What is the rider's position and body aid for asking a flying lead change?

The rider's position and body aids for the flying lead change are subtle when done correctly and nearly invisible to an outside observer, which is precisely why so many horses trained with exaggerated aids produce changes that look labored or anticipatory — the horse has learned to respond to large visible signals rather than the refined communication that ultimately needs to ask for the change. Clinton Anderson teaches the following sequence of aids for the flying lead change, executed in the stride before the moment of suspension: shift weight slightly to the new inside seat bone, bring the new outside leg slightly behind the cinch while moving the new inside leg slightly forward to the cinch, and use a very soft opening of the new inside rein. The rein aid is minimal — barely more than a turn of the wrist — because the primary communication is through weight and leg. The weight shift is the most important element because horses feel the rider's weight with extreme sensitivity. A rider who genuinely shifts their weight to the new inside — not leaning the upper body dramatically but shifting the pelvis and seat bone slightly — gives the horse clear information about where the new inside is without any rein or leg movement. Horses trained to this level of subtlety in their change aids respond so quietly that the change appears to happen without any visible rider communication. Timing of the aids is as important as the aids themselves. The request must reach the horse in the stride before the moment of suspension — if the aids are applied during suspension, the horse has already committed to the current footfall sequence and the change is missed. Developing the feel for the rhythm of the lope and the timing of the suspension comes from experience rather than instruction, and is the refinement that separates good lead change riders from riders who get occasional changes.