
Firstly you have to have your horse mastering the simply change,
then do pretty tight figures of eight and just apply the aids (Right leg pressure just before the left rein when asking for the left lead and vice versa) and hold untill the horse changes which he will eventually do because it's quite uncomfortable for him to counter lead. Be sure to keep at a slow pace and possibly have your horse worked down tired firstly, because this type of work will most likely have your excited and he won't learn as well.
And the other, is to have your horse slowly cantering a half pass diagonally towards a corner but reach the fence line just before the corner and apply the aids, your horse will most definatly change for a 45 degree turn, and after doing that both directions a few times your horse will begin to relate the aids to the changing of the leading leg.
Prerequisites for classical correct flying changes:
Your horse canters on both leads in a clear three beat rhythm
Your horse is supple, loose and relaxed
Your horse is connected from the hock over the back to the bit
Your horse has enough impulsion and a good amount of cadence
Your horse is straight (equally well working to both sides)
Your horse is collected (capable of carrying weight on the haunches)
Yes, that is the training scale and it is the prerequisite for every complex maneuvre. Any of the above points is missing and you are setting your horse up for failure. Now enough of the horse. How accurate are you in your aiding? Are you capable of a quick response and of operating every one of ypour limbs independently? Are you capable of shifting your weight from one seatbone to another without clamping? Are you sitting still in your upper body, no matter what your horse does?
Once you can put a checkmark beside all of the above prerequisites, you have to practice many simple changes and shorten the walksteps inbetween the changes to almost nothing. Then you set your horse up for one flying change (out of halfpass is one possibility). I often work out of a countercanter on a circle and ask towards the closed side of the circle. That gives the horse a visual barrier so he hopefully won't rush. There are many approaches and many traps (it's actually a minefield) in which you may fall. So my best advice is to work closely with a good instructor. Good luck to you.