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Flying lead change

5K views 33 replies 15 participants last post by  maura 
#1 ·
Can you help me by explaining how to do a flying lead change on command?:D
 
#6 ·
This really should be done with the help of a trainer, I suggest you find yourself one you trust. One way to do it is cantering in a circle over a ground pole, and, when the horse is coming over the pole, switch your outer leg and inner hand to cue him to switch directions and lead. Of course, you must be very precise with your body cues to do that.
 
#7 ·
What a lot of people have told me is canter a figure eight but as square wise not circle wise and when you get to the middle of it and is ready to change direction you then ask.. I've tried that exact way and it worked I just wanted to know any other technectics any peoe had to offer
 
#8 ·
I highly reccomend finding a trainer. From the sound of it, you don't entirely understand the dynamics of what has to happen in order for a flying lead change to occur. It's not just switching direction, it is an entire precise cue from hands, seat, and legs setting the horse up from what lead to the next and putting their bodies in the exact correct position. It will depend highly on your level of training, and your horses.

But, since I'm sure you're probably going to try it anyway, I would suggest picking up a counter canter and asking for a flying lead change by pushing the hip to the inside around a corner, keeping inside bend. See what happens.
 
#9 ·
Can your horse perform a very balanced, controlled counter canter? Have you established simple changes through first trot, and then walk, and are you able to perform a simple change with as little as one walk stride between canter strides?
If not, then go back and work on your basics. Flying changes are not as simple as flinging your balance to the other side of the saddle, pulling on a new inside rein and hoping for the best. Changes taught like that are changes that the horse has been forced into by being thrown wildly off balance, and generally they will only change in front, then canter disunited.

I hope you have a trainer to help you
 
#10 ·
Yes, We do a bunch a of simple changes! And I didn't say all you have to do is change your balance.. I know there's a lot of steps to doing a flying lead change with your horse. I believe the horse and rider have their own techniec to doing a flying lead change. I believe it depends on the horse what you've taught the horse to obey too. Not everyones going to have the same opinion because we all have different types of horses and we either ride English or western. So I know no one is going to tell me how to exactly to it because everyone has different tehneics with their horse! This thread was to see what everyone's different styles of doing a flying lead change. I didnt want everyone to say consult with a trainer because i know how to do a flying lead change and I explained it above and thats my techneic of doing it. I just wanted to know what everyone's else's was.. But please don't think I'm mad I'm just stating my opinion.. :)
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#11 ·
I just taught my horse to do flying lead changes this last year, this fall we were able to do them on a straight line for a horsemanship test. It takes a lot of work!

I worked with my trainer the entire way, so I could have another set of eyes on the ground to see when he was getting it or cross firing, etc. Before I even tried flying lead changes I did a LOT of the basics! Control over the hip at all gates is essential, that's where you control a horse's lead. I was once told at several clinics that if you get a horse to change from their hip, you won't have any cross firing problems (99.9% of the time).

After I had 100% control of the hip we had to have control of the leads. I did a lot of counter cantering, and riding down the middle of the arena on one lead, stopping in the middle and asking for another lead (so he understands my cues and it's not just automated by which direction we're going). Like others said LOTS of simple lead changes, and I switched it up by switching through a stop, switching through a walk, switching through a trot, etc. with the goal being have one step transitions.
Two-tracking helps a lot as well, I had to be able to two-track both directions at all gates for my horsemanship test, so we did a lot of work on this before lead changes as well. Another technique I heard of and tried a little bit was a variation of a simple lead change. You canter on circle, stop side pass towards the middle of the circle you just did a few steps, and then canter a circle in the other direction, etc.
When I started actually asking for the flying lead change, I used a pole. It helped my horse understand what I wanted and made it easier for him to perform a flying lead change while still learning it. Soon I was able to take the pole away, and then I just practiced, practiced and practiced. A famous horseman once said (I cannot remember who though... sorry) the best thing for perfecting lead changes is just doing them. He said he would put hundreds of lead changes on his horses. Of course you want to pace yourself, but time is best for a complicated task like this one. It also takes a lot of muscles, so you have to wait for your horse to build them up over time.

After several months of flying lead changes on a figure eight I started asking for them on the straight of way by doing a figure eight around the WHOLE arena, making the changes in the middle.
Like... this:


Slowly I would make the straight part (pink) long and longer, until I was able to canter straight down the arena and ask for a lead change.

I know I'm probably missing some steps, it's been a little bit since I've gone through this and it's not fresh in my mind. You had some excellent tips in the prior posts as well though :)
 
#13 ·
one thing i do in preparation for teaching a flying lead change is practice moving the hip left and right, and then while moving straight forward. start by doing turn on the forehand. once your horse is good at that start moving the hip while moving forward, start at the walk first, then trot. ride down the quarter line straight for a couple steps, then swing the hips left [using left rein and right leg] for about 3 steps, the straight for a couple steps, then hips right [right rein left leg] for a couple. if you dont have control over the hip you wont be able to do a lead change.
 
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#15 ·
Yes exactly hip control is everything. Practice makes perfect, since your horse already does flying lead changes stick with the same way you ask, however try asking at times. For example put up two cones and start at the first cone and ask for the left lead then right as you hit the second cone ask for right lead, going in a straight line. That will tell you I'd he really understands your cues or just flips because you are turning him the opposite way. Once you can do flying lead changes in a straight line you are good to go, especially if you plan on showing.
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#18 ·
Hip control is important but so is being able to move the ribcage and lifting the shoulder.

If I was loping a circle to the right I will practice counterbending which is basically setting ahorse up for the lead change without asking. After he is comfortable doing counterbending I will lope a few circles normal making sure he is relaxed while he is collected and round. Then I will lope "D" shapes, when I come through the straight part of the D I ask for the counterbend and push him towards the middle of the D by pushing with my left leg, moving the ribcage (he has to move the rib to be able to reach out with the new lead leg) and turn my left wrist like I am starting a car to lift the shoulder and his hips are pushed to the left. He is setup for the leadchange, at this point all I have to do is open the door by releasing my left leg and push him through with my right leg. This is a great way to teach the lead change in my opinion because it teaches the change from the hind to the front and you can use the same exercise to keep him from anticipating. You can lope through, set him up for the change with the counterbend then return on the same path. He learns not to change until you switch legs.

If you want to watch a video on it I really liked Sandy colliers video " De-mystifing the Lead Change". But I would still recommend riding with a trainer.
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#24 ·
if you cant control the front, middle, and back of the horse you cant get a flying lead change. period. a lot of people try to just ride the front or throw their weight over the get the change - this is not correct. you should not make your horses hips move over when you ask for the change, but you need to have control of the hip and thats why you practice being able to move them. if you can move them back and forth you can also move them to be straight and get a correct change. sorry if i didnt explain that well enough in the first place.

i will not make any further reply to your judgements on my trainers.
 
#25 ·
if you cant control the front, middle, and back of the horse you cant get a flying lead change. period.
If you don't have control of of your horse in its entirety, you shouldn't be doing flying changes.


a lot of people try to just ride the front or throw their weight over the get the change - this is not correct. you should not make your horses hips move over when you ask for the change,
True enough. So loosening the hips up should not be required as any sort of preparation.


but you need to have control of the hip and that's why you practice being able to move them.
Since the only hip movement" done is the riders ( not the horse) this maneuver becomes unnecessary.


if you can move them back and forth you can also move them to be straight and get a correct change. sorry if i didnt explain that well enough in the first place.
The only reason you may want to do some sort of movement like a travers, renvers would be for suppling but the NEED to do either of these movements are not necessary if you have the horse going forward and straight.


What you do need to control is the placement of the hind leg so the horse can switch the lead by causing the former inside leg to land sooner and carry more weight and the former outside travel longer and carry a lighter load...while the horse is straight and with no swing of the haunches.


I personally recommend having the horse able to carry a decent canter and COUNTER canter before trying the flying change.
 
#26 ·
spyder, i feel like you are just disagreeing with everything i say just to disagree. i did not mean or mean to imply that this is the only key to flying lead changes. i agree that the horse should have a good counter canter on a 10m circle before they do flying changes. i also agree that they need to be straight for the change and no swinging the hips.
 
#27 ·
Pretty sure that Spyder knows what she is talking about, she has competed at a fairly high level :wink:

As far as objections, there is a reason that the flying change is not called for until such a high level. There is no way that a horse schooling low level is ready physically to execute a correct change, and therefore it is not fair of us, as the horse's partner, to ask it of them if they cannot do it correctly.
 
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#30 ·
sorry chilla, but you dont know what level i have competed at, and just because you think spyder is more experienced, does not mean i dont have something to contribute. there is never only one way to do things and every rider and horse are different. i personally would not do flying changes on a horse that couldnt counter canter a 10m half circle, but thats just me.

spyder i really dont understand why you have to keep disagreeing with me after i basically told you i agree with what you were saying....
 
#32 ·
sorry chilla, but you dont know what level i have competed at, and just because you think spyder is more experienced, does not mean i dont have something to contribute.

spyder i really dont understand why you have to keep disagreeing with me after i basically told you i agree with what you were saying....
Then please, indulge me, and tell me what level you have competed at, rather than leave it as a silent threat?

I never said you didn't have something to contribute. I just wanted to remind you that completely discounting the advice of someone who has trained to and then competed at a level that many never obtain, simply because you think she is attacking you personally, is not going to help the OP at all.
 
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#34 · (Edited)
I would also like to point out no one asked the OP what discipline she rode or why she was interested in teaching changes.

The foundation for teaching changes, and when you begin to ask for them, is very different for a dressage horse that you're hoping will advance through the levels and eventually do tempi changes.

If the OP rides hunters, jumpers or eventers, and wants to get a flying change while on course, rather than a flying change as part of a 3rd level dressage test, it changes things.

Now, I know that's abhorrent to dressage purists who believe every horse ought to have the same classical foundation, but the fact of the matter is there are lots of horses that are successful in their own disciplines without it or who have been taught changes by the cantering over a pole method. No, those aren't correct dressage quality changes, and yes, that method will undoubtably interfere with teaching the horse tempi changes later on. But those aren't critical considerations to riders whose ambition is not to advance to the upper levels of dressage.
 
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