[Lopinslow]

Personally in my opinion, flying changes are for balanced and FINISHED horses... not a horse with only 6 months of riding.

I wouldn't even START asking for flying changes until i could move every part of the horses body independently and at every gate, they are soft in the face, have perfect transitions, can do all lateral work with a light cue at every date, are collected, and can rate their speed. i do not know how the OP is asking/teaching the changes, but i see people that just quickly change directions... which honestly irritates me to no end!
a CORRECT flying change has nothing to do with changing directions! it is a collected/forward motion manuever that includes moving the hip over, lifting and freeing the shoulders, then rounding up the back to change in back first and then immediately following in front.

to the OP, regardless of the age of your horse, or how much riding it is... in my opinion it is not even close to being broke enough to be even started on flying changes, so i'm VERY glad to read that you are going back to basics.. which is sounds like the horse really needs.

[Lindsayanne]

Originally Posted by Lopinslow

I wouldn't even START asking for flying changes until i could move every part of the horses body independently and at every gate, they are soft in the face, have perfect transitions, can do all lateral work with a light cue at every date, are collected, and can rate their speed. i do not know how the OP is asking/teaching the changes, but i see people that just quickly change directions... which honestly irritates me to no end!
a CORRECT flying change has nothing to do with changing directions! it is a collected/forward motion manuever that includes moving the hip over, lifting and freeing the shoulders, then rounding up the back to change in back first and then immediately following in front.

Amen. My 9 y.o. gelding has been in steady work/lessons for 3 years straight, is showing 1st level dressage, and my instructor still won't let us work on flying changes.

[sirius-dressage]

Shoot, my 18 year old I still don't work on his changes. We've been spending the better part of two years trying to re-work his entire training to the point where he is balanced and responding to my seat and leg. The other day we got two perfect changes but it has been a long time coming to that to try and get his entire body in line enough to switch both ends at the same time. Even when we are jumping I will do simple changes because I am not going to force the issu.e He does not naturally do them and it takes him being exceptionally balanced at that point in time to get them.

[Reinergirl23]

Originally Posted by Cami1230

I can see your concern about her age but she'll be 3 in 2 months. I also think she's progressed very well in her training until recently that it seems like we've hit a wall.

I know how ya feel!! I also am training a 2 year old right now, and she is a great girl!! But in our last month of riding, she really seemed to hit a wall like you said! When this happens it's best to just go back and review some stuff they know really well! Good luck with your mare!!

[Cami1230]

Thankyou all for your replies! Today was a better day. We did a lot of ground work and lunging for about 45 min and then called it a day. I'm just going to start from the beginning and hope we fix what I did wrong along the way.

[JBandRio]

Originally Posted by Lindsayanne

Amen. My 9 y.o. gelding has been in steady work/lessons for 3 years straight, is showing 1st level dressage, and my instructor still won't let us work on flying changes.

That's a bit different. Sorta The Dressage world is very particular about starting FLCs. They tend to work on movements as the tests start calling for them. FLCs are not required at your level. Simple changes are. Counter canter is. MOST Dressage people don't work on FLCs for quite a while.

Contrast that to the Hunter folks who try to teach them as early as possible, since without them the horse doesn't pin.

But beyond the "when" of teaching them, there are the basics that have to be in place.

[Lindsayanne]

Originally Posted by JBandRio

But beyond the "when" of teaching them, there are the basics that have to be in place.

And that is the bottom line! This fall, a friend who events rode Regal in the breed show I host. They entered the 2ft hunter class, which was four jumps on a figure eight. She did not know my horse "didn't do" flying changes, so as she brought Regal through the center she just rebalanced and asked and he cleanly changed leads front and back!! My jaw dropped, and I figured it was a fluke, till they came across the diagonal the second time and performed another smooth, clean, flying change. Neither had any idea they'd done something special.

To me that just seems like proof if you do the basics right over and over and over and have a truly supple horse you shouldn't have to use the tricks and/or deal with the leap or buck-stride.

[Cami1230]

Originally Posted by JBandRio

That's a bit different. Sorta The Dressage world is very particular about starting FLCs. They tend to work on movements as the tests start calling for them. FLCs are not required at your level. Simple changes are. Counter canter is. MOST Dressage people don't work on FLCs for quite a while.

Contrast that to the Hunter folks who try to teach them as early as possible, since without them the horse doesn't pin.

But beyond the "when" of teaching them, there are the basics that have to be in place.

Funny you say that. We're learning hunter Nothing drastic of course but some of the basics.

[John]

We do flying changes as soon as the horse is collected, moving forward and moving off leg. Most horses can do nice quiet back end first changes in a straight line at the end of the first week under saddle. It is not magic. It is simply doing the ground work properly and using the right building blocks in order.

[Rising Star]

Ive had my OTTB a year and a half and I still dont push him to get them. Hes currently 7 and has had many other owners so we arent too sure what he had all learned so I restarted him over with the basic w/t/c slowly. He gets really confused when you ask for a FLC but gets his simples perfectly. Meanwhile I can jump a course with him and he will do them on his own each time. Same with polebending (we did it at a funshow)

Personally I think your rushing things a bit too fast with your mare. When training young horses you have to take it really slow or they can get confused and upset like yours is. Giving her some time off and then restarting her will be really good.

and i quick note to the hunter thing.. I really hope you havent started her over rails. horses shouldnt be started over fences till they are atleast 4 normally.