Help with checking leads..?

Question

When I canter I sometimes make too much of an effort to check my lead. How can I tell my lead without looking down or without being so apparent when I'm doing it. Is there any way just to know?

Answer 1

You should work on knowing where each of your horse's legs is at by what you feel in your hips and seat.  In order to assure that you will get the correct lead on the rear and front (as opposed to being disunited), the cue must come at the correct moment.  When the opposite hind of the lead you want is about to hit the ground, the lead is cued.  You won't know when to cue until you know where the horse's feet are. If you eventually hope to perform flying lead changes, this skill is essential to performing them correctly.  I see them incorrectly performed frequently, and it is obvious that the rider has no idea that the leads are disunited. Start by memorizing the order of footfalls.  Watch horses cantering and put the image of that movement with the memorized sequence, until you can close your eyes and see it and call out each foot...then get a helper to call one at a time to you as you focus on the feel of your hips.  If you can perfect this, it will be the beginning of advanced horsemanship for you.  You will know way more than just your leads.

Answer 2

As the horse canters your hips move naturally in a "skipping" motion with one hip leading just as your horse does. When you feel your left hip leading, you are on the left lead, and vice versa

Answer 3

The answer is in: Why are you having to check the lead if you directed the horse correctly in the first place to take the correct lead?  You can look up multiple sites on the internet that shows you where the lead originates, control that and you control the lead when you ask your horse to take it.  If/when you do that, there will be no need to check the lead, you will already know because you were directing traffic at the time.

Answer 4

You can check your lead without looking down by feeling where your seat bones and hips are. If your left seat bone is further forward than your right, then you are on the left lead, and vice versa.  

Answer 5

Well, once you've been riding for long enough, sometimes you will get the feeling that you are on the right lead. If the gait feels irregular you are obviously on the wrong lead. But also a way to tell if your horse is on the right lead without making it really apparent and staring down at his legs, glance at yours, if you are on the left lead your left leg will be swinging a bit more than the other, same with the right lead.

Hope this helps! ; )

Answer 6

just look down at the shoulders and see if there is one shoulder reaching out more than the other. also the horses body should feel odd or feel off... practice changing the leads and try to feel the difference... make sure you canter or lope in circles to feel the difference..  good luck

Answer 7

In addition to the first answer- if you ask for your leads in a corner, you will have a much better chance at getting the correct one.

The only other way to sort of check is to be very aware of your seat bones. Get used tothe way it feels with the correct lead, if it feels wrong, then you will know your not on the correct lead. Its tricky and it takes time to get used to, but it will be very helpfull.

When your horse is standing, take your hands and sit on them with your seat bones, notice how when you move your head, its very aparent in the weight distribution, we don't notice it, but our horse does. So when asking for the canter, keep your head straight and look between the ears and give a clear signal (preferably in the corner). Just get used to the correct lead and eventually you will be able to tell what lead is wrong.

Answer 8

When your on the wrong lead it will be very bumpy and uncomfortable.