Eventers... when did you teach your horse flying lead changes?

Question

Well, I started out in dressage, so I've always figured that I'd wait till I'm at about 1st or 2nd level before I taught my horse flying lead changes, or at least until I had gotten the counter canter and simple lead changes down pat. But now I'm doing combined training and looking to event and I'm trying to figure out at what level most eventers teach their horses flying lead changes.

Also, not to be rude or exclusive but, please don't answer unless you event or know about training event horses. Hunter/jumping is great but to my knowledge flying lead changes are some of the first things they teach so that doesn't really help me. Thanks

Answer 1

once i knew what leads were i realized my horse already naturally did flying lead changes although i never taught them to her.. i just had to train her to get her cues.

Answer 2

Flying lead changes don't come into i believe 3rd level dressage which translates to advanced level in eventing... so when your competing advanced...that's one of the 2 levels offered at the olympics...so you have sometime...they are not needed in the stadium round nor cross country so don't really worry about it.

i taught my horse this year after having him for three years and eventing 3 times BN and once N and now going T... but i only taught him because we do hunters as well.

you should start teaching him at least over jumps so he is able to make better turns and quicker and more balanced...that will help in stadium for sure.

my old pony who i went Training on sort of figured it out for himself.

but it's really not a major thing till you get up to advanced, intermedite and starred events which will be a couple years.

Answer 3

Well what level are you eventing? You dont need to do a flying lead change until advanced in dressage. You should teach your horse lead changes probably early on so that you can use them in stadium jumping if needed.