Teaching changes when they won't change behind

[DJR]

My Second Level horse is coming along nicely in most respects, but I seem to have come up against a block in terms of schooling the flying changes. He WILL NOT change through behind (either way). He will change readily in front, then happily canter around disunited.

He has a balanced counter canter, does w/c and c/w quite well, and will LY at canter either way. I have worked on changing the bend before the change, shortening the canter, making it more uphill, etc. He simply won't change behind.

In fact, for most of his life, even in the fields, he doesn't seem to do flying changes EXCEPT once when he was 3-1/2 he gave me a flying change (clean & through) accidentally when we were in a big canter across a wide-open space. I've tried to replicate this approach without any luck.

Any thoughts? Has anyone successfully taught their horse to change through cleanly in this situation? Note: he isn't "late behind", he simply does not change behind at all!

[HafDressage]

DJR I have known a few overly confirmed counter canterers that just won't change. One of which was a 3/4 draft, 1/4 TB. Also, I am in the process of confirming changes on my haflinger. In all cases, the same exercise worked, but you have to be willing to give a liberal smack on the fanny with the whip. Better that they buck and move their fanny than do nothing at all.

Here is what has worked for me:
Go down the quarter line in walk, pick up the outside lead (counter canter), jump a stride or two and then bring them back to the walk or and ask for the new inside lead. The next time, push the walk portion to be faster, so not even half a stride of walk, they touch down and go on new lead. Do this a couple of times so they get the idea. Next time, push it even faster so they may take just a foot of trot and go to the new lead. At this point, your horse should be getting the idea and hopefully getting a little revved and even too strong in the bridle. They need that excitement. You want them almost running through your aids to get to the new lead as fast as possible. They MUST understand that you want one lead then the next as quickly as possible. If they don't fully downshift to walk and end up trotting that is great as long as they are trying to do it quickly. In every case where I have done this, I have felt at some point like the horse was running through my aids and I was getting a little scared that they might be too up for me to handle.

Next time around,walk, counter canter 1-2 strides, ask for the change, TAP hind end with the whip as you ask. Even if they pop the hind end up a little in response, better to get a response than just to have the hind end do nothing. Rinse and repeat if he doesn't get it the first time. The reason this works and the reason you need to ask within the first few strides of canter is because those are usually the most uphill strides of canter you will get, so the horse typically has the jump necessary to bring the hind legs through. Also, it makes them excited and helps them get the idea that they are about to do something. Also by not doing it across the diagonal, you are avoiding the running canter and wild after effects that often occur.

I hope this helps and good luck!!!

[mld02004]

My instructor had me leg yield my mare towards the new bend so that she was practically begging to change and that helped. She also has to have a lot of activity--if the canter is too flat it happens. Sometimes I need to jazz her up before asking, though she is not at all a lazy type! She was a counter canter machine and saw no need to change.

[lorilu]

My trainer's method - be sure you can move the shoulders and neck anywhere you want in canter/countercanter. In other words, when counter cantering, be sure you can have him look where he is going, so he is somewhat counter bent as well as counter cantering. Then move the shoulders into the NEW outside rein and slip the new outside leg back, lift with the new inside hip.

[svvdressage]

I teach them similar to mld. Come thru the short end in counter canter..really asking for the canter to be active and jumping. Turn down the quarter line then leg yield to the wall. Focus on making sure they are really moving sharply off what is going to be the new inside leg. Then ride forward to the change. By shortening the canter you could be blocking him from being able to jump thru behind. Make sure you are giving him room to change by keeping the new inside rein soft.

[Ponichiwa]

A tap with the whip on the hip as you ask for the new lead can help connect the dots, too. It serves as a reminder for the ones that are happy to canter along all broken and weird that they actually have a hind end and they can use it. As above, this should be for the new inside hind leg.

You may have to experiment where in the process to tap the hip. It may help to jazz up the hind end if you give several taps in time with the canter before asking for the change. It may help to reawaken the hind end (as mentioned above) if you tap the stride before you ask for the change, or while you're asking for the change. Finally, it's there for you if you ask for the change and only get half of it.