Right lead drats

[galadriel]

Ooookay, I've worked with a lot of off-track TB's who had no right lead--but usually they were pretty young and had not raced much, so eventually you could get a right lead out of them once they were evenly muscled.



My girls can now go on their right leads when lunging, and do great. But for their 9 and 12 years of life they've never been asked for a right lead under saddle, and probably been punished for it even. I'm starting to get a little frustrated. I've tried all the tricks I know. They're just _scared_ to get into a right lead when cantering!



I have occasionally forced a lead change by taking a nicely balanced turn to the right, give lots of praise. Can't get it very often. Still no setting-off right lead.



Any advice? Contemplating taking my girls to another trainer for this--but don't hve the $$ nor the justification, 'cept that I might like to ride them dressage someday perhaps. Kat still can't be ridden by anyone but me though. Perhaps a clinic nearby might be helpful, would have to look into them. Just kind of frustrated, but it's not their fault!

[Mehitabel]

how about getting someone to lunge you on board? first just sitting there doing nothing, since they can do it on the lunge, and gradually doing more.

[galadriel]

Erm, well, they've never done it on a lunge line, just free lunging. It's an idea tho! Will have to work them on lunge line for a few weeks and make sure they get to the point where they're getting right lead all the time in the smaller lunge circle...hmmm...

Thankye!

[cvb]

do you just go straight from trot to canter ? Have you tried leg yield just before ? My horse had trouble on right lead canter (but is not ex-race) and I had to find exercises to make sure she was 'straight'. In fact in the early days we had to exaggerate the strike off position by adopting quarters in just before. But really this was just straightening up her crookedness and making it easier for her to activate the outside hind.

One of the exercises I have done before involves just doing a half circle of canter across the school. You could try shoulder-in etc and work out which helps your horse most, then canter forward in an ark so they don't have to go from the 3 track position to 2 track as well as making the transition.

The only reason I saw "shoulder-in etc" is because it depends what is blocking your horse. If you need to free up and activate the outside hind, you may need to do something that seems contrary, and actually have them flexed and moving the "wrong" way. I have seen this done by an experienced trainer and it did help, but could be confusing to the horse if you did not get your signals absolutely crystal clear. I'm afraid I'm not explaining it very well, but maybe you will understand anyway....

[galadriel]

It's not that my horse can't physically right lead canter, it's that she's afraid to--I'm sure she's been punished for it before (most racers are). It's a mental block thing.

Today she tried though! Such a good girl :) Ended up cross-cantering, but hey, I'm not complaining. We'll get there when we get there.

[galadriel]

This is working *really* well for one of my horses. We got the right lead *twice* yesterday OFF the lunge, for the first time! We've had a few sessions of me being lunged on her back and getting the right lead. Yesterday I was circling in the same area where I usually lunge her, and it all just clicked for her. I think we're going to have much more success in the future.

Poor Duchess is still having big problems though. The right lead just *scares* her, poor baby. She's gotten to the point where she realizes it's what I want, on the lunge, but I think we're going to be doing a lot more "good girl" sessions with just lunging her, before I stick anyone on her back. She gets so nervous when she picks up her right lead...she REALLY needs reassurance that I'm not trying to trick her or hurt her by asking for it. Getting closer, every day.

[Mehitabel]

excellent! glad it's working out.

[FreedomStar]

cool! keep us updated.

[galadriel]

Kat's most recent sessions are all working on building a decent outline, going on the bit. Today she kept wanting to gogogogogogogo, so at one point I asked for her RIGHT lead and GOT IT! Not in her usual "safe to pick up right lead" spot, but on the other side of the arena. Very proud. Stayed on the bit and everything. Got a lovely little circle before she tripped and switched leads...

Duchess... still afraid of the right lead. Putting her ears back and looking at me before she picks it up, when I ask for it on the lunge (Not agressively, plaintively). Getting told she's a good girl and it's okay...need her to be more relaxed about it before we move to asking for it with a rider.

[FreedomStar]

cool! Could you post some pictures? I love looking at pictures...:)

[galadriel]

Today we went for a looong trail ride and towards the end we came to a large pasture and did some dressage work. Still getting the right lead--I think we've about gotten to the point where she understands that a) she has different leads, and b) I ask for them differently ;)

Took my camera but forgot to get any pics! :(