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Flying Changes: Beginner, Medium and Advanced!!

Flying changes are one of THE MOST difficult things to teach a horse to do! While it is a “natural” movement for horses, teaching the horse to do the flying change on command when the rider asks for the change is very different.

In today’s YouTube video, I share 3 horses at different stages of learning the flying changes. The first horse is literally the first time I ever asked for a flying change. The second horse has been working on changes for about 6 months or so, and the last horse, Natasha, is a confirmed Grand Prix horse.

It is so important in training the flying changes, and in everything with Dressage, to always go back and work on the basics. The key to the flying changes is having a good canter quality, obedience to the aids, thoroughness, and a supple and straight horse. When working on the flying changes, it is essential to keep in mind the Dressage Training Scale.

The canter must have the correct rhythm, suppleness, connection, impulsion, straightness AND collection to do a correct flying change!

If any one of these elements from the Dressage Training Scale is missing, it will cause issues in the changes.

Interested in learning more? Check out my Masterclass: Flying Changes Made Simple: Flying Changes Course – Amelia Newcomb Dressage

Hope to see you in the course!

Happy Riding!
Amelia

ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR
A smiling woman wearing a helmet and riding gear stands beside a chestnut horse with a black bridle and white saddle pad, holding its reins outdoors in a sunlit, green setting.
Hey there.
I'm Amelia Newcomb
At Amelia Newcomb Dressage, I work to develop a trusting and confident relationship between horse and rider. I draw on theories from both natural horsemanship and classical dressage, creating a holistic training approach that adapts to the unique needs of each horse and rider.
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A person in riding gear sits atop a black horse with white leg wraps, as if on an equestrian course. Hand-drawn wings give the horse a mythical, Pegasus-like look, evoking the magic of flying changes. The background is blurred.
FEATURED COURSE
Flying Changes Course
Teaching the Changes doesn’t need to be stressful and complicated. You’re frustrated, your horse won’t change, and you might even be a little scared of asking for a flying change. Follow my formula and confirm your changes to move up the levels!
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Amelia Newcomb
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Rated 5 out of 5
I want to thank Amelia from the bottom of my heart for creating this group and learning module for us. I've followed your suggestions religiously even when it felt like we were hitting a wall at times. Finally, it all came through, all at once! I never thought I'd get a connection and have such light hands in the left lead canter, and yesterday we pulled off a 7 in left canter and an 8.5 in right canter in our WDAA Basic 1 test, with a total score of 67.3!
Amber Primm
Amber Primm
Holy Moly. I just learned that I earned 1st place at Training 1 with 5 entries in the class in a virtual show. I received a 65.00. Wow. This is starting to work. Thank you Amelia. Thank you supportive new friends. I encourage you all to try virtual shows. I have tried Greystone, Lower Puget Sound and Oregon. Very helpful for building confidence. I really support this idea. It works like this: you ride at home, send in your video, and then you receive your test with judge comments and your ribbon in the mail. See you all in Strides!!
Joanna Sachs
Joanna Sachs
We see and feel the difference!! Thank you Amelia for this difficult but very helpful program. Our #1 issue was giraffe head in transitions. Downward as well as up. Don't look at my position, I was giving everything to the aids for him to maintain roundness in the trans. Now it will be time to work on our position more!
Carol Anne Marano
Carol Anne Marano
I can't stop making progress, thanks to this awesome program. Today my horse and I could do the counter canter on both hands on the first attempt without our trainer.. Thank you so much for explaining my missing parts! I have to wait until tomorrow, 8 hours of time difference, to see who is the lucky one, but I think we are all lucky to join this incredible program!!
Sandra Künkel
Sandra Künkel
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When your horse engages their hind end, they rotate their pelvis under a little, their whole back lifts, and their abdominals engage. This is what this workshop on engagement is all about so your horse can take more weight behind and connect back to front. When our horses engage their hind end, they can carry themselves better and perform what you ask with ease.
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A person in riding gear sits atop a black horse with white leg wraps, as if on an equestrian course. Hand-drawn wings give the horse a mythical, Pegasus-like look, evoking the magic of flying changes. The background is blurred.
Flying Changes Course
Teaching the Changes doesn’t need to be stressful and complicated. You’re frustrated, your horse won’t change, and you might even be a little scared of asking for a flying change. Follow my formula and confirm your changes to move up the levels!
ENROLL NOW
A woman wearing riding gear and a helmet is riding a chestnut horse with white markings on its legs. The horse is trotting in an outdoor arena, demonstrating the Training Scale, with trees in the background for this 2024 Sale Page.
Engagement Workshop
When your horse engages their hind end, they rotate their pelvis under a little, their whole back lifts, and their abdominals engage. This is what this workshop on engagement is all about so your horse can take more weight behind and connect back to front. When our horses engage their hind end, they can carry themselves better and perform what you ask with ease.
ENROLL NOW
A rider on a chestnut horse performing dressage demonstrates throughness; a blue line outlines the horse’s arched neck and back, highlighting topline development. A green upward arrow points to the rider. Text reads: “Throughness and Top-Line Development.”.
Throughness and Topline Development
Deepen your understanding of Dressage and how to achieve the ideal topline to allow your horse to perform at their best with my Throughness and Topline Development Workshop! Enhance your horse’s balance, connection and performance with the lecture and exercises included in this workshop.
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