Having a debate with a friend. Horse In question is 14. Well schooled on flat. No soundness issues. Moves great jumps great. Just has never been taught his changes and sees absolutely no need to do them. I think it’s still doable. Friend says no way he is old to figure it out. Any experience with any older guys getting it?
Yes but it’s hard to unteach and reteach after so many years and if they get that far without them, there is usually a physical reason be it an old and not obvious injury or simply conformation (typically in shoulder, hock and hip angle). Which begs the question does he really need to learn them now after years of packing and pleasing his riders?
Can he do them easily in the field? Always swap cleanly, not cross canter or hold an uncomfortable counter canter around a corner all by himself. Is he ultra short coupled or long backed and camped out behind? Both those make it physically difficult to swap. Horses are born knowing how, we don’t really teach them anything but some horses just can’t. And some riders can’t either.
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“Horses are born knowing how, we don’t really teach them anything but some horses just can’t”
I guess all the 2/3 year olds I started/broke fell into the later, “some horses” IME it only comes “naturally” under certain circumstances. No snark intended.
OP, I have not worked with horses that old that didn’t have decent lead changes when asked. But I see no reason why they can’t learn it when cued by the rider.
IMO and experience lots of “figure 8’s” is a good place to start. Large to small.
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My trainer put changes on my horse when he was around that age, he’d never been taught prior to that and figured it out very quickly. He learned by cantering over a pole on the diagonal, after the first training ride he knew what he was being asked but it took about a year to get consistently clean changes. Now he has an auto change (both a blessing and a curse) but will wait until I ask if I set him up correctly and make him wait.
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I think it is possible if the horse demonstrates them when turned out. If they don’t demonstrate them when loose but aren’t fit, after getting some muscle they may demonstrate them and then you can go from there. I have taught several horses over the age of 12 their changes and I don’t consider that something I’m strong at. I am a pro at landing them however 
Recently taught one of my horses. He is 17. They are now auto changes. Once he knew what I wanted it took no time at all.
I think you’re more likely to be successful if, as others have said, the horse at liberty does changes on its own. I agree with @findeight that most horses naturally know how to do lead changes, as long as they don’t have any physical/soundness issues making it difficult/impossible for them; like how a horse knows how to w/t/c/jump on its own, so it’s “just” training so they offer it under saddle.
Harder to teach (at any age, imo) if horse has been allowed to cross-canter. If horse will land off a jump on whatever lead you ask, I feel like that’s a good sign; if they’re heavily one-sided, they may find changes (or one in particular) difficult. Mine have learned changes within the first year they were jumping, so I haven’t taught one at that age, but I have used a pole or cavaletti on the straight side, into a corner (I don’t like diagonals so much for teaching changes, but other people have their own method), or have just asked going into a turn off a jump and some have gotten it right away because they want to stay balanced themselves.
My now 29-year-old horse learned lead changes at 13. Like one of the above posters said, once he understood what I was asking, the changes were automatic. In fact, you had to be careful to sit in the middle and use even rein pressure on the straightaways, or he’d change leads (i.e. doing what you asked).
I disagree 100%. You can always teach an old dog new tricks.
I’m currently putting some riding on my mom’s horse that we’ve had for about a year and half. He’s 12. I’m teaching him lots of basic things including simple lead changes. He’s doing great.
Definitely doable!
I had a 12yo mare in training for a while that, in her previous life as a jumper, would counter-canter or cross-canter around courses if she didn’t land on the correct lead. We started with simple changes through the trot, and then through the walk. Once she could reliably pick up either canter lead from the walk, and transition back to walk immediately from canter, asking for the flying change was relatively easy. I was able to teach her a single flying change on a diagonal or straight line, but our time together ended before we got any further than that.
Right now, I’m going through this process with a 14yo mare. She isn’t ridden as often as the above mare was, but she’s much more forward-thinking and overall her flatwork is better. She will canter over a pole and land on whichever lead you ask for, and her walk-canter-walk transitions improve with every ride. So with a little more strengthening and time, she’ll likely learn the changes too.
If they are sound, fit, and happy working then the age doesn’t matter so much. Good luck to you and your friend!
