Group lesson minus one. Erin stated she had thought of a new flying lead change pattern. Oh Boy!
We used the entire arena with cones placed where we would start to turn the corner. Our warm up consisted me trying to get Fancy to not do a pacy flat foot walk. Erin explained the secret is to get her going in a fast enough walk with inside support rein.
Easy Pattern Cones Set in arena corners, before horse starts to bend around the corner.
Trot about midway on long side of arena.
Trot around short end of arena, past the corner cone
Ask for counter canter.
When entering the short end corner, just past the cone, ask for flying change
Canter to cone
- Trotted the length of the arena and slowed down around the corners. We have cones marking where the gait change is to occur.
- Counter canter length of the arena. Slow down to walk around the short end.
- Erin explained the flying lead change portion.
a. Counter canter, slow down to walk around corner. On the next long length, start with counter canter and switch to flying lead change in the middle. Keep cantering around the corner and ask for flying lead change to inside leg. Repeat. - my group lesson partner did it.
- Erin asked if I wanted her to ride Fancy and do it. “OH YES”, I REPLIED.
Erin mounts and takes off in the most gorgeous flat foot walk I’ve ever seen. There is no sign of the pacy flat foot walk. I’m overcome with joy! Erin and Fancy go around the corner and immediately go into a counter canter.
It was my turn and with some failures, all my fault, we got some.
Fancy and I have advanced from never getting a flying lead to getting more than 50%! Huge! (Erin is at 99.9% successful!