How To Fix The Flying Change In Dressage

The Turning Point

The flying change is a big turning point in dressage, you have officially made it to the halfway point in moving up the levels on your way to Grand Prix. The downside is that the flying change now opens up a world of new problems for you if the foundation has not been correctly developed. The flying changes can come with a myriad of problems such as a lack of straightness, a lack of connection, and a lack of engagement, just to name a few.

What Debbie McDonald Has To Say

In this video with Olympian and United States Olympic Team Coach Debbie McDonald we work through a variety of problems with the flying changes in this dressage horse. Specifically, she addresses the equitation of the rider and the heaviness of the hand on one side, we also take a look at a horse that is easily anticipating the changes because it is crooked in the canter. This is a great deep dive into many of the pieces that go into creating the perfect flying change in dressage.

Want More?

Many of our flying change videos on Dressage Hub are with horses that are already confirmed in their flying changes. This video shows a horse that is still working on developing the flying changes and offers an opportunity to really learn some great exercises to correct and improve the flying changes so you can get started on those tempi changes sooner rather than later.

You can find the full playlist of flying change videos here: