The flying change is a movement performed by a horse in which he changes leads at the canter. It is often seen in dressage, where the horse may do several changes at once (tempi changes), or in jumping events, where a horse will change lead as it changes direction on the course. The fundamental purpose of Dressage (a French term meaning training) is to develop, through standardized progressive training methods, a horses natural athletic ability and willingness to perform, thereby maximizing its potential as a riding horse. ...

The Purpose of the Flying Change

A horse is better balanced when he is on the correct lead of the canter, meaning the last leg to touch the ground is his inside fore. If he is on the wrong lead, he will have a much harder time making turns.

In jumping, the flying change is essential, as a horse on the incorrect lead may become unbalanced on the turn, and then have an unbalanced take-off and may hit a rail. It is also possible that the horse will fall should he be asked to make a tight turn.

Tempi Changes

While a single change is often performed to change direction, tempi changes are often seen in dressage. Tempi changes may be a change every stride (one-tempis), every two strides (two tempis), or occassionally three or more stride. When a horse preforms one-tempi changes, it often looks like it is skipping. The fundamental purpose of Dressage (a French term meaning training) is to develop, through standardized progressive training methods, a horses natural athletic ability and willingness to perform, thereby maximizing its potential as a riding horse. ...

To see one-tempis on video, see [1].

Tempi changes are very difficult movements and are not asked for until the mid-level tests of dressage.