What is the easiest way to get a horse to change leads?

Question

What is the easiest way to get a horse to change leads?

Answer 1

WHYYYY WOULD YOU ANSWEEEER MMEEEE IF I BEGGED YOU NOT TO!!!!!

IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE SONGGG!!!!

DON'T WRITE ANYTHINGGG!!!!!!!!!!

I WROTE IT

I ASKED NICELY

BUT YOU HADDD TO ANSWER

I HAVE BEEN POSTING THAT d**n QUESTION OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR 3 WEEKSS!!!!

BECAUSE YOU PEOPLE WON'T READDDD WHAT I BEG YOU .....TO NOT ANSWER IF YOU DON'T KNOWWW THE SONGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Answer 2

I'm srry idk.....

i just wanted to tkank you soooooooooo much!

for being so nice....

those ppl r mean....

again....thnks!

Answer 3

Well, you should get a trainer to help you.  Here is how I like to teach the flying change though

1. pull your horse into a very tight collected frame with a lot of impulsion (maintain this the whole time)

2. turn across the diagonal.  Pick something real (ex. a tree on the outside of the ring, a post on the fence etc.) and ride straight at that.  Act like you aren't going to turn, and don't let your horse move off the straight line.  If he tries to, correct him.  Make sure you are looking at the object the whole time.

3. when you are 2/3 of the way across the diagonal change the bend (so if you are on the left lead and want to change to the right lead, bend the horse to the right)

4. sit all the way up in the saddle, get behind the motion a little

5. pull your "new" inside shoulder back and step into your new outside leg so you make the horse rebalance himself, lift your new inside rein

6. still make sure you are looking straight at your fixed object and don't let your horse turn untill he has changed his lead (obviously, if you are 6 inches from the fence you have to let the horse turn and do a one step simple change)

7. if you are a stride away from changing direction and the horse hasn't changed his lead but you have done everything right, you can use some spur.

8. after the horse changes his lead hold him straight, make a nice turn, loosen the reins and let him gallop a little.  Give him a lot of praise.

You need to make sure your horse has correctly learned his leads and can do simple changes nicely before you try this.  This could scare and confuse your horse if he does understand what you want.

You should know which lead your horse perfers and practice switching from the lead he doesn't like, to the lead he does like first.  Sometimes it also helps to make a really short diagonal turn rather than a long one because everything come up faster and the horse doesn't have time to think about doing a simple lead change.

Also, if you are having trouble you may want to get the horse's hocks checked by the vet.  Some horses physically cannot do a flying lead change.  Other horses just get emotional about lead changes and you have to accept that they might not do them.

Really though, get help from a trainer because no one on the internet can really teach you.

Answer 4

Lean over his left or right shoulder (depending on which lead you want) then ask for the switch. They usually switch when you put the weight onto the shoulder if they have been trained. If not, then trot them in a circle and take off and usually they pick up the stride, by circling them you should lean over the inside shoulder and then lean a bit forward.

Answer 5

Again no one can train over the net the first answer is so wrong she never said anything about ques

FIND A good trainer then get some help

we cant train on the net period

if anyone thinks they can they must be GOD because we have to see you ride and see why the horse wont take his leads ==never lean over

never

you use leg que's not throwing your horse over to take a lead thats the way to hurt him

my advice is find a trainer and get taught the right way

Answer 6

if your horse cant do a flying lead change, break to a trot and hold up your inside rein and kick with your outside leg. if he contuins to canter on the wrong lead just keep trying.and when he does pick up the right lead lots of praise. but if he can do a flying lead change do the same without breaking

Answer 7

I agree that a trainer could immediately see what's wrong and make recommendations to correct it.

A "standard" way to cue a canter - say a right lead - is to press your left leg behind the girth and at the same time lean SLIGHTLY forward and pick the horse's head up just a bit. There are lots of variables - if your horse is not fully trained, it may be necessary to use verbal encouragement as well.

Also note that some horses are weaker on one lead than the other.  Before you can train leads, the horse must be physically capable of doing what you ask. Once you identify the weak side, it must be strengthened - maybe by cantering lots and lots of nice big circles on that lead over a period of weeks.  Once I assisted with a horse that refused to take the right lead for any reason.  She was sound, so lameness or injury was not the cause.  To get her to take the right lead, I had to canter her over a very small jump (12  inches or so - hardly more than a big cavaletti), which would cause her to change leads.  Once in the right lead, we continued to canter big, casual circles for a few minutes.  Then we'd do some other stuff, and then back over the jump, and right circles again, and so on. After a month she was taking leads on command and winning in the show ring.

Answer 8

The easiest way is to do a "Simple Lead Change."  Slow to a walk for 3 or 4 strides, then cue the canter on the opposite lead:

1.  Collect the horse: give it a little leg while putting contact on the reins (sort of like revving up the engine) to let it know you're going to want a change

2.  Shift your weight slightly to the opposite hind leg, freeing up his leading front leg.

3.  Cue the canter by clicking to the horse and applying your lower leg just behind the girth on the side opposite the lead you want.

Different horses have been trained to different cues, but that's how it should work!  If you have problems, try turning the horses head slightly into the new direction and putting strong leg pressure on the leading side while you're collecting him, to get him bent in the new direction.

Be absolutely consistent.  Keep trying until he gets it, pulling up each time it's wrong.  When he does get, let him canter freely a bit as a reward, while you also pet and praise.

It may take time, but this'll work.  Good Luck!