Introduction
Canter flying can be a great way to showcase your horse’s athleticism and agility. This is a high-level dressage move that involves a transition in the canter where the horse changes its lead mid-stride. Although it’s not an easy maneuver to master, patience, practice and proper training can help you teach your horse how to do a canter flying turn. Learn how to teach your horse to do a cantering change.
Begin with the basics
Before you attempt a cantering flying change, make sure your horse is confident and comfortable in basic dressage. You will need to be able and confident in your horse’s ability to transition between trot, walk, canter and trot. Spend some time learning the basics before you attempt a canter flying change.
Balance and flexibility are the key words
When performing a canter fly change, balance and flexibility are essential. Spend some time preparing your horse for the flying change. This can be done by including lateral movements like shoulder-in or haunches-in in your warm-up and asking your horse for some stretching over its topline.
Introduce the “Change of Lead”
After your horse has become confident and comfortable with the basics, you can introduce the change of the lead. Start by learning how to transition from one lead to another while riding straight. As your horse becomes more comfortable, you can start slowly and increase the difficulty.
Flying Change:
When your horse is comfortable changing leads in straight lines, you can start to practice the canter flying change. Ask your horse to switch leads while turning. As your horse gains confidence, you can start with a simple turn.
Add Speed and Distance
You can introduce speed and distance once your horse is used to changing the lead in a turn. Begin by asking your horse to change the lead over a small jump. You can gradually increase the distance and speed of your horse’s jumps and then add more complex movements.
Troubleshooting
There are several things you can do if your horse has difficulty with the cantering change. Make sure your horse is confident and comfortable with the basics. Focus on exercises that will help your horse become more flexible and balanced. Also, you can introduce the flying change slowly and increase the difficulty.
Conclusion
Canter flying changes can be a challenging but beautiful dressage maneuver. You can teach your horse how to do a cantering change by practicing patience and providing proper training. Begin with the basics. Focus on balance and flexibility. Then, you can introduce the change in lead and practice the flying move. You and your horse can perform beautiful canter flying changes if you put in enough effort and time.
FAQs
How long does it take for a horse learn to do a cantering flying change?
It all depends on the horse. However, it may take a few weeks or even months to teach a horse how to do a canter flying turn.
Does a jump need to be used to teach a horse how to do a canter flying turn?
You don’t have to jump to teach a horse how to do a cantering flying change. Instead, you can use poles and other obstacles.