[reiningrocks]

Ok so I have a paint mare she is 18 and I have been trying to 2 years now to get flying lead changes she will get them for about a month and them all of a sudden stop! I tried to only do one each direction only once a week. So I don't think she is tired of them. She also just turns and counter canters around and could really care less. How do I get her to move off of my leg and to be consitant about them? Thanks.

 

[Spyder]

I tried to only do one each direction only once a week. So I don't think she is tired of them. .

There is part of your problem.

Horses learn by repetition and their memory lasts only to the next moment of distraction.

 

[justsambam08]

I agree...If you want her flying changes to be consistent, you have to be consistent in practicing them!

 

[NittanyEquestrian]

Also make sure that you pick an aid and use that everytime to get the flying changes. Just changing the bend and asking her with your outside might not do it for her. She might need to be collected up and asked with more precision to give you those changes. If you don't know how to train them and just kind of luck into them as a rule, then I would invest in taking lessons from someone who can help you put a consistent cue on her that she knows and can follow.

 

[HorseDad]

This is the lead change exercise I have my daughter do w/our QH. She cues him on the pink arrow every time & now he's getting the idea that the lead change comes with the cue also and not just the directional change. (the brown is our fence line, but could just as easily be the corner of an indoor arena.)

Good Luck.

no laughing at my highly technical photoshop wizardry! lolz.

 

[reiningrocks]

Hey thanks guys yeah i do take lessons i have a trainer and I am going to youth Nationals in Reining cowhorse horsemanship and showmanship. I have taught other horses to do flying lead changes but she has got me stumped I use the same cue every time and I collect her up and then push her hip over to ask for it I think maybe because she is older she has a harder time with lifting up her shoulder.

 

[nrhareiner]

First start at the walk. Start by pushing her hip over. Once she can do that at the walk with very little presure from your leg move up to the trot and make her move her hip over again once she has that then move up to the lope. If you can not move her hip over at all 3 gaits with very little effort you will never have a consistent lead change. Side passing will also help with this. I spend more time even with my finished reiners doing these exercises then I do any thing else.

Also with reiners and reined cow horses DO NOT work on leads or lead changes in corners or the middle. Straight lines. If you can not change on a line then go back to working on moving the hip.

 

[Valentina]

Hey thanks guys yeah i do take lessons i have a trainer ...I use the same cue every time and I collect her up and then push her hip over to ask for it I think maybe because she is older she has a harder time with lifting up her shoulder.

For the shoulder lifting problem you need to START the canter with an "UP" as well as a forward. That means horse needs to step underneath itself with it's hindlegs and lift the shoulder as it steps into the canter. Then KEEP that bouncier lifting canter and while the horse is straight do a HH slightly bend NEW inside rein while slightly weighting new inside stirrup THEN ask for change.

Key is horse must already be carrying itself BEFORE you ask for the change.

 

[Silvera]

Also get good at doing simple lead changes. I am starting my young guy with this. We are working on simple lead changes on a straight line. Once you are getting them doing it whenever you ask then use the same que (without breaking the lope) to ask for the lead change.

 

[eventing101]

It's probablly just lack of consistent cues like the others said. I don't know too much about teaching them because my past two horses learned them on thier own. They wern't fancy, just a pony and a quarter horse, both non trained. They just got to the point where they were so fit that they just did automatic flying changes without me asking. The pony just started doing them on the flat and the quarter horse after jumps. After then they would usually give me automatics whenever they were on the wrong lead, or when I asked. The pony is a lesson horse and the quarter horse is my best friends eventer/hunter and is also a lesson horse they both still do it. The pony is 16 with arthritis, and the quarter horse is around 12-14 so im not sure its age unless she's older

 

[Equestrian0263]

keep working with her, dont stop, because then it is possible she will forget, and wont understand when you are asking her. also, i put a pole in the middle of the arena when first teaching my mare (did figure eights over it), and got her consistant over that before taking it away