Flying Lead Changes ugh

Need help with flying lead changes next summer I hope to start competing....Chester(my qh) will jump over a fence and switch lead if asked to do so and he can go from a standstill to a lope its just that I've tried the practice when you left lead then trot and rite lead and trot etc. but I switch up how many strides he takes and he still antisipates because he's so dang smart so that doesnt work.....

Does anyone have and other techniques that might work??

That is called a simple change with the trot steps ;)
Don't let him anticipate, if you have to just trot around for an hour until he relaxes and doesn't do the transition before you. If you try one, then the second he relaxs and stays with you (aka not anticipating) then you may go to canter, try not to drill them either, that always makes a horse anticipate. Maybe even do a flying change at one turn and a simple change the next and mix it up

Sorry, I'm a little confused by your post. Do you want to teach your horse how to do a flying lead change or to stop anticipating them and do a simple change?

sorry ummm to teach him to do a flying lead change :) for jumping purposes actually

Just do figure 8's around the arena. Stay balanced, don't be leaning to far to once side, give him a squeeze with your outside leg.

Ok ill try it next time I ride :)

I would rather be able to communicate to the horse, while in mid jump, which direction he will be going on landing, so he gets the correct lead right off. That way a flying change is less important.

Train the change through trot until he settles. Then train the change through walk shortening the number of walk strides as he improves. Eventually you will be able to cut that one walk stride out, too. I prefer to train flying changes on the straight line. No using throwing them off balance in a turn to get it. That way they listen to the cue more than the change of direction. Someday, you might have to demonstrate a counter canter. Hard to do if you use turn to cue the change.

I have read that teaching the change through the trot encourages some horses to skip or not change cleanly and becomes a very hard habit to correct. I was told to always teach flying changes by coming down to a walk and gradually eliminating walk steps until it becomes a half halt canter stride to a flying change. Also transitioning (properly) from canter to walk engages the hind end more with each transition and really helps with the next canter depart. Changing through the trot tends to get some horses more strung out and can actually do more harm than good for canter departs depending on how well you have them connected over the back.

As far as anticipating trot-canter transitions, I agree with what ridergirl23 said. Don't let him make the choices on his own. Make him trot until he completely forgets about jumping back into the canter. As soon as he gives you a few relaxed trot steps, ask for canter. Never pick the same place twice. Ride different patterns. Anything it takes to keep him from anticipating and doing it on his own. My horse loves to canter, so we play this game a lot.

Good luck

I was actually going to ask a similar questions... How to ask for a flying change. I've got my horse doing pretty smooth simple changes, only a few trot steps between, but I haven't be brave enough to ask for a flying yet, what cues are used?

Also, I am confused as to why one would ask for the walk before asking for the lead change. Could someone explain that a bit more?

Sorry Ponies4Paige! I didn't mean to hijack your post!! I just didnt want to post the exact same question!

You have to progress from changing through trot to change through walk, first. Then, you ask for fewer walk strides until they are ready for your cue for canter/lead.

What cues are you using to ask for canter/lead?