[clashkid47]

Hello,
I have a few questions I was woundering if someone could possibly answer.
1)What exactly is the canter pirouette, and how do you get a horse to do it.
2)how do you ask a horse to do a flying lead change?

if someone could please answer these that'd be great!


Thanks
Alyssa

[Chocolate Dream]

To my knowledge a canter pirouette is where the horse is cantering in a circle around their inside(?) hind while still picking up all 4 feet. And to do a flying lead change, I push with my outside leg, kind of push my hips toward the inside and change rein.

[devilishjumper]

I don't know the answer to the first one but for the flying lead question: Look the way to want the lead to land step that way and turn that way and put the oppsite leg on. It souds like it would look like your moving all around but you shouldn't be it is one swift motion. Good luck, it is kinda hard to get the first few times you try but hang in there.

[MoonshineZeus22]

canter pirouettes are an extremely advanced move and takes alot of work and training for your horse to probably achieve one. To get the lead change it is correct watt the other people are saying slightly changing ur leg position and ur oppistite lead it IS quite hard to do and your horse does have to be trained

[Blistering Winds]

The pirouette thingy is AWESOME, but it is like HIGHEST dressage move.

As for flying leads, your horse has to be able to do simple lead changes first. They should be able to pick up the correct lead every time asked.

Then, during a canter, ask for the next lead the same way as you would standing still. Move the hips over, turn the head into the new circle, and the horse should eventually change. Sometimes takes a few or a lot of strides at first, but once they figure it out the stride time gets shorter and shorter as they develop the muscles and balance to perform a flying change.

[hossluva]

The Grand Prix dressage test is the most demanding of the sport's progressive levels, open only to the few competitors who successfully master Training Level, Levels One through Four, Prix St. George, Intermediare I and Intermediare II. Each test challenges the horse and rider to progressive development of mental and physical agility and stamina. The pair is asked to maintain a rhythmic cadence while the horse lengthens (extends) and shortens (collects) his stride, bends around increasingly small circles and progresses into movements like the trot in place ("piaffe"), pirouette in the canter and the elevated trot with a pause between each step ("passage"). The team also performs lateral movements at each gait, such as the half-pass, in which the horse moves forward and sideways at the same time. Borrowing a step from ballet, the horse pirouettes, cantering with his front legs while his hind legs remain in place. One of the most amazing movements is the "tempi change," or "flying change of lead," in which the horse appears to skip across the arena.

i got this off of a google search so this is an extremly " progressed" movement i guess u cud say! lol

[John]

Horses are left or right sided (same as we are left or right handed) and prefer one lead. They can and do change leads naturaly . The large problem is to have them change when you want. When loping a left circle most horses will automaticly take a left lead and vice versa. Change to a right circle while cuing for a right lead would be a starting point.

[hossluva]

i hope this is the right thing...
by Mikhail Kizimov


Last month we reviewed the preparatory exercises and first steps towards the walk pirouette. This month, we will review the movement in more detail and discuss some of the common faults and how to solve them.

Pirouette itself:
The pirouette is not an easy exercise, as we’ve previously discussed. Let us review in a bit more detail. This movement can only be introduced when the horse is sufficiently advanced in dressage and understands all aids, is engaged, and has desire to move forward.

The most important thing to remember when teaching this movement is to maintain the forward energy. It is uncomfortable for the horse to go forward and do a sharp turn simultaneously, and therefore the tendency is for the horse to lose forward energy. This is why it is important to teach this exercise using a 6 meter circle and emphasizing forward motion along with the turn. The instinct is to try to teach this movement from a halt, like a turn on the forehand, but it is difficult, if not impossible, to develop sufficient forward energy to complete a pirouette from the halt. Always approach the pirouette as a forward movement - think of it as a half pass with a sharper angle of turn. The same “rules” of hands and legs apply. If we just turn the horse’s shoulders with our hands, the horse will stop or step back. We will be blocking the movement and killing the energy by pulling on the horse’s mouth and swinging sideways at the same time. The horse will stop with his hind legs frozen, seemingly sinking into the footing. The horse may also go behind the bit because nothing pushes him forward (inside leg aid). Recall that we use more leg aid in a half-pass because it is uncomfortable for the horse to go forward and sideways simultaneously – the tendency is to slow down. The same amount, or more, leg aid is required for a pirouette because in a half pass we already have the energy of the trot in our favor. We need to create that level of energy at the walk in order to perform a proper pirouette.

So, let’s return to the matter at hand – progressing from a turn on the haunches into a walk pirouette. The horse must have progressed in its overall training to have sufficient strength, balance, and flexibility before moving from the turn on the haunches to the pirouette. The horse must be in a collected walk in self-carriage – round, light front end and engaged hind end with energy. If any of these elements are missing, return to work on creating self-carriage and collection. You can also wake up the horse by doing some medium trot or canter. Now, when the horse is collected with no pulling on the rider’s hands and with complete sensitivity to the leg aids, a walk pirouette can be attempted. (The aids about to be described are for going to the right.)

Executing:
1) The test says to slow down, but I say collect, the horse on the walk before attempting the execution of the pirouette.

2) Wait until the horse’s inside front leg just starting to lift up. At this instant it’s inside hind leg is right under the horse’s body. That exactly what we need. We need it to be there.

3) For the first two steps we move both reins to the right (preferably when the horse’s right front leg is up) directing the shoulders to do the first two steps to the right.

4) At this point the horse’s left leg starts to move (and at this moment the horse will try to swing his haunches out. Guaranteed)

5) Then, while still moving the shoulders around, we start using both legs one after another. The riders’ left legs moves horse’s left leg. The rider’s right one, if applied correctly, will make the horse’s right leg be active. It is like throwing a ball from one hand into another in the basketball game. Left-right, left – right. Helping the horse move them in order. The left leg shifts the horse’s left leg. The right leg accepts that shift and returns it back. The left leg is more active because it has to move around the inside right leg and needs more energy..

6) Here the balance should be in the middle of the horse. If you lean too much to the inside, the horse’s center of gravity will shift and all it’s weight will be on the right hind (inside) leg. The horse will be leaning on it in order to not fall down. If he is balanced from left to right, the pressure on both hind legs will be equal and horse will use both hind legs, instead of just the outside one, to move around.

I emphasize the fact that the rider’s right leg should be at the girth and be active to create and maintain energy and help to keep a contact with the reins. The horse’s right hind leg should move up and down during the pirouette and it is the responsibility of the rider’s right leg to maintain the energy necessary to keep the horse’s leg from becoming stationary. The rider’s left leg should be behind the girth pushing the horse around the turn while preventing the haunches from swinging out. Both of the rider’s hands should move the horse’s shoulder around the circle, but at no time should any hand cross the withers. The right hand is helping create slight flexion and the left hand is guiding the horse’s neck around the circle. Be careful not to create too much flexion because it will encourage the horse to swing his haunches out of the movement. The greater the flexion, the harder it is for the horse to perform the movement, so there is a delicate balance between to little and too much flexion – too little or too much are both improper. Remember – the inside nostril is in line with inside shoulder.

Ideally, the rider should move his hands first, moving the horses shoulder’s around the circle. The horse maintains a bend and continues the forward tempo of the walk by moving it’s hind legs up and down with the outside hind leg stepping forward of the inside leg as the horse turns, all while staying consistently on the bit. There should be a seamless fluid motion from the collected walk, into the pirouette, and back into the collected walk – at no point should the motion stop. Now, consider the walk pirouette from a competitive standpoint. A judge is looking for a few critical things in the pirouette:

1) Four beats to the walk
2) steady contact between the hands and bit.
There are many ways to not meet these two simple objectives. The most common mistake is when the horse stands with his inside hind leg still. There are so many factors causing the lack of motion of the inside leg. Think of it. Even if you succeed turning the shoulders, and the outside hind leg is moving in front of the inside one, the inside leg stands still most of the time. Think about why this happens. The leg cannot be physically moved if all of the horse’s balance is to the inside. Most of the time the rider pulls inside rein too much and the horse uses this inside leg to not fall down. Only a straight, balanced horse uses both legs when he turns. The balance should be in the middle of the horse and the horse moves to stay with the rider. The balance should not be on the hind legs keeping the motion blocked by weight. Balance !!! The horse needs the type of balance that comes from proper training of collection and engagement to be able to perform a walk pirouette correctly.

Other common mistakes are as follows:

1) The horse stands still with both of his hind legs
2) The horse’s outside hind leg steps in back of the inside one
3) The horse is behind the bit
4) The horse turns around his belly as if there is an axle through his middle
5) The horse steps backwards
All of these mistakes have similar causes: too much hand and not enough engagement and energy. The principles are consistent throughout dressage training – if the horse is not light enough to not pull on the rider’s hand, the horse is not ready to work on pirouettes. Recall the concept of balance, collection, and engagement we just discussed. If the horse is taking steps backwards, the rider is using too much hand and/or insufficient leg to maintain the forward energy. If the rider is using leg and the horse is not responding, the horse has gone numb to the aids and needs to be reminded with the whip. Medium trot or canter will bring back lost desire to go forward. The horse and rider must work together actively with each body part sending and receiving commands to create a proper, fluid, forward moving pirouette. Conclusion
As you see it is not easy at all. Try to do it and I guarantee you it won’t work at the very first time. The horse needs to be well trained first before even thinking of trying this movement. It might look easy in a Prix St. George test, but it is not at all – there is a lot of work to be done before one should even attempt the first turn on the haunches. Always remember a few key things; do not push the horse, the sharper the angle of the first turn and the more you do turns at the beginning the longer it will take to perfect the movement because it is hard for the horse. Do a step a two to begin with. If something does not work that means the horse is not ready. Go back to the preparatory exercises for that movement. Take it easy, and a mirror is a great helper. Take your time and good luck. </FONT>

[MoonshineZeus22]

yeah thats pretty much right. It is only asked at the HIGHEST of levels and takes alot of training and work to perfect. Tonight these a documentery on one of New Zealands top dressage riders and her goal to get to athhens she has the most beautiful home breed horse Gabana. Other things you can teach your horse which are easier (still extrememly hard) are piaffe this is taught to the spanish horses by tying them up on the ground and making them trot on the spot untill they get it (they normally teach this when they are on the ground (instructer)

[i_luv_moth]

my dresage instructor was looking after my horse a few months ago and he was trying to do alot of fancy moves.one wasa canter pirouette i think. i couldn't actually tell so i would no NOTHING!!about it!!!.i taught my horse how 2 du flying changes by working on a 20m circle with a single pole in the middle.i canter her up 2 it and then i open up mi lest arm so she does it then i go around again and then i open up my right rein.this may not work because this is what u usually do when doing flying changes in jumping but hey thats just me you know your typical show jumper!!lol