flying changes

Barbara F · Grand Prix

flying changes

Lori · Yearling

Does anyone have any advice about starting the changes? Favourite exercises, what to look for before attempting? I have a 12 yr warmblood and i worry that I'm starting too late. The past year he's come along by leaps and bounds and I feel like I should maybe give it a go. He does a pretty decent counter-canter but gets a little tense on the left lead. He can do really good walk-canter-walk transitions and traver, shoulder-in etc. I have tried on occassion just to see if anything happens going across the diagonal and, well, nothing. I'm sure my aids are a little off but do you have to be perfect before giving it try? I have seen him do them on his own but even in the field he's more likely to fly around on the wrong lead. He's really big too but is quite sensitive to weight aids. I have been working on making him more sensitive without using spurs because I felt like he was getting deader and deader as I was relying on them too much. He keeps getting better and stronger and I don't really find he needs them anymore. I haven't found a trainer I can work with otherwise I would get them to hop on and try to install them. I am a fairly competent rider and I have taught horses changes of lead while jumping but, as I'm sure you all know, that's quite different from teaching a true flying change in dressage.

Queenrider · Advanced

Do not do your changes across the diagonal. Teaching changes this can lead to problems with crookness late on.
One method is to do 2 strides canter left, 2 strides walk, 2 strides canter right, while maitaining straightness along the wall as you go around the ring. Build up to this exercise by ever shortening the number of canter strides down to 2. Also vary the number of canter and walk strides. Then one day when all is well and quiet just skip the walk and ask for a change.
Changes are also about rider timing of aids and not too much bend. Keep the neck mostly straight.

Lori · Yearling

Good suggestions. Thanks. I think we have a bit more homework to do but we're very close. I have heard that about the crooked thing across the diagonal so will keep that in mind. I do worry a bit about the two stride canter two stride walk exercise, just that his canter might get too small to do a change. I've heard of doing a piroette type canter and then going forward into the change.

Figarocubed · Advanced

Best advice possible from both Barbara and Queenrider!

I had to "unteach" my former jumper the flying changes to get through Second level. He thought counter canter was the Dumbest. Thing. Ever. Now, going into Third, I've had to revisit the flying change. Queenrider's canter-walk-canter is our mainstay exercise. What's worked well with Figgy is to ask for a counter bend in canter a fraction before you down transition to walk, then right up again into the new lead. So, canter right lead, ask for a bit of counter bend to left, down to walk and up to left canter. And as she said, make the intervals of walk shorter and shorter. Try to fit in three or even four of these c-w-c transitions down a long side. Pay very close attention to that slight change of bend -- it's key to correct changes.

Remember, the canter-walk-canter is only a simple change exercise with emphasis on the change of bend. Once you get that down, asking for a flying change from a more energetic canter will be easy-peasy. Just canter, change bend (inside leg), ask for change (outside leg) -- just as if you're striking off from the walk. Only you're not walking.

Figgy's changes are "9's", according to my coach. We'll see if I can get 9's next weekend -- we debut at Third on the 26th!

Much dependent on remembering my tests and riding the HORSE, not the TEST!