What are flying changes, how should they be ridden, and how should they be taught to a horse
Flying changes are truly fascinating and spectacular.
I still remember the first time I wanted to do one; I had found a friend to film me with her pixel phone flip phone, and I was staring at the camera with a stupid grin while my little pony went into the change lead and immediately ruined it.
For now, let’s set aside the fact that he was two strides late.
Even so, there is no doubt that until you experience that “aha!”
moment and everything falls into place, a flying change can seem puzzling.
And because every horse is different, there is no single, foolproof method for teaching it.
The good news is that there is nothing magical about this movement.
A flying change is a natural movement — your horse is already doing it in the field and freely — and with the right foundation, most horses can learn to do it on command; and in the process, make you look very elegant and professional too.
Here you will read what a flying change exactly is, how it should be ridden, and where to start teaching it — without throwing all your body weight to one side like I did.
What is a flying change?
A flying change happens when a horse at the canter, without going to the trot or walk in between, changes its leading leg in one smooth, continuous movement.
To make it clearer, let’s take a step back: in the canter, the horse leads with one front leg — meaning that leg is slightly ahead of the other and you can feel that shoulder coming more under your body.
On the left lead, the left front leg is leading; on the right lead, the right one.
Which lead you are on matters for maintaining balance, especially on turns and circles, where you usually want the inside lead — so on the right rein and going clockwise, most of the time you will be on the right lead, and on the left rein, on the left lead.
The canter has three beats, and after the third beat there is a brief moment of suspension; a fraction of a second in which all four hooves are off the ground and your horse is momentarily in the air.
The flying change happens right in that moment.
The horse changes its feet in midair and lands on the opposite lead; that is, instead of the left front leg leading, now the right front leg is leading.
If done correctly, there is no slipping and no change in rhythm; only a clean switch from one lead to the other, as if the horse has jumped from one side to the other in the air.
You can see the flying change in almost all disciplines: Dressage: it is seen from advanced medium level upward, is performed on straight lines, and at higher levels even comes in a sequence of one change per stride (tempi changes).
Showjumping: it is essential for a smooth, effortless course.
A horse that lands on the correct lead — or changes into it — can stay balanced in the turns and take the next obstacle without losing time or disrupting the rhythm.
Eventing, showing, and general riding: wherever cantering, turning, and maintaining the horse’s balance matter, a change keeps everything neat and easy.
For a less experienced rider, it is not just about the striking appearance — although that is appealing too — but above all, control matters.
A horse that changes the lead on the rider’s request is a horse that can be kept balanced and guided in any situation; whether on the turn in a jump-off, on the centre line in dressage, or simply to stay on its feet in hunting.
How to ride a flying change with the assumption that your horse already knows how to change leads (for teaching it, see the next section), here is the sequence of aids.
The key point is that the change must be prepared, not suddenly executed — first you put the horse in the correct position, then you ask.
1.
Establish a good canter first.
A balanced, active, and sufficiently collected canter that feels like you could ride a few shorter strides at any moment.
A flat, stretched canter leaves no room for a change.
2.
Prepare on the approach to the change.
Sit straight, collect and balance the canter with a half-halt, and make sure your horse is straight — neither falling in through the shoulder nor drifting out.
3.
Change your leg position.
Suppose you are on the left lead and want to change to the right.
Your left leg, which until now has been by the girth, moves behind the girth, and your right leg comes to the girth.
This new leg position tells the horse which lead you want now.
4.
Change your weight and hips.
At the same time as moving your legs, allow your seat and hips to follow as well — so your weight is subtly transferred toward the new lead.
This movement should be calm; it is only a rebalance, not throwing yourself to the other side of the saddle.
5.
Ask in that moment of suspension.
Apply the new outside leg — that is, the left leg, now behind the girth — with a clear but light aid, preferably exactly at the moment when the horse is ready to spring into the next stride.
This is the moment when the horse can bring its legs forward and under its body for the new lead.
6.
Keep riding forward.
After the change, continue with energy and forwardness on the new lead.
The most common mistake is to ask and then freeze or pull back on the reins — we have all done it, but both make it impossible for the horse to jump cleanly.
The rhythm you should follow is roughly: “Prepare...
now go!”
A change asked for in a flat stride usually comes late or flat; but a change that is first set up correctly has the chance to travel through the horse’s body and leap.
How to teach a flying change before you teach the change itself, the foundations must be solid — this part is not as exciting, but it is the most important part of the job.
Rushing to the change before these foundations are in place is the most common reason changes go wrong.
Your horse must be able to: with a clear aid and on a straight line, pick up either canter lead immediately.
Perform walk-to-canter and canter-to-walk transitions in balance, without falling on the forehand.
(“On the forehand” means the horse carries too much weight on the front of its body, instead of taking the power from behind.
It feels like heaviness in your hands; when the horse puts its head downhill or leans on the reins to keep its balance.
What you want instead is for the horse to stay light in the front and bring the hind legs under its body; in other words, think “uphill,” not “downhill.”
) keep the counter-canter balanced.
This teaches the horse to stay on the lead you have asked for, rather than changing it whenever it feels like it.
Once these are established, this is a simple and reliable way to teach a change: 1.
Use the change of direction.
Ride a shallow loop, a figure-of-eight, or cross the diagonal; anywhere the horse naturally changes bend and direction so the change of lead makes sense to it.
2.
Create a clean canter, then re-establish balance.
Just before you reach the point where you are going to change direction, give a half-halt and collect the canter so the horse stays balanced and responsive.
3.
As you cross the line, ask.
At the moment you change direction, change the inside position of the leg and seat and apply the new aid.
Because the horse is already changing direction, changing the lead becomes more logical for it.
4.
Reward the effort.
Even a messy early change — or a change that is “late behind” (meaning the front legs change lead but the hind legs lag one stride behind) — is worth praise.
You are first building understanding; the cleanliness of the movement comes with practice and strength.
5.
Keep it infrequent at first.
Ask only once, praise the horse, and then continue.
Repeated changes usually make the horse anxious or predictive.
A few good attempts in one session are enough.
If the horse is truly confused, some riders use a raised pole or cavaletti on the line of change to encourage the horse to jump over it and change the lead from behind — but in my opinion, use it cautiously at first and only turn to it when simple riding does not work.
Above all, if the first attempts are messy, do not worry.
Late, flat, or overexcited changes at the start are completely normal.
These flaws are ironed out as the horse’s balance and confidence improve — and as any good trainer will tell you, that is exactly where the real work lies.
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(Image credit: Andrew Sydenham) (Image credit: Andrew Sydenham) (Image credit: Andrew Sydenham) (Image credit: Andrew Sydenham) Preparing for a flawless half pass (Image credit: Andrew Sydenham) Source: Horse & Hound