Canter leads!?

Question

I was wondering how do you tell if your on the right lead when your riding? Like during a course my horse is pretty good about getting his leads, but sometimes he messes them up. I can't really tell if he's on the right or wrong lead. Any tips?

Answer 1

You'll feel your hip come more forward on the lead side.  The best way to learn is to have a helper call out to you when you are on the right and left leads...you should be focusing on the feel...not looking down.  it takes less time this way, since every time you look down to check it, it takes away from your focus on how it feels.

Also, some horses pick up the wrong lead on the front and the correct lead on the rear, and are disunited.  Looking down at the shoulder won't tell you that.

Answer 2

You glance down at his front legs and whichever is extending further out is what lead he is on. After you have been riding for a while you should actually be able to feel leads without looking, but sometimes its best to give it a quick check anyways.

Answer 3

glance down at the shoulders... one will extend farther than the other... if it is the outside one you are on the wrong lead... after a while you should be able to feel them

Answer 4

It is a bit like knowing if you are riding the correct trot diagonal. Really you should be able to feel it

Although this does become easier with experience.

Providing you set your horse up correctly, you have every chance of getting it right.

If however you do feel unsure, then glance down at the inside shoulder/leg (you will notice it moving in advance of the outside.

Answer 5

Just look at his front legs. The inside leg should be moving forward further than the outside leg. Also, your horse will probably feel unbalanced in the turns if he is on the wrong lead.

Answer 6

Easiest ay to tell is to look at your horses inside shoulder this should be striding slightly further forward than the outside.

But to learn to get the feel you should concentrate on the position of your hips in canter and if you cantering on the left your left hip should feel like it is travelling more forwrad than the right and the opposite way round on the right rein in canter. Hope this helps. Otherwise try getting someone to watch from ground and help you out if you get it wrong. hope this helps

Answer 7

look down at this shoulders.

if the inside shoulder extends out farther than the outside shoulder, then you're on the correct lead!  :]  

if the outside shoulder extends out farther than the inside shoulder, then you're on the wrong lead!  :[

it should feel slightly off or uncomfortable if your horse is on the wrong lead... and over time you will probably be able to tell when you're on the correct lead just by how it feels!

i hope this helps and good luck with your horse!!  :]

Answer 8

Look at the inside leg. If the fence is to your right, the left leg should be leading. Look at the horses legs when cantering. The left leg should be reaching farther than the right leg. If the fence was to the left, the right leg should be reaching farther.

Answer 9

The inside leg will strike out first, so look down over his shoulder it will be obvious that it will be striking out further than the others. Try watching other peoples horses and spotting if they are on the right lead, thats what I did and it really helped, only problem now is my mare will do a flying change from the right lead to the wrong one ?!?!?!