Getting flying lead changes

Question

I am trying to get my new horse to do flying lead changes. My trainer says he has them just hasn't done them consistently in a while. I can usually get the front lead by not the back which makes it very uncomfortable to jump especially when my trainer will not let me trot between fences. When i use my crop in my outside hand he bolts off with me.

Answer 1

Don't cue him for the lead until the hind leg opposite to the lead you want is about to hit the ground....you are cueing at the wrong time and he is disuniting his hind and front leads.  Timing is your main problem....you shouldn't have to exaggerate your cues if they are given at the right time.

Answer 2

for one that crop is not helping. i'm sorry but i'm biased on this. crops do not help horses understand you. i'm firm on that.

as far as flying lead changes they need to be a separate lesson. he needs to be refreshed on his lead changes without throwing jumping on them into the mix. try doing long figure eights in the arena with no jumps and asking him to give you different flying lead changes. once he has that down move on to the jumps. the not getting his hind feet in line is a big problem. it's very bad for his balance and jumping him that way can end badly. thats how horses fall is when they go off balance. do lunging practices with him to get his balance the way it should be. it's called cross cantering and it can be fixed. look it up with different trainers and figure out what works for your horse. I work on a ground work of cantering and balance when i train horses to keep them from cross cantering in the future. the second reply you got was correct. you need to give him a second to switch over and he needs that second of time in between just when his fore leg hits the grouns cue him to pick up the next lead. if he's got it and understands he'll shift his weight onto that lead and then start his feet on the next set of steps on that lead.

if you want to restart his balance training you can use my technique. it works wonders for horses lead, where he takes his weight and how his bend is when switching leads. e-mail me and i'll send you the chapter on cantering balance.

Answer 3

Ask him on a straight line, when he is more balanced. Make sure you have him collected and balanced so he can make the transition. Bend his head slightly to the outside of the direction you want to turn. Shift your hands and your weight to the outside and apply the outside leg. That's what works for my horse, but some horses are trained differently, so figure out what combination works best for you and go with that.

Answer 4

Practice with simple changes first, make sure your horse is calm and collected, reward him for every step made right. Then when you're ready with him make sure you are giving the right cues. If he is a smaller lighter horse that could be part of the reason why he's having trouble getting the back lead...you need to make sure he is in balance when switching and you aren't hindering him. Sit back and collect him, make sure you're straight, lift the outside hand first then shift your wieght to the opposite side (on cheek bone) while cueing with your leg. I hope that helps...good luck :) (p.s. maybe even have the trainer jump on him and practice his changes for a week or two and then you carry on the torch--always practice them when flatting).  

Answer 5

The best thing to do is put a ploe on the ground going across the digional  and then while cantering over the pole ask for the change it always works for me!!