I Need Some Help

[Champ]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#8000ff size=2#ed_cl#K,my horse has decided that were going back to square one with flying lead changes. my horse is 6 and has now been doing flying lead changes for a few years and well over the past few months Champ has decided that were going back to basics!!! When cantering on the left rein and then turning to go to x the doing a flying lead change to go to the right rein he is fine and does them perfectly gives the full lead change and everything...... however he now doesnt want to do a lead change at all going from the right rein to the left rein. He will continue cantering on the wrong lead and i will circle and ask again and he will still be on the wrong lead, and if he "wants" to get the other lead he will bring himself back down to a trot then pick up the lead (thats how i taught him 2 years ago and we havnt done it since). I've tried everything to get this guy to do a flying change going off that rein again from ground poles... god everything. I dunno what to do I'm out of ideas and fed up can someone help... right now anything will help. Also I have changed all my tack recently (end of Septemberish area...) but this was all happening before i changed my tack and bit. His teeth have been checked over and they are all ok. He's a well schooled horse and knows what is going on but he just seems almost to lazy to pick up the left front leg. I have given him some days off thinking maybe somewhere in his soulder he is sore but no he continues to do it. There are no physical problems that i can see from the outside so i dunno im lost on what to do surpintines i have done, ground poles, etc... so i dunno. Oh also when jumping if he doesnt land the correct lead going to the left he will sometimes do a flying lead change if he doesnt land the correct lead, but 95% of the time we land the correct leads. So someone i hope can help me out :S#ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[pmc]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#First of all, a question for you.  Forget the flying changes for the moment. When your horse strikes off into the canter from the trot, does he #ed_op#EM#ed_cl#always#ed_op#/EM#ed_cl# pick up the correct lead on both reins?  Or, if he occasionally misses, is he more likely to do so on the left rein than the right?  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Patricia]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#First off I wouldn't be drilling him on the lead change.  I would back off practicing them and do some simple changes.  Also, when your doing you change on the diagonal you should be able to feel if he is going to offer the change...you should be collecting him and you should feel him sit...if the set up is good he should make an attempt.  Why did you change the bit?  If it was working why change....#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#If all else fails it would be a good time to pay to have a coach/ground person present who can work through this.    #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[graciespook]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Definitely a coach on the ground will help. And just because you can't obviously see something there--it doesn't mean that he's not hurting. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Champ]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#8000ff size=2#ed_cl#yea thats the thing Im in need of a coach. I'm waiting on a call for a new coach at the moment. I'm possibly moving my horse. The reason I changed the bit was because he wasnt stopping in the other bit. If i took him for a trot or canter out in the feild he would fight to stop, even in the arena. He picks up the correct lead each way when I ask him going the the left rein is our good way, if he is going to miss the lead it would be to the right. This is why im getting so confused and frustrated and by me doing that it isnt helping him at all. Also its weird but he feels like he wants to pick it up but feels to lazy at the same time :S #ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[pmc]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Most horses have a definite preference for one lead over the other, much like we are either right or left-handed.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I do doubt that your horse is being "lazy" when not wanting to do that particular flying change, since he'll offer it to you reliably when he's on the other rein, and used to do so on both leads.  Since he's not willing to give it to you on his "bad" side, he's either unbalanced, unfit, or something is bothering him.  Or a combo of all three! #ed_op#IMG src="http://forums.equestrianconnection.com/richedit/smileys//smiley2.gif"#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Definitely lay off on the flying changes until you can get some skilled eyes on the ground (and in the saddle, if needed) to help you sort this out.  Go back to doing simple changes in the interim, since trying and failing to get the flying change only reinforces the problem.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Sodapoppers]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT color=#0060bf#ed_cl#Another thing you may want to consider is how your tack is fitting. Your horse can go from hollow-backed and miserable to being light and carrying himself with a proper fitting saddle. I knew when my filly was in need of getting her teeth done because she stopped turning so softly to the right; she didn't drop into the contact like she used to and would fight the bit and twist her neck to make funny faces at me.#ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT color=#0060bf#ed_cl#imo, horses do everything for a reason and your horse suddenly not giving you his lead changes anymore...well he is trying to tell you something. #ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Champ]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#8000ff size=2#ed_cl#Yea im going to give him a fea days off and see how that works. I went out today just brushed and messaged his shoulders next legs etc... and since I work tomorrow I will give him tomorrow off as well. I actually just found a new farm that im pretty much 80% sure that im moving to (Its called Quiet Winter Farms, the farm was originally from Barrie but they moved to Penetanguishene which is good because its like 2 mins away from my house) this farm is omg GEORGOUS!!! i used to have Champ there with the previous owner but moved because I had no one to ride with but now im on a waiting list until 4 horses go to Florida for the Winter then i will be in there and getting coaching from Cindy Gordon (some of you might know her, she used to coach on the Georgian Bay Trillium Circuit, now she does "A") anyways so I will have a good coach to help me, PLUS!!!! Elliotte Stone is the Jumper Coach there. (He's originally from Midland which is the town next to mine) and the owner is a dressage coach so were going to be better off there. Thanks for all the help everyone I wil try all of these things and lay off changes for a while until I move to QWF i'm really excited to move, if no one has already noticed that. I will have a ton of opprotunities there it's very exciting for me :D:D:D I've waited for this for a long while.#ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Champ]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Sorry this was a double post here#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Patricia]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#It sounds like you have a good game plan!  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[babytigger]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#sounds like a plan - let us know how it works!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[graciespook]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Glad to see you're seeking great help! #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Champ]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#8000ff size=2#ed_cl#Just wanted to let everyone know that I was told to maybe try some TTouch on him to see if that helps. So i went out finished pulling his mane then went on to do a whole lot of TTouch... He seemed to really enjoy it and was almost falling asleep so hopefully that will loosen up anything that may have been bothering him *-Corsses Fingers-*#ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[zooka]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#good luck with the new barn.  Sounds like you are on the right track!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[graciespook]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#The TTouch thing is really neat. I like all of their ideas about telling a horse's personality by its features. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#