Correct Lead

[ALISHA]

HOW CAN I TELL IF I'M ON THE CORRECT LEAD?:rolleyes:

[CrAzY4pAiNtS]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but if your seat is coming out of the saddle when the outside leg goes foward then you're on the correct lead.

[maverick927]

How do you tell if your seat doesn't come out of the saddle?

I never even check to make sure if I'm on the right lead as my pony changes himself. I have heard though that if they're on the wrong lead that when you go into a trot you will automatically be thrown onto the wrong leg.

[CrAzY4pAiNtS]

hmmm. Acually I really don't know how to tell if you're seat dosn't come out of the saddle. My horse is a natural leader, so I never really pay much attention to it anyway.

[Wally]

I think diagonals and leads at canter are getting muddled here!

Seat out of the saddle when the outside front leg swing forward is the correct diagonal at trot. (rise and fall with the leg on the wall) sit when it comes back.

Canter leads are different, your backside should not leave the saddle at canter.

The horse should lead with his inside front leg, silly I know it's the leg which moves last, but seems to stretch the farthest. Without looking it takes practice and you need to learn to feel. If you glance down to start with you will see the inside front leg moving last and stretching farther.

If you feel when you start to canter your outside hip will fall if he starts on the correct lead. He will step under with his outside back leg, your outside hip will drop and you will know you are on the correct lead without looking down. Takes a bit of practice for the feel to come, but once you have it you will be like the princess and the pea, you will feel everything your horse does through a saddle and saddlecloth.