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Average Member
 
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So the horse I might be leasing has trouble with his left lead. When he pops into wrong, my trainer will call out, "Wrong!" and that tells me that we're on the wrong lead. But in a show he can't call out wrong for me and I truely can't tell the difference between the right lead and the wrong lead except that the wrong lead, he jumps into it stronger but he pops into the canter strong anyways. Help! Thanks though.
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Average Member
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^well, I can't really 'feel' the leads yet, either. I glance at the shoulders, the one that hits second is the lead your on. If you were to say them out loud, it would be "rightleft, rightleft," for the left lead. Also, if you relax your legs, your leading leg will be on the side of the lead.
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| On the correct lead (true lead,) the horse's inside front shoulder will lead over the outside; the inside shoulder will go furthest forward. You should be able to feel the inside hind come up underneath you, your horse's back respond to the thrust of the inside hind (this is the "up" motion you feel with your seat," and the inside shoulder left and extend forward. I was always taught to feel leads, never to look, but I know some instructors who allow their students to look down at the shoulders to tell what lead they're on until they're able to feel it. I don't like that method, but that's just me. Practice on small circles being able to feel what is comfortable and what is not; generally, the comfortable canter is the true canter for what rein you're on, and the uncomfortable canter is the counter canter (assuming you're trying to maintain true bend.) Just practice practice practice! Placing an angled pole off of the rail to help with your canter depart can be useful, as it will help you recognize instantly the feeling of picking up the correct lead. Good luck!
^ Hacking my boy out bareback. First time he has ever been ridden bareback! =) Gabriel - "Gabe" 16.1 hh 8 y.o. Hanoverian gelding
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Your inside leg should feel likes is slightly further ahead than your outside. For example if you are on the left lead your left leg should feel like it is slightly ahead of your right one. I also agree with the other posters, if you can feel it right away try glancing down just with your eyes while trying to keep your head up and without shifting your weight.
-Lynn
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| Balance. IF the horse feels out of balance in corners chaces are he is not on the correct lead, If he feels balanced he normally be on hte corect one. Course there are exceptions to this rule. YOu have to be in balance of course with the horse. As your skill level goes up you will be able to feel before hte strike off if the hrose will be correct or not and chage it before the fist step. BUT that takes time both on the lunge and off. When I was learning to ride iirc we could look for hte first moth or so if we looked after what ever time frame given then we didnt show that weekend. So I havent looked for a lead for geesh a long long time...
If ponies were human.. most would be in prison. Mrs. Smith COTH
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As you're cantering, glance your eyes down (note: I did not say look down of bend your head to look down, just a quick glance with your eyes) at the front legs. The leg that comes out in front the farthest is the lead leg.
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You could try having someone call it out to your a few times and when they say which lead you are on stay with it for several strides and focus on how it feels. Concentrate on how the horse is moving and how your body moves in relation to the horse. After a while you will begin to feel the difference and eventually you can test yourself by calling it out to your instructor and they can tell you if you are correct. It can be a difficult thing to learn to feel, but don't get discouraged, you'll get it! It's kinda like the posting trot. Feels impossible the first time, but eventually you'll have what I call a "duh" moment and it'll become second nature.
**Ask the instructor not to call it as "wrong" or "correct", but as "right" or "left".
 
I'd sooner have that horse happy than go to heaven." -- Velvet Brown in NATIONAL VELVET.
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and when he pops into the wrong lead, stop him right away and try again until you get the correct lead. If you are in a square pen when you are cantering him and he gets on the wrong lead, you could also counter him close to the corner, that will sometimes make the horse change leads without having to stop (a.k.a flying lead change) - although it most likely won't be that graceful!
---Horses leave hoofprints across our hearts!
 
CanadaDry'sgirl! 
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| i would recommend to work with flat eights, doing simple changes in the middle, its good practice for you learn to perfection your leg aids. canter to the right, go in a straight line to the middle, do a descending transition either to a trot or to a trot and walk. then head to the left at the canter. if you're horse switches leads it could probably mean he has a sore hind end or that your leg aids are not being clear. feeling the right/wrong lead takes time and mostly practice, it can be easier to tell on certain horses. but eventually once you have more feel, balance and experience, you will certainly will learn to distinguish one from another without even having to look.
Horses are Gentlemen for they let us Jump first.... ouch!
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