Oh I feel this so much right now! My gelding did that in the middle of the half pass to the rail. To make it worse, we were doing Third 2 at a schooling show. 
It’s so fun to work on them, except when you don’t want them.
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I guess am standing at the gates and trying to decide when to venture in. I havent shown this horse and was thinking about Second Level next year (if he doesnt lose his mind at shows!) So then comes the calculation of progressing vs messing up counter canter I would need at shows. If I start now, will he get over the excitement and volunteering enough to show? (considering progress is slower in the winter!) And then I dont have help much in the winter (next lesson might be mid-January)
Likely that I will dabble at the edges of the pit and hope the FC fairies will sort it all out.
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If you dabble this winter and also want to show Second, you could just avoid the counter canter serpentine by avoiding 2.3 if you feel like you don’t have control over the changes. The counter canter portions of 2.1 and 2.2 are straight lines so hopefully less likely to instigated “you-don’t-need-to-ask-I-just-know-WHEEE!”
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Ah yes, more power from behind. A familiar struggle. Still having this struggle. Mostly just showing the horse yes it is hard, but little by little you can do it, and you will get stronger. Difficult to teach to the economical mover. I’ve also never seen a horse move his legs so fast but not go anywhere 
bless him, but “bigger, not faster” was a huge learning curve.
Oh we also had the half pass experience. Mostly to the right. Involved some jumping around, flailing limbs, and fascinating contortions.
I found that we generally kept the counter canter if I talked him through it, rode every stride of the counter canter and exaggerated my leg position, and just kept cool. Sometimes a bit more relaxed contact.
I should make a collage sometime. I have some good pics of our “gymnastics”
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This is still my struggle. I am sweating and out of breath trying to get bigger not faster.
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Yeah, it doesn’t really phase me physically, but it was more of a mental thing with this particular horse. He can find new concepts stressful because he likes to know what he’s doing and be good at it, basically sometimes have to slow the brain down a bit.
There are many exercises as well as the good ol’ half halt to help you get there, but it’s easier for some than others. Again, this particular creature has little suspension, so it has to be installed. I’ve only ever seen him have an extravagant trot or canter at liberty a few times over the years, but it’s in there somewhere.
It’s rewarding when it comes together though, even for just a few strides.
Oh it did, trust me, some truly ugly moments and a few come to Jesus moments as well. I dare say that I think we’re getting past the cusp of these issues. We did get some very nice flying changes today, and the best part were they happened when I wanted them to not the other way around. I did a lot of counter canter work as well in order to make sure we were sliding back. On the right lead counter canter he kept offering to change and I kept saying not yet and he waited then when I gave him the aid it was nice big and forward and clean…for a moment, the right moment, we were straight forward and supple into the connection. Nice when it happens…now to get that response more consistent, ie reliable 
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I think we’re in the same version of the ‘hell’. Today in my lesson as we asked her to canter left with haunches in along with a connected outside rein we were leaping in the air. The leaping was more similar to how she does her right to left change then a buck. The other direction she just wanted to go up and down vs into the outside leg. It’s all good, as I get clearer with aids and the work she’ll get fitter.
LetItBe
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I’ve got a QH who is fairly unmotivated to engage her hind end for this purpose LOL. I can’t even say I’ve seen her do it at liberty, but I keep trying. My mom saw her recently after not seeing her for about a year and said she noticed she was lifting her shoulders, so I think were getting SOME progress.
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Yeahh is definitely difficult sometimes because you’re retraining them mentally and physically…and they possibly see no point in this 
I didn’t buy this horse with any goals in mind. I was supposed to just chill with him doing some basic riding and hacking. Nothing serious…but then it got serious. I’m not a dressage rider originally, and enjoy installing the basics on greenies, so basically…neither one of us originally signed up for this but here we are.
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This is so timely! I just complained to my coach yesterday that the lovely rides we were having three weeks ago are totally gone. I’m just gonna leave this right here (thank you, Pivo):
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These are awesome!
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Are you me?
My big guy would happily cross canter his way around the whole ring much to my own discomfort (not to mention, frustration) 
We did so much work to develop a quality canter and doing serpentines with simple changes. What finally made it click for him just a week or two ago was cantering all the way across the diagonal of a big arena, taking our bloody sweet time to put together the very best canter we could, and then the last 25% of the way using tons of (new) inside leg and just letting my outside leg “drift” back without formally asking for the change (as that inevitably results in an explosion for us right now ).
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Do we own the same horse? 
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I think you’ve hit every box in flying change hell bingo. Congratulations.
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This is incredible. My favorite part is how totally “ho hum” you look in each shot.
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You’re all making me dread working changes on my younger mare! Her canter is big, more long than high, so we’re really working canter quality. She actually offers pirouette canter at times, but it’s one with jump lost, so we’re working on maintaining and even increasing energy as she collects it.
Ellie was super easy to teach changes - I got them during our gallops in the desert, then my trainer installed them in the arena while I was on a 10 day vacation. We never held all leads at a show until she learned the aids for changes. But she was opposite to JJ - all sit and jump, no length (relatively), so changes were easy.
JJ offered a change when she didn’t want to counter canter the other day, and we’ll definitely have the issues with rushing, diving, and trying to take over. We’re working really hard on the basics now because otherwise we’ll be out of control once we get to changes. I suspect she’ll be harder to get there (definitely some flying changes he’ll coming for me!) but like everything, once we get it they should really look good with her! In the meantime, her full and hard brothers both have changes from birth, and struggle a lot on counter canter. The one getting ready for PSG is finally holding counter canter without “opinions.”
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Unfortunately I realized after posting that Box #2 and Box #5 are virtually identical, so that means there must be another variation coming soon to round out the board…
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Spent a week powering up the canter and we have now entered the Flying Porpoise phase of changes. They are large, they are expressive, and they also test the stickiness of my full-seats (and of my butt within them).
By the way, very impressed with the sang froid and humor in this thread. Props to all, and also good luck out there with your flying change beasties.
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Psh. #5’s your free space!
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