How to Teach Flying Lead Changes

I've never had to teach a horse how to do flying changes before. To be honest, I've always avoided it. I've ridden horses who already knew how to do lead changes, but that's the extent of it. When I decided to put Apollo up for sale as a hunter/jumper I knew I would have to tackle the lead changes in order to make him more marketable.

The first thing I did was do a search on Google. One site said it was important to switch your weight to the opposite direction of the lead you were asking for. Does that mean all this time that I have been cantering in one direction I should have had more weight on my outside seat bone? Did I already naturally do this? Even now I forget to take notice when I ride.

Another dressage oriented site explained that they didn't recommend flying lead changes until a horse had a solid understanding of counter canter. During my video search on YouTube, I did find a Jane Savoie video for how to improve flying lead changes which included counter canter and it was pretty interesting. But too advanced for Apollo.

Some sites suggested the process was as easy as practicing simple changes and then asking for a flying lead change. Just ask with the opposite outside leg - was it really that easy??

I read George Morris's section on flying lead changes in his book Hunt Seat Equitation. He described that flying lead changes were actually a lateral move, shifting the horse's weight from left to right or right to left - even though the canter was moving you forward. That is what makes it complex.

Finally it became clear that there was not a magical, super simple answer to teaching flying lead changes. You have to be persistent and keep trying. Here is the training process I followed:

1. Pick one direction to focus on. Either left to right lead or right to left lead. (I selected left-to-right because traditional Apollo has a left lead preference).
2. Pick up a left lead canter. Rider position should be 2-point or 3-point - light contact in the saddle if any at all.
3. Do a roll back turn to the rail.
4. Bend left through the turn, then straighten out and switch the aids, asking for a bend in the new direction
5. The new outside leg should ask for the change by applying (strong) pressure behind the girth
6. Ride through the turn into the direction, applying pressure with the outside leg
7. Don't get upset if your horse doesn't pick up the new lead. Don't get upset if he just canters faster. Don't get upset if he throws his head up (he's confused). Don't get upset if he just switches in front and not behind or vis versa.
8. Even if your horse doesn't change his lead, canter into the new direction. Gradually slow to a trot, re-balance and start again.
9. It will likely take several tries (for Apollo it was about six tries and then he did his first flying lead change!)
10. When they do execute a flying lead change praise them! A lot!! Don't worry about it being perfect. Take what they give you and tell them how awesome they are.

As I said, it took about six tries before Apollo figured out to do a flying lead change (don't forget horses do these naturally - it's a matter of them understanding what action/response we're looking for when we use a specific combination of aids). I was super happy with him! During the next lesson, I repeated the same pattern - at the same place in the ring. It took about the same number of tries before Apollo did a flying lead change. He would speed up into the change - sometimes jump through the change. But he was learning it.

Then I asked for it at a different location along the fence and he couldn't do it. It became evident that what he had learned was to anticipate the response based on a specific location in the ring - versus listening to my aids. I didn't let this bother me. I wasn't even sure that I was being as clear as I needed to be with my aids. So during the change, I focused on myself and the sequence of my aids so that I could become consistent with them. It took about three weeks, practicing this particular exercise two or three times a week, before Apollo was able to consistently respond to the command and do a flying lead change when requested - regardless of where he was in the ring. He still misses them sometimes, but I think I'm finally ready to start with the new direction.

Apollo learning his changes

Some tips

• I didn't use a canter pole, but you could easily begin the exercise with that. But eventually you have to remove the training wheels and you may or may not have been using the right commands all that time.
• Don't try to collect the canter (or sit too deeply), it will be easier if the horse has a nice forward gait. (I read that many trainers, like Karen and David O'Conner, teach their youngsters flying changes out in big open fields).
• Make sure your horse is on the aids first. I warm up with walk-canter transitions to engage the hindquarters. I practice alternating inside and outside bends to get the horse to relax through their backs. I look for nice clean canter transitions before practicing the changes.
• Look for consistency in one direction before beginning the process again in the new direction.
• Have fun with it! Don't punish your horse if he gets exuberant during the change. Don't get mad when it doesn't happen. And if you and your horse are getting frustrated, move on to something else and try again another day.
• Practice makes perfect. It's never fun to practice the hard things, but you have to push through it.

As a general stereotype, Apollo is a pusher not a puller. He's naturally relaxed and somewhat lazy, so I can use a lot of leg on him without him running away with me. I'd be curious what tips other riders had for teaching a hot horse flying lead changes.

More on flying lead changes: Flying Lead Changes Part 2