58/ MARCH/APRIL 2012 THE RIDER Improving Flying Changes By Faith Meredith
Director of Riding, Mered- ith Manor International Equestrian Centre
WAVERLY, WV—Horses and riders competing at the upper levels of a wide range of equestrian sports from jumping to dressage, reining, and working cow horse events must be com- pletely comfortable per- forming flying changes of lead. Poor changes erode the quality of the horse’s athletic performance and its ability to win.
A correctly executed
flying change appears smooth and effortless. The horse’s rhythm stays the same and, if the direction changes, the horse remains “straight” while traveling on the new track (meaning that its left and right hoof prints fall on either side of the track it is traveling along regardless of whether that track is a curved or a straight line). The change of the leading hind leg dur- ing the suspension phase of the canter is clean and well timed. The front legs swap leads a fraction of a second after the hind legs and the horse continues on at the canter on the new lead. Riders and horses must be well along on their respective riding tree or training tree before school- ing flying changes. Before they start asking for flying changes, riders should be able to:
Follow the horse’s motion and feel each of the canter’s three beats;
rhythm; Maintain a steady
Keep the horse straight along the track;
Coordinate the canter aids for both leads:
Correctly time the application of the aids for a flying change;
motion; and Maintain forward
Extend or collect the horse at the canter while maintaining rhythm.
Horses beginning to learn flying changes under saddle must be: Rhythmic; Straight; Balanced;
coordination of the aids. Horses in training that are starting flying changes need an experienced rider with an independent seat and the ability to influence the horse correctly with the aids so that they do not develop bad habits. Some of the most common faults one sees in poor flying changes are:
is late;
impulsion; in or out;
Able to perform a dis- tinctly three-beat canter on both leads; and
Responsive to the rider’s aids for both canter leads.
Riders just learning to ask for flying changes should ride a good school- master to help them devel- op the correct timing and
The lead change behind The horse lacks forward The hindquarters swing
The horse rushes or jumps awkwardly through the change; and
interrupted.
into the horse’s flying changes when the horse does not have a clear, three- beat canter to start with or because the horse’s balance or its ability to travel straight are not confirmed. Horses can develop poor quality flying changes when a rider is unable to maintain the rhythm in the canter coming into the change, is unable to keep the horse straight on a track, or is unable to main- tain the horse’s forward impulsion through the change.
The horse’s rhythm is
Poor quality flying changes can be the result of combining horses and rid- ers with mismatched skills. Either the horse does not know enough to teach the rider or the rider does not know enough to teach the horse. Faults can also creep
The first step in fixing problems with flying changes is to evaluate where a horse is on the training tree or where a rider is on the riding tree. Then use appropriate exer- cises to bring their skills up to the levels described above before attempting flying changes again. For example, if the horse lacks balance, use transitions from the canter
to the walk then back to the canter to help improve its balance. Counter cantering also improves balance. If the horse is crooked, work in circles and serpentines to improve straightness. Improve straightness (inside and outside feet tracking parallel to the line of travel, not crossing it) at the canter by transitioning from one canter lead down to the walk then ask the horse to move a few steps from the rider’s new inside leg into the new outside rein before asking for the other canter lead.
For a young horse a few flying changes in each direction is enough if they are correct. If they aren’t correct go back to the pre- vious exercises. With a more advanced horse a few lines of two’s, three’s, four’s or tempe changes is enough if they are correct. Don’t keep schooling flying changes over and over hoping that a light
bulb will go off in the horse’s or rider’s head to suddenly fix the problem. Analyze the roots of the problem, eradicate them with the right exercises, then start reschooling flying changes with a set of skills that achieve positive results.
____________
© 2007 Meredith Manor International Equestrian Centre. Faith Meredith has successfully trained and competed through FEI lev- els of dressage during her more than 30 years as a horse professional. She cur- rently coaches riders in dressage, reining, and eventing in her capacity as the Director of Meredith Manor International Eques- trian Centre (147 Saddle Lane, Waverly, WV 26184; 800-679-2603;
www.meredithmanor.com), an ACCET accredited equestrian educational institution.
Equine Canada Unveils Inaugural Horse of the Year Award Hickstead Honoured as First Recipient
Ottawa, ON—A very special pre- sentation was held at the 2012 Equine Canada Annual Awards Gala—the unveiling of the Equine
Canada Horse of the Year award. Equine artist Mary Sand was commissioned to created a bronze sculpture in the likeness of Hick-
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stead in recognition of his significant contribution to equestrian sport in Cana- da. As part Hickstead’s legacy, this trophy will serve to recognize Cana- dian horses who have made an outstanding achievement in sport, and as such Equine Canada is honoured to present the inaugural Horse of the Year award to Hickstead.
John Taylor, the chair of Jump Canada, accepted the award on behalf of Eric Lamaze and Ashland Stables Inc. In addition to the unveil- ing, CBC Sports provided a very moving video trib- ute of Hickstead with a voiceover by Scott Rus- sell, CBC sports broad- caster.
“It was an honour to introduce the inaugural Equine Canada Horses of
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the Year award, and a great pleasure to accept the award on behalf of Hick- stead,” said the chair of Jump Canada, John Taylor. “Hickstead has become an icon in the equestrian world. He was our hero and we are thrilled to be able to honour him and his owners with this award. The beautiful bronze will be a reminder for years to come of how lucky we were to have known this great horse.” Riding Hickstead, Lamaze won indi- vidual gold and team silver medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, individual bronze at the 2010 World Equestrian Games and team silver and individual bronze at the 2007 Pan American Games. Together, they won several major grand prix show jumping titles including Cal- gary (2007 and 2011), Geneva (2008), Aachen (2010), La Baule (2011) and Rome (2011). Tragically, Hickstead passed away on November 6, 2011. Henceforth, the award will be called the Equine Canada Horse of the Year, the Hickstead Trophy. Now considered one of Equine Canada’s most prestigious awards, it will honour Hickstead’s legacy and serve to set the standard to which all future recipients should strive.
About Equine Canada
Equine Canada is Canada’s national governing body for equestrianism. A member-driven, charitable institution, it is the executive branch of the Canadian Equestrian Team, and the national authority for equestrian competition; the national voice for recreational riders; and the national association for equine wel- fare, breeding, and industry. Equine Canada is recognised by the Government of Canada, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), and the Canadian Olympic Committee as the national organisation representing equestrian sport and equine interests. For more information about Equine Canada, please visit
www.equinecanada.ca.
Photo above:
At the 2012 Equine Canada Annual Awards Gala, on Friday, 3, 2012, in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Equine Canada unveiled the new Horse of the Year Award, with the first recipient being Hickstead.
Photo credit—Robert Young
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