I lease a TB gelding, for two days a week. He can't do a flying change unless he runs into it %26 even then he'd rather canter on the wrong lead rather than switch. He can handle simple changes but flying changes seem to just be beyond his grasp. Is there anything I can do to help him out? He's usually shown in the jumpers but I'd like to show him in the Eq before the summer is over %26 any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Answers:
He's too heavy on the forehand and cannot lighten his front end enough to switch his leads.
If he doesn't get it the first time, reward the effort and give it another go. The fact that he'll do it running, etc, means he understands what you want and is willing, but not ABLE to do it. He needs muscle and balance.
To canter, the horse has to rock their balance back to free up the inside shoulder and to activate the outside hind (the strike off leg for canter.)
To do a flying change, the horse has to sit down TWICE a much and really free up the front and make sure they are on the back leg.
I would bet that the horse is very heavy on the forehand.
Do LOTS of consecutive half-halts through your simple changes on a HUGE figure eight. Do your half circle, then half halt, release, half halt, release down the diagonal/middle, trot through X, half halt %26 release for several strides then and pick up your new lead about 1/4 of the way down the diagonal.
Do this for about 2-3 weeks, riding 2 or 3 times a week (if your horse can handle that) Be sure to keep working on other things, like clean canter departures, LOTS of changes of gait, (ie: walk, canter, trot walk canter, canter trot canter walk, etc.) Try turn on the haunches and turns on the forehand to see which is easier. If its easier to do turn on the forehand, that will explain that your horse is VERY heavy on the forehand.
On about week 2 1/2, add a "V" shaped trot-pole to your figure 8. So that one pole intersects one diagonal and one pole intersects the other. (set it a bit north of X so your "X" really is in the middle of the 2 poles.)
Start to Aim for your horse to have 3 strides of trot. One before the pole, one over, and one after. THen canter. Remember, half halt and release through EACH stride down that diagonal -- this will help rock him back to a balanced carriage on his hind end.
Do this for SEVERAL weeks until your horse builds up the muscling he needs to carry himself correctly through a flying change.
Horses, like people, have a good side and a bad side. So its easier for him to counter-canter on his good lead than to sit down and rebalance to use his bad lead. So work to build him equally on both sides. Work on getting 100% the most beautiful canter departs on his 'bad' lead!! That way you'll have clean departs on your figure 8, too, even during simple changes!!
After several weeks of improving his muscle tone and making simple changes progessively more difficult (remember, don't move on to the next challenge until he has got the first one down to an ART and is sooo bored b/c he does it so well!) your horse should have enough balance and muscle to start to learn the flying change.
You MUST have a strong half halt and a strong seat to do a flying change.
It is "canter, canter, Halfhalt, canter, halfhalt, CHANGE, halfhalt %26 DRIVE, canter, halfhalt, canter, etc."
If you do not halfhalt to rebalance then drive after the change, he could fall out of the changge.
Do not PUSH the horse.
The minute he does one change, you need to stop, trot him for a bit and then let him walk and be done for the day with LOTS of praise immediately after he does it right. He'll learn that flying changes are good and earn him rewards.
If he is set-up correctly and NOT allowed to plow around on his forehand, he will definately do a change. Almost all horses who are trained at simple changes, with the above training plan to develop muscle, learn to do changes.
To be clear, could you tell us the aids your'e using to ask for the flying change? And can you tell us how you're asking for a half-halt?
figure 8's are good practice. have you checked for lamness?there might be a physical reason he prefers 1 lead to the other, also if he is an x racehorse that might have something to do with it too.
I agree with the figure 8's
It sort of forces him into it if you use a little more rein work.
Ground pole-- ask for the new lead right before, as you would over a jump.
Take a few dressage lessons-- it will help with his balance. It sounds like he's too much on his forehand and cannot balance himself. Other exercises would be shoulder-in /Haunches-in on a 20m circle, and balanced counter canter 20m circles.
The self-carriage that dressage will bring will help SO much with the jumpers... you'll be able to regulate his stride better, get tighter rollbacks, and better jumps.(it'll help your base as well, and that will only improve your equitation!!)
Circles, circles, circles!
Cantering on the wrong lead around a turn will be uncomfortable for him. He should do a flying lead change.
Firstly, be sure he is sound and has no physical reasons for not wanting to swap leads.
Sometimes the only way to get the to do a flying lead change is to throw them into it. It feels awful until they figure it out, and then they catch on to it.
Working in figure 8's over ground poles works wonders too... While I was training my dressage mare, I did a ton of this, and also did some canter serpentines, and she would swap as we left the rail, then swap back as we swerved back onto the rail.
It's not beyond him, it just takes time to figure out - and if you are only riding him 2 days a week, then he's probably not being worked on it the other several days during the week, so it is going to take him longer than a horse in 5-6 day a week training.
Will he swap over fences? If you are shooting for eq. over fences, try schooling him over fences in a figure 8. The fence doesn't need to be high, just needs to be something to jump. He might swap easier over fences if you cue him for it in the air.
Before you try and do flying lead changes, you should make sure the horse picks up the inside shoulder and you are able to move the shoulder however, and wherever you want it. You also need to make sure the horse is moving off of your legs. A good exercise to get him to move off of your legs is to side pass. To be able to move the shoulder start at the walk and jog and take him in circle and take your inside rein across his neck and use the inside leg to get him to move to the outside(nose tipped to the inside of the circle). When you have this down at the walk and job move up to the canter. When you have established control of the shoulder and he is moving off of your legs it will make the figure 8s a lot more easy on you and your horse.
Try taking him over 18" cross rails. If you can, ask him to swap leads on your landing.so If your on the left lead coming to the jump, time it so he takes the right lead when he lands.
when hes on the wronge lead give him some outside leg, and lift your inside hand.
and do work on figure 8's;they should help.
Check with your vet to make sure he is 100% sound, especally in the hock/back end area. If all is well, there are a few simple exercises you can try. One is to lay a pole on the ground on the diagonal line. Canter down the diagonal and turn as you horse canters over the pole. Hopefully he will get the idea and change over the pole (most horse do). After you have done this for a week or two, try it without the pole, just make a turn.
It is ok to ride him a little more forward then you usually would to your changes. Be sure when you ask for the change, you are changing you weight from the old outside sturrip to the new outside sturrip, which will change his balance and help him out. Also, be sure to keep your eyes up and ask someone to supervise from the ground so you can be sure that he changed both his back and front.
Do you have a trainer to help you? He/She might be able to help you out more too.
1 last idea, do lots of down transitions (trot to walk, canter to trot ect.) before doing the changes to get him off his front end and make it easier for him to change.
Hope i helped you!!
It is always interesting to read these comments and no matter what the subject might be it is often suggested to call a vet to check for soundness issues. While in some cases it is viable answer, in most cases though the most helpful piece of advice anyone can offer is seek the help of a professional in your area. Choose carefully,watch them give lessons to other people in your riding skill set and if everything seems good then take some lessons. Having the expertise of a knowledgeable individual is going to help you far more in the long run.
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